A post worth reading

My latest column for EL Magazine ❤️ "We can’t have it both ways: School systems can’t both retain and infantilize expert teachers." ascd.org/el/articles/... Image

It’s so helpful for teachers to have a *pre-fussing* gear that’s not hostile. “Hey! Now LOOK at you. I wrapped up all this pretty work time and gave you a gift and you just THREW it away! I’m CRYING over here.” 🤪 In other words, “Do your work, freshman.”

really should be a celebration animation that plays when you get to the end of a class of grading cmon canvas hype me up

On a commercial, I just heard “Speak with a *real* therapist , NOT AI!” as a selling point (yikes!) … and I’m wondering how common/ effective/crucial that claim will become for a brand. Be taught by a *real* teacher! Listen to a *real* band! Written by a *real* author!

This year I’m only about grown-up conversations (like this) about public schools. No time - or energy - for temper tantrums. practicaltheory.org/blog/2025/08...

If you have 5 minutes this weekend, listen to this clip of @mattrkay.bsky.social walking through his guidance towards teachers who are hesitant about facilitating more-challenging discussions in their classroom. (Also: this is why we need to listen to teachers.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx8p...

"We're there to be humans in the room with other humans talking about ideas" The case by @mattrkay.bsky.social in this conversation: never more than now have classroom discussions been needed, in both quantity and quality. (And that quantity and quality? Not an easy thing.)

"Everything I love about teaching is represented in coaching." Cannot wait for this conversation to come out tomorrow! So much of what @mattrkay.bsky.social said resonated with me (example: teaching as a type of coaching!) but also pushed me to imagine better for the upcoming year 🙏

Is this the year that ELA teachers need to authentically plan for a post-essay world?

School in a year (or so): watching our computers talk to each other, then hopefully asking kids what they’ve learned from the exchange.

1. This book is one of those rare education books that almost immediately became transferable to my classroom practices (Like: immediately!) 2. I was super fortunate to be able to pick @mattrkay.bsky.social's thinking, too—cannot wait for that conversation to come out in a couple weeks!

The voting on squid game feels like last november End the game or play the game. It’s on the nose

I can't believe this book has been out in the world for two years. I will be forever grateful to @mattrkay.bsky.social for inviting me into this work and for sharing all of his wisdom and the energy he'd put into Not Light, But Fire.

As we end another school year, here’s a gentle reminder that the way things end (that last sweet conversation, that last snarky quip) matters. A lot. Let’s agree to let each other go out easy plz www.ascd.org/el/articles/...

I mean… I know what they were going for… but I feel like you coulda had *one* classroom in Adolescence that wasn’t an abomination. “All they do is show movies.” Not sure why teachers had to catch strays. What WE do?

Again, I can’t imagine giving up the joy - and in this case, the agony - of reading authentic student work. My god 😢

“We haven’t broken / We are learning how to bend.” Ok kid! Idk how any teacher would willingly give up authentically reading students’ work. That instinctive happy grunt, that “oooh,” that “oh I see you.” Why would we *ever* give that up? Keep schools human.

7 yo: (Putting on school T-shirt.) “Everything at my school says ‘joyful learning.’ Me: “Yeah.” 7 yo: “But we are learning about frogs.” My wife: “Are you having a good time learning about frogs?” 7 yo: “Of course!” Me: “There you go.”

All of the time you take, you take. The charge to take time with meaning and for reasons is such an excellent charge.

Short thread here from Matt, but worth recognizing. I have this problem with physical stuff and have to learn to pull back.

Most of my classroom successes this year came from doing *less* than last year. A couple less slides on the slideshow, one less film clip, a few less activities, more time to read, more time to write, more time to talk

Let’s not always chase the shiny new thing! @mattrkay.bsky.social reminds teachers to have patience and stick with a new strategy before deciding it doesn’t work.

Empathy aside, I call kids whatever they want to be called because, as a pro, I need kids to engage the work. If kids spend their energy in class being mad at me, hating themselves, or crawling in their skin because of the name I used, they probably won't do the work to the best of their ability.

Spring break means I finally slowed down enough to read @mattrkay.bsky.social's newest column for @ascdofficial.bsky.social's Educational Leadership. I am so grateful for the opportunities to "get good" in my 27 years of teaching. I wish that for all teachers.

Handy visual I just gave students who asked where I was in my teaching career

Me to yawning 10th graders: “Hey! I know it’s the last week before spring break… I am willing to go 70-30 on the energy, even 80-20. But right now, you’re making me go 98-2. We’re not gonna do that, ok? Work with me.” To their credit, they rallied. Close to 50-50 even 😊

Thanks @mattrkay.bsky.social for this helpful list to share w Ss which names the work we do during read alouds so they can try it independently in their book clubs. (❤️ “challenge an assumption”)

Looking for ways to up your classroom discussion game? 💬 A new book from @mattrkay.bsky.social provides everything you need to get students actively engaged in talk. #EduSky #InquiryBasedLearning

I’ve never pushed back against a parent who doesn’t want their kid to discuss a book. Ghosts are a problem? Say no more. Language too intense? There’s always something else in the book room. You only become a problem when you fight to make decisions for *other* people’s kids.

Teaching kids how to lead their own discussions - it’s kinda cool to pull back the veil and let them see how I plan. They especially liked “challenge an assumption” and could point to specific chats that were sparked by me just being *contrary.* ❤️

“Look what I found at my mom’s house! Can we talk about it in class?”

I think once people stop waiting for one person or one big galvanizing moment to "save us" and realize this is gonna take a lot of work from a lot of people for a long time we will maybe get somewhere.

"Getting students engaged in sustained conversations requires a combination of inquiry, routine, and relationship building."

Thank you, @edutopia.org, for running an excerpt of my latest book ❤️ www.edutopia.org/article/guid...

Why on earth is the portal open during the tournament?

“I don’t like that teacher so I don’t do their work” is one of the wildest mindsets to mentor students thru.

Reminder to go watch a colleague do something cool 😊 (Just watched a history trial. Gave me life to see the kids having such a good time.)

Student: “You always over there chilling. You not bothered at all.” Me: “Kid, I’m not about to let teaching take years off my life.”

Kids who stop by your classroom just to dap you up and keep it moving. ❤️

Poets from eleven schools meeting and building community. #PhillySlamLeague cc: @mattrkay.bsky.social

While encouraging new student voices, we should be careful not to discourage kids who volunteer “a lot.” These kids just don’t raise hands out of energetic interest. It’s often because they recognize our humanity and they are literally saving us from awkward silences (and subpar prompts.) 🙏🏿

Kid just now: “The corniest thing you can be is a racist.”

Always a good time presenting with @jenorr 🥰 Some of my favorite compliments are about how we always find a reason to laugh. Despite *all* the hard conversations. I like to think our students appreciate it even more than the good folks at our PDs and presentations.