For Nick Nelson, great teaching begins with making sure every student feels seen, valued, and capable of success. After 15 years in education, the Sabal Palm Elementary School teacher is still looking for new ways to strengthen that experience for his students.
Through the Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, Nelson attended the Visible Learning Conference in Nashville, where he explored evidence-based instructional strategies designed to increase student engagement, ownership, and achievement. The Fellowship gives Duval County educators the opportunity to pursue professional development experiences that elevate their teaching and ultimately benefit their students.
Nelson returned with three things that can make a lasting difference: practical instructional strategies, a renewed focus on student belonging, and new ideas to share with fellow educators.
First, the conference challenged Nelson to think about how small, intentional changes in instruction can have a significant impact. Visible Learning strategies emphasize helping students clearly understand what they are learning, why it matters, and how they can recognize their own progress. Nelson plans to strengthen learning intentions, success criteria, student goal setting and meaningful feedback in his classroom.
Second, the experience reinforced that academic success is deeply connected to relationships. Hearing educator Dominique Smith speak about restorative practices and belonging reminded Nelson that students must feel seen, valued, and supported to fully engage in learning. That message strengthened his commitment to creating a classroom culture where every child knows they belong.
Finally, Nelson plans to extend the Fellowship’s impact beyond his own students. As an educator who already mentors teachers at Sabal Palm and throughout Duval County, he intends to share new strategies through collaboration and professional conversations with colleagues. His original Fellowship goals similarly emphasized building instructional capacity so effective practices can reach multiple classrooms rather than remaining with one educator.
“The impact of this fellowship extends far beyond one trip,” Nelson shared. “It will influence my teaching, support my colleagues, and ultimately benefit the students I serve for years to come.”
Nelson traveled to Nashville looking for ways to make learning more visible. He returned ready to make sure every student feels more visible, too.