Great teachers don’t teach the same year twenty-eight times. They teach twenty-eight years once. I may reuse activities or revisit lessons that worked well before, but I never reuse the same plans year after year. Why? Because students change. Every class brings different strengths, different challenges, and different needs. Teaching isn’t about repeating what worked before—it’s about responding to the … Read More
When Votes Don’t Matter
In Kentucky, voters in all 120 counties rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed tax dollars to be sent to private, charter, or religious schools. Every county. Rural and urban. Red and blue. That wasn’t confusion or coincidence — it was a statewide decision to protect public education. Kentuckians said they want public money to stay in public schools. … Read More
We’re getting played
Football has been a staple in my home my entire life. Sunday afternoons and Monday nights, Dad and I sat in front of the television, watching Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Walter Payton, and Emmitt Smith make history. My son played in middle school, and recently, it’s been the common thread that kept us together when politics threatened to tear us … Read More
Bloom Where You’re Planted
Bloom where you’re planted It means flourishing regardless of circumstances and growing despite your environment. Such sage advice. And yet, so many of us waste precious time thinking, “… if I had a better job/found someone who loved me/made more money/had a bigger house/ etc., I’d be happy.” Or the “I’ll wait to decorate when I get a bigger house/apartment” … Read More
Women Who Shaped History
Recently, someone asked why I like writing about fierce female warriors. Because they were real women For generations, we’ve been told that women warriors were the stuff of fantasy—convenient plot devices in Greek epics, symbols rather than people. But what if the most radical thing about the Amazons wasn’t that they existed in myth, but that they may have been … Read More
Stay in your lane
I have strong opinions about what’s happening in the world—and that shouldn’t be surprising. My day job is teaching at-risk students, many of whom were born outside this country. I see their fear and am touched by their humanity. This summer, I’ve started stocking a food pantry for my classroom for the fall, because I know some of my students … Read More
Learning to live in the Moment
I’ve always believed that writing is my passion, but teaching is my calling. Writing fills a part of me that few things ever will, but my purpose in this life is to empower each child to realize that their voice matters, that they have gifts and talents, and that they are essential to this world. It’s an incredible responsibility, one … Read More
The Age of Accountability
Traditionally, the age of eighteen marks the threshold of adulthood. It’s a time when the reins of childhood are loosened, and responsibility shifts entirely, giving young adults the freedom to carve their own paths. It’s when we stand and face the weight of our choices–when we realize that every action and every decision can become a burden we alone bear. … Read More
The Magic of Creativity
In the enchanting realm of words, imagination dances with possibility. Creativity transforms mere sentences into magic. If there’s one truth that weaves through great storytelling, it’s the power of imagination. It transcends the ordinary, breathing life into characters and worlds that linger in the reader’s mind. Creating is the deepest form of intelligence. And I love it. I love putting … Read More
Creatively Standing Alone
Over the years, I’ve discovered most creatives feel like a round peg in a world of square holes. We’re the ones that chase rabbits in meetings trying to improve systems that have been in place for years. We’re the outliers who are challenged by the idea of a “status quo.” We’d rather fail trying to be extraordinary than succeed in … Read More