Be A Funky Teacher Podcast

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I step away from my normal format and simply talk about where I am right now. After more than 300 episodes, multiple podcast series, book ideas, websites, teaching, and constantly creating, I’ve reached a point where I’m mentally and physically exhausted and realizing that something has to give.I share some of what my family has been carrying, including my brother’s recent hospitalizations, concerns about my dad’s health, and the emotional weight of returning to the same hospital floor where my mom died in 2024. At the same time, I’m trying to be present as a husband, a dad to three kids at very different stages of life, and a teacher beginning another school year.I reflect on something my grief therapist told me: something has to give right now—not everything and not forever, but something. I’m beginning to understand that putting something down is not the same as quitting it. I still love Be a Funky Teacher, Saturday Stories, Sunday School for Teachers, the Teachers Are Not Broken series, and the projects I want to create, but they do not all have to happen right now.I don’t know exactly what comes next, and I’m giving myself permission not to know. I want to spend a little less time producing my life and a little more time living it—being a husband, dad, brother, son, teacher, and simply myself. This isn’t goodbye. It’s me creating some space and trusting that when I’m ready to sit behind the microphone again, I will.Show NotesWhy I’m stepping back from a publishing scheduleReaching more than 300 podcast episodesFamily health challenges and emotional exhaustionReturning to the hospital where my mom diedBeing present for my wife and childrenThe difference between quitting and putting something downGiving myself permission not to know what comes nextSpending less time producing life and more time living itKey TakeawaysExhaustion does not always mean something is broken.Something important can be put down temporarily without being abandoned.Grief can return unexpectedly through places, memories, and experiences.Constant creativity and productivity can eventually become another obligation.Family seasons and time with the people we love do not last forever.Sustainability sometimes requires refusing to create another schedule.It is okay to say, “I don’t know what comes next.”

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I explore teaching in the age of AI through the lens of teacher sustainability. I use AI regularly to brainstorm, organize ideas, develop pacing guides, build starting points for assessments and practice, think through differentiation, and adapt materials. It can save significant time, but I don't believe that makes teachers less important. I think it makes professional judgment even more important.I look at several ways AI can help teachers, including providing better starting points, supporting differentiation, organizing information, and identifying patterns in student data. But AI output is not professional judgment. Teachers still have to ask whether something is accurate, developmentally appropriate, aligned to curriculum, useful for their actual students, and worth using at all.I also discuss the danger of allowing AI to replace the thinking students and teachers need to develop. AI should be a thinking partner, not a replacement for thinking. Schools need thoughtful policies around privacy, academic integrity, accuracy, environmental concerns, and appropriate use, but responding to AI with fear alone won't prepare students or teachers for the world they're entering.Ultimately, I believe AI could make teaching more sustainable if we use it to reduce lower-value work and protect the time it saves. The goal shouldn't be making teachers produce more. It should be giving teachers greater capacity for the deeply human work technology cannot replace: relationships, judgment, empathy, creativity, leadership, trust, and helping young people believe in what they can become.Show NotesHow I currently use AI as an educatorAI as a starting point rather than a finished productDifferentiation and material adaptationFinding patterns in student dataWhy professional judgment still mattersAI as a thinking partner, not a replacement for thinkingProtecting the time AI saves teachersWhy human teaching matters even moreKey TakeawaysAI can save teachers time by giving them better starting points.AI-generated work still requires professional judgment and verification.Teachers need enough expertise to recognize when AI output is weak or wrong.AI should support student thinking rather than replace it.Schools need thoughtful AI policies instead of fear or blind enthusiasm.Efficiency should not automatically become permission to increase teacher workload.The more technology advances, the more valuable the human parts of teaching become.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I look at one of the simplest realities behind teacher workload: there are still only 24 hours in a day. During my 24 years in education, the responsibilities surrounding teaching have expanded tremendously. Many of those responsibilities are individually reasonable, but when we continue adding them together, the total workload can become unreasonable.I explore the invisible ways teacher time disappears through email, documentation, interventions, meetings, technology, behavior support, data collection, communication, safety responsibilities, and other expectations. Planning time is often consumed by everything except planning, but the lesson still has to be ready tomorrow. That's how work quietly migrates into mornings, evenings, lunches, weekends, and teachers' personal lives.I also challenge the idea that every workload problem can be solved through better time management. Organization, technology, automation, routines, boundaries, and good systems can absolutely help, but they cannot make 10 hours of necessary work fit into an eight-hour day. That's why I believe addition should require subtraction. If schools add something meaningful, leaders should also ask what can be removed, simplified, automated, delegated, or stopped.Ultimately, I believe protecting teacher time is a teacher-retention strategy. Teachers are willing to work hard, but willingness to work hard should not become permission to continuously add more. Sustainable teaching has to leave room for teachers to remain human beings outside the classroom, and protecting that life may be exactly what allows great educators to keep showing up year after year.Show NotesHow the scope of teaching has expandedThe accumulation of “just one more thing”Email and other forms of invisible workWhy planning time keeps disappearingTeachers quietly donating personal timeWhy productivity cannot fix an impossible workloadAddition should require subtractionProtecting teacher time as a retention strategyKey TakeawaysIndividually reasonable responsibilities can create an unreasonable total workload.Every additional responsibility requires actual time somewhere in a teacher's day.When planning time disappears, preparation often moves into teachers' personal lives.Better time management cannot make an impossible workload equation work.Adding new expectations should require conversations about what can be removed.Protecting teacher time is a practical teacher-retention strategy.A sustainable teaching career must leave room for a life outside school.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I continue exploring the changing realities of teaching by looking at how parent expectations and family-teacher communication have changed during my 24 years in education. Many of those changes are positive, but technology and increased access have also created new expectations around availability, communication, grades, and how quickly problems should be resolved.I talk about the important difference between advocacy and entitlement. I want parents to advocate for their children, ask difficult questions, and speak up when something doesn't seem right. At the same time, children need opportunities to struggle, experience appropriate consequences, develop resilience, and discover that every uncomfortable experience does not need to be removed by an adult.I also explore why assuming positive intent, gathering the entire story, maintaining professional boundaries, and documenting important situations can strengthen communication. Parents know things about their children that teachers don't, while teachers see students in environments and situations families may never see. Neither perspective is complete by itself.Ultimately, I believe parents and teachers don't have to agree about everything to be on the same team. Strong partnerships are built on trust, respect, communication, accountability, and a shared commitment to helping a child succeed. Kids need great parents and great teachers, and they're at their best when those adults stand beside each other instead of on opposite sides.Show NotesHow parent expectations have changedIncreased access and teacher availabilityAdvocacy versus entitlementWhy productive struggle mattersBeginning difficult conversations with curiosityProfessional boundaries and documentationHow repeated conflict affects teachersBuilding genuine family-teacher partnershipsKey TakeawaysIncreased access to teachers should not mean unlimited access.Parent advocacy and trust in teachers can coexist.Children need opportunities to struggle and experience appropriate consequences.A child's version of an event may not be the complete story.Assuming positive intent can change difficult conversations.Professional boundaries help make teaching sustainable.Parents and teachers can disagree while remaining on the same team.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I look beneath some of the student behavior we discussed in the previous episode and explore the growing emotional and mental health needs teachers are seeing in classrooms. After 24 years in education, I’ve noticed more anxiety, emotional dysregulation, school avoidance, shutdowns, anger, absences, and students needing significant adult support simply to navigate the school day.I also talk about the limits of a teacher’s role. Teachers can notice, listen, build relationships, create predictable classrooms, document concerns, communicate with families, and connect students with appropriate support. But teachers are not therapists, and recognizing that a child needs expertise beyond what one classroom teacher can provide is not abandoning that student.I reflect on the emotional weight teachers sometimes carry after hearing things they cannot unhear. A difficult conversation or crisis can happen, and then the bell rings and another class walks in. Students need teams of caring adults—families, teachers, counselors, administrators, mental health professionals, coaches, paraprofessionals, and others—not one heroic teacher expected to solve everything.Ultimately, I believe students are not broken any more than teachers are broken. Young people can struggle deeply and still have tremendous potential. Teachers can become an important lifeline, but we do not have to become the entire life raft. We can care deeply, notice students, connect them with help, and continue believing in what they can become without believing we have to carry everything alone.Show NotesGrowing student mental health needsWhat mental health struggles can look like in classTeachers are teachers, not therapistsWhen student needs outgrow school capacityThe emotional weight teachers carryWhy students need a team, not a heroStudents are not brokenBeing a lifeline without becoming the entire life raftKey TakeawaysMental health struggles do not always look obvious in the classroom.Understanding behavior does not mean excusing harmful behavior.Teachers can notice and connect students with help without becoming clinicians.Student mental health support must extend beyond one classroom teacher.Teachers experience real emotional labor when students share difficult things.Students need networks of caring adults rather than one heroic educator.Teachers can care deeply without carrying everything alone.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I begin week two of the series by talking honestly about something many veteran educators have noticed: student behavior has changed. I’m not saying kids today are worse, but after 24 years in classrooms, I’ve seen changes in emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, attention, peer conflict, technology use, and the intensity of some behaviors.I explore some of the forces that may be contributing to those changes, including COVID, technology, social media, trauma, mental health, and changing childhood experiences. I also explain why trauma-informed teaching should never become expectation-free teaching. Understanding why a child is struggling can help us respond more effectively without lowering our belief in what that child is capable of becoming.I also address the difficult balance between supporting one struggling student and protecting the learning environment for everyone else. Empathy and accountability are not opposites. Relationships and boundaries can coexist. Consequences can teach instead of humiliate, and temporarily removing a student from a classroom can sometimes be part of helping that student successfully return.Ultimately, I believe teachers cannot solve complex behavior alone. Strong schools need clear systems, behavior support, counselors, administrators, families, and other professionals working together. Teachers are not broken because they sometimes need help. They are human beings doing incredibly complex work, and real support matters.Show NotesHow student behavior has changedCOVID and the disruption of childhoodTechnology, attention, and frustration toleranceWhy trauma-informed should not mean expectation-freeEmpathy and accountability togetherProtecting the learning environmentConsequences that teachWhy teachers need systemic behavior supportKey TakeawaysStudent behavior has changed, but that does not mean kids are worse.Trauma can explain behavior without excusing harmful behavior.Empathy and accountability belong together.One student’s needs cannot erase the needs of everyone else.Consequences should teach rather than humiliate.Students need both high expectations and high support.Teachers should not be expected to solve complex behavior alone.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Jesus’ Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13 and what it means for educators. Jesus describes a farmer scattering seed onto different kinds of soil, and I’m reminded that the farmer’s responsibility is to faithfully sow even though he cannot control what happens with every seed.I connect that story directly to teaching because educators are constantly planting seeds. We plant knowledge, encouragement, curiosity, confidence, expectations, kindness, hope, and belief. Sometimes we get to see those seeds grow immediately, but other times the results may not become visible until years later.I also reflect on how difficult that can be for teachers because we naturally want to know that our work matters. A student may not understand a lesson until the following year. They may not appreciate a boundary until they are older. They may not recognize the importance of an encouraging conversation until adulthood.As I prepare for another week, I’m reminded that my responsibility is not to force growth. My responsibility is to faithfully create opportunities for growth. I may never see what becomes of every seed I plant, but that does not mean the planting was meaningless.Show NotesJesus’ Parable of the SowerUnderstanding the four kinds of soilTeachers as seed plantersPlanting knowledge, encouragement, and hopeWhy growth may take years to appearFaithfulness when results are not immediateTrusting that unseen seeds can still matterKey TakeawaysTeachers plant seeds every day.We cannot control how quickly every student grows.Some of our greatest impact may appear years later.Different students may be ready for different things at different times.Our responsibility is to faithfully create opportunities for growth.A seed can matter even when we never see the harvest.

