Building Confident Learners: Brenda Cotton

Building Confident Learners

BY TARA WRIGHT

Brenda Cotton’s impact continues with her last project, the Learning Center.

Walking into the Learning Center at Northwood School, you can feel Brenda Cotton’s mark on each carefully crafted aspect of the program. Her enthusiasm for learning and persistence toward goals still exudes from every crevice, even months after she has retired. From the visual partnership of academic coaches and students sitting together at tables, to the open dialogue and the strengths-based focus of conversations, Brenda’s presence is felt. Brenda’s passion for highlighting a student’s positive attributes and strengths while building skills to help each succeed throughout life, a hallmark of her approach, is one which she thoroughly instilled in her faculty and rings through today in each aspect of their work with students.

Each student with whom Brenda worked became like her own, and from advocacy to pep talks, and tears to laughter, she would offer unconditional support. When reflecting on her time at Northwood School, Brenda said, “When Mike Maher offered me the opportunity to develop the Learning Center Program for Northwood, I could not have thought of a better final career project. It embodied all that I love about what I have done professionally — following and applying the research, collaborating with a tremendously supportive group of people (faculty, staff, parents), working with an incredibly dedicated team of academic coaches, and especially getting to know the students and watch them grow into confident learners. I feel very fortunate.” In retirement, Brenda’s husband, Rich, her two daughters and two beautiful and energetic grandchildren fill her life with love and laughter. Here at Northwood School, our Learning Center continues her legacy with robust programming and support, impacting lives for generations to come.

NORTHWOOD SCHOOL’S LEARNING CENTER

is designed for students who are capable of meeting the standards of our curriculum but require or seek an extra layer of academic support in order to do so. The Learning Center is staffed by a team of academic coaches trained to assist students with academic anxiety, ADHD, executive function deficiencies, and mild to moderate diagnosed learning disabilities. Learning Center services are fully integrated into our daily schedule in order to allow students to take full advantage of all academic and co-curricular offerings.