Testimonials

This is our third year using In Focus grades K-12 and we continue to be pleased with the results. We believe our students are more aware of how their thoughts and actions can affect both themselves and others positively or negatively. By following the lessons and putting them into action in their everyday life, we see students making positive choices.

The In Focus program has been an outstanding addition to our school’s social-emotional wellness efforts. The lessons are incredibly easy to use and well-structured, making it simple for teachers and students to engage. The clarity of each lesson allows students to fully understand the concepts, leading to meaningful conversations and self-reflection. Our teachers have found the program especially helpful in guiding students through the importance of actions and consequences and fostering a sense of accountability and growth.

“We absolutely LOVE In Focus. It is extremely teacher-friendly, easy to use, and it requires little teacher preparation. Everything is laid out brilliantly for a very flexible, adaptable SEL curriculum. We love that it is interactive. Our students are engaged in every lesson. The class conversation is on-topic, interesting, and enlightening for everyone in the room. We have been able to create a pacing guide and modify it as the year progresses, customizing it to our unique needs and student population. The only thing missing is more time to teach more of these beautifully created lessons!”

“The adoption, professional development, and implementation planning couldn’t be a more supported process. Dr. Amy Miner and her team are incredible to work with. The training, consultation, and recommendations have made this adoption and implementation smooth and intuitive.”

“In addition to meeting the well-being needs of students, In Focus supports teachers and administrators and families.  They offer professional development that is tailored to the needs of educators that is foundational.  We must have well adjusted educators in order to provide an optimal leaning environment for children where everyone feels safe, connected, and cared for.”

“The Bonneville School District has been implementing the In Focus materials for the past two years, and we are highly encouraged by the feedback received from building administrators and educators.  Teachers are reporting a seamless integration of the In Focus well-being material into the flow of the academic curriculum.  Rich discussions and application are evidenced in classroom dialogue and in the behaviors of students and educators alike.  No two school populations are the same, and the adaptability of this resource can easily pivot as needed to address the needs of students.”

“The In Focus Well Being Program has been a game changer at our school.  The lessons are research based and tied to real life situations that our students and teachers are facing on a daily basis.”

“I like the lessons. The students seem to really connect with the topics and enjoy the lessons. We are having good discussions about the topics we are teaching.”

“I love the pre-made lessons and activities. Having this ready for me, takes a lot off of my plate when prepping.”

“Please continue offering this to as many people as you can. Offering this to teachers will help us be able to better love and support our students, making real connections.”

“This course was fabulous. I loved the balance of discussion and asynchronous homework. It was an excellent blend of information and introspection. I loved this class!”

“This class helped me focus on the things that are most important. I have started to show more empathy and looked for more creative problem solving ideas. I have gained great insights on boundaries at work, time management, and functional collaboration.”

“I have loved every minute of this course. I feel like I have gotten more out of this class for my personal well-being than anything I have done.”

“It was so nice to visit and learn from other educators. It was good to realize that we universally have strengths and struggles and that we are not alone in our experiences.”

“I really appreciated the Educator Well-Being course. I wish it were mandatory for everyone to take. The insights and reflections allow for people to improve at their own pace and gives people a variety of strategies to try. Thank you for your time and energy.”

“Everyone should take the Educator Well-Being class if they want to be happier in their personal and professional lives. Not kidding – this was more helpful to me personally than any PD in the last 15 years, and I’m a master’s + 40 Lane 8 teacher. Thank you! Thank you!”

“Twenty years of experience as an educator has given me opportunities to connect with high-quality educators. There are few educators that know how to engage in effective instruction, coaching, and leadership at a high level. Amy’s extensive background in curriculum content and skill in instruction gives her the unique ability to empower teachers and leaders alike through high-quality instruction and coaching.”

“The In Focus curriculum has been very good for our students. The teachers have found it
easy to use and have liked having the conversations that it brings up. This has been especially helpful for those students who don’t have a strong support system at home. It has allowed our teachers to connect with them and create bonds with them.”

“Just being able to talk about our problems and solutions as teachers was a big help in getting everyone’s point of view and learning from each other. I really liked how Amy would always take something from our comments, give us feedback, and make a connection with us.”