Episode SummaryIn this Saturday Stories episode, I continue the Leadership Kit focus on imagination with the skill Read Lots of Books. Through the story The Story That Changed It, I explore how a student who wasn't even looking for a book discovers one that gives him a completely different way to think about a challenge in his own life.I share how books can do far more than help students practice reading skills. Stories can introduce us to people, places, experiences, and perspectives we may never encounter otherwise. They can help us understand other people, solve problems, become curious, and sometimes better understand ourselves.I also provide discussion questions teachers can use throughout the week to help students reflect on how books influence their thinking. The goal is to help students see reading as more than an assignment and begin noticing the connections they make between stories, characters, ideas, and their own experiences.Ultimately, this episode is about helping students develop imagination through reading. Sometimes we choose a story because the cover catches our attention, but every once in a while, a story gives us exactly the idea, encouragement, or perspective we needed at that moment.Show NotesContinuing the Leadership Kit value of imaginationThe skill: Read Lots of BooksHow stories can change perspectiveHelping students connect books to their livesDiscussion questions for the classroomEncouraging students to recommend booksReading for discovery, empathy, and imaginationKey TakeawaysBooks can expand students' imagination and perspective.Stories can help students understand themselves and others.Reading can inspire persistence and new ways of thinking.Meaningful book connections deserve to be noticed and celebrated.Students should experience reading as discovery, not only an assignment.Sometimes the right story reaches us at exactly the right time.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I wrap up the first week of the Teachers Are Not Broken series by asking what actually walks out the door when a great teacher leaves. Schools don't simply lose someone who knows the curriculum. They lose relationships, institutional knowledge, mentorship, leadership, professional judgment, trust, and years of influence that cannot simply be replaced by filling an open position.I also share my own experience of leaving a school district after more than two decades without leaving the teaching profession. That experience taught me an important distinction: sometimes a great teacher doesn't stop loving teaching—they need a different environment where they can continue loving it. In my current district, professional trust, autonomy, respect, accountability, and opportunities to lead have helped me feel energized and excited about teaching again.I explore how leadership, teacher voice, professional autonomy, accountability, and working conditions influence whether great educators stay. Compliance is not the same as commitment, and teachers can follow every directive while slowly becoming disconnected from their organization. I believe strong schools need educators who think, ask questions, advocate for students, contribute ideas, and respectfully challenge thinking when they believe something can be better.Most importantly, I don't believe teacher retention should mean keeping every teacher at any cost. Sometimes leaving a school, district, role, or even the profession is the healthy decision. But when skilled educators still love teaching and feel forced to choose between their well-being and the profession they love, we should pay attention. Instead of simply asking teachers to become tougher, we need to ask what conditions would allow great teachers to thrive.Show NotesWhat schools actually lose when great teachers leaveWhy relationships and institutional knowledge matterMy experience changing districts after more than two decadesHow trust, autonomy, and accountability can coexistWhy compliance is different from commitmentWhen leaving may be the healthy decisionWhat schools can learn from teachers who leaveCreating conditions where great educators can thriveKey TakeawaysReplacing a position doesn't replace everything a great teacher contributed.Sometimes teachers leave an environment without wanting to leave teaching.Trust, autonomy, accountability, and professional respect can coexist.Teacher voice matters because compliance isn't the same as commitment.Schools should become curious about why strong educators leave.Retention shouldn't come at the expense of a teacher's well-being.Sometimes changing the conditions can help a great teacher rediscover their passion.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I widen the conversation about teacher retention because I believe this crisis reaches far beyond teachers and schools. When a great educator leaves, the effects ripple outward to students, families, colleagues, communities, businesses, and eventually society itself. Education helps prepare the people who enter every other profession, which means all of us have a stake in the strength of our schools.I explore what instability can mean for students and families, especially when schools experience repeated turnover, larger classes, substitutes, disappearing programs, or the loss of experienced educators. I also discuss the professional judgment veteran teachers develop over thousands of interactions with students and why schools need both the energy of new educators and the accumulated wisdom of experienced ones.I also connect strong schools to strong communities and a strong future workforce. The doctors, nurses, mechanics, electricians, entrepreneurs, farmers, business owners, and community leaders of tomorrow are sitting in classrooms today. Education can expand possibilities for young people, help them discover their gifts, and give them hope that they have something meaningful to contribute.Ultimately, I believe teacher retention belongs to all of us. Teachers have responsibilities to grow and serve students well, but society also has a responsibility to create conditions where great educators can do their work effectively. Keeping great teachers isn't doing teachers a favor. It is an investment in students, families, communities, our workforce, and our collective future.Show NotesWhy teacher retention affects everyoneEducation’s role in every professionHow instability affects students and familiesWhy veteran teacher experience mattersSchools, communities, and the future workforceEducation as a source of possibility and hopeOur shared responsibility for teacher retentionKey TakeawaysTeacher retention is bigger than an education issue.Students often experience the first effects of teacher turnover.Veteran educators carry professional judgment and institutional knowledge.Strong schools help create strong communities and workforces.Education expands possibilities and gives young people hope.Keeping great teachers is an investment in society’s future.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I take a deeper look at what we commonly call the teacher shortage and ask whether the shortage itself is really the problem—or whether it is a symptom of something deeper happening within the profession. After 24 years in education, I’ve watched the conversation change from schools receiving huge numbers of applicants to districts struggling to fill classrooms.I explore several factors that may be contributing to this shift, including working conditions, student behavior, leadership, compensation, workload, support, public perception, and the cost of becoming a teacher. I also reflect on what changed after COVID and why respect for educators belongs in the teacher retention conversation.I talk about the importance of both new and veteran educators. When experienced teachers leave, schools lose more than employees—they lose professional judgment, institutional knowledge, leadership, and mentors for the next generation. When young teachers leave after only a few years, I believe we should become curious about what happened instead of immediately questioning their commitment.Ultimately, I argue that we cannot recruit our way out of a retention problem. Recruitment matters, but so does creating a profession where talented educators can build meaningful, sustainable careers. Instead of only asking where we will find more teachers, I believe we also need to ask what will help great teachers want to stay.Show NotesThe teacher shortage as a symptomRecruitment versus retentionWhy teacher expertise is not disposableWhat changed after COVIDThe shrinking teacher pipelineLosing veteran and early-career teachersBuilding a profession where teachers stayKey TakeawaysTeacher vacancies may point to deeper problems.Recruitment alone cannot solve a retention crisis.Veteran teachers carry expertise schools cannot easily replace.Early-career departures should make us curious about why teachers leave.Filling a position is not the same as building a great teacher.Strong schools need both new educators and experienced educators.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I explore the difference between teacher burnout and moral injury, a concept that helped me better understand what many educators may be experiencing. I also share how my longtime mentor, Dr. Tangela Sylvester, encouraged me to explore the idea more deeply and gave me language for something I had already been wrestling with.I explain that burnout often feels like exhaustion, depletion, and emotional fatigue, while moral injury can feel more like knowing what you believe is right for a student but being unable to consistently do it because of circumstances outside your control. I’m careful not to diagnose anyone or suggest that every educator’s experience is the same.I also reflect on how this tension can show up in real classrooms through limited time, competing responsibilities, testing demands, student needs, lack of resources, and the constant challenge of balancing authentic learning with accountability. Naming these realities is not about complaining or lowering expectations—it is about understanding what educators may be carrying.I close by emphasizing that teachers are not victims and that this conversation should lead to greater compassion, better questions, and stronger support. Understanding burnout and moral injury does not solve every problem, but it can help us begin healthier conversations about teacher retention, student success, and hope for the profession.Show NotesTeacher burnout vs. moral injuryDr. Tangela Sylvester’s influenceWhen professional values clash with realityWhy naming challenges is not complainingSupporting teachers supports studentsUnderstanding as the beginning of hopeKey TakeawaysBurnout and moral injury are not the same experience.Moral injury can involve conflict between values and circumstances.Caring deeply can create significant emotional weight.Understanding educators’ experiences can build compassion.Better understanding can lead to better support.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I begin an important new series by asking a difficult question: why are so many good teachers leaving the profession? I want this conversation to be honest without becoming negative, because I love teaching and believe deeply in the importance of strengthening the profession rather than tearing it down.I reflect on the educators I’ve watched walk away over the years, including experienced teachers and young people who decided not to continue in education. What concerns me most is that many of the teachers leaving are deeply committed educators who care about students, continually work to improve, and carry an enormous amount of emotional weight because they take the work seriously.I also explain why teacher retention is bigger than an employment issue. When great teachers leave, students lose mentors, schools lose experience, communities lose trusted adults, and future teachers lose people who could have helped guide them. Supporting teachers and supporting students are not competing priorities—they are deeply connected.I close by making clear what this series will and will not be. I’m not interested in blaming parents, administrators, policymakers, or teachers. I want to understand what educators are carrying, talk honestly about the challenges, and continue looking for hope. The next conversation will explore the important difference between teacher burnout and moral injury.Show NotesWhy talented educators are leavingTeacher retention as a community issueThe emotional weight of caring deeplySupporting teachers supports studentsHonest conversations without blameBeginning a new series rooted in hopeKey TakeawaysMany outstanding teachers are reaching their limits.Caring deeply can carry a significant emotional cost.Teacher retention affects entire communities.Supporting educators directly benefits students.Honest conversations can create pathways toward hope.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I celebrate two beginnings at once: another school year and episode 300 of the Be a Funky Teacher podcast. When I recorded my first episode, I never imagined reaching this milestone, and I’m proud of what those 300 episodes represent—300 opportunities to encourage educators and talk about a profession I truly love.I reflect on how the podcast has evolved from individual episodes built around whatever was on my heart into deeper conversations and connected series. Those conversations have also become the foundation for future books, including Be a Funky Teacher and Teaching in an Age of AI, while reminding me that the podcast itself will always come first.I also look ahead to the next major weekday series, which will focus on the challenges facing teachers and why I believe teachers are not broken—they are carrying tremendous weight. Saturday Stories and Sunday School for Teachers will continue, and I’m also working to make classroom resources more consistently available while exploring a possible Be a Funky Teacher YouTube show.As I begin my 24th year in education, I’m excited about another group of students and another opportunity to grow. Episode 300 isn’t a finish line. It’s the beginning of a new chapter, and my challenge for educators is not only to think about what students should learn this year, but also who we want to become as educators.Show NotesCelebrating episode 300Beginning my 24th year of teachingHow the podcast has evolvedA new series focused on supporting teachersSaturday Stories and Sunday School for TeachersBooks, classroom resources, and a possible YouTube showKey TakeawaysMeaningful work is built through consistency.Reflection helps educators continue growing.Relationships remain at the center of teaching.Teachers need honest conversations and hope.Episode 300 is the beginning of another chapter.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on how quickly summer has passed and the importance of slowing down to appreciate the people who matter most. As my family prepares for an eight-day cruise with friends we first met on a cruise two years ago, I’m reminded how simple conversations can grow into lifelong friendships.I share why family memories require intentionality and how every season of life teaches us something. This summer has been filled with lessons from travel, family gatherings, professional learning, and watching my children continue to grow into young adults.I also reflect on the importance of balancing excitement for the future with gratitude for the present. A new school year is approaching, and while I’m looking forward to new students and new opportunities, I don’t want to rush through the moments that make today meaningful.As I close this final summer check-in, I encourage you to invest in relationships, make memories, and appreciate the season you’re living in. The greatest blessings in life are rarely destinations—they’re the people who share the journey with us.Show NotesPreparing for a family cruiseHow friendships can begin unexpectedlyLessons from a summer of experiencesThe importance of intentional family memoriesLooking ahead without rushing todayEpisode 300 is just around the cornerKey TakeawaysEvery season of life has something to teach us.Family memories are created intentionally.Friendships often begin with simple conversations.Gratitude helps us appreciate the present.Relationships are life’s greatest investment.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on one of the beliefs that has shaped my entire career: learning never stops. As I prepare to travel to Lincoln to help write science assessment items for the state of Nebraska, I’m reminded that even after more than two decades in education, I still have so much to learn.I share how learning happens in many different places. Conferences, classrooms, family experiences, travel, podcasts, outdoor adventures, and conversations all continue teaching me important lessons. Some of the most meaningful learning in life happens far beyond a traditional classroom.I also reflect on the connection between curiosity, humility, and growth. Experience matters, but experience alone is not enough. Great educators continue reading, asking questions, listening, reflecting, and remaining open to new perspectives.As I look ahead, I’m grateful that I have not figured everything out. Learning keeps life interesting, keeps us humble, and helps us become better educators, parents, leaders, and people. The goal is not to arrive. The goal is to keep growing.Show NotesPreparing to write state science assessmentsWhy great teachers remain learnersLessons from conferences and experiencesStudents and family members as teachersThe relationship between humility and growthStaying curious throughout lifeKey TakeawaysLearning does not end when school ends.Experience matters, but curiosity drives growth.Some of life’s greatest lessons happen outside classrooms.Humility creates room for continued learning.The goal is not arrival—the goal is growth.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on how quickly life moves and why milestones give us an important opportunity to pause. This summer, Kristine and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary while our daughter Mya traveled to Washington, D.C., to present a children’s book project at a national conference.I share how moments like anniversaries, competitions, birthdays, graduations, and family trips help us recognize how far we have come. They remind us that the years move faster than we expect and that our children grow up before we are ready.I also reflect on how meaningful memories are often created through ordinary experiences. Road trips, family dinners, conversations, photographs, and shared adventures may not feel significant in the moment, but they often become the stories we treasure later.As I look back on this summer, I keep returning to one message: make the memory. Celebrate the milestone, take the trip, attend the event, make the call, and spend time with the people who matter. Someday often arrives much sooner than we expect.Show NotesCelebrating 20 years of marriageMya’s national conference experienceHow quickly children growWhy milestones help us pauseOrdinary moments that become lasting memoriesMaking time for the people who matterKey TakeawaysLife moves faster than we often realize.Milestones give us a reason to pause and reflect.Meaningful memories are often created in ordinary moments.Relationships matter more than possessions.Don’t wait for someday to make the memory.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I begin a new series of weekly summer check-ins by reflecting on a family canoe trip through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. With nine family members carrying everything we needed, paddling across lakes, and navigating difficult conditions, the experience reminded me that meaningful memories are not always built through comfort.I share how the trip required everyone to contribute, work together, and depend on one another. The physical challenges, changing weather, portages, and simple routines of wilderness life helped strengthen our connection and showed me once again that shared challenges often bring people closer together.I also reflect on what the experience taught me about young people, resilience, gratitude, and growth. My children were capable of more than I sometimes realized, and the trip reinforced that resilience develops when people are given opportunities to face challenges and work through them.As I look back, I am grateful we took the trip—not because it was easy or convenient, but because it was meaningful. My hope is that this episode encourages families and educators to create experiences that stretch people, build connection, and become part of the stories they carry for years.Show NotesBeginning weekly summer check-insA family trip to the Boundary WatersShared challenges and stronger relationshipsHelping children build resilienceGratitude for simple thingsCreating meaningful family memoriesKey TakeawaysDifficult experiences often become meaningful memories.Shared challenges can strengthen relationships.Young people are capable of more than we realize.Resilience develops through real experience.Growth often happens beyond comfort.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I pause to reflect on how far Be a Funky Teacher has come and where this journey is headed next. What began a little over a year ago on my way to the National Teacher Leadership Conference has grown into nearly 300 episodes centered on teaching, leadership, relationships, humanity, student voice, and hope.I share why I’ve decided to slow the podcast down for a few weeks and move from daily episodes to weekly summer check-ins. I’m not stopping or disappearing. I’m simply giving myself space to rest, spend time with my family, reflect, and prepare for the next season of this work.I also share updates about my upcoming books. I’m now working toward releasing the first Be a Funky Teacher book in late October, followed by Teaching in an Age of AI in the spring. These projects are another way for me to encourage educators and remind them that their humanity and influence still matter.As I look ahead, my mission remains the same. I want to help educators feel encouraged, supported, and hopeful while continuing to make a difference in my classroom, my school, and the larger education community. The conversation isn’t ending. It’s continuing in a new way.Show NotesReflecting on nearly 300 podcast episodesMoving to weekly summer check-insChoosing rest without abandoning the missionUpdates on two upcoming booksContinuing to encourage educatorsLooking ahead to the next seasonKey TakeawaysSlowing down can support long-term growth.Rest is not the same as giving up.The mission of serving educators remains unchanged.Teachers still need encouragement, hope, and community.The next chapter can look different without ending the journey.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on what happened when I took one of the biggest leaps of faith in my teaching career. After spending 22 years in South Sioux City, I stepped away from a place filled with relationships, memories, credibility, and comfort to begin again at Winnebago Public Schools.I share the uncertainty that came with starting over and the lessons I learned along the way. I discovered that experience travels with you, relationships still matter most, trust must be earned again, and some of life's greatest opportunities are waiting on the other side of uncertainty.I also reflect on two deeply meaningful gifts—a seed bead necklace from a student and his mother and a Mr. Funky Teacher beaded medallion created by my students with help from Ms. Shipman. Those gifts represented far more than objects. They represented connection, trust, belonging, and acceptance.As I look back on the year, I'm grateful I was willing to take the leap. My building changed, my community changed, and my routines changed, but my purpose came with me. This experience reminded me that when we genuinely care, serve others, and believe in young people, we can make a difference wherever we are.Show NotesLeaving South Sioux City after 22 yearsBeginning again at WinnebagoExperience and purpose travel with youEarning trust in a new communityMeaningful gifts of belongingGrowth on the other side of uncertaintyKey TakeawaysLeaving something good can still be the right decision.Experience travels with you when you begin again.Trust must be earned through consistent relationships.Meaningful gifts can represent belonging and acceptance.Some of life's greatest blessings wait beyond uncertainty.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on one of the most meaningful projects of my teaching career—the BAGO Mic Student Podcast. What began as an experiment to help students develop communication and leadership skills quickly became something much bigger. It transformed the way I think about student voice and reminded me just how capable young people really are.I share how giving students a microphone, a platform, and authentic leadership opportunities allowed them to interview guests, tell their stories, celebrate their community, and grow in confidence. Along the way, I discovered that students don't just need opportunities to answer questions—they need opportunities to ask them, listen deeply, and share experiences that matter.I also reflect on the incredible growth I witnessed throughout the year. Students became stronger communicators, more confident leaders, and thoughtful interviewers. Most importantly, they learned that their voices matter, and I learned that trusting students with meaningful work often leads to outcomes that exceed our expectations.As I look ahead, I'm excited that the BAGO Mic has become more than a classroom project. It's now a student leadership legacy that future fifth graders will continue building. My hope is that this reminds all of us to create more opportunities for students to lead, share, and discover the power of their own voices.Show NotesThe story behind the BAGO MicStudent voice and authentic leadershipBuilding communication skills through podcastingConfidence, curiosity, and storytellingCreating a lasting student legacyLessons I'll carry into the futureKey TakeawaysStudent voice deserves to be heard.Leadership grows through authentic experiences.Students often exceed our expectations.Confidence develops through meaningful opportunities.Lasting legacies begin with one courageous idea.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on my first year at Winnebago Public Schools after spending 22 years in South Sioux City. Starting over wasn't easy, but looking back, I realize this year changed me in ways I never expected. It challenged me, stretched me, and reminded me why I became a teacher in the first place.I share the biggest lessons I learned throughout the year, including the importance of earning trust, building authentic relationships, listening before leading, and embracing a new community with humility. I also reflect on the incredible students, families, colleagues, and team members who made this transition such a meaningful experience.One of the greatest gifts of this year was gaining a deeper appreciation for Native culture, student voice, and the power of collaboration. Whether through our fifth-grade team or the BAGO Mic student podcast, I was reminded that education is at its best when people work together and every voice is valued.As I close this chapter and prepare for another school year, I'm filled with gratitude. This experience reminded me that where we teach may change, but our purpose remains the same—to serve students, build relationships, continue learning, and make a positive difference wherever we're planted.Show NotesReflecting on my first year at WinnebagoStarting over after 22 yearsBuilding trust and relationshipsStudent voice and the BAGO MicLearning from Native culture and communityLessons I'll carry forwardKey TakeawaysStarting over creates opportunities for growth.Trust is earned through consistency.Relationships remain at the heart of teaching.Every student's potential is greater than their circumstances.Great educators continue learning alongside their students.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I take a step back after the PLC at Work Institute in Las Vegas to reflect on what I'm actually bringing home with me. Attending a conference is one thing, but I believe the real value comes when the notes become action and the inspiration becomes implementation.As I look back, I realize there wasn't one speaker or one session that stood above the rest. Instead, I noticed common themes that surfaced throughout the conference—culture, relationships, collaboration, wellness, collective efficacy, reflection, and hope. Those are the ideas I want to carry into my classroom, my team, and my school community.I also reflect on how these themes connect to my own experiences as an educator. Whether it's helping students believe in themselves, working alongside an incredible fifth-grade team, or remembering that relationships are at the heart of everything we do, this conference reminded me why I love teaching and why our work truly matters.As I head into another school year, I'm challenged to move beyond simply collecting ideas and instead focus on putting them into practice. My hope is that these reflections encourage you to think about what you're taking back from your own learning experiences and how those lessons can make a difference for your students.Show NotesReflections from the PLC at Work InstituteCulture vs. climateRelationships and collaborationCollective efficacy and student growthWellness and educator reflectionTurning conference learning into actionKey TakeawaysCulture is built intentionally every day.Relationships remain at the heart of education.Collaboration produces stronger outcomes.Reflection helps make growth visible.Learning matters most when it leads to action.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I look at Joseph's story through the lens of faithfulness instead of focusing on injustice or forgiveness. I'm reminded that no matter where Joseph found himself—in a pit, in slavery, in prison, or eventually in the palace—he continued to serve God faithfully and grow where he was planted.I reflect on how easy it is to wish away difficult seasons, especially in education. Whether it's a challenging class, a difficult school year, or an unexpected transition, Joseph's life reminds me that I may not control where I'm planted, but I do control how I choose to grow.I also explore the truth that character is often developed long before opportunity arrives. Joseph didn't become faithful when he was promoted. He was already faithful in the hardest places, and those seasons prepared him for the responsibilities that would come later.As I prepare for another week of teaching, I'm challenged to bloom where God has planted me today. I pray that I'll remain faithful in every season, trusting that God is using both the easy and the difficult moments to shape the teacher—and the person—He is calling me to become.Show NotesJoseph's journey from Genesis 37–50Bloom where you're plantedCharacter before opportunityFaithfulness during difficult seasonsClassroom application for educatorsClosing prayer for teachersKey TakeawaysFaithfulness is built before success.Character grows during difficult seasons.We can't always choose where we're planted.Students learn from how we live each day.God can use every season for His purpose.

