I’m writing this on a Thursday night, and it’s been a long week … and we even have tomorrow off. (Furlough day).

I’m not sure what the funding atmosphere is like in your state, but here in Oregon, the system is quite broken. We’re looking at significant staff reductions once again unless we’re saved by a levy next month.

We don’t need to get into all of that, but I only mention it to say that it’s hard to ride the enthusiasm of the spring when there’s so much uncertainty in the air. I’m very grateful not to be personally worried about my position, but it’s discouraging to work under a seemingly perpetual crisis.

Great, new teachers don’t know if they have a gig in the fall. And that’s hard to see.

Every time this happens, it makes me newly appreciative that I have the best job in the world, one that I would do for free if I could afford to.

I’m rambling about all this to underscore one fact … what we do matters, and we’re very privileged to do it.

That’s all. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Mike

P.S. The video is heartwarming, and I’m particularly proud of this week’s Emailable PD. Share the email with a colleague if you’re so inclined.

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Bus Driver Helps Grieving Students

Possible Caption: A support system on wheels

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

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Weekly Quote

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

Jackie Robinson

Weekly Emailable PD

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Suggested Email Body:

This week’s resource shifts our focus to another subtle but powerful influence on student learning: the expectations we hold for our students. In many classrooms, these expectations are shaped early, often based on prior performance or background, and can quietly influence how students see themselves as learners.

The challenge is not that we form expectations, but that they can become predictions about what students are capable of achieving. When expectations are lowered, students may receive fewer opportunities to engage deeply, take risks, or demonstrate growth.

This week’s resource offers a few simple, practical ways to make small shifts that communicate belief in every student’s potential, helping build confidence, strengthen relationships, and open the door for greater achievement.

Read more

It’s been a solid week. Soccer games, track meets, and the teaching of double-entry accounting. And yet, there are budget cuts, rising class sizes for next year, and sickness still plaguing every corner of the district.

Actually feels like a pretty typical spring these days.

As you start to wind down this year and plan heartily for next, I hope you’re also planning some fun for yourself in July. The world is moving fast. It’s never been more important to take a breather.

We continue to press forward with about ten weeks of Inspo Vids left for the school year. Lots going on behind the scenes. We’re streamlining what we do for next year. I’ll be sending out some surveys soon to get your feedback, but I think you’ll like some of the changes and tweaks that are on deck.

In the meantime, we’ll cover the constant issue of early finishers who feel like that’s the point. How do we slow down and encourage deep learning, especially in the age of outsourcing thinking to AI? Let’s get into it!

And this week’s video is a bit of a gamble. Not education-related at all, but just full of joy. I sent several such videos out in year one, and they seemed to resonate. We’ll see!

Enjoy!

Mike

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

This is just good (clean?) fun

Possible Caption: Joy comes from so many unexpected places.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

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Weekly Quote

“We will explore. We will build ships. We will visit again. We will construct science outposts. We will inspire-but ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other.

Christina Koch, Artemis II astronaut

Weekly Emailable PD

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Suggested Email Body:

This week’s resource shifts our focus to another subtle but powerful influence on student learning: the role of speed in the classroom. In many classrooms, students learn that finishing first is valued, and over time, this can shape how they see themselves as learners.

The challenge is not that students work quickly, but that speed can become a stand-in for understanding. When students focus on finishing rather than thinking, they are more likely to avoid challenge and rush through tasks.

This week’s resource offers a few simple ways to shift the focus from speed to thinking, helping all students engage more deeply and see themselves as capable learners.

Read more

Man, what a week. Two of my three kids were quite sick, and it felt like I was back in the newborn phase of sleep deprivation … though only for a couple of days. I think we’ve turned the corner, and I’m yet again amazed at how superhuman you can feel when you have a solid night's sleep following a string of real clunkers.

This week’s Emailable PD covers a topic that I really enjoy: feedback. It’s really quite a big deal, according to … you know, everyone. And yet, I know so many teachers who do it so infrequently and without much strategy. (And, yes, I’m talking to myself here).

I truly hope this week’s PD feels very practical. That’s becoming my singular goal more and more. If it’s not quickly accessible and implementable, then I’m not doing my job. Hold me to it.

