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 Use Sarcasm as Classroom Management
Today’s Thought
Sarcasm can feel efficient when adults are tired, frustrated, or trying to make a point quickly. But teachers carry social power in the room, and a student may laugh while still feeling embarrassed or diminished. Humor belongs in classrooms. Correction does too. The two do not need to be combined in a way that makes the student the punchline.
Today’s Challenge
Notice one moment when you are tempted to use sarcasm and state the expectation directly instead.
Take It With You
Correct the behavior without making the student the joke.
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.