After 23 years of creating digital resources for educators, I'm ready to spend more time offline. It's not that I stopped enjoying the work of writing, podcasting, and developing curriculum and online courses. I still do! And in fact, I have a new app-based resource that's releasing later this month. I just feel like there are additional ways to use my gifts, time, talent, and resources without a screen in between me and the folks I work with. So in 2026, I'm going to start hosting regular...
10 days ago • 4 min read
When students give up on assignments or get overwhelmed, it’s tough to find ways to help them re-engage. So, I’ve invited Dr. John Spencer of The Creative Classroom podcast to help us uncover 5 brain-based ways to help kids who shut down in class. John is a former middle school teacher and current college professor on a quest to transform schools into places of creativity and wonder. Read or listen in as John and I explore how to: Intentionally cultivate self-empowerment (the ability to...
17 days ago • 2 min read
I've been wrestling with something more and more lately, and I have a feeling you might be too. You may use artificial intelligence for your own purposes, and find it useful in lots of scenarios. You might even teach students the value of AI and ethical ways to use it, both now and in their future careers. All the while, you're skeptical about where this AI stuff is headed, but it feels so embedded in everything that it can't be ignored. And as you're watching kids and teens pull up ChatGPT...
24 days 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...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
There’s a powerful connection between movement and cognitive performance. Standing up and moving around can both foster diffuse thinking—the kind of relaxed mental state that encourages breakthroughs and innovative ideas. In episode 314 of the Truth for Teachers podcast, I’m sharing Cal Newport’s research on training the brain for deep work through “productive meditation”, a practice that involves focusing on a specific problem while engaged in physical movement. I’m also detailing 4...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Let's be real: there’s too much curriculum, too many behavior challenges, and not enough hours in the day to make every lesson “fun.” But here’s the truth: fun is different from engagement. And engagement is the foundation for meaningful learning. When students are genuinely engaged, their brains are primed to absorb and retain information. Engagement reduces behavioral issues, fosters a sense of belonging, and helps kids connect what they’re learning to the real world. Here's the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Have you ever stood in front of your class and thought, It's going to be impossible to meet the needs of every single student for this lesson? You're thinking about the advanced learners who finish before you even finish explaining, the students with gaps who are struggling to keep up, and the ones who are chronically absent ... and the list goes on. In episode 331 of the Truth for Teachers podcast, I spoke with Rob Barnett, a former high school math teacher and co-founder of the Modern...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Even young students can learn how to understanding and combat misinformation, and it’s a key information literacy skill in 2025. To go deeper in this topic, I talked with Melanie Trecek-King of Thinking is Power, because I love how her approach to the topic of misinformation is characterized by compassion and empathy. In our conversation for my Truth for Teachers podcast, Melanie emphasized that everyone is susceptible to misinformation, and falling for it doesn’t indicate a lack of...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Starting the school day doesn’t have to be chaotic or rushed. In this article + podcast episode on Truth for Teachers, I’m sharing how soft starts are transforming classrooms by offering a calm, low-pressure beginning that allows students to ease into their day. Soft starts accomplish more than just setting a calm tone—they’re a powerful tool for: promoting social-emotional learning giving kids the autonomy they need to feel in control of their learning fostering self-regulation,...
2 months ago • 3 min read