TESTIMONIALS

"The staff was thankful for the rich math information shared on yesterday by you and your team. Thank you for continuing to assist us with moving our instructional program forward."— Principal, Prince George's County, Maryland, 2013

"Thanking you once again for the time you have spent in the classroom with the boys and girls of 2K. I saw from the children’s elated reaction when you visited today, that they took very kindly to you each time and enjoyed the one to one you have given them. It was a most enjoyable lesson to teach and I have found myself giving more responsibility to the children for their learning. The answers given in class today were very well thought out and showed the children’s understanding and the development of their math language skills. Again warmest thanks for your input into my lesson structure. I have gained a much better understanding to my closing." — Grade 2 Math Lead Teacher, Abu Dhabi, 2013, Pearson Learning

"We got full accreditation for AdvancED with a few recommendations. They said they were very happy that we gave them a true picture from the very beginning. They agreed with the ratings, which we gave ourselves for the 5 standards. They appreciated the effort put in by each member. But thank you very much KDSL for all your guidance and support. We could not have achieved this without you and the wonderful team of teachers." – Leadership Team, Dubai, 2013

"Thank you so much for your willingness to share a wealth of knowledge. Wow! I was informed that the sessions were fruitful and focused on math protocols that will assist teachers with in depth planning for instruction."— Principal, Prince George's County, Maryland, 2012

"I am so impressed with your KDSL newsletter and your keen sense of the global needs for high quality. Learning for teachers and students."— School Principal, West Indies, 2012

"The math session was wonderful. Teachers enjoyed the content and walked away with strategies they can use to continue their work in the classroom. The feedback received from teachers was positive and the KDSL presenter was top notch. Thank you again for your willingness to accommodate us."— Principal, Prince George's County, Maryland, 2012

"Once again I want to thank you for all your math support, knowledge, input, recommendations, suggestions....it was truly great to have you here. I learned a lot and I know that we are on the right track."— Elementary School Coordinator, Venezuela, 2012

Kevin Simpson has collaborated with the Student Support Center for three years by consulting to offer professional development training programs to charter school staff.  His work has consisted of meeting with the Director of Professional Development and generating a contract that is aligned with the needs of the requesting school division.  His sessions have always been research-based, academically challenging, professional, energetic and hands-on for the participants.  The evaluations reflect a desire to have additional sessions with Mr. Simpson. He has a great understanding of adult learning theory and the need to support the teacher with relevant, practical and pedagogical information all designed to enhance the teaching and learning classroom instruction.  In his work with schools, Mr. Simpson has made every effort to use data to drive his instructional decisions and to transfer that practice to the workshop participants.  He recognizes that the alignment between standards, content, data and assessments will enhance the teacher's skills and tool kit so he makes every effort to instruct with those principles in mind. — Director of School Services, D.C., 2010

Kevin Simpson and I co-taught in Dubai for a year as mainstream grade 4 teacher and English Language support teacher, respectively.  It was a pleasure sharing a classroom with him as he naturally acts as a mentor and role model for students and colleagues alike. He instills in all who work with him his own values of a strong work ethic, high personal expectations and fosters pride for a job well done.  His organizational techniques make classroom management and transitions seamless and his genuine passion for his work is evident in the engaging activities he plans. — Education Colleague, Dubai, 2010

Kevin has shown me how to bring learning to life through blogs, Twitter, live radio shows, newspaper clippings, guest speakers, real life experiences, seminars, role play, music, video clips and so much more. He has shown me that you can integrate all subjects into any Primary Years Programme unit. Not only is Kevin interested in education his local area, but he is also involved in what is going on around the globe. Kevin believes that education should be of a high standard for all children and is helping achieve that for the world. — Education Colleague, Dubai, 2010

"Thank you so much! I really enjoyed the conference. I had already been considering doing the National Board Certification this year which requires a lot of data driven instruction, cooperation with parents, and video taping of the classroom. This is something I want to do more of in my classroom. I am very excited about adding to what I am doing with students. At this point, I think that I will do one portion of the board certification and really work on data integration this year and then do national board next year. Thank you so much for being vulnerable and showing us what you do in your classroom. I appreciate all of your hard work and kindness in sharing with us!" — Primary Teacher, Thailand, 2010

"I just wanted to thank you so much for hosting the Zayed University students. It was a really excellent visit and the students were buzzing about it all the way back on the bus. Thanks for sharing your time and your wonderful school. Thanks to the teachers as well."
— College of Education University Professor, Dubai, 2010

"I am glad I had the opportunity to work with each of you at the schools in Beirut and Saida. I believe we as a team helped each school with their journey to be better and to do more for their students. And I feel I had a chance to learn a good deal during the visits. Finally, it was enjoyable to work and have fun with you during our long days together. This all adds up to a memorable experience in Lebanon." — AdvancED QAR Chairperson, Lebanon, 2010

"Thank you Kevin. What a great opportunity you provided for Gaia and Marwan this evening. Gaia was thrilled and really enjoyed the experience. She is happy as her donations increased to 800 AED. I am so happy you are Gaia's teacher. She really is learning so much. Your fantastic efforts are very much appreciated." — Parent, Dubai, 2010

