Trust isn’t something students earn.
It’s something we design for.
A practical guide to creating classrooms where trust fuels agency, belonging, and meaningful, rigorous learning.
Order your copy today!
Many educators want to foster student agency, build authentic relationships, and create classrooms where every learner feels seen and valued. But translating those aspirations into daily practice can feel overwhelming. What does learner-centered education actually look like? How do you build trust while maintaining high expectations? And where do you begin?
Teaching with Trust offers a practical, hopeful answer.
Drawing on years of experience in learner-centered classrooms and schools, Carissa Solomon combines classroom-tested strategies, research-informed insights, and authentic stories to show how trust can become the foundation for deeper learning. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all model, this book invites educators to rethink the everyday systems, routines, and relationships that shape students' experiences in school.
Whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, school leader, or district administrator, you'll find practical ideas that can be adapted to your own context. Through real examples and actionable strategies, you'll discover how intentionally designing for trust can foster greater student agency, strengthen relationships, and help learners thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Explore the ideas at the heart of Teaching with Trust.
Bonus Resources
Teaching with Trust is not meant to sit on a shelf. It is meant to be tried, tested, adapted, and lived alongside young people.
Below you’ll find resources created both by my students and by me. These tools are here to help you bring learner voice, agency, and connection into your own classroom or home.
Trust in Action
These aren’t polished marketing pieces. They are real examples of what happens when students are trusted with meaningful responsibility.
Temperature Checks in Practice
In my classroom, temperature checks are a simple but powerful way to build self-awareness and community. This short video was created by students to explain how the routine works and why it matters.
Student-Created “How to Teach” Manual
Yes, you read that right. Students designed a guide for teachers outlining what helps them learn, what builds trust, and what shuts it down. It is honest, thoughtful, and full of insight that we would be wise to heed.
Voice Through Reading
Stories help young people explore identity, empathy, courage, and belonging. Reading is even more powerful when students get to choose their own books. These resources are designed to help you launch a choice reading practice in your classroom.
Book Recommendations for Ages 8 to 14
I curate and update a list of book recommendations for 8-14-year-olds that spark meaningful conversation and reflection. Join my community on Goodreads to see recommendations and add your own favorites.
Reading Reflection Worksheets
Downloadable reflection tools to help students think deeply about what they read and connect it to their own lives. These work in classrooms, book clubs, or around the dinner table.