So I’m in quite a few professional learning networks and this has been the first time I can think of where at least 10 people have already been laid off this year and it’s only FEBRUARY 5TH. 1/

I'm about 150 pages into this book (it's taking me slower to read due to work travel) and my biggest takeaways so far are that his mother was insecure and unstable, he was struggling with moving to a new town, and his mother used that to her advantage to push homeschooling.

Alright y'all: I'm happy that I'm seeing less "transitioning teacher" content on LinkedIn and other platforms but some of the stuff I am seeing is truly out of pocket. Y'all absolutely HAVE to stop saying "hire teachers." These corporations do not owe you anything. That's lesson number one. 1/

The kids: “Mrs. Thompson, we made a playlist for you of songs from when you were a kid.” Me: “…okay…” The first song was Rockin’ Robin. I AM THIRTY-TWO YEARS OLD

Putting this out there: We can feel thankful that we are alive, employed, and able to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. But we can absolutely also feel angry about the state of the world. These feelings can 100% coexist and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Did I purchase this book? Absolutely. I heard about Block’s story on NPR and how his mother “homeschooled” him (it was more like unschooling) and how he fought to exit that environment and become independent, all the while still trying to stay close to his mother. I am excited to read this memoir.

Well, my day just got a lot more interesting! Utah has introduced two bills regarding technology usage in schools. One of the proposed bills completely eliminates “non-essential screen time” in grades K-3. Link: www.abc4.com/news/educati...

A book came across my feed and I'm lowkey thinking about purchasing it for my kindle and reading it. I was locked into "The Girl Who Doesn't Exist," which is a real story about a girl whose parents didn't have any legal documentation for her, and it made it impossible for her in adulthood. 1/

I don't know how much time she spends online anymore but this is a quick @victoriathetech.bsky.social appreciation post. I hope her and her wife are doing great and staying safe and well

I'll be honest, I don't utilize this platform as much as I could. I make a conscious effort to not have social media on my phone unless it's at a conference or an event, and I really don't want to have to download another app. I'll try harder this year, though. (Without another app.)

So in today's edition of "please stop listening to advice that you see on TikTok," there must be some "wisdom" floating around that if you apply for a job (especially if it’s in tech) to cold message people who already work there and ask for a referral. This is not good advice. Do not do this.

Kourt and I had an absolutely wonderful “staycation” (since we live 25 minutes away, we staycation at Disney!) at Animal Kingdom Lodge this past weekend. We made it a mission to go to Animal Kingdom each day too.

If I say "guess who I ran into at Disney" @victoriathetech.bsky.social is usually a good guess!

This week I'm in Chicago, IL for an internal work conference. Today we had our "Women in K-12 IT" breakfast. It was so yummy!

Shout out to all of my educators, school leaders, and district folks starting the school year today! 🎉 Have an AWESOME day!

For the last few years I have not participated in what I refer to as “pencil discourse.” If you’re in education and this (and the school supplies conversation) stresses you out, I encourage you to do the same. If it’s worth your peace of mind, stepping out is ALWAYS the right option.

Kourt’s home, our neighbor is over (more on that later—if you’re on the other site, you’ve probably seen the saga where I helped my elderly neighbor get set up with an online dating profile), I made a pot of tea and made a cookie cake, it’s raining, and it’s another peaceful Saturday evening. 🌧️

It's been about 2 months (mostly because of laziness--I don't really keep social media on my phone) but ya girl is back! What have I missed?

Alright alright alright it's been a while! I'll be headed to Georgia today to be a part of their "Cobb In Tech" conference in Cobb County, GA! I can't wait!

This is a friendly reminder that the best store in the world, Costco, will be closed on Monday, May 26th in observation of Memorial Day. If you need anything from Costco soon, get it before next Monday!

What else do you do on a Friday evening but make a quick run to #EPCOT to get the gorgeous new #Maleficent AP magnet! Bonus points running into @victoriathetech.bsky.social and Kourtney at the Boardwalk! #DisSky

It's been a good week, but I'm also ready to get to Epcot tonight. Y'all feel me?

Whew, it's been a while. And I woke up yesterday to news of mass layoffs at a company I used to work at (3% of the workforce, nearly 7000 people). This is a friendly reminder from your local edtech and Disney enthusiast that if you are in education right now, DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB.

The Cholula Variety Pack is back. All of my fellow hot sauce lovers: run, don’t walk.

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! 📚 Years ago, Kourt and I created a scholarship at my undergrad alma mater. The scholarship alleviates financial burden for pre-service teachers during the student teaching semester. Consider donating if you can! Link: give.cofc.edu/Thompson-Johns…

I had to explain the concept of dial-up internet today to a bunch of kids and simultaneously explained that you couldn’t be on the internet AND the telephone at the same time and they could not believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. They thought I was lying.