"I am a third grade teacher 30 miles outside of Chicago. I literally just watched your video on Got History (12:00am std) as I am preparing to teach my students about The American Revolution. I was reminded of the magnitude of how social studies can remain engaging. Thanks for the refresher!" — Third Grade Teacher, 2010

"I met Kevin in Dubai at a workshop on education and social media. I had recently published my first children's book My Letter to President Barack Obama and we discussed different ways to incorporate my book into classrooms. I asked if he could create curricula for my book. I was very impressed with his work and professionalism. He did a fantastic job! Kevin is creative, energetic, original and very generous with his ideas and time." — Children's Book Author, Dubai, 2009

"Fantastic! Wonderful! Resourceful! Timely! Brilliant!
Kevin Simpson is one of the most professional, industrious, and talented educators that I have ever had the pleasure of working with! Coupled with his incredible work ethic is a fantastic sense of humor and a roll up his sleeves attitude. He always gets the job done with excellence and time to spare. Kevin Simpson is par none, a consummate professional and a stellar trainer of trainers." — Elementary Math Coach, 2008

"Thank you so much for all that you did to help me pursue a new career in education. You always made yourself available and gave constructive recommendations that helped me stay one step ahead of the game. The advice you gave me for my resume, cover letter, salary, and interview prep was indespensible and helped me land a great first job outside of the classroom!" — Education Branding Client, 2008

"Thank you so much for lending us your energy and expertise for the New Teacher Orientation Training . We were as pleased with your presentation as was expected. The instructional strategies that you shared were engaging, appropriate, and well-demonstrated. I know that the teachers gained some ideas for ways to augment their instruction." — Education Specialist, 2008

"Kevin, thank you for following up with me. Things are progressing well. I'm meeting with the math teacher's today to develop the implementation calendar for the common core standards/practices.

The PD you provided was outstanding, as I knew it would be. Your fantastic!

Thank you for the supportive emails." — Principal, Baltimore, 2011

Testimonials from Association of International Schools Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2012

"Thank you Kevin. Your workshop was indeed the highlight of my time at AISA. As I continue to grow and learn in my "new" profession as a math teacher, I look forward to learning from professionals such as yourself. The attached looks great! I will definitely share with my colleagues so that we can move our program forward. "

"Hi Kevin,
Thank you for the information. It will certainly go a long way when planning reports and working with school improvement committees."

MSU testimonials December 2011 | TE 855 Teaching School Mathematics – College of Education

"I would like to thank you for a few things also. I would also like to thank you for requiring us to use and explore different technologies during this class. I have come away with more than just mathematics knowledge. Lastly, I want to thank you for making this online and very spread out class feel like a close group of educators. Through the Skype calls and group assignments I felt much more connected to the students in this class than I have in other online classes. "

"Thank you again for the great experience that I had in this course. I think I achieved all the goals I had in mind from this course. Now, I can feel confident teaching mathematics with using many teaching strategies."

"I really enjoyed this course and the format you chose for it. I liked the idea to let us lead the groups and choose tasks that we have found relevant for us. I also appreciate that you provided feedback on a regular basis. Thank you!"

"Thank you again for all your continued help and efforts throughout the course! It truly was an enjoyable (yet educational) course that has given me many things to think about in my own classroom and throughout my school."

"Thank you for a great semester. I'm excited to keep using Math Talks in my classrooms. My students also benefited from this class."

"This was an extremely useful project, but listening to the journal writing teachers brought in other ideas to incorporate in my classroom. It was so beneficial to hear two teachers using the same technique, but better results were seen when the students had to self-assess their own writing (much like we are doing)! I know that it makes me much more honest and reflective of my own work."

"Just wanted to thank you for a great class! I appreciate your time and attention in making this class so much fun. I feel like my practice has grown significantly during this semester."

"Thank you very much for the opportunities you gave me to reflect and challenge the way I teach. This class has been very rewarding for me and I look forward to continuing to reflect on how I teach and challenge the way my students to think about mathematics."

Educator Testimonials from Pakistan Education Academy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The most valuable part of our professional learning on instructional strategies was:

"Sharing ideas with each other."

"The best part is Mr. Kevin taught us how to teach and engaged us."

"Everyone present was involved with the teacher and with each other."

"New ideas and free and open discussion"

"The whole session"

"We learned so many new strategies."

"When we exchanged our strategies with others"

"Implementation and experimentation "

"Feedback and give one and take one"

"We participated to learn"

"Encouragement to apply some untried teaching strategies"

"Involve the student and interaction of different departments to improve one's efforts"

Educator Testimonials from "Make It Rich" Math Professional Learning with Friendship Public Charter Schools in June 2010

"Give the investigation first! Use it as a pre-assessment to find out what students know, where we need to go and how we will get there. Choose to implement this first because it gets the students engaged and thinking immediately."

"I am going to incorporate more student discussion before each lesson so they can start thinking critically about the material."

