Many substitute teachers like me can teach a different grade every single day, from K–12. It can be challenging, to say the least.

I recently observed a high school science lesson that left me feeling like I had just swished some super-minty Listerine. I was refreshed. I was inspired…so much so, in fact, that I built and entire upcoming PD session around my takeaway from this lesson. I will return to this in just a moment.

Often, we forget our students come to class each day with a lot more on their minds than academics. Despite this, my students willingly express gratitude each morning.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that rules without relationships lead to rebellion. Yet today, relationships with students seem to be feared instead of embraced. Over the years, quite by accident, I have discovered that this precept from days gone by is critical to classroom rules and to learning itself. Relationships are an essential part of learning, especially relationships between teachers and students.

Throughout the decade I have spent working in education, I’ve seen the most positive impact when I’ve incorporated hope-based strategies into my teaching.

Teachers need support not only in understanding the tools, but also in managing the ethical, cultural, and emotional complexities that AI brings to the classroom.

It's nice to think of the Internet as a wonderful invention that has made our lives both richer and more efficient. It's a nice notion and it's an accurate one—the Internet has changed our lives for the better. We can now communicate with people from all four corners of the globe. We can share, swap, and gain as much knowledge as we could ever want or need. There are no negatives associated with instant knowledge—or are there?

What if the problem isn’t just how students respond to feedback, but how we deliver it? What if, instead of handing out scores, we gave students the opportunity—and the space—to reflect on their learning?

Every year on December 22nd, India celebrates National Mathematics Day. This day has become an opportunity for schools across the country to spark curiosity, reduce fear, and make math an enjoyable subject for students.