Tag: teaching

  • Earned Perspective 

    The calm that comes from having seen enough to know this moment isn’t the whole story. That’s a powerful phrase. Earned Perspective isn’t something you’re handed.It’s something you survive long enough to understand. After decades in classrooms, hallways, press boxes, gym bleachers, faculty meetings, and quiet moments after the bell — that perspective wasn’t taught.…

  • Not Just Here, But HERE

    It started as an observation. Not a complaint — at least I don’t think it was. Why do we write referrals for things that could be solved with a conversation? A student taps a pencil too long.Another mutters under their breath.One rolls their eyes. And instead of stepping into the hallway for two minutes of…

  • Internal Mayhem. External Excellence.

    I’ve been told — by a handful of my closest souls — that they’ve often wondered how my brain is wired. How it works. “It’s not normal,” they say. I’ve wondered the same thing. I’ve always known I’m different, though. Wired differently. So here it is — my attempt to explain what I suspect is…

  • A Conversation with That Guy in the Mirror

    There are some days — not often — when I need expert advice. Or at least someone intelligent enough to argue with me without filing a complaint. It doesn’t happen much. And I don’t usually tell anyone when it does.The last time I mentioned it out loud, I was one concerned look away from an…

  • Instructions Not Included

    Parenting might be the only job on the planet where they hand you a freshly hatched human being and say, “Good luck,” and then just… leave. No orientation. No handbook. No laminated troubleshooting card tucked into the diaper bag.  You don’t get a user guide that says: If child begins lying, press reset. If child…

  • Anxiety: The Ultimate Inside Job

    When Worst-Case Scenarios Go Rogue… and Happen Only in Your Head I heard this today and it stuck….made me laugh a little if I’m being honest. Anxiety is a conspiracy theory against you… A self imposed conspiracy. That’s actually a pretty clever way to frame it!  It’s like your brain is secretly running a shadow…

  • Factory Settings: Old Model — Advanced Operating System

    I’ve mentioned my ADHD before. My over-caffeinated brain monkeys have made cameo appearances in more than a few of these pieces. For those who know me, you know I’m driven by a motor. My “slow” setting is probably illegal in at least twelve states and two Canadian provinces. To those who really know me, I’m…

  • 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…

  • Using Words Like Paper Airplanes

    Some people write books to tell a story.Others write to document a journey.Still others create fantastical worlds — giving us somewhere to go when we’ve had enough of our own. Me? I think something in me kept whispering, Don’t forget this. The laughter.The small-town summers.The kitchen-table conversations.The quiet lessons nobody applauded — but that shaped…

  • 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…

  • A Conversation With Myself About Authenticity… Ain’t That the Realest Thing?

    Over the years, I’ve sat through more workshops than I can count where the message was simple and bold: Be authentic. Be real. Be yourself. It’s the kind of advice that sounds obvious until you actually sit with it. Recently — on a random Wednesday morning fueled by coffee and overactive brain monkeys — I…

  • To the Beat of the Hallways

    Working at a school—regardless of your position—comes with its own brand of daily adventure.  Teachers plan lessons. Counselors balance emotions. Secretaries manage the pulse of the front office. Custodians keep everything moving behind the scenes.  And no matter how carefully you prepare, there is a predictable unpredictability that comes with working in education. Schedules look…

  • 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…

  • 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…