Episode SummaryIn this Saturday Stories episode, I introduce a brand-new Leadership Kit value: Imagination. Leadership isn't always about having the quickest answer or solving the biggest problem. Sometimes leadership begins when someone is willing to imagine a possibility that nobody else has thought about yet.I share The Unusual Idea, where a group of students is challenged to help new students feel welcome at school. While everyone offers familiar suggestions, one student quietly develops a completely different idea that changes how the group thinks about the challenge.As I reflect on the story, I encourage students to recognize that creativity often requires courage. Different ideas can feel risky to share, but they also have the power to solve problems in ways that ordinary thinking cannot. Sometimes the idea we're most hesitant to share becomes the one that makes the biggest impact.I close by encouraging teachers to create classrooms where creativity is celebrated, original thinking is noticed, and students understand they don't have to think exactly like everyone else. Leadership often begins with someone who is willing to ask, "What if?"Show NotesLeadership Kit Value: ImaginationStory: The Unusual IdeaThink Differently and Be CreativeClassroom discussion questionsLeadership challenge for the weekFree printable classroom resourcesKey TakeawaysLeadership begins with imagination.Creative ideas deserve to be shared.Different thinking can solve problems.Courage is often required to share new ideas.One creative idea can help many people.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Eric Twadell’s presentation about moving beyond “PLC Lite” from a national education conference in Las Vegas. His message challenged educators to recognize the difference between talking about improvement and truly committing to the work required for improvement.Eric pushed schools to examine whether their collaborative teams are meaningfully focused on student learning or simply holding meetings, completing paperwork, and checking boxes. Authentic PLC work requires teams to examine evidence, respond to student needs, hold one another accountable, and take collective responsibility for every student’s success.I explore several major takeaways from the session, including the importance of the four critical PLC questions, meaningful collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, continuous improvement, accountability, and the shift from individual responsibility to collective responsibility.The episode also includes reflections on the fifth-grade collaborative team at Winnebago Public Schools. Our team was not perfect, but we created common assessments, examined student evidence, adjusted instruction, and worked together to meet student needs. Real PLC work is not about perfection. It is about commitment.Show NotesEric Twadell’s challenge to move beyond PLC LiteThe difference between meetings and meaningful PLC workKeeping student learning at the centerMeaningful collaboration and shared actionUsing evidence to guide instructional decisionsThe four critical questions of a PLCContinuous improvement and professional humilityAccountability as shared responsibilityMoving from individual to collective responsibilityReflections from the fifth-grade collaborative team at WinnebagoKey TakeawaysPLC Lite creates meetings without meaningful action.The purpose of a PLC is to improve student learning, not complete paperwork.Meaningful collaboration requires examining evidence and responding to student needs.Data and evidence help teams move beyond assumptions and opinions.The four critical questions remain central to effective PLC work.Continuous improvement requires persistence, humility, and commitment.Healthy accountability strengthens consistency and follow-through.Student success and student struggles belong to the entire team.Authentic PLC work can be messy and imperfect.Real PLC work is not perfection. It is commitment.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Tim Brown’s presentation about self-efficacy, reflection, and goal setting from a national education conference in Las Vegas. His message focused on helping students recognize their own value, accomplishments, growth, and ability to succeed.Rather than hearing entirely new ideas, I found myself affirming many practices I have tried to build into my classroom and teacher leadership work over the years. Tim’s session reminded me that those practices matter because students need intentional opportunities to stop, look back, and recognize how much they have grown.I explore several major takeaways, including why self-efficacy influences persistence, resilience, and achievement; why reflection is often missing from classrooms; how meaningful goals provide direction; and why progress builds confidence. Students do not develop confidence simply because adults tell them to believe in themselves. Confidence grows through experiences and evidence.The episode concludes with a challenge for educators to help students reflect, identify progress, celebrate accomplishments, and recognize their strengths. When students begin to see evidence of their own growth, they are more likely to believe that continued growth is possible.Show NotesTim Brown’s session on self-efficacyHelping students believe they can succeedWhy reflection is often missing from learningMaking student growth visibleStudent-led goal settingHow progress builds confidenceCelebrating student accomplishmentsThe importance of authenticity and trustHelping students recognize their strengthsReflection as part of effective teachingKey TakeawaysSelf-efficacy influences effort, persistence, resilience, and achievement.Students need opportunities to recognize their own growth.Reflection helps students make sense of learning and progress.Growth often remains invisible until students intentionally look back.Meaningful goals provide focus, purpose, and direction.Confidence develops through successful experiences and evidence.Celebrating progress reinforces effort and persistence.Authenticity helps adults build trust with students.Students often underestimate their own abilities.Great teachers help students imagine possibilities beyond what they currently see.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Jason Hillman’s powerful presentation about trauma from a national education conference in Las Vegas. Rather than building his session around a framework or school improvement strategy, Jason shared his family’s deeply personal experiences with breast cancer, his own health challenges, and his daughter’s eating disorder.His story reminds us that trauma does not only affect students. Trauma impacts teachers, administrators, parents, families, and entire communities. What we see on the outside may be connected to grief, fear, stress, or pain that remains invisible to those around us.I explore several important takeaways from Jason’s session, including the idea that behavior often has a backstory, invisible struggles are still real, relationships can become lifelines, and empathy and expectations can coexist. Understanding trauma does not require educators to abandon accountability. It helps us provide accountability with greater compassion and support.The episode concludes with a personal story about a teacher from my childhood who was undergoing cancer treatment and a lesson my mom taught me: all people have problems. We may never fully know what another person is carrying, but remembering that reality can change how we teach, lead, and respond to others.Show NotesJason Hillman’s personal presentation about traumaTrauma’s impact on students, adults, and familiesWhy behavior often has a backstoryThe reality of invisible strugglesGrief and how it changes peopleRelationships as lifelines during difficult seasonsThe positive and negative influence of one personBalancing empathy with expectationsHow resilience can be developedSchools as places of safety, consistency, and healingA childhood lesson about compassionKey TakeawaysBehavior often has a backstory.Trauma affects adults and families as well as students.Invisible struggles are still real.Grief can change how people experience and respond to the world.Relationships can become lifelines during difficult seasons.One caring person can have an enormous positive influence.One unhealthy relationship can also leave lasting wounds.Empathy and accountability can coexist.Resilience can grow through relationships, support, hope, and perseverance.Understanding someone’s story can change how we teach and lead.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Regina Stephens Owens’ presentation about physical, mental, and relational wellness from a national education conference in Las Vegas. Teaching is deeply rewarding, but it can also be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. Regina reminded educators that caring for ourselves is not another task to add to an already crowded list. It is necessary if we want to sustain this work.I share several ways her message connected to my own life, including losing my mom, participating in grief therapy, making difficult professional decisions, improving my physical health, and losing around 80 pounds. These experiences have reminded me that wellness affects every part of who we are and how effectively we can serve students, families, and colleagues.The episode also explores the importance of healthy relationships, appropriate boundaries, asking for help, and moving beyond merely surviving. Educators often become skilled at getting through the day or making it to the next break, but the goal should be more than survival. We should be able to experience joy, purpose, fulfillment, and genuine well-being at work and at home.The episode concludes with a challenge for educators to take an honest inventory of their physical, mental, and relational wellness. Taking care of yourself is not selfish. It is stewardship. The people we serve benefit when we are healthy enough to continue showing up with energy, compassion, wisdom, and purpose.Show NotesRegina Stephens Owens’ wellness presentationPhysical, mental, and relational wellnessWhy teaching must be approached as a marathonReflections on losing approximately 80 poundsGrief, therapy, and learning to carry lossRelationships as an essential part of wellnessHealthy boundaries for educatorsWhy asking for help demonstrates strengthMoving from surviving to thrivingEducator wellness as part of school improvementKey TakeawaysTeaching is a marathon, not a sprint.Physical health influences energy, patience, focus, and resilience.Mental health is connected to professional effectiveness.Grief does not simply disappear; we learn how to carry it.Healthy relationships are an essential part of wellness.Appropriate boundaries help educators sustain their ability to serve.Asking for support is a sign of courage, not weakness.Educators should strive to thrive rather than merely survive.Investing in educator wellness is part of school improvement.Taking care of yourself is stewardship, not selfishness.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Anthony Muhammad’s presentation, Transforming School Culture 2.0, from a national education conference in Las Vegas. His message reinforced one of the strongest themes from the entire conference: school culture influences nearly everything that happens inside a building.Anthony challenged educators to look beyond slogans, programs, and mission statements and examine the behaviors of the adults who create the daily school experience. Culture shapes relationships, collaboration, trust, student achievement, and the way both students and staff feel when they enter a school.I share several major takeaways from his session, including the difference between culture and climate, the importance of accountability, the reasons people naturally resist change, and why safe and comfortable are not always the same thing. I also explore how mission, vision, and values create alignment and why schools must intentionally build back hope.The episode concludes with a reflection on the responsibility every educator has to build and protect culture. Culture is not created by administrators alone. It is shaped through every interaction, decision, relationship, and behavior. The culture we create today influences tomorrow’s outcomes and eventually becomes part of the legacy we leave behind.Show NotesAnthony Muhammad’s Transforming School Culture 2.0 sessionWhy culture influences nearly every part of a schoolThe difference between culture and climateHow adult behavior shapes student experiencesAccountability as responsibility rather than punishmentUnderstanding resistance to changeWhy safety and comfort are not the sameMission, vision, values, and organizational alignmentBuilding back hope in schoolsProtecting culture through shared leadershipReflections from Winnebago Public SchoolsKey TakeawaysCulture influences relationships, collaboration, achievement, and student experiences.Culture is how people behave, while climate is how people feel.Students experience the culture adults create.Healthy cultures balance support with accountability.Understanding resistance helps leaders respond with patience.Growth often requires discomfort within a safe environment.Mission provides purpose, vision provides direction, and values guide behavior.Hope can be rebuilt through intentional leadership and collective effort.Everyone in a school can help lead and protect its culture.The culture created today becomes part of a school’s lasting legacy.