And, man, what a great video this week. It really hits home at some of the conversations we’re having in my building. It also makes me want to spend more time at elementary. Love the innocence and purity here.

Have a great weekend!

Mike

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Signs of compassion from a deaf first-grader’s classmates

Possible Caption: How far are we willing to go to build connection?

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Weekly Quote

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

Albert Einstein

Weekly Emailable PD

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Suggested Email Body:

This week’s resource shifts our focus to another high-impact practice in the classroom: feedback.

We spend time giving students comments, corrections, and suggestions, but even then, feedback does not always lead to deeper learning or improved performance. The challenge is not how much feedback we give. It is how students engage with it. If feedback does not require students to think or take action, it is unlikely to have a lasting impact.

This week’s resource offers a few simple, practical ways to make feedback more effective by shifting the thinking back to students and turning feedback into a learning opportunity.

Read more

By now, I hope you’ve all had some spring break fun and are gearing up for a nice Easter with your loved ones. I appreciate you all indulging me for a week off. We rode bikes in the high desert, swam in heated pools, and visited museums. It was great fun.

Now, we enter the final third of the year, and everything is going to get super crazy right quick. My goal is to, amidst the never-ending requests for scholarship recommendation letters and showing up at end-of-year events, remember that when all the hubbub subsides, I won’t see some of these fine young adults … maybe ever again.

It can be a hard realization.

I recently heard someone talking about how it’s no longer fashionable in education to admit that you love your job. I think we’re supposed to be beleaguered public servants, ever taken for granted and asked to do just a little too much.

But screw it. I love my job.

I seriously wake up just about every single day, genuinely excited about the privilege of working with the kids who will craft our future … and the adults that help craft those kids! There’s simply nothing more exciting than the human buzz of a school building. It hums with a chaotic energy not found in any other type of atmosphere. It’s awesome.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Mike

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

The 12-Year-Old Taking on Cyberbullying

Possible Caption: Sometimes, students know how to solve problems best.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

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Weekly Quote

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”

C.S. Lewis

Weekly Emailable PD

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This week’s resource builds on our focus on engagement by highlighting a common challenge we all face: explaining something clearly, yet still seeing students struggle to understand.

It is not a matter of effort or clarity. It is something called the curse of knowledge. When we know content well, it becomes easy to unintentionally skip steps or assume background knowledge that students may not yet have.

This week’s resource offers a few simple, practical ways to make learning more accessible by slowing down, making thinking visible, and building stronger connections for students.

Read more

I’m not sure about you, but here in Oregon, we made it to spring break!

And you know what, for once, I don’t feel completely exhausted going into the holiday. I’m not at 100%, but I’m feeling grateful for a good week and excited about some downtime with my family.

Thanks for all of the helpful feedback last week. I got some good responses that folks prefer the more minimal Emailable PD. I’m excited! We’ll keep it a bit more streamlined to ensure it’s accessible and digestible to your teachers. More than anything, though, the goal is always to keep it practical. I hope we hit the mark.

As we head into the break, this is a heads-up that the newsletter will also take the week off. That said, we have tons of resources for you if you’ve got students and staff in your building next week. See below for a link to our archive of inspirational videos. It’s hard to believe that I’m on YEAR FIVE of this newsletter. That means well over 150 videos that are always free to everyone.

Also, all paid subscribers get over 80 weeks of Emailable PD. Just check out the link at the bottom of this email. You can sort by topic and find a ready-to-go intro email for each and every edition. (Free subs, you’ll have to upgrade to get access, but it’s 20% off this week!)

Thanks so much for the support, friends. It’s invaluable. I truly hope you get some rest.

Cheers,

Mike

Get 80+ Weeks of Emailable PD Right Now …

There’s no newsletter next week because of spring break. Buuuuut, everyone can always access the last four years of inspo vids (well over 150 videos) right here.

Also, paid subscribers get access to my archive of emailable PD. That’s over two years of content, with a full one-year roadmap that outlines the best way to rollout Emailable PD to your staff. Just upgrade and get the link right away.

Paid Subs - See the end of this email for the link if you don’t have it bookmarked.

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Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

The power of a community

Possible Caption: This is what happens when a school becomes a family.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"

Mister Rogers

Weekly Emailable PD

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Suggested Email Body:

This week’s resource builds on last week’s focus by taking the next step: how to implement structured discussion in your classroom.