“I was searching for the most effective way to support every teacher in the district when I learned about the In Focus Educator well-being program. In Focus was exactly what I was looking for. It is designed to provide well-being strategies for teachers and staff in the most efficient way. The program has opened avenues of discussion and “well-being” strategies for our teachers and now our students.”

“I like the interactive teacher well-being sessions and Amy was very personable. I learned to be more understanding about my students’ limitations and problems. It helped me gather ideas for future use with students. It also let me know about communication, creativity, empathy, etc.”

“As a Prevention Specialist working in the field of addiction, abuse, and suicide prevention, I have researched dozens of programs to implement in our area. In Focus provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information, as well as easy to prepare lessons to implement for educators. The lessons speak to what we are facing and does not stray from the topic of student well-being.”

“As the superintendent of Snake River and with twenty-plus years of experience, I have seen a lot of curriculum that improve student outcomes. None of them compare with In Focus education group, which is why I have chosen it for my district, K–12. For example, their student reflection APP brings together cutting-edge technology and student engagement. We are most excited about the whole system K–12 approach and look forward to getting upstream to prevent student well-being issues.”

“The In Focus curriculum teaches us more than Math and English. I learned new things that helped me see what I can improve on and what I am doing well at.”

“We started out on a process pursuing a company that can fill our [well-being] needs and fit the culture of our community. After an exhaustive search, vetting several programs, going through a formal RFP process and working with a district committee, we knew that In Focus was hands down the top responsive bidder—not just in price but also in product.”

“Dr Miner’s expertise and knowledge surrounding social emotional learning is tied to research and best practices. She has been able to guide us through the learning process of data analysis and vision and mission development expertly. With her guidance, we are now implementing district wide action plans for each of our 47 schools that is tailored to the needs of each school community!”

“If you are interested in moving the dial and finally seeing student achievement results where it matters most, then I’d recommend Amy Miner to assist in the efforts. We could never have made the progress we did without Amy. Never. I know of no one else with the same skill set and passion for this work.”

“Our staff was enthusiastic about our relentless pursuit of deep learning and well-being because those are the reasons teachers went into teaching to begin with. Engagement is up for both students and staff, and we are much less likely to pretend that we are making progress.”

“You took us to places physically, mentally, and emotionally that enabled us to develop as professionals and built our ability to lead others in their pursuits. You see the “big picture” better than anyone I know and you find ways and opportunities for others to chase learning in a meaningful way that speaks to their heart and heads. I became a better educator as I simultaneously became a better individual because I saw learning through a new lens.”

“Faculty and staff love Amy and feel empowered by her vision and belief in them. She has an eye for talent and translates that talent into leadership within the profession. They love working with someone who is connected to the world of research and policy and feel validated that their practices are helping to inform the research and policy just as much as research and policy is informing their practices.”

“It only takes one experience working with Amy and seeing how her mind works and how she helps others wrap their brains and their hearts around teaching and learning to know that you are in the presence of a master teacher and facilitator of learning. Our staff loved learning with and from you, and our students became better learners and individuals because of your impact on our school.”

“I had the privilege to work with Amy Miner in both the school setting and later the district setting. I saw the same thing happen in each setting. Clarity and then coherence improved greatly. We were able to better focus on our goals and improve student learning because we had such a greater shared understanding of what deep learning is, looks like, and a clear path of how to get there.”

“Research and practice both matter for education to improve, but too often there is a wide chasm between the two. Amy bridges that gap by bringing a researcher’s skills and abilities to the classroom level in actionable, doable ways.”

“Teaching the WHY & HOW and then allowing teacher teams the time to DO the work. The help in celebrating the small wins that lead to more wins, and next thing you know, the whole school was immersed in the right work.”

“Our staff went from surviving from day to day to being driven and excited to come to work. We became a collaborative team, working together for a common goal. We increased our desire to improve our teaching. We built a culture that was open and willing to try new ideas and support each other as we grew.”

“Amy has elevated our understanding of what it means to be an educator and helped raise our vision for what we can accomplish when we work together. She has helped advance our understanding of being a professional and working on a team. She speaks the language of teachers and relates extremely well to groups both big and small. Her mind always operates to show evidence of impact and works to measure that impact in dynamic ways. She operates on an extremely advanced level of complexity and knows how to deliver.”