Episode SummaryIn this week's Sunday School for Teachers, we reflect on the story of Gideon from Judges chapters 6 and 7. Gideon didn't see himself as a leader. He was afraid, uncertain, and full of self-doubt. Yet God saw something in him that he couldn't yet see in himself and called him to lead during one of Israel's darkest moments.As we walk through Gideon's story, we explore his fears, his requests for reassurance, the famous fleece, and the unlikely victory of just 300 men against an overwhelming army. Throughout the story, God continually reminds Gideon that success depends on God's strength—not Gideon's confidence.The lesson speaks directly to educators who sometimes wonder if they're good enough, experienced enough, or capable enough for the challenges before them. Gideon's story reminds us that God often calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things and equips them along the way.The episode concludes with practical classroom application, encouraging teachers to believe in students who doubt themselves just as God believed in Gideon, followed by a prayer asking God for courage, wisdom, and trust as we begin another week of teaching.Show NotesSunday School for TeachersScripture: Judges 6–7Gideon's callingThe fleece and God's reassuranceThe army reduced to 300Trusting God over personal confidenceClassroom applications for Christian educatorsClosing prayerKey TakeawaysGod often calls ordinary people to extraordinary work.Feeling inadequate does not mean you're incapable.God sees potential that we often cannot see in ourselves.Courage is moving forward despite fear.God's strength is greater than our limitations.Educators can help students discover their own potential.Leadership begins with trusting God's calling.Faith often grows one step of obedience at a time.

