For the teachers rewriting what school can be.
For the teachers rewriting what school can be.
Last week, the best figure skater in the world fell – twice – and finished eighth. If you haven’t been following the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, here’s what happened. Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God,” is the only skater on earth…
Last week, I bundled my pit bull, Noelle, into her red snowflake sweater and headed to the vet for her routine vaccinations. We were racing against the clock. A winter storm was supposed to hit that evening, and even though…
Two years ago, I was leery of pit bulls. I had heard they’re inherently aggressive. I’d heard stories of them turning on their owners, and even though I had friends and family with pit bulls who never had problems with…
The Two-Student Reality Check Picture two seventh-graders with the same math assignment due tomorrow. One student sits at their kitchen island with perfect lighting, high-speed internet, and a parent who can help explain concepts. Their biggest challenge is choosing between…
During a presentation tonight, one of my students posed this question to the class: “If learning were a playground, what would it look like?” It struck me as the perfect visual metaphor for what we’re trying to build in education.…
Every year, the same conversations happen in schools across the country. Teachers worry about students who “aren’t where they should be.” Parents receive concerning reports about children who “need to catch up.” Administrators discuss interventions for kids who “just aren’t…
Friday started like the perfect teaching day. You know the feeling. The weather was gorgeous, my lesson plans were solid, and I felt completely in control as my husband and I headed out for what promised to be an ideal…
This is a very personal and hard story to write, to share this shame with the world. But if it changes how even one person understands the power of embarrassment to derail a life, it’s worth it. The Moment Everything…
Sometimes the long way around is the only way forward. The First Fall I was eighteen and convinced I knew everything. College felt like a waste of time when I could be out in the “real world” making money and…
Summer planning time! After explaining trauma-informed vs trauma-responsive teaching, you asked: "What does this actually look like?"
Here are 3 strategies to plan for fall:
✓ Predictable routines with built-in choices
✓ Reframe "misbehavior" as communication
✓ Connect before you correct
These work for ALL students and are just 3 of the 10 complete hacks in my upcoming book with Dr. Jill Davis, "Hacking Trauma-Responsive Practices."