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...
about 2 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...
about 2 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...
2 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...
2 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...
3 months ago • 9 min read
Happy New Year, my friend! I was offline for the last couple of weeks, creating space for dreaming and radical re-imagination. And, as I shared in my first post back on Instagram, I’m not rushing to get up to full speed just because the holidays are over. It’s still winter in the northern hemisphere, and nature is at rest. The new year in the natural world begins in spring. When the weather warms and daylight lengthens, it feels right to produce, bloom, grow, and do more. Until then? Nature...
3 months ago • 2 min read
As we welcome the month of December, our thoughts turn to the holidays and the opportunity for some well-deserved time away from schoolwork. And it’s not just any break … it’s the ONLY time during the U.S. school year in which we ALL observe more than a long weekend off at the exact same time. Pretty cool when you stop to think about it, right? Every single school will be shut down from at least December 24th through January 1st. So, I’m inviting you to take those 10 days in December (more or...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Each December, I take a break from these weekly emails + my Truth for Teachers podcast episodes to spend some time going inward. I disconnect from social media, and spend more time reading books and retraining my brain to focus for longer periods of time. I reflect on my work over the past year, and carefully consider what I want to contribute to the world in the coming year. So, in the last article + podcast episode of 2024, I wanted to leave you with some big picture ideas and meaningful...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Are you spending countless hours planning lessons, yet still feel like you’re winging it each day? Are you doing lots of advance prep, but still have to do more planning every night to feel prepared for the following day? Check out this coaching call I conducted with a graduate of the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek. Her name is Rachel, and she’s felt caught in a trap that I bet you can relate to. Rachel’s planning in advance, yet feeling like she’s flying by the seat of her pants, forgetting to do...
5 months ago • 2 min read