Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on a student who needed daily check-ins that often had very little to do with academics. Those conversations were about encouragement, reassurance, perspective, and helping him reset during difficult days. That experience reminded me that students need much more from educators than content instruction alone. I unpack why
Why Students Still Need Adults Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on how difficult sustained attention can be for students growing up in a world filled with constant stimulation. Music, videos, notifications, devices, multitasking, and endless streams of information compete for students’ focus throughout the day, making quiet concentration increasingly difficult to protect. I unpack the importance of balance
Teaching Attention in a Distracted Age Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the power of curiosity and how differently learning feels when students are genuinely wondering, investigating, and trying to figure something out. I have seen that energy during inquiry-based science activities and creative writing experiences, where students move beyond simply completing an assignment and begin exploring ideas because
Protecting Curiosity Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on why digital literacy has become about far more than simply knowing how to use technology. Through conversations with students, I have seen how easily young people can place trust in online information, communicate with strangers, overshare personal information, or struggle to recognize the risks that exist within
Digital Literacy Is Moral Literacy Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on an important moment during student computer time when I noticed students using digital messaging systems to communicate hurtful comments toward each other. That moment reminded me that technology itself is not automatically good or bad. Technology is a tool, and how students choose to use those tools
Helping Students Think about Technology Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the powerful story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet during the Last Supper and what that moment teaches us about servant leadership. Jesus chose to do work that was considered lowly and humble, showing that true leadership is rooted in service rather than status or recognition. I
Sunday School for Teachers: Jesus Washes Feet — Servant Leadership Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I focus on the importance of helping students understand that different is not wrong. Through this Leadership Kit story, I explore how students bring different personalities, strengths, communication styles, and ways of thinking into collaborative spaces, and how those differences can actually strengthen a group instead of divide it. I
Saturday Stories — Leadership Kit: Recognize That Different Is Okay — Not the Same Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on a growing tension in education where students often become more focused on finishing quickly than thinking deeply. During science inquiry activities and problem-solving scenarios, I noticed students rushing toward answers without fully considering reasoning, implications, or deeper possibilities within the learning itself. I unpack the idea that
Designing for Thinking, Not Output Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the importance of explicitly teaching integrity, citation, and responsible use of information in a digital world filled with instant access to content. I share experiences from guiding students through a long-standing Great Americans research project where students researched influential people, created presentations, and learned how to work
Teaching Integrity Explicitly Read More »
Episode Summary In this episode, I reflect on the growing conversation around cheating, AI misuse, and academic honesty in education. While some situations clearly involve dishonesty, I believe other situations reveal something deeper about student understanding, pressure, confidence, and how students view learning itself. I unpack the idea that shortcutting is not entirely new, but
Cheating or Signal Read More »