"The most beneficial part of this PD was getting to see examples of rich math tasks and getting to discuss the characteristics of rich tasks with other teachers."

"It made me really think critically about my teaching and the level of engagement my students had this year and how I could improve upon that."

"Big take aways were using a wondering wall, assigning math vocabulary, allowing students to do the work and develop questions rather than giving them all of the information."

Educator testimonials from Math Workshop Professional Learning with Friendship Public Charter Schools in June 2010

"I like the idea of the inquiry based model which activates prior knowledge, allows students to work collaboratively, and then reflect via closing compliments and questions."

"The teacher-student conference would be an immediate incorporation in my classes. This is a sit down with any student to check their level of achievement on any skill, objective, and/or standard."

"I see math through a different lense because the facilitator showed me I can set up math similar to literacy."

Read educator responses to what was valuable about the Data-Driven Instruction and Differentiation professional learning held in Bangkok, Thailand during 2010.

"Students need data of their own achievement."

"Data collection, documentation, planning, reflection, feedback, and follow up are important."

"Made me aware of the importance of reading and using data in terms of improving, solving, and seeking the better way to help our students."

"It is important that data is used appropriately and that a wide range of data is used to inform about a particular student."

"Being exposed to various strategies to use to differentiate instruction."

"Building upon the concept of differentiation and providing many possible ways of practicing differentiation."

"Data is very important if you use it to differentiate instruction."

"Looking at student work is vital."

Read educator responses to what was valuable about the Instructional Strategies professional learning held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates during 2010.

"The instructor knew lots of instructional strategies."

"Learning new ideas and techniques to implement in teaching."

"Learning and practing games."

"Very useful strategies for students."

"Engaging, interactive and related to teacher's needs."

"I enjoyed learning new activities to use in the classroom and learning from my colleagues."

Educator Testimonials from Math Professional Learning with educators from Thailand, China, Malaysia, Dubai, and Vietnam held in Bangkok, Thailand during November 2010

"Loved Kevin's upbeat attitude. Thanks for a nice two day session."

"Very helpful to have time built in to have some meaningful conversations. Liked the flexibility of going what we wanted to."

"Best Elementary School/Middle School workshop I have attended in 1.5 years. Energetic leader open to lots of discourse."

"Great modeling. You are dynamic, authentic, and informative."

"Most productive workshop I have been to in 10 years."

"I have got many, many resources and many ideas I will use."

"I thought your flexibility in meeting our needs was the key to a wonderful workshop. You gave us time to interact and share resources. Thanks for a great experience."

"Ask and the teacher appears and you did! Thanks for the online sites."

"Kevin is a passionate, open, friendly, and great presenter."

"It was one of the best math workshops I ever attended."

 

Student Teacher Testimonials from George Washington University, 2010

"Kevin was my observation supervisor for The George Washington University for the Fall 2010 semester. He displayed a level of professionalism and knowledge that would be difficult to match. He was able to infuse his prior experience and offer me feedback and lesson ideas that benefited my development as a Special Educator and the classroom. His extensive knowledge of differentiation of classroom activities lead me to develop concise lesson plans that were engaging to every student in my classroom."— Student Teacher, 2010

"As my advisor during my teaching fellowship for George Washington University, Kevin Simpson was always helpful (and continues to be) in providing information, strategies and even his own personal experiences which made the learning process easier to understand, relate and execute. Mr. Simpson is also admirable in his ability to work as an effective teacher also with becoming an entrepreneur with his company, KDSL. There's a lot of passion, drive and initiative in the company-all reflections of Mr. Simpson's character. It's a shame I only had Mr. Simpson for one semester, but I have to say, it was a beyond great to have him as an advisor then and a mentor now."— Student Teacher, 2010

"Kevin was my faculty supervisor during my internship for my Masters in Special Education at George Washington University. He provided me with valuable evaluations after each of my classroom observations and mentored me throughout the semester. Kevin gave me constructive feedback for improving my instructional strategies, classroom management and ways to extend student learning. He was always encouraging and pushed me with each observation to meet new goals. I was able to grow as a new teacher under his supervision and guidance."— Student Teacher, 2010

Testimonial from Knowledge Source Institute, Thailand

"As workshop organizers, it is our pleasure to organize and coordinate Kevin’s workshops. As a professional he has an innate agility to understand the situation at hand which minimizes communication gaps and allows work to flow smoothly. As a speaker he is highly appreciated by his audience, international school teachers in the Asian region. Workshop feedback forms have rated him as a ‘lively speaker using excellent interactive approaches.’ We are pleased to be associated with Kevin Simpson. "

Educator Testimonials from Common Core Mathematics Professional Learning in Washington, D.C. in May 2011

"Thank you so much for your enthusiasm for math. You make a literacy person such as myself appreciate the content."

"Keep students engaged by giving a math problem they have to talk through."

"Breakdown of the practices and standards was well implemented. I left the training with a brand new respect for CCSS."

"Great energy by the presenter that inspired a love of math to others."

"Excellent workshop and I learned that math is not as complicated as it appears."

"Learning math can be very exciting even when there is a challenge."