Episode SummaryIn this week's Saturday Stories episode, we continue exploring the Leadership Kit value of helping others by focusing on one of the most important places leadership begins—at home. Through the story Before He Asked, students discover that leadership isn't always about big moments. Sometimes it simply means noticing when someone needs help and stepping in without waiting to be told.Jaden watches his dad unloading heavy bags of mulch and realizes he could wait until he's asked to help—or he could take initiative. His decision to help before being asked becomes a simple but powerful lesson about responsibility, service, and leadership.Following the story, I share discussion questions educators and families can use to help children reflect on helping at home, taking initiative, and recognizing opportunities to serve others. The episode also includes ideas for reinforcing this leadership skill throughout the week.Leadership often begins with small actions. When students learn to notice needs, contribute without being reminded, and help simply because they care, they begin developing habits that will serve them throughout their lives.Show NotesSaturday Stories: Leadership KitWeekly Value: Helping OthersWeekly Skill: Help Your FamilyStory: Before He AskedTeaching initiative through everyday family responsibilitiesReflection and discussion questionsReinforcing leadership through everyday actionsKey TakeawaysLeadership begins at home.Helping before being asked shows initiative.Families are stronger when everyone contributes.Small acts of service make a big difference.Great leaders notice what needs to be done.Students can practice leadership through everyday responsibilities.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Maria Nelson's inspiring presentation from a national education conference in Las Vegas and the powerful connection between belief and action. While many educators say they believe every student can succeed, Maria challenged us to examine whether our daily actions truly reflect those beliefs.Throughout her presentation, Maria emphasized the importance of collective efficacy—the shared belief that teams of educators can positively impact student learning together. Rather than relying on individual effort alone, she demonstrated how aligned teams, shared goals, and intentional collaboration create stronger outcomes for students and healthier school cultures.I also share several key takeaways from her session, including the influence of high expectations, the importance of recognizing individual strengths within collaborative teams, the power of shared vision, and how persistence grows from genuine belief. Her message reinforced that schools improve when educators move beyond simply believing in students and begin acting intentionally on those beliefs every day.The episode concludes with reflections on our own fifth-grade collaborative team at Winnebago Public Schools and a challenge for educators to examine whether their beliefs are consistently reflected in their actions. Because when belief becomes collective action, every teacher, every team, and every student benefits.Show NotesMaria Nelson's presentation on belief and actionWhy educator beliefs shape student successThe power of collective efficacyRecognizing strengths within collaborative teamsShared vision and school alignmentBelief, persistence, and continuous growthReflections from Winnebago Public SchoolsKey TakeawaysBeliefs influence daily educator behaviors.Students often rise to high expectations paired with support.Every student needs at least one adult who believes in them.Collective efficacy transforms schools.Strong teams leverage each person's unique strengths.Shared vision creates consistency and alignment.Belief fuels persistence and growth.Belief becomes most powerful when it leads to intentional action.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Jason Hillman's presentation from a national education conference in Las Vegas and the powerful reminder that school culture influences nearly everything that happens inside a school. While curriculum, instruction, and assessment all matter, culture often determines how effectively those pieces come together to support students.Jason challenged educators to recognize that culture isn't a slogan or a program—it is the daily experience people have when they walk into a building. Through stories, humor, and practical examples, he emphasized that healthy cultures are intentionally built through relationships, consistency, leadership, and the countless interactions that occur throughout each school day.I share several key takeaways from his presentation, including the importance of building relationships first, creating a strong sense of belonging, protecting culture through intentional leadership, and recognizing that every interaction contributes to the environment students experience. Culture is not something that happens once a year; it is built one conversation, one decision, and one relationship at a time.The episode concludes by reflecting on the work we're doing at Winnebago Public Schools and the importance of intentionally shaping the culture we want students and staff to experience. When schools commit to creating environments where people feel valued, connected, and supported, everyone benefits.Show NotesJason Hillman's presentation on school cultureWhy culture influences every part of a schoolBuilding intentional relationshipsLeadership beyond administratorsCreating belonging for studentsProtecting school culture through daily actionsReflections from Winnebago Public SchoolsKey TakeawaysHealthy school cultures are intentionally created.Relationships are the foundation of strong schools.Students experience the culture adults create.Every interaction contributes to school culture.Positive cultures support student achievement.Students need to feel a sense of belonging.Leadership exists throughout the entire school.Healthy cultures require ongoing attention and protection.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on one of the conference presenters who impacted me the most: Regina Stephens Owens. Before she ever stepped onto the stage, she demonstrated the very message she would later teach. Through genuine conversations, authentic interest in people, and intentional relationship-building, she modeled the kind of school culture she encouraged educators to create.Throughout her presentation, Regina challenged us to think differently about the relationship between culture and climate. Culture is how we behave, while climate is how people feel. Healthy climates are not created by chance but by consistent behaviors, intentional systems, collective commitments, and leaders who model the values they expect from others.I also share several key ideas from her presentation, including the importance of collective commitments, trust built through consistency, balancing grace with accountability, supporting educator wellness, and leading with authenticity. Rather than relying on slogans or mission statements, Regina emphasized that school culture is revealed through daily actions, repeated behaviors, and intentional leadership.The session resonated deeply with me because her personal stories reminded me of my own experiences, including the loss of my mother. Her message reinforced that every educator and every student carries unseen stories. When schools intentionally build cultures grounded in relationships, consistency, grace, and high expectations, they create environments where both educators and students can thrive.Show NotesRegina Stephens Owens' conference presentationUnderstanding the difference between culture and climateIntentional systems that reinforce school cultureCollective commitments versus simple normsBuilding trust through consistencyGrace, accountability, and educator wellnessAuthentic leadership and meaningful relationshipsKey TakeawaysCulture is how we behave; climate is how people feel.Every school has a culture—whether intentional or unintentional.Collective commitments strengthen collaboration and consistency.Trust is built through consistent actions over time.Grace and accountability work best together.Educator wellness directly influences school culture.Authentic leadership creates stronger relationships.Inspirational cultures are intentionally built every day.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on Mike Mattos's keynote presentation at a national education conference in Las Vegas. As one of the leading voices in the Professional Learning Community movement, Mike challenged educators to see PLCs as more than meetings or data discussions. Instead, he reminded us that a true PLC is a commitment to working together to improve student learning.Throughout the presentation, I found myself thinking about my first year at Winnebago Public Schools and the work our fifth-grade collaborative team has done together. As a member of our district's Guiding Coalition, I have seen firsthand how common assessments, collaborative conversations, shared responsibility, and continuous reflection can positively impact both teachers and students.I share several key takeaways from Mike's presentation, including the importance of the four critical PLC questions, focusing on what we can control, using evidence instead of opinion, embracing continuous improvement, and building purposeful collaboration. These ideas reinforced that effective PLC work is not about completing meetings or checking boxes—it is about helping every student succeed.The episode concludes by challenging educators to move beyond simply working alongside one another and instead become collectively responsible for student learning. When educators truly collaborate, share ideas, and continually improve together, students become the greatest beneficiaries.Show NotesMike Mattos keynote reflectionsProfessional Learning Communities beyond meetingsThe four critical PLC questionsEvidence over opinionPurposeful collaboration and continuous improvementLessons from Winnebago Public Schools' fifth-grade PLCStudent success is a team effortKey TakeawaysA PLC is something you become, not something you attend.Student learning—not meetings—is the purpose of PLC work.The four critical PLC questions provide focus and direction.Evidence should guide instructional decisions.Continuous improvement is a mindset, not a destination.Collaboration works best when it is purposeful.Student success depends on educators working together.

