When I started teaching, I promised I’d do it differently. This year we went full Mighty Ducks. The best part? Even when it’s rough—hurricanes, Covid, life chaos—this team stays resilient. Halloween scaries, always. Sunday Scaries? Never. #middleschool #keynotespeaker

https://t.co/7a7aAHy2AR

LISTEN UP 👊 Just dropped a 🔥 convo with Logan Taylor from @ybnornal - this guy gets belonging at the grassroots level, moving thousands of kids nationwide, the same way I’m doing with educators. He even broke down our Bridges program like no one ever has. Full episode’s live.

https://t.co/oOFzC4nV29

Everyone wants a team of rock stars. I’ve been working with them for years, selling out venues and dropping hits daily in our middle school. Trust. Resilience. Community. I’m lucky, and your dream team might be right in front of you too. Link to an article below. #edchat

I'm pumped about all our thought leaders, and I absolutely cannot wait to get to hang out with @MarcusLuther6 at #IDEAcon! Marcus is an amazing educator, and I use his ideas all the time!! Give him a follow. Better yet? Come to IDEACON and hear what he has to share!

Halloween Throwback: We went all in as the Friends cast—wigs, props, even Ross’s spray tan (which I completely overdid). But it mattered. Every 13-year-old loved Friends, so we stepped into their world. Connection isn’t accidental. Sometimes it takes too much bronzer. #edchat

Remember that one thing that was gonna be the answer in Ed? It was probably like that one thing you’re doing right now. Or that one thing you’ll be doing next. But here’s the thing. There’s no one thing. So, what do we do? The only thing we can. Teach kids, not things.

If your school’s dressing up for Halloween? Do it. We can complain about apathy and disconnect. Or we can MODEL what we want to see.Doesn’t have to be expensive or even good. Lean in. Build belonging this week. Yes, that's a spatula. #edchat

Halloween Week. Year two with this group. Day one, I told them, “We’re all calling each other Chef. Like The Bear.” It stuck. Every kid. Every teacher. “Yes, Chef.” Now someone yells “Chef?” and we all know who they mean. That’s community. Not hard. Just intentional. Go cook🔥

Student teaching is hard. Having a student teacher? Harder. But this guy leaned in, took bold stands for our students, and made middle school English look like a Marvel movie. Doctor Strange would be jealous. Grateful for mentors, moments, and this work. 🎃 #edchat #middleschool

New post this morning: "Closing the Distance Between Home and School" https://t.co/T9zRxS0noi

Belonging isn’t a buzzword. It’s the foundation of every great classroom. Had an incredible time with educators at @MolloyUniversity digging into how we build it. When teachers lead with reflection and intention, we become unstoppable.

Want project-based learning that builds real community? In The Branding Project, students work with local businesses—pitching, editing, and designing for authentic audiences while building resilience, leadership, and real-world skills. #studentengagement

Hear me out: if we want authentic writing, we have to give authentic feedback. Stop outsourcing that to AI. #studentengagement #belonginginschools #englishteacher #edchat

Another hill I’ll die on: Not every fight in your classroom is worth it. If “teaching responsibility” kills trust, you've lost. You don’t build belonging through control, you build it through connection. That’s what I do: helping teachers lead cultures, not just manage kids

Want to show them that you trust them? Don't lean on on the same handful of responders. Cold call. Want to create resilient students? Then refuse to accept "I don't know," Cold call. Want to build belonging in your school? Now accepting cold calls. 😆 #classroomculture

Confession - I've never had the Sunday Scaries. I know. I'm nuts. The reason I speak to educators is to share what renews and refreshes me. A big part of that is people like @MrNeibauer Here he discusses the "why" we get it and how to address it: https://t.co/jgkXT5nOrf

Belonging isn’t online. It’s built in the rain outside Anfield. Laughter, resilience, strangers turned family. Back in New York, I’m ready to build that same community in classrooms, conference halls, anywhere. Let’s go. #YNWA #Liverpool #Community #schoolleadership

Had ourselves a day to kickoff the Year of Giving for Bridges' high school cohort. We're giving them a chance to test those leadership skills as they do some good in our Long Island community. The kicker: doing stuff with others, for others? A ton of fun. #edchat