Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on how much education has changed during my 23 years in the classroom. Technology, curriculum, assessments, standards, expectations, systems, and now artificial intelligence have all reshaped the profession. Yet the longer I teach, the more convinced I become that the most important parts of education remain deeply human.
What Will Always Matter in Teaching Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode of Sunday School for Teachers, I reflect on the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. After hearing that the city remained broken and vulnerable, Nehemiah did not ignore the problem. He mourned, prayed, asked the king for permission to return, and then carefully examined the work that
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Episode Summary In this Saturday Stories Leadership Kit episode, I introduce the value of sensitivity to differences and the skill of stopping hatred and meanness. The story, “That’s Not Funny,” follows a group of students as an uncomfortable joke changes the feeling in the room and several classmates decide not to ignore it. The students
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Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on a season following COVID when educators returned expecting to continue exploring language arts curriculum options, only to discover that major decisions had already been made during the summer. New resources had arrived, old materials were gone, and expectations had shifted dramatically. While change itself was not necessarily
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Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the reality that change is one of the few guarantees in education. New initiatives, programs, expectations, assessments, and systems constantly emerge. Some changes feel exciting and useful, while others create uncertainty, frustration, or resistance. The challenge is learning how to respond thoughtfully when educators do not have
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Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on one of the ongoing tensions many educators experience between educational policy and classroom reality. Using state testing as an example, I discuss how accountability systems serve an important purpose while also recognizing that students often continue learning and growing long after testing windows have closed. Those moments
Guarding Humanity in Policy Decisions Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on working with a student who struggled with selective mutism and found speaking in front of others incredibly difficult. Progress did not happen through a program, a device, or a quick intervention. It developed slowly through patience, encouragement, family support, collaboration with school staff, and a relationship built
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Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on my experiences working within educational systems where pacing guides and curricular expectations became extremely tight. Grade-level teams were often expected to stay almost perfectly aligned, moving through the same lessons at nearly the same time. While that consistency may have made organizational sense, it sometimes meant moving
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Episode Summary In this episode of Sunday School for Teachers, I reflect on the disciples gathering in the upper room after Jesus had risen and ascended into heaven. They found themselves in an uncertain in-between season, knowing that something was ahead but not fully understanding what would happen next. Instead of scattering or isolating themselves,
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Episode Summary In this episode of Saturday Stories: Leadership Kit, I introduce a story called The Group Project, which focuses on helping students understand the importance of spreading tolerance. Through a realistic classroom scenario, students discover that people often think, communicate, and solve problems differently, and that those differences can strengthen a team rather than
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