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on attending a national education conference in Las Vegas as part of a Winnebago Public Schools team helping lead our professional learning community process. As a first-year teacher in a new district, being selected for this opportunity meant a great deal to me. It represented an investment in my professional growth, leadership, and ability to better serve students.I arrived expecting the conference to focus primarily on systems, data, assessments, interventions, and PLC structures. Those topics were certainly included, but the lessons that stayed with me most were about people. Again and again, the speakers returned to relationships, school culture, hope, trust, wellness, collaboration, and the influence educators have when they work together.I share several major takeaways, including the difference between culture and climate, the importance of teacher leadership, and the role guiding coalitions can play in creating lasting change. I also reflect on how effectively the conference modeled collaboration by asking participants to discuss, process, and learn together rather than simply listening to lectures.Ultimately, the conference mattered because it reminded me that students benefit when adults continue growing. Programs, curriculum, systems, and assessments all have value, but people bring those things to life. When educators collaborate, care for themselves, build hope, and commit to improving together, students become the ultimate beneficiaries.Show NotesAttending a national education conference in Las VegasWinnebago Public Schools investing in educator growthProfessional learning communities and guiding coalitionsThe difference between school culture and climateHope, relationships, collaboration, and educator wellnessWhy student growth begins with adult growthKey TakeawaysGreat schools are built by people, not programs alone.Teachers have enormous influence on school culture.Culture is reflected in behavior, while climate reflects how people feel.Hope is a meaningful leadership strategy.Educator wellness is necessary, not selfish.Guiding coalitions can help create and sustain change.Students benefit when adults learn and grow together.

