Be A Funky Teacher

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.

Nicholas Kleve, Mr. Funky Teacher
Inspire Greatness • September 29

Let Students Choose the Evidence of Their Growth

Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, sharing advice
Growth becomes more personal when students decide what proves it.

Today’s Thought

Teachers often choose the artifacts that demonstrate progress. Students can do some of that work too. Selecting a piece of writing, problem, recording, project, discussion move, or habit asks them to decide what counts as evidence and explain why.

Today’s Challenge

Ask students to choose one piece of evidence that shows growth and explain what it proves.

Take It With You

Let students make the case for their own growth.

— Mr. Kleve
Mr. Funky Teacher
Inspire Greatness. Change the World.

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.

Explore the Podcast

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.

See Speaking Topics

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