Category: Observation

  • Yeah, I Told You So

    There’s a side of being an educator we don’t talk about much. At least not in staff meetings. Maybe over coffee. Definitely in therapy. It’s not just about caring. It’s about pattern recognition.  It’s a very human thing. And God knows, the kiddos already think of me as anything but human. In my role as…

  • Out of Office… Somehow Still Here

    This past weekend, a group of us got caught up in one of those group texts that starts light — a string of funny memes, a few inside jokes — the kind that makes you laugh out loud in the middle of Saturday morning.  But somehow, almost inevitably, work wormed its way into the conversation.…

  • The Never-Ending Battle (and Why It’s Worth It) – Coffee Not Included

    Having spent years watching kids learn, play, and test boundaries, I’ve learned that patterns repeat—and so do opportunities for growth. I hold the unique perspective of having once been one of those kids: pushing limits, testing rules, and discovering boundaries firsthand—a vantage point that now shapes how I approach my work in schools. Every day…

  • Two Circles, Different Paths… and Me Here with My Coffee

    Snack time.Blood sugar dipping.Logic fading.Philosophy rising. I’m standing in the kitchen, cabinet door open, staring into the abyss like it owes me answers. And all I can think about… is donuts. Because donuts are one of those rare foods that feel almost diplomatic. They don’t argue. They don’t divide. They show up in a pink…

  • When the Monkeys in My Head Won’t Lay Off the Caffeine

    I am a creative. A creative is someone whose brain refuses to run on standard issue. Creatives run on different batteries. We have our own alternative fuel. We don’t keep the same hours as everyone else. We certainly don’t see the world the same. We notice the odd, the overlooked, the “huh, that’s interesting” moments…

  • Somewhere Between

    There is a quiet moment each night that almost no one talks about. You lie in bed. The room is dark, except for the faint glow sneaking in around the curtains. The ceiling fan hums its familiar rhythm. Your eyes are barely a slit — not open, not closed — just enough to blur the…

  • Got a Minute?

    Conversations can be a source of great entertainment.And sometimes great discomfort. I’ve had the dubious distinction of experiencing both — sometimes in the same day, often back to back, and once — memorably — in the very same conversation. That part still fascinates me. How can something begin as amusement, drift into awkwardness, and somehow…

  • Rules for Thee (But Not for Me)

    There’s a fascinating social experiment happening in plain sight: the same adults who enforce the rules are often the most creative at bending them. Somewhere between “Follow the directions” and “That sign doesn’t really apply to me,” adulthood takes a sharp turn. It’s amazing how strongly we believe in rules — right up until coffee…

  • Still, I Walk 

    There are many who move through the world carrying more than they reveal. You pass them every day—at stoplights, in hallways, in quiet moments of laughter that arrive right on time.  They are not broken. They are not asking to be saved. They have simply learned how to live with weight and still walk upright.…

  • Like Molding Clay, But With Words Instead

    When I first started my blog, I had a very clear vision for it. It was going to be my place to offer observations, rapid reactions to issues in education, and—if I’m being honest—to become one of those people other educators sought out for advice, knowledge, and expertise. I tried. I really did. But it…

  • Too Deep for a Tuesday

    I am not a philosophical person—though I do seem to spend a fair amount of time thinking on a philosophical level, which feels like a technicality philosophers would absolutely argue about. To me, philosophy is food for reflection. It’s universal. Every culture has its own way of wrestling with the same big questions about choice,…

  • A Day In The Life

    A Casual, Day-Long Stroll in My Shoes The day starts like any other day.Which is to say: against my will. Weekends are exempt from this story. Those are mythical creatures. Monday through Friday, though? Any one of them will do. If God is feeling playful—and He often is—it will somehow be all five at once.…

  • A Writers’ Room with No Showrunner and Infinite Coffee

    I sometimes wonder if our dreams are just a carbon-based, innate AI running a late-night Netflix marathon in our skulls. Think about it: all day long, your brain collects data—faces, fears, half-heard conversations, that embarrassing thing you did in seventh grade—and then, at night, it’s like, “Great. Let’s remix all this into a cinematic experience.”…

  • So I like Coffee and Quiet Moments! What are ya gonna do!?

    Quiet mornings are sacred. That’s where thoughts line up, memories wander in, and the day hasn’t started asking for things yet. It’s the opposite of chaos. And I’ve always had a soft spot for those in-between moments—the ones that feel a little like the 1980s, before the radio clicked on and the house officially woke…

  • The Art of School Discipline

    (Or: Why Your Kid Probably Isn’t a Villain, But Also Isn’t Perfect Either) There’s a part of me that’s always been a storyteller. I’ve spent years watching the chaos of childhood—my own and others’—and turning it into little stories that make sense of the messy, funny, absurd moments of growing up. I like noticing the…