Episode SummaryIn this Sunday School for Teachers episode, I reflect on the parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11–32. Jesus tells the story of a younger son who rejects his father, wastes his inheritance, and eventually reaches a place of complete desperation. When he finally returns home, expecting only the chance to become a servant, his father welcomes him with compassion, restoration, and celebration.I explore how this story reveals the heart of grace. The father does not pretend the son made good choices, but he also refuses to define him only by his failure. The older brother struggles with that grace because he believes his younger brother does not deserve it. Yet the father reminds both sons that restoration is not about rewarding wrongdoing. It is about rejoicing when someone who was lost returns.This message connects deeply to education because every teacher works with students who make mistakes. Some mistakes are small, while others are frustrating, disruptive, or deeply concerning. It can be easy to allow a student’s worst moment to become the way we see that student, but the Prodigal Son reminds us that people are more than their worst decisions and that change remains possible.The episode closes by encouraging Christian educators to lead with both truth and grace. Accountability still matters, but so do forgiveness, restoration, and second chances. Great teachers do not ignore mistakes, but they also leave room for students to grow, return, rebuild trust, and write a different story.Show NotesLuke 15:11–32 and the Prodigal SonUnderstanding the meaning of graceAccountability without condemnationSeeing students as more than their mistakesCreating opportunities for restorationLeading classrooms with truth and compassionKey TakeawaysGrace does not ignore wrongdoing.Students are more than their worst decisions.Accountability and compassion can exist together.Growth often follows failure.Great teachers leave room for restoration and second chances.

Episode SummaryIn this Saturday Stories Leadership Kit episode, I continue our focus on the leadership value of helping others by introducing the skill of helping our community. Through the story After School, a group of students notices a neighborhood park covered in litter after school. Instead of walking past the problem, they decide to spend a few minutes cleaning the space together, demonstrating that leadership often begins by simply noticing a need and taking action.The story reminds students that making a difference does not always require a large project or a formal plan. Every member of the group contributes in a small way, and together they leave the park cleaner, more welcoming, and better than they found it. Their actions show that leadership is often expressed through everyday service rather than recognition or reward.I also share reflection questions teachers can use to help students think more deeply about serving others. Students are encouraged to discuss why the group chose to help, how small acts of service strengthen a community, and what opportunities exist for them to make a positive difference in their own school or neighborhood.The episode concludes by encouraging teachers to notice and celebrate moments when students help without being asked, improve shared spaces, or contribute positively to those around them. Leadership is not always about doing something extraordinary. Sometimes it is simply choosing to leave a place better than you found it.Show NotesLeadership Kit value: Helping OthersLeadership skill: Help Our CommunityStory: After SchoolDiscovering opportunities to serve othersSmall acts of service create meaningful changeClassroom reflection and leadership discussionKey TakeawaysLeadership begins by noticing needs around you.Small acts of service can make a real difference.Communities become stronger when everyone contributes.Helping others does not require recognition or rewards.Students can improve the places where they learn and live.

Episode SummaryIn this final episode of the series, I step away from statistics, tools, and predictions and speak directly to teachers. After 55 episodes exploring artificial intelligence and education, I return to the central truth that guided the entire series: this conversation was always about people.I acknowledge the exhaustion, uncertainty, and fear many educators carry as schools and technology change rapidly. Some teachers may wonder whether there will still be a place for them in the future. My message is clear: teachers still matter because students still need adults who encourage them, know them, support them, and help them feel that they belong.I also remind educators that technology does not have to be treated as either an enemy or a solution to everything. Teachers can learn it, use it, question it, and help students navigate it responsibly. At the same time, they must continue protecting empathy, relationships, joy, challenge, creativity, compassion, and connection.The series closes with a simple conclusion. Technology will continue to change, but humanity still matters. Teachers still matter. The future does not only need more advanced machines; it needs thoughtful, kind, capable human beings. Teachers continue to play an essential role in helping young people become those people.Show NotesA final letter to educatorsResponding to fear and uncertainty about AIWhy teachers still matterUsing technology without losing humanityTeaching students how to be humanClosing reflections from the 55-episode seriesKey TakeawaysStudents will continue to need caring adultsTechnology should be used thoughtfully, not feared or worshippedA teacher’s role extends far beyond delivering contentHuman-centered classrooms remain essentialThe future needs good human beings, and teachers help shape them

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I define what I mean when I use the phrase human-centered teaching. It is not anti-technology, anti-innovation, or resistant to change. It simply means making sure that students and teachers remain at the center of the decisions schools make, especially as technology continues to grow and shape education.I explore how relationships, trust, consistency, and belonging form the foundation of a human-centered classroom. Students need to feel safe, seen, valued, and accepted. They also need meaningful opportunities to contribute, lead, create, ask questions, and share ideas. Student voice builds ownership, and ownership increases investment in learning.This episode also addresses the relationship between rigor and humanity. Human-centered teaching does not lower expectations or remove challenges. It combines high expectations with compassion, understanding, and support. Students are more than test scores, percentages, or academic performance, and teachers must recognize them as whole people with different experiences, strengths, needs, and starting points.Ultimately, human-centered teaching protects the parts of education that matter most. Technology, systems, and schools will continue to change, but human needs remain. Classrooms where people laugh, belong, take risks, know one another, and feel seen may not be perfect, but they create the conditions where human beings can truly thrive.Show NotesDefining human-centered teachingWhy relationships come firstCreating belonging and student ownershipBuilding classroom culture intentionallyCombining rigor with compassion and supportProtecting joy, empathy, and humanityKey TakeawaysHuman-centered teaching is not anti-technologyRelationships and belonging are foundationalStudent voice creates ownership and investmentRigor and humanity can exist togetherStudents must be seen as whole peopleGreat classrooms create conditions where people can thrive

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on one of the realities that has become increasingly clear throughout this AI series: conversations about artificial intelligence are filled with tension. AI brings exciting possibilities, but it also raises important concerns. Rather than pretending those tensions do not exist, educators need thoughtful conversations that acknowledge both the opportunities and the risks.I explore several of the balancing acts schools are navigating today. AI can increase efficiency by helping teachers save time, yet meaningful relationships still require presence. Students can access information more quickly than ever, but speed is not the same as understanding. Creativity, productive struggle, authenticity, and human connection remain essential parts of learning that deserve intentional protection.This episode also examines important questions surrounding mental health, privacy, ethics, and personalization. AI can create new opportunities for differentiation and accessibility, but schools must also consider student data, digital well-being, and the unintended consequences of becoming overly dependent on technology. These conversations require wisdom rather than simple answers.Ultimately, navigating AI well does not mean choosing between optimism and fear. Both excitement and concern can exist at the same time. The goal is not to eliminate tension but to engage it thoughtfully while ensuring that technology continues to serve people rather than replace the relationships, creativity, and humanity that define great teaching.Show NotesWhy AI conversations feel complicatedBalancing efficiency with relationshipsProtecting creativity and authentic learningPrivacy, ethics, and student well-beingThe opportunities and challenges of personalizationNavigating change without losing our humanityKey TakeawaysAI creates both opportunities and challengesFaster learning is not always deeper learningCreativity and authenticity deserve protectionPrivacy, ethics, and mental health require thoughtful discussionHealthy AI conversations embrace complexity rather than extremes

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I look back across 10 weeks of weekday conversations about artificial intelligence, assessment, technology, relationships, student voice, identity, policy, learning, and humanity. Although those topics may initially appear separate, they were all connected by one central question: How do we navigate changing technology without losing the things that matter most?I explore how humanity became the through line running across the entire series. Students still need relationships, encouragement, belonging, guidance, and support. Technology and systems may evolve quickly, but human needs change much more slowly. Those needs shaped every conversation and continually brought the series back to people.This episode also reflects on the continuing importance of deep learning, teacher identity, student voice, balance, and thoughtful adaptation. Education cannot become only about producing answers efficiently. Thinking, reflection, struggle, understanding, mentorship, trust, and human connection still matter, and many of those things cannot simply be automated or scaled.Ultimately, AI was the doorway into a much larger conversation. Humanity became the destination. The goal was never to resist every change, but to protect what deserves protecting while schools, students, teachers, and technology continue evolving. The through line across these 10 weeks was the intentional protection of humanity in a changing world.Show NotesLooking back across 10 weeks of AI conversationsThe human themes connecting every episodeWhy deep learning still mattersProtecting teacher identity and student voiceBalancing technology, efficiency, and relationshipsAdapting without losing core valuesKey TakeawaysHumanity connected every topic in the seriesTechnology changes faster than human needsDeep learning requires more than producing answersStudent voice and teacher identity belong in the futureAdaptation does not require abandoning core values