I’ve been MIA the last 9-ish days because I’ve been on vacation! California (Disneyland), Hawaii (Aulani), and then California again (Knott’s Berry Farm). I’m off tomorrow too since I don’t do well with time changes between zones more than an hour away, so I’ll be resuming normal ops on Tuesday.

We had a great time at Disneyland yesterday! Our first ride was one of our favorites: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

I made it! I’m officially on vacation!

From time to time my wedding photos pop up on my feed and I love this one of me, Kourtney, and our officiant (and one of our best friends!), Michael.

It's time for article reviews, which means it's time for some background music! Here's what I'm listening to! (Yes, I will never get over Disney taking away Magical Express) www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPK6...

Last night at Animal Kingdom we saw the new baby giraffe! 🦒

It's been a great weekend. Friday began with us seeing the Minecraft movie at what I refer to as "the fancy movie theatre" (they serve wine and food!). I didn't really understand what was going on, but it's my wine was good and so were my chicken tender so I'm going to give it a 10/10.

New article alert! 🎉 Price can often be seen as the "common denominator," in selecting a technology vendor, but price shouldn’t be the only consideration for schools when evaluating prospective providers. #EduSky #edtech #education #IT Link: edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/...

Once again: Publix opens at 7, I’m in the parking lot by 6:45, and it’s me and about 3 other people (but they’re all over the age of 50) just sitting in our cars and staring at each other like we’re about to play Supermarket Sweep.

Had a wonderful day in central Florida (Pinellas and Hillsborough counties) but it’s definitely great to be home in Orlando!

I was cleaning out my bag and found a coupon for a free ice cream treat and the expiration date is TODAY. I’ve been waiting my whole life for a moment like this. Free ice cream, here I come!!

This is absolutely one of those days where my sodium levels are feeling a bit low. Penne arrabbiata to the rescue! 🍝

I’m seeing an uptick in “transitioning teacher” content in ways I haven’t seen since 2021. So here are some friendly reminders that… 1.) This is an absolutely terrible job market and many companies, including edtech, have suffered from mass layoffs since October 2022. 1/

Yesterday was a big day for Kourtney! She ran the runDisney spring 10K at a speed of around 6.10 minutes per mile (an improvement on her time of 6.5 minutes per mile). 1,281 women in her age range ran the race and she placed 43rd, which puts her in the top 3% of runners in her group for that race!

This morning I ran the runDisney Springtime Surprise 5K! 🎉 I was in the first corral, finished at the 55 minute mark, and got to hang out with my friend Lori for a bit afterwards!

Alright all you cool cats and kittens! My awesome workplace is *also* hiring for two Samsung Business Development Strategists. This, combined with the classroom modernization and esports role, means that there are 3 positions available. Link: cdwjobs.com/jobs/1585340...

This is probably a good time for me to mention: since it’s April Fools Day, be EXTREMELY cautious about emails you receive and open. Some workplaces and even malicious sites do their routine phishing emails on this day (which I think is kind of cruel, but I don’t make the rules).

This was recently shared on Twitter. Saucepan is spelled wrong. There’s a mix of metric and U.S. measurements. Zero instructions. What the hell? This is precisely why I tell people to go to WEBSITES for RECIPES and not follow AI slop. In fact, if you’d like my mac and cheese recipe, I’ll share it.

The latest edition of Educational Leadership magazine is now LIVE! 🎉 Get your copy to read my article about the power of celebration in education. #EduSky #education Link: www.ascd.org/el/whats-goi...

I can’t remember the last time I received a signed letter from a school district superintendent thanking me for my involvement in an event. Shout out to Collier County Public Schools! ❤️

It’s homemade fettuccini o’clock!

Also, it’s Gnocchi Day! ❤️ I’m still working on my form this type of pasta, but I made some yesterday evening in preparation for today because I always celebrate pasta holidays. I cooked some for lunch and then will be making some again for dinner when Kourtney comes back home!

I met someone for the first time this morning. She’s 6’2”, I’m five feet tall, and we’ve only talked over Teams before. When we met she said: “I didn’t expect you to be that short!” And I said: “Well, I didn’t expect you to be that tall!” 😂

Today on the mom forum we have a woman who is absolutely crashing out about her son receiving 14 tardies in 6 days. Her son is five, and she drops him off at school. She is not realizing she’s the one making him tardy (HE’S FIVE!), and she’s being called out for it HARD.