Tag: behavior

• Will Work for Burritos… and coffee.

  Aug 4

  (Walks on stage holding a coffee mug like it’s a trophy. Sip. Slow nod.) You can tell a lot about a school… by looking at the snack table.Forget the mission… more ›

• The Exploits of an Over-Active Neurodivergent Mind

  Aug 3

  I’m good at a lot of things.I’ve always been good at things.(Not bragging… just being honest.) Drawing. Painting. Sketching.Music. Hands-on tinkering (mainly taking things apart just to know). Cooking. Eating.And—surprise… more ›

• “Just Coffee” A Mini Monologue for the Over-Caffeinated, Slightly-Overwhelmed Middle-Aged Soul

  Aug 1

  So I walk into Starbucks.Already, mistake number one.It’s not a coffee shop. It’s a lifestyle temple.There’s music playing that sounds like a cat whispering into a synthesizer.Everyone smells faintly of… more ›

• The Paradox of Connection

  Aug 1

  You’d think, as a high school dean, I’d have a crystal-clear picture of youth culture. I mean, I see it all—hallway drama, TikTok choreography in the quad, debates over whose… more ›

• An Educator’s Love Letter to Liquid Sanity

  Jul 31

  Let’s get one thing straight: coffee isn’t a luxury for teachers. It’s a survival mechanism. A coping strategy. A legal form of self-medication brewed in Keurig pods and staff lounge… more ›

• What Writing Looks Like (for Me)

  Jul 27

  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.… more ›

• Designing for Redemption: Rethinking Grading and Growth in the Classroom

  Jul 27

  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… more ›

• What Teaching Used to Be —and What We’ve Lost Along the Way

  Jul 26

  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… more ›

• What Drives Me

  Jul 24

  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.… more ›

• Built By Hand

  Jul 20

  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… more ›

• More Than Just a Writing Lesson…

  Jul 17

  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… more ›

• It All Starts with a Question… and Not Just Any Question

  Jul 17

  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… more ›

• No Tricks, Just Routines: A Thought on Classroom Management

  Jul 17

  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?”… more ›

• More Than a Lesson: The True Impact of Teaching

  Jul 17

  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… more ›

• Start with the Right Question: A Reflection on School Discipline and Parental Support

  Jul 17

  It’s never easy getting called into school because of your child’s behavior. As a parent, it can feel frustrating, embarrassing, or even unfair. But in those moments, the most powerful… more ›