Episode Summary In this episode, I step away from my normal format and simply talk about where I am right now. After more than 300 episodes, multiple podcast series, book ideas, websites, teaching, and constantly creating, I’ve reached a point where I’m mentally and physically exhausted and realizing that something has to give. I share
I Need to Take a Step Back Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I explore teaching in the age of AI through the lens of teacher sustainability. I use AI regularly to brainstorm, organize ideas, develop pacing guides, build starting points for assessments and practice, think through differentiation, and adapt materials. It can save significant time, but I don’t believe that makes teachers
Teaching in the Age of AI Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I look at one of the simplest realities behind teacher workload: there are still only 24 hours in a day. During my 24 years in education, the responsibilities surrounding teaching have expanded tremendously. Many of those responsibilities are individually reasonable, but when we continue adding them together, the total workload
More Responsibilities, Same 24 Hours Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I continue exploring the changing realities of teaching by looking at how parent expectations and family-teacher communication have changed during my 24 years in education. Many of those changes are positive, but technology and increased access have also created new expectations around availability, communication, grades, and how quickly problems should
Parent Expectations Have Changed Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I look beneath some of the student behavior we discussed in the previous episode and explore the growing emotional and mental health needs teachers are seeing in classrooms. After 24 years in education, I’ve noticed more anxiety, emotional dysregulation, school avoidance, shutdowns, anger, absences, and students needing significant adult support
The Student Mental Health Crisis Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I begin week two of the series by talking honestly about something many veteran educators have noticed: student behavior has changed. I’m not saying kids today are worse, but after 24 years in classrooms, I’ve seen changes in emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, attention, peer conflict, technology use, and the intensity
Student Behavior Has Changed Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on Jesus’ Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13 and what it means for educators. Jesus describes a farmer scattering seed onto different kinds of soil, and I’m reminded that the farmer’s responsibility is to faithfully sow even though he cannot control what happens with every seed. I
Sunday School for Teachers: The Sower — Seeds You May Never See Grow Read More »
Episode Summary In this Saturday Stories episode, I continue the Leadership Kit focus on imagination with the skill Read Lots of Books. Through the story The Story That Changed It, I explore how a student who wasn’t even looking for a book discovers one that gives him a completely different way to think about a
Saturday Stories Leadership Kit: Read Lots of Books — The Story That Changed It Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I wrap up the first week of the Teachers Are Not Broken series by asking what actually walks out the door when a great teacher leaves. Schools don’t simply lose someone who knows the curriculum. They lose relationships, institutional knowledge, mentorship, leadership, professional judgment, trust, and years of influence that
What Happens When Great Teachers Walk Away Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I widen the conversation about teacher retention because I believe this crisis reaches far beyond teachers and schools. When a great educator leaves, the effects ripple outward to students, families, colleagues, communities, businesses, and eventually society itself. Education helps prepare the people who enter every other profession, which means all
Why This Isn’t Just a Teacher Problem Read More »