SEL & Reading Program · Grades 6–12

Honesty isn't
always pretty.
But it's always
pretty necessary.

Your students are navigating identity, pressure, loyalty, and consequences every single day. Most programs give them a worksheet. This one gives them a room. No devices. No videos. No teacher prep — just students in a room doing the real work.

Schedule a 30-min call See the 5 sessions
Students in classroom conversation
Now booking — '26–'27 school year
Zero teacher prep
required
Zero teacher prep SEL + reading standards Fully facilitated All materials included
Aligned to your district

Standards alignment sheets ready for PGCPS, FCPS, DCPS, and APS.

Reading standards mapped to MCCR, VA SOL, and DCPS scope & sequence. SEL competencies mapped to each district's framework. Drop one in front of your principal or counselor — the paperwork is already done.

Prince George's County

PGCPS · MD
Reading: MCCR Standards SEL: PGCPS Trauma-Informed Framework

Fairfax County

FCPS · VA
Reading: Virginia SOL SEL: FCPS Framework (CASEL-aligned)

District of Columbia

DCPS · DC
Reading: DCPS Scope & Sequence SEL: DC Comprehensive SEL Plan

Arlington County

APS · VA
Reading: Virginia SOL SEL: APS SEL Framework
What it is

One story. Five sessions. That's the full program.

I write original short stories based on the real challenges students face — loyalty, identity, pressure, choices, consequences. Then I bring them into your classroom and we read closely, analyze character choices, discuss themes, and connect the text to their own lives.

Each story is delivered across five 45-minute sessions, fully facilitated by me. Students build social-emotional skills and meet reading standards in the same room, at the same time.

"Just stories, real conversation, and activities that keep students engaged. The only rule is in the name." — Tonya Duncan, Founder

Five sessions.
One story arc.

Each session is 45 minutes. Each one builds on the last. Customizable based on grade level, student need, or classroom dynamics — but the shape stays the same.

01

Enter the Story

Read together. Meet the characters. Set the room.

Feeling Charades
02

Feel With Them

Explore what the characters felt — and why those feelings make sense.

Emotion Timeline
03

Choose Wisely

Analyze the choices the characters made and what those choices cost.

Choice Road
04

Connect to You

Bring it home. Share the personal connections — out loud, on paper, or with a partner.

Silent Write + Pair Share
05

Grow Together

Reflect on what shifted. Name it as a class. Celebrate it.

One Word Wall
Three program shapes

One classroom. Up to 25 students.

Three ways to bring No Judging Allowed to your school. Every option includes the story, all sessions delivered in-person by Tonya, every activity material, an end-of-series completion report, and a certificate for each student. Zero prep on your end.

Standard

Standard Story

A story from the existing library, matched to your grade level.

5 sessions · one classroom · up to 25 students
  • Original short story from the NJA library
  • Five 45-minute sessions
  • All facilitation materials included
  • Completion report + certificates
Schedule a call
Most popular
Custom

Custom Story

A new story written about exactly what your students are facing.

5 sessions · one classroom · up to 25 students
  • Original story written for your school
  • Five 45-minute sessions
  • Materials + completion report
  • Topic shaped to your community
Schedule a call
À la carte

Per Session

A shorter series, a single drop-in, or emergency response to a school crisis.

Flexible · book what you need
  • 3-session shorter series available
  • Emergency response for school crisis
  • Materials included per session
  • Same facilitator, same approach
Schedule a call

Investment varies by option, classroom count, and travel. Let's get on a 30-minute call and walk through which shape fits your school — I'll send a clear quote within 24 hours of the call.

Students engaged in story discussion
Zero teacher prep. You bring the classroom. I bring everything else — the story, the materials, the conversation.
What this hits

Aligned to the standards that matter.

Every story does double duty: it builds the literacy muscles your reading standards already require, and it builds the human muscles CASEL has been calling for for over a decade.

Reading Standards

  • Character analysis
  • Theme identification
  • Cause and effect
  • Making inferences
  • Citing textual evidence
  • Collaborative discussion

CASEL SEL Competencies

  • Self-awareness
  • Self-management
  • Social awareness
  • Relationship skills
  • Responsible decision-making
2Mviews and counting.
In January 2026, neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath testified before the U.S. Senate that students today are less cognitively capable than the generation before them — despite record spending on classroom technology. The clip has been watched over 2 million times on CSPAN.

No Judging Allowed is a different path. No screens. No worksheets. Just original stories, honest conversation, and human connection. Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing, January 2026 (CSPAN, 2M+ views).
From the classroom

This already happens.

Real moments from real sessions. Not stock photos. Not concept art. Pinned here the way a teacher pins them above her desk — because the kids in them already showed up, already did the work.

Group conversation around tables
the whole circle, talking.
Student smiling in classroom
session three. they're in.
Teacher and student
choosing wisely — together.
Two students discussing
"so wait — why'd he do that?"
Two girls laughing
joy counts too.

"Our young people have become excited about reading."

— what a principal wrote us after the first cohort. it never stops landing.

Oxon Hill Middle · Cohort 01
Student thinking
silent write. all gold.
Student listening
the listening posture.
From past No Judging Allowed sessions · shared with school & family permission.

What teachers are saying.

"
Since No Judging Allowed has come to Oxon Hill Middle, our young people have been excited and thoroughly engaged in the readings and conversations. The students have become excited about reading, thoughtful in their decisions, and positive in their interactions.
V
Victorious Hall8th Grade Academic Dean · Oxon Hill Middle School · Prince George's County, MD
"
No Judging Allowed involved students with the narrative and real talk conversations. Students felt they could open up and ask questions about real issues. This program brings real talk, enlightening, and eye-opening conversations to any school. I strongly recommend them.
A
Arjetta FaulknerDirector, Saturday School Program
T·D
Founder & Facilitator

Meet Tonya Duncan.

Writer · Facilitator · Educator

Tonya writes every story herself, then walks into the classroom and runs every session herself. There's no curriculum binder to interpret, no contractor showing up in her place. The work she designs is the work she delivers.

No Judging Allowed serves middle and high schools across Maryland, DC, and Virginia. If you've got a classroom that needs a real conversation, she'd love to talk.

Ready to give your students
a room to say what's real?

The '26–'27 calendar is filling now. Book a 30-minute call — we'll talk about your grade level, what's going on in the room, and which story fits.

Schedule a 30-min call Email Tonya directly
Get in touch

Let's talk.

Tell me about your school, the grade level, and what's going on. I read everything that comes in — usually back within a day or two.

Book a 30-min callcal.com/nojudging/30min
Emailinfo@nojudgingallowed.com
ServingMaryland · Washington, DC · Virginia