Speech and Debate: The Creation and Inspiration Behind the Thing I am Most Proud Of
In my first year of teaching, I taught 8th graders. We were working through an argumentative unit, and, as my partner had usually done...
Hallway Conversations
"Hey, so wanna tell me what happened?" "We were just playing around." "Playing around?" "Yeah." "And then what happened?" "His croc fell...
Writing is Easy
I do this thing, when I read: analyze the first of line of a story--hoping that it intrigues me enough to keep reading, hoping that it...


7 Things I Teacher-Appreciate: Teacher Appreciation Week
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I didn't want to whine or complain about all the things I can whine and complain about. Go watch...


Why haven't you walked away from teaching yet?
I keep a letter from one of my professors of education. The word "letter" is kind of a stretch. Sure, it's written to me, but it's more a...
To the Class of 2021;
My arrogance often eclipses reality; yet, I have been humbled by the year we are currently living through. It has been nothing but an...
What scares good teachers?
When I was a kid, my mom's side of the family lived way up north in the US - basically in Canada: cold, snowy, full of bugs, humid as...


"Any questions?" "Yeah, where would you like my resignation sent?"
For the first time in my five years of teaching, I had this email/Zoom comment typed out. And then I left the meeting before it was over....


Are Students Okay? No. And it's not the pandemic.
As teachers, we are working harder than ever, and, in this pit of exhausting overwork, we also have this great capacity to make...


The Hidden Curriculum
What do you r e a l l y teach to your students?