Be A Funky Teacher
Teach with energy. Lead with heart. Stay in the work.
Be A Funky Teacher is my home for honest conversations, practical ideas, and encouragement for educators who want to make a difference without losing themselves in the process.
Don’t Make Help Look Like a Punishment
Today’s Thought
Extra instruction, different materials, another attempt, a smaller group, or more time should communicate, “We are helping you learn this,” not “You failed, so now this happens to you.” How support is scheduled and described shapes how students experience it.
Today’s Challenge
Examine one support structure and change one piece that unnecessarily marks or embarrasses the students receiving it.
Take It With You
Design help so students can accept it with dignity.
Teaching can be hard. It can still be meaningful.
I have spent more than two decades in education, and I still believe great teaching is built on relationships, reflection, creativity, and the courage to keep growing. This site is where I share what I am learning along the way.
Classroom Practice
Practical ideas for engagement, relationships, student voice, and creating learning experiences students remember.
Teacher Well-Being
Honest conversations about burnout, moral injury, pressure, resilience, and what it takes to stay healthy enough to keep doing meaningful work.
Leadership & Growth
Reflections on school culture, professional growth, leadership, and the small decisions that shape the way we serve students and one another.
The Be A Funky Teacher Podcast
Stories, ideas, encouragement, and real conversations for educators who care deeply about the work and want to keep growing without pretending teaching is easy.
What does “funky” mean here? It means bringing your real personality, creativity, relationships, and purpose into the work. It is not about putting on a show. It is about being the kind of educator who is willing to be yourself, keep learning, treat people right, and make the work matter.
Speaking & professional learning
I work with educators around classroom culture, engagement, teacher well-being, leadership, and the realities of staying in the profession.