Series: This post is part of Policy in the Classroom. See the full series → I still remember the knot in my stomach one Tuesday morning when the assistant principal slid into the back row of my classroom, clipboard in hand. It wasn’t the first time I’d been observed, but that day I knew […]
Testing, Trust, and the Teacher’s Voice Read More »
The first Tuesday without a bell The first Tuesday after I retired, I still woke before the sun. Old rhythms don’t disappear overnight. The coffee steamed, the street was quiet, and somewhere a school bus sighed at the corner the way buses do—a soft exhale that used to set my day in motion. My calendar
The Shift from Doing to Being: What Retirement Is Really Teaching Me Read More »
Discover the quiet curriculum teachers carry into every classroom. Learn how spiritual reflection, mindfulness, and presence shape the inner life of teaching.
The Teacher’s Quiet Curriculum: Why Spiritual Reflection Belongs in Education Read More »
It was the third week of September, and I remember walking into class already tired. A young man in the front row had his head down on the desk, earbuds in. Another student was scrolling her phone under the table, not even bothering to hide it. I felt the familiar rise of frustration—why won’t they
Finding presence in the middle of upgrades, glitches, and shifting systems It was the third day of the semester. I had my lesson lined up, the students were settled in, and I clicked open the brand-new attendance system our college had just rolled out. And of course—nothing. The screen froze, the system wouldn’t load, and
Technology: Tool or Barrier to Connection? Read More »
Kelli and I just returned from a week in Scotland. I had to relearn driving on the left of the road, from the right side of the car, manual shifting with my left hand, and making sure to stay in the center of roads half the width of ours. Let me tell you, it took
Grading Isn’t the Goal: Rethinking Assessment Through a Spiritual Lens Read More »
We are in Germany visiting Sabrina, our Exchange Student back when she was in high school, and her family for a wedding. It’s been beautiful weather and a wonderful time visiting and sharing lives with this family. Yet, it’s still August, and the familiar feelings still arise. August always carried a strange rhythm
The Work Will Always Be There; What Changes Everything is The Lens You Bring to it. Read More »
I was watching the dog the other morning, coffee in hand, when a breeze carried that faint, unmistakable hint of change in the air. The light was softer, the edges of the leaves just beginning to blush toward autumn. And it struck me: this wasn’t just the season outside shifting — it was my own
Seasons of the Soul: How Nature Mirrors Our Inner World Read More »
I know in my current posts I’m focusing a lot on teachers and reframing their thoughts, but it’s August and I know teachers are getting ready. The way a teacher sees their work, their students, and themselves—especially at the start of the school year—shapes their energy, effectiveness, and joy more than the physical preparations they
Teaching Through a Fresh Window Read More »
My wife, Kelli, and nephew, Gavin, and I drove to Florida the other day. We drove the 17 hours switching off and on, the kind of trip that stretches your patience as much as your mileage. The open road always has a way of slowing you down, even when traffic isn’t. There were stretches of
Sacred Space on the Highway: What the Road Taught Me About Teaching and Letting Go Read More »