It is one thing to understand why discussion matters. It is another to make it work consistently with real students in real time. Simple, repeatable routines can help turn more classrooms into spaces where every student has a voice.

This week’s resource shares a few practical strategies you can use right away to get more students talking and thinking.

Keep up the great work!

Read more

It’s finals week. Everyone’s brain is fried.

Students from taking tests, teachers from grading, and administrators from spring behaviors. Good thing we get a break soon!

Last week, we wrapped up the final installment of our ten-part series on important educational research from 2025. We do it each year. It’s quite fun, but I’m usually glad to shift gears as it concludes.

I got a touch of feedback that the PDFs were getting a bit dense. They always do balloon a bit during the research segment, but if it’s too much for your teachers to digest, then it defeats the purpose. This week, we’re simplifying things a bit. The goal is to split dense topics (like this week’s focus of Structured Discussion) into multiple parts while keeping the slides quite minimal.

To get your feedback, this week’s Emailable PD is free for all. My only ask is that you vote below after perusing. Thanks in advance!

I also love the vibe of this video. Such a sincere environment. I hope your teachers enjoy it!

Cheers,

Mike

👉 Please let me know!

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Philly teacher doing the “veggie dance”

Possible Caption: Lots remember to be human.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“If you can’t do it with feeling — don’t.”

Patsy Cline

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week’s resource highlights a simple way to improve one of the most important parts of learning: classroom discussion.

In many classrooms, discussion follows a predictable pattern. The teacher asks a question, one student answers, and everyone else listens. Research shows that structured discussion routines can increase participation, strengthen thinking, and help more students engage with ideas.

This week’s resource shares a few practical strategies that make it easier to get more students talking and thinking.

Keep up the great work!

Download a PDF here or JPEGs here.

Something Interesting or Fun (or Both)

I found this amusing … maybe you will, too.

This crossing guard makes $14k a month on mailed newsletters 🦺

Talk soon,

Read more

We made it to March! Hazaa!

I hope it’s been a good week on your end. A few night events on this end and some cold bugs on the home front made for an exhausting week, but worthwhile nonetheless.

On Wednesday, I sent out the second installment of the new Etcetera mid-week email. Another super high read rate! If you haven’t had the time to peruse it, feel free to give it a gander and give some feedback. Much appreciated.

This week, we’re wrapping up our 10-week series on the best educational research of 2025. It’s always a good overview of recent academic work as it impacts the classroom.

Today, we tackle a positive view of AI (you all know I can be more than a bit critical at times). I think it’s an important part of the conversation to discuss. Drawbacks aside, there’s no denying that AI can save an enormous amount of time, and that’s how we should use it.

It’ll almost always be a win when we can create more time to work with kids. That’s huge.

I think we still need to have lots of conversations about when to use it (basic research, menial tasks, etc.) and when to engage our own brains (synthesizing information, making decisions, etc.). But we’ll leave that battle for another day.

On an unrelated note, I was encouraged to see that many folks would like to hear more about generating some (relatively) easy money for your buildings. I’ll pull back the curtain on this closer to the summer. It’s something I’ve done at my school and have been wondering why it’s not done everywhere.

No scams. It does require some work, but it’s work you can easily outsource and come away with some much-needed funds to spend on kids and colleagues. More to come!

Cheers,

Mike

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Community Connections

Possible Caption: Students need a network of support.

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Weekly Quote

“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”

Harrington Emerson

Weekly Emailable PD

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Suggested Email Body:

This week’s resource highlights a promising way to reduce one of education’s most persistent challenges: paperwork.

Special education teachers balance critical instructional work with extensive documentation, from writing IEP goals to tracking accommodations and student progress. While essential, this work often competes with time spent directly supporting students.

This week’s research explores how AI tools may help ease that burden, showing that AI-generated IEP goals can match the quality of those written by experienced teachers while saving time.

Keep up the great work!

Read more

Welcome to the second edition of Etcetera. the mid-week email that contains little (hopefully) helpful morsels that you can use with your staff, share with a colleague, or simply enjoy on your own.

Etcetera Vol 1 was the most read email that I’ve ever sent, and not by a small margin. Thanks for taking interest in this new little experiment. I think it’ll be fun to continue as I have the bandwidth. I’m thinking that once a month is a good cadence.