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on why the conversation about artificial intelligence in education matters so deeply. AI is already present in the lives of students, teachers, families, and schools. Avoiding the conversation will not make the technology disappear, so educators need space to think critically about what it means for teaching, learning, and the future of schools.I acknowledge the real anxiety many educators carry. Teachers are already dealing with stress, burnout, changing expectations, and feeling undervalued. Conversations about AI can amplify those emotions, especially when they focus only on replacement, cheating, or worst-case predictions. Fear is understandable, but fear alone cannot become the strategy schools use to move forward.This episode also explores why the conversation must extend beyond individual tools. Schools need thoughtful discussions about academic integrity, bias, equity, environmental impact, ethics, student thinking, and purposeful technology use. Students are already experimenting with AI, which means educators have a responsibility to help them understand both its possibilities and its limitations.Ultimately, this series exists because humanity matters. AI will not automatically save education, and it will not automatically destroy it. The more important question is what kind of educational future we intentionally create. Students deserve thoughtful adults, teachers deserve conversations grounded in hope rather than panic, and schools must continue protecting the human relationships at the heart of learning.Show NotesWhy educators cannot ignore artificial intelligenceMoving beyond fear and panicRecognizing the anxiety teachers already carryHelping students use AI thoughtfully and responsiblyAddressing ethics, bias, equity, and integrityProtecting humanity as technology advancesKey TakeawaysAI is already part of educationFear alone does not create effective decisionsTeachers need understanding rather than perfectionAI discussions must remain centered on people and learningHumanity should guide the educational future we create

Episode SummaryIn this Sunday School for Teachers episode, I reflect on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1–12. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by describing the people who are truly blessed, but His words challenge the expectations of the world. Rather than pointing toward wealth, power, status, or recognition, Jesus lifts up humility, mercy, righteousness, compassion, purity of heart, and peacemaking.I explore how the Beatitudes present what might feel like an upside-down definition of success. The world often celebrates being first, being powerful, or being noticed, while Jesus focuses on a person’s heart and character. His teaching reminds us that God’s kingdom does not operate according to the same values that often shape the world around us.This message connects deeply to education because schools can easily define success only through grades, awards, scores, or public recognition. Those measures may matter, but they do not tell the entire story. Kindness, integrity, humility, empathy, mercy, and peacemaking may not appear on a report card, yet they remain essential qualities for students to develop.The episode closes with a challenge for Christian educators to create classrooms that develop both minds and hearts. Teachers can celebrate kindness, teach peaceful conflict resolution, notice students who quietly do the right thing, and model humility and compassion. The Beatitudes remind us that some of life’s most meaningful victories happen within the human heart.Show NotesMatthew 5:1–12 and the Sermon on the MountUnderstanding the meaning of the BeatitudesHow Jesus redefines successValuing character beyond grades and awardsEncouraging mercy, humility, and peacemakingDeveloping students’ minds and heartsKey TakeawaysJesus defines blessing differently from the worldGod values humility, mercy, integrity, and peaceStudent success is about more than academic achievementCharacter development belongs in the classroomTeachers can help students value what the world may overlook

Episode SummaryIn this Saturday Stories Leadership Kit episode, I introduce a new leadership value: helping others. The featured story, The Talent Show, focuses on the teamwork skill of working together as a group of students prepares for a school talent show. At first, the task feels overwhelming, but everything changes when they recognize that each person brings different strengths to the team.Rather than having everyone do the same job, the students divide responsibilities based on their unique talents. One student organizes schedules, another designs posters, another makes announcements, another coordinates performers, and another notices important details. Their success comes not from being alike but from contributing different gifts toward one shared purpose.I also provide reflection questions that help students think about collaboration, teamwork, and the value of individual strengths. Students are encouraged to consider why teamwork can be challenging, how different abilities strengthen a group, and why helping others leads to stronger outcomes for everyone.The episode concludes with a reminder that great teams are built through collaboration, not competition. Every student has something valuable to contribute, and when individuals use their strengths to help one another, remarkable things become possible.Show NotesBeginning a new Leadership Kit value: Helping OthersTeamwork through shared strengthsRecognizing individual talentsCollaboration over competitionReflection questions for classroom discussionHelping students build stronger teamsKey TakeawaysGreat teams succeed by using different strengthsEveryone has something valuable to contributeCollaboration is more important than doing everything yourselfWorking together requires listening, helping, and sharing responsibilityStrong teams focus on a common goal

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on the central message that has emerged across the last 50 weekday episodes about artificial intelligence, technology, schools, systems, teachers, and students: You cannot take the human out of humanity. No matter how advanced technology becomes, education will continue to depend on human connection.I explore why humanity must be protected intentionally. Relationships, empathy, listening, student voice, and human-centered school cultures do not happen automatically. They are built through deliberate choices made by teachers, leaders, students, and communities. Technology can support that work, but it should serve people rather than replace them.This episode also challenges the idea that efficiency should always be the goal. Faster is not automatically better, and more automation does not always improve learning. Relationships take time, growth takes time, and authentic learning often requires patience, presence, struggle, encouragement, and trust.As I close this part of the series, I return to a belief strengthened by 23 years in the classroom: teachers still matter. Students still need trusted adults, encouragement, belonging, mentorship, and relationships. We are not educating machines. We are helping human beings survive, grow, and thrive, and that work still requires humanity.Show NotesThe central message of the 50-episode AI seriesWhy humanity must be protected intentionallyTechnology as a tool that should serve peopleThe importance of empathy, listening, and presenceWhy efficiency is not always the goalThe continuing importance of human teachersKey TakeawaysEducation is fundamentally human workTechnology should support human flourishingRelationships and empathy require intentional effortFaster and more automated are not always betterTeachers remain essential in an AI-powered world

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on what the teacher of the future will truly need to become. Artificial intelligence, technology, classrooms, and students will continue changing, but I do not believe the future needs teachers who become more like machines. It needs teachers who become even more human.I explore why compassion and high expectations must remain connected. Students need empathy, understanding, and adults who recognize the challenges they carry. They also need teachers who believe they are capable of incredible things and who continue challenging them to grow. The strongest educators understand a student’s story while still believing deeply in that student’s future.This episode also focuses on relationships, curiosity, joy, identity, and adaptability. Great teachers continue learning throughout their careers, protect the values that brought them into education, and remain willing to change without losing themselves. Technology can provide information, but it cannot replace authentic trust, encouragement, belonging, and human connection.Ultimately, becoming the teacher the future needs is not about becoming perfect or knowing everything. It is about continuing to learn, grow, listen, believe in young people, and bring hope into the classroom. Technology will keep evolving, but the heart of teaching will remain rooted in people.Show NotesWhat the future of teaching really requiresBecoming more human as technology growsCombining compassion with high expectationsWhy relationships and trust cannot be automatedProtecting teacher identity while adaptingBringing hope into the classroomKey TakeawaysThe future needs deeply human teachersCompassion and high expectations belong togetherRelationships remain at the heart of great teachingTeachers must adapt without abandoning their valuesBecoming a better educator is a lifelong process

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I reflect on the former students who have found me years after leaving my classroom. Some have chased me down in stores to share what they are doing, introduce their families, or talk about college, work, and life. Those unexpected conversations remind me that the relationships teachers build can continue long after a school year ends.I also share the story of a former student who reached out during an incredibly difficult season. The student had graduated and needed support, so another trusted educator and I helped connect that young person with community resources. Thankfully, that former student received help, moved forward, built a life and family, and is doing well today.This episode explores why teaching has never been only about academics. Teachers can become trusted adults, anchors, encouragers, and sources of guidance. Much of that work happens quietly through listening, showing up consistently, noticing when someone is struggling, and helping people connect with the support they need.Ultimately, the legacy of a teacher does not live only in lessons, programs, or test results. It lives inside people. Former students carry pieces of their classrooms, relationships, and teachers with them into adulthood. That lasting human connection is why this work still feels sacred to me.Show NotesFormer students returning years laterThe lasting impact of teacher-student relationshipsBecoming a trusted adult for young peopleConnecting students with help and supportWhy teaching extends beyond academicsBuilding a legacy through peopleKey TakeawaysTeacher relationships can last far beyond the classroomTrusted adults can become anchors during difficult seasonsSome of the most meaningful teaching happens quietlySmall moments of encouragement can change life trajectoriesA teacher’s legacy often lives inside former students

Episode SummaryIn this episode, I share one of the more personal seasons of my teaching career. After losing my mom, I found myself feeling professionally and emotionally stuck. I still loved teaching and cared deeply about students, but I realized I also longed for greater trust, autonomy, opportunities to lead, and room to continue growing. That season forced me to decide whether fear or hope would shape my next chapter.I explore how fear and hope influence the choices educators make. Fear can encourage us to play it safe, avoid change, or remain in environments that no longer allow us to thrive. Hope, however, creates movement. It invites curiosity, possibility, and the belief that something better may still be ahead, even when the path forward feels uncertain.This episode also reflects on how grief changes people. Loss often reshapes priorities, identity, and perspective. Difficult seasons can reveal what matters most and help us recognize where change may be needed. Teachers also need to feel trusted, valued, supported, and encouraged if they are going to continue bringing their best to students each day.Choosing hope does not eliminate uncertainty, but it creates the courage to move forward anyway. As educators continue navigating change, this episode serves as a reminder that feeling stuck does not mean the journey is over. Hope opens doors that fear never will, and teachers still have incredible gifts, leadership, and humanity to offer the students and communities they serve.Show NotesMoving from fear toward hopeHow grief reshapes perspectiveFinding renewed purpose in teachingWhy teachers need trust and autonomyCourage during seasons of changeBelieving your work still mattersKey TakeawaysFear can limit growth and possibilityHope creates momentum and renewalGrief often changes priorities and perspectiveFeeling valued helps educators thriveChoosing hope is a decision made one day at a time