By Brittany Moore, Director of Communications at Raise the Future

Teachers know that connection matters in the classroom. When students feel safe, understood, and valued, learning becomes possible. 

That belief is at the heart of the new book Creating A Connected Classroom: Connection, Compassion & Classroom Strategies, written by Marti Smith and Amie Huggins, M.Ed. Amie has spent more than 30 years working in education. Over the course of her career she has taught social studies and science, served as a department chair, and worked as an instructional coach. Her passion has always been helping educators better understand the students in their classrooms. 

In recent years, that passion has expanded into helping schools adopt more relational approaches to working with students. 

Amie is part of the Raise the Future team and helped co-write Tools for Transformation (TFT), a curriculum and training program designed to support teachers and schools in building connected classroom environments. The program draws on principles from Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) along with learning theory to help educators better understand behavior and strengthen relationships with students.

Today, Amie works directly with schools across the country. She trains educators, coaches teachers, consults with school teams, and speaks at conferences about how connection and relational understanding can transform classrooms. 

Interestingly, the collaboration behind the book began in a moment that neither author could have predicted. 

When Amie first met author Marti Smith at a conference, she jokingly told her they should be best friends. Marti responded that her friend card was full. Amie replied that was fine and suggested they check back in four years. 

Less than a year later, Amie emailed Marti with an idea. Would she want to write a book together about helping teachers better connect with students?

Marti responded within ten minutes. The answer was yes. 

That conversation led to Creating A Connected Classroom, a book designed to give teachers practical strategies they can use immediately to strengthen relationships with students. 

One of the most meaningful parts of the book is its cover image. The photo features two of Amie’s grandchildren looking out a classroom window. The image was chosen intentionally to reflect the hope behind the book’s message. Amie often shares that she hopes future generations of students will have a different experience in school, one where teachers better understand what may be happening beneath a child’s behavior. The image is meant to represent that hope and the future impact of more informed, connected classrooms.  

For Amie, the work is deeply personal.

In addition to her career in education, she is also a foster parent and adoptive mom. Through those experiences, she saw firsthand how trauma can affect behavior and learning. That perspective shaped her passion for helping educators better support students who may be struggling. 

Her work now focuses on bringing together the worlds of foster care, trauma-informed practice, and education so that children who have experienced adversity can succeed in the classroom. 

Today, Amie continues to train educators, speak at conferences, and advocate for relational approaches that help teachers better understand the students they serve. 

Creating A Connected Classroom is another step in that journey. 

Learn more about the book here: https://a.co/d/01CCoFRt