The Journey to the Ouibette: My New Promotion
If you have read me, or have been reading me, or if this is the first time you’re reading me, then you have/or now will see that I can be…
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How Schools Can Rebuild Student Belonging: Strategies That Improve Engagement, Mental Health, and Academic Success
There is a crisis of student disengagement. Many students feel disconnected from peers, teachers, and their school community. Elevated rates of absenteeism, depression/anxiety, and loneliness among students worries teachers, administrators,…
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Current events
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Teacher Appreciation Deals for the week of May 4-8
This upcoming week of May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week, with Teacher Appreciation Day being May 5th. According to the nonprofit TCEA, Teacher Appreciation Week originated in the early 1940s, when…
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Gratitude Tour: Chuck Roser
I visited Chuck Roser, his husband Tom, and their sweet rescue dog Patsy in their Pittsboro, NC, home on Friday, September 12, 2025. As a gesture of my gratitude, I…
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Learning Insights; A Nerdy Take on the Judgment of Learning
I am, unapologetically, a nerdy educator. I enjoy exploring research from other disciplines and examining its potential value in the classroom. I do so with skepticism. What holds up in…
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You are a Teacher; Not a Mum, Not a Savior: Teacher
As a full first-term teacher assistant, I was living the dream. I had built a class family that followed the rules, settled nicely, and spread love amongst each other so…
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Ronie L. Mataquel: Leading Through Service, Faith, and Innovation
“To lead is to serve—faith gives the courage to do both.” This guiding principle has shaped the remarkable career of Dr. Ronie L. Mataquel, a visionary educator, scholar, and community…
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Instructional Coaching That Actually Works
It all started in a classroom that looked like everything was going as planned. The students seemed to be engaged. The lesson was moving along. Nothing appeared to be off-track. But when the teacher and I sat down afterward, she paused and said, “I think they’re doing the work, but, honestly, I don’t think they…
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Turning Recess into a Cultural Celebration
This school year has unfolded during a time when conversations about diversity, immigration, and education seem to be everywhere, leaving a quiet uncertainty about belonging. Many parents and educators are wondering how to continue creating spaces where every child feels seen, safe and like they truly belong. At my children’s elementary school, an answer began…
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Gratitude Tour: Kelly Chung
“Aunty Mom” is what her students affectionately call her. My wife Merf and I called her Kelly throughout our high school days. Kelly is one of my wife’s best friends. That creative spelling of my wife’s nickname comes from Kelly. My correspondence with Kelly in the months after I saw her in Knoxville last summer…
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ALA Reports Surge in Book Challenges and Bans During National Library Week 2026
During National Library Week (April 19–25, 2026), the American Library Association (ALA) released new data highlighting a continued rise in attempts to censor books and library materials across the United States in 2025. According to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), 4,235 unique titles were challenged in public, school, and academic libraries last year—the second-highest…
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An Ode to Pissed-Off Parents
When I was young in my career, I once apologized to a parent because her 16-year-old daughter was walking into walls. Mad Mom entered my classroom after school, fuming. Her eyes were wide, an almost predatory look on her face as she locked eyes with me and advanced. “Do you have any idea how much…
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Los Angeles Unified to limit screen time for all students, prohibit use among youngest students
This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. The Los Angeles Unified School District unanimously voted to curb classroom screen time, directing staff to develop a policy by June ahead of the upcoming school year. The resolution aims to set clear limits on how screens are used in classrooms across grade…
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On the ethics of properly grading students
I wanted to take a break from my usual cynical storytelling — don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of that — and address a very serious concern:…
The Transformational Vision of the Library
How many times did you visit your school library as a child? How often do you visit it now, as a teacher? For what purpose? If you ran…
Federal book ban bill advances, Drawing widespread opposition from the public
A controversial federal bill that would restrict access to certain materials in schools and libraries has advanced in the U.S. House, intensifying a national debate over censorship, student…
History, Curiosity, and a Classroom That Thinks: The Inspiring Work of Ryan Donovan
Some teachers assign history. Others bring it to life. For Ryan Donovan, an AP U.S. History teacher at Boulder Creek High School, the goal isn’t simply to help…
Trump administration proposes 2027 budget with Pell Grant increase and sweeping education cuts
The Trump administration on Friday released its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, outlining a plan that increases funding for the Pell Grant program while introducing sweeping cuts to…
An emotional sponge in the classroom
The teaching world felt like it was under my fingertips. At 22 years old, walking into my first classroom as a third-grade teacher, I was certain I had…