Also, I hired one of my students to run social media for my business as part of his entrepreneurship project. (I’ll be paying him, and all such student projects have to find outside revenue, so I’m not shamelessly exploiting student labor😉).

He’s convinced me that video content is so much more engaging than simple text. I’m wondering if that has anything to do with the high read rate of my last email. Let me know if you’d like to see more such content. I did create a series of vlog-style PD content for a time (see below), but it was very time-intensive. Any new video content would be more on-the-fly (unless you all are really enthusiastic).

On to the content for this week. Here are a few pieces I’ve stumbled upon in the last couple of weeks that you may enjoy, but that wouldn’t have really “fit” in the Saturday newsletter.

Cheers!

Keep it Light

A goal for our next meeting

Next time you’ve got a Zoom convo with colleagues, try this on for size.

Twinning

This is crazy!

“They look the same!”

This is pretty heartwarming. Can you imagine how much brainstorming and good advice would come from the overlap of this personal and professional relationship?! They’ll have quite the collection of stories to tell by the end of their careers.

On Doing Hard Things

The gift we can give our kids

I’ve talked about this before, but I’ve noticed the last couple of years that students are much more fearful about certain things than the were pre-COVID. Whether it’s meeting deadlines or wanting to sit next to a friend, my kids seem to be more anxious than ever.

This is never more true than in public speaking. Being a business teacher, I try to teach my kids that developing the skill of public speaking not only builds confidence, but it can also be a competitive edge when being compared to their peers for jobs and scholarships.

In this video, psychologist Kathryn Hecht claims that exposure therapy is the “gold standard” of helping little humans become more resilient (It’s a bit long, but here’s a clip to entice you). In my experience, I’d have to agree.

To address the issue in my classroom, I often let nervous students present to me one-on-one at the beginning of the term. I’ve definitely had students claim that they’re simply incapable of doing it. By the end, however, their final requires that they present to the class. Aside from students with documented accommodations, I’ve yet to have a student fail to make a final presentation.

Sometimes it takes a private negotiation and a bit of a bribe (food often does the trick), but sticking to my guns and not giving them an easy way out has become a professional conviction for me. That boost of confidence is one of the greatest gifts I can give them.

I’ve contemplated digging into this in more detail. I think it’s something that students of all ages could benefit from. And I know that many of my early elementary colleagues are experts in this domain.

Is this something you’d like to hear more about?

Change Your World

A good note to end on

Enjoy!

Read more

Welp, we dodged the bullet for a while, but all my kids are sick. And my wife is coming down with it as well. Which means I’m writing this on very little sleep, so I apologize in advance.

As I hit the weekend with that foggy, stuck-in-first-gear mental state, I find myself thankful for a slow couple of days on deck. I hope that, however you happen to be feeling, your agenda accommodates you.

We’ve got a great video this week … at least I think so. I show it to my students each term, and it always gets a good response. I think people want permission to unplug. Consider it given by this professor. And maybe recommend that your teachers show it to their students if it’s age-appropriate. It always yields interesting conversations.

And this week’s Emailable PD marks the penultimate edition in our series of the top ten research studies of 2025. It’s all about the quality of pre-service teacher prep. Turns out the “just give ‘em a boatload of theory” approach doesn’t really work. Who would’ve thought?

I hope you love it!

Cheers,

Mike

P.S. It may only be February, but I’m already deep in the planning of changes to the newsletter for ‘26-27. I’m really excited. I’ll be sending the “Year in Review” survey early this year to maximize my time to refine things over the summer.

Here’s a teaser:

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

You Need to Be Bored. Here’s Why.

Possible Caption: Boredom is good for our students. And for us.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”

William James

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to recognize just how complex your work truly is.

Teaching is deeply human work. Every day requires real-time decisions, constant adjustments, and responsiveness to students who vary widely in readiness, pace, and emotion. It is one of the few professions where expertise must show up moment by moment, in front of a live audience.

This week’s resource explores research showing that teaching skill develops not just through understanding strategies, but through practice, feedback, and reflection. The findings reinforce what many educators already know: growth comes from trying, refining, and trying again.

Keep up the good work!

