This one sentence from my conversation with Jonathan Haidt stopped me in my tracks: “We overprotected kids in the real world and underprotected them online.” We bubble-wrapped childhood—cut recess, banned kids from walking to school alone, and scheduled every moment with adult-led activities. All in the name of safety and preparation. But at the same time, we handed kids smartphones, social media, and one-to-one devices—with almost no boundaries. And now we’re watching the consequences unfold...
30 days ago • 2 min read
One of the most powerful (yet often overlooked) ways for teachers to use AI is as a thought partner when reflecting on instructional choices. You see, we often treat AI like a vending machine where we just drop in a prompt and expect a perfect resource to pop out. But I'm increasingly finding that the real power in AI for educators is approaching it like a colleague, where you can bounce ideas off it, brainstorm, and reflect on the best approach. Sometimes I’ll ask: “Does this activity work...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
I want to tell you about a high school in the Bronx that feels radically different from most schools—but operates within the same public school system as everyone else. It’s called Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, and it’s a Big Picture Learning school. I spent two days there observing classes, talking with students and teachers, and seeing firsthand what happens when a school prioritizes student agency, relationships, and real-world learning over compliance and test scores. What I saw...
3 months ago • 4 min read
If you’re feeling unmotivated right now—whether it’s in your teaching, your personal life, or even just in getting through the day—you’re not alone. And I want you to know: it’s okay to feel this way. We often treat motivation like it’s the secret sauce for getting things done, as if it’s something we can just summon when we need it most. But here’s the truth: motivation is unpredictable. Some days, it shows up effortlessly. Other days, it’s nowhere to be found. So, what do you do on those...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Lunch can be such a drag as an educator: figuring out what to pack, having to scarf down a whole meal in 15 minutes, or not getting a proper break for lunch at all. So, by popular request, this article + podcast episode is all about ways to simplify and streamline lunch. Healthy, quick lunch ideas for teachers Learn how you can invest a bit of time in creating a simple plan, so that figuring out a healthy lunch is one less decision you have to make each day. Here are a few of my favorite tips...
5 months ago • 2 min read
The Swiss Cheese Model is actually a real thing. It was created by James T. Reason, and is used in risk management, aviation safety, engineering, healthcare, computer security, and more. I think there’s a real place for it in K-12 education as well. In fact, I’ve found it useful for nationwide and worldwide problems too–anything that seems to be too hard to solve, any issue that seems like it just can’t be fixed. But let me give you an example that’s more dialed in. Let’s say students in your...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Too often, teachers are made to feel responsible for “fixing” student behavior. We’re told to dig into root causes, play trauma detective, or document an endless list of interventions that are impossible to manage on top of attending to the needs of everyone else. But as Claire English explains, true classroom management starts with focusing on what you can control—NOT on trying to fix everything. You might know Claire from her prolific presence on Instagram under the account The...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Do you find yourself going through the motions of classroom routines that just aren’t working for you and your students? Maybe you were hoping things would improve after the holiday break, but you’re not sure how to help the kids reset, and things have just gone downhill even more. And maybe you’re second-guessing yourself: "It’s too late in the year — it’ll confuse the kids if I change something now. Introducing a new procedure will take too much instructional time, and we have too much...
6 months ago • 1 min read
It’s no secret that the past few years for our world—and certainly here in the U.S.—have been marked by uncertainty. Things we thought were stable have shifted. Plans we made were upended. Stuff we thought we could count on—norms that were upheld, things that we believed were dependable—got shaken up. I’ve seen memes that say, “I wish we could live in precedented times again,” and I feel that, truly. As we step into 2025, many of us are feeling the weight of not knowing what’s coming next. It...
6 months ago • 9 min read