Category: reflection
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More Me Than You Think: A Creator’s Spirit
We all carry worlds inside our heads—some loud, some quiet, some a little strange.This is mine: a peek behind the curtain at the curiosity, the quirks, and the caffeine-fueled chaos that shape how I see and create in this world. One day, that guy in the mirror asked me, “Dude, what goes on in that…
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What Writing Looks Like (for Me)
I’ve always been drawn to creating things—music, sketches, photos, splashes of color and sound—but writing? That one snuck up on me. I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be a writer. I didn’t carry a journal or dream of publishing a book. But over the years, I started noticing little stories piling up—between mariachi gigs, painting…
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Designing for Redemption: Rethinking Grading and Growth in the Classroom
There’s something profoundly human about allowing a student the chance to redeem themselves—but redemption can’t be accidental or symbolic. It must be deliberately built into how we teach, assess, and relate to students. Too often, our systems—especially grading—treat learning like a one-shot game. A missed deadline, a failed quiz, or a moment of bad judgment…
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What Teaching Used to Be —and What We’ve Lost Along the Way
There was a time—not long ago—when teaching was built on short readings and long conversations. Classrooms echoed with curiosity. Students asked questions. Teachers asked even more.And the best days? The ones when we didn’t rush to answers. Yes, there was some drill and kill—rote memorization, timed facts, spelling tests.But it wasn’t the end goal.It was…
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Someone asked me today how I was doing.
I am tired…. …of being strong. …of feeling sad. …of not having answers. …of needing a break. …of this continuing heat. …of not enough sleep. …of feeling tired. But, I am grateful, and thankful… …that I am alive. …for my family. …that I have a place to live and food on my table. …that I…
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What Drives Me
Over the course of my life, and career as an educator, I’ve been asked these questions more than once.I remember one time clearly—it was during a workshop on student resilience. Another time, it came up in a leadership meeting. We throw words like determination, persistence, discipline around like they’re universally understood. But the more I…
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Built By Hand
There’s something to be said about working with your hands. The whole DIY thing—patching a leaky faucet, sanding down a splintered door, fixing the fence before it falls over—doesn’t get the credit it used to. These skills were once passed down like family recipes or last names. Now they’re slipping away, replaced by apps, services,…
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Sunsets in the Valley
I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it—there’s nothing quite like a sunset in the Imperial Valley. Clouds or clear skies, summer heat or winter chill—it doesn’t matter. The sky catches fire, the desert exhales, and for a few quiet moments, the world feels gentle again. These sunsets remind us that even in the…
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More Than Words: How Quotes Spark Conversation and Learning
There’s something powerful about a well-timed quote. Maybe it’s a line from a movie that lingers long after the credits roll, or a phrase that echoes from history books. Quotes carry weight — and in the classroom, they carry possibility. Over the years, I’ve found that using quotes — from films, speeches, poems, and revolutionaries…
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More Than Just a Writing Lesson…
As a teacher, I made sure my students wrote every single day. It didn’t matter what subject I taught, or how much they wrote. What mattered was the act itself — showing up to the page. Every class began the same way: a writing prompt projected on the board, and five uninterrupted minutes to write.…
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Echoes of Our Heritage
Some of my favorite memories aren’t found on big stages or at fancy events. They’re in backyards — folding chairs circling around a grill, kids chasing each other barefoot on the grass, elders sitting in the shade telling stories that we’ve all heard a hundred times and still love to hear again. It’s in these…
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It All Starts with a Question… and Not Just Any Question
It all starts with a question — and not just any question. Not the kind that seeks the right answer. Not the kind that checks for recall or makes sure the reading was done. But the kind of question that opens a door. That invites curiosity. That sparks a pause. The kind of question that…
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No Tricks, Just Routines: A Thought on Classroom Management
While flipping through an old journal, I came across a question I once jotted down — likely something I heard at a conference: “What is your best classroom management trick?” I smiled when I read it, because I remember my answer clearly — and I stand by it: Tricks and gimmicks for class management eventually…
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More Than a Lesson: The True Impact of Teaching
Today, as I was accepting invitations to the annual professional development opportunities offered to educators at the start of each school year, I remembered a quote I heard at one of these “PD days” a few years back — and it got me thinking: “If I am not an improved version of myself by the…
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Coloring Inside the Lines… and Knowing When to Go Beyond Them
“Color inside the lines.” It’s one of the earliest rules we give children when they’re learning how to draw. And in many ways, it reflects a larger idea in how we’ve traditionally approached learning: follow directions, stay within the structure, do what’s expected. There’s a place for that. Boundaries are important. They help students develop…
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