Teaching with Trust: Free Spirit Professional®

Carissa Solomon is the author of Teaching with Trust: Creating Space for Learner Agency and Connection. She is a veteran educator with over fifteen years of experience teaching in public, charter, and private schools. She was the Lead Educator and Adult Learning Designer at Embark Education, a learner-centered micro middle school in Denver, Colorado. At Embark, Carissa helped establish and continuously refine a school model grounded in student agency, authentic learning, and radical trust. She led professional development workshops for educators, school leaders, and policy-makers, and regularly presented at national conferences including SXSW EDU, AMLE, and Big Picture Learning. Carissa is currently a literacy teacher at Denver Green School Northfield, an innovative middle school in Colorado.
Carissa holds a B.A. in Philosophy and History from The George Washington University, an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Secondary Teaching Licensure from Chestnut Hill College. Her writing and facilitation are rooted in the belief that educational environments should empower every learner by centering connection, relevance, and autonomy.