Read more

I hope everyone is well this week. I’d love to say I am, but the bug that’s been slowly sniping colleagues and students finally got me. I’ve only missed one day, but we’ll see how it plays out over the weekend.

Not sure why this year’s cold and flu season has hit with an extra punch. So many people have been totally flattened by it that my nephew’s private school simply closed for three days. I didn’t even know that was an option?! Are we allowed just to waive the white flag? If so, I may be on board …

This week’s video is just adorable and a celebration of teacher and student creativity alike. I love it.

And this week’s Emailable PD very practically gets at when to use AI in the classroom and when to put it off. I like that it doesn’t label it as “good” or “bad,” but rather as “useful” or “dangerous.” I think you’ll find it very interesting.

And again, while I do use AI to help compile research, copy, and such for the PD, I stopped using it in my personal messages here some time ago. I call that out because I’ve been convinced lately that keeping things imperfect is going to become more and more important.

Case in point: My department occasionally funds micro-grants for different school programs. I recently received a request from a colleague that was pure ChatGPT. And, let me tell you, I almost couldn’t read it. While the grammar was exceptional and the formatting was crystal clear, it just felt soulless. And I knew I wouldn’t read anything that I couldn’t already predict, so I basically auto-deleted it.

Now, I totally get that AI does so much more than generating content, but that’s my main beef these days.

I’ll be talking about this a lot more soon, because I want to start focusing more on the very human side of education. The imperfect, the messy, and the flawed. Because that’s real. And I predict that someday soon, in addition to seeing labels on products that are “Certified Organic” or “Third-Party Tested,” we’re going to start seeing labels like “100% Human Generated.”

Of course, I could be totally wrong. I guess we’ll see.

Cheers,

Mike

Senseless Survey

Just for fun!

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Teacher turns first graders’ drawings into real hats

Possible Caption: Their faces are priceless.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“Don’t listen to anyone who doesn’t know how to dream.”

Liza Minnelli

Weekly Emailable PD

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Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to reconsider what it really means to learn.

As AI tools become more accessible, it is easy to focus on efficiency and polish. Students can produce stronger essays faster than ever. But new research highlights an important distinction: producing writing is not the same as retaining thinking.

This week’s resource explores recent studies, including a 2025 MIT brain imaging study, on how AI use affects cognitive engagement and recall. The findings are clear. When students outsource the heavy lifting of thinking, learning does not stick. When AI is used strategically, especially after independent effort, it can strengthen outcomes.

As schools continue navigating AI implementation, this brief offers research-backed guidance on what skills are worth protecting and how to keep students as the primary authors of their ideas.

Read more

I started this week excited. It’s only a three-day week due to conferences, and we have a four-day weekend on deck. But then, things started to go sideways.

We run a merch shop at school, and it seemed that everyone needed last-minute orders fulfilled at the same time. We also had multiple special events, forecasting, tons of grading, and the marathon conference day.

I know everyone has those hectic weeks. They happen all the time.

But on top of that, we had a lot of family decisions that needed to be made. The kinds that feel big and weighty. And the kids slept terribly, which means my wife and I did as well.

And when the overwhelm hits in many areas, the decision fatigue can push you past your limits.

So, today, I’m thankful for the gift of rest.

We’re not meant to pull all the levers at once for very long. And if you’ve had a week like that, I truly hope you get some downtime for yourself and your loved ones.

We’ve got two great resources for you this week. A touching video about true kindness. I often find that the average adult assumes that adolescents are bullies. Unkind and disrespectful. I actually find the opposite to be true. I think most kids confound that stereotype. The ones in this week’s video certainly did.

And this week’s Emailable PD once again talks about the power of student-teacher relationships. Turns out that a recent meta-analysis on 2.6 million kids proves yet again that connection matters most.

Enjoy!

Mike

P.S. So, 100% of respondents said they wanted the salary survey to return. Buuuuuut, only 12 people responded. It’s a chunk of work, and I’m up for it, but respond in the comments if you’d really like to have it again … I’d love to see if there’s really a demand for it. You can see the last one here.

Senseless Survey

Just for fun!

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

How a simple act of kindness transformed a boy’s birthday

Possible Caption: Kids can be the best of us.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“Unfortunately, many people do not consider fun an important item on their daily agenda. For me, that was always a high priority in whatever I was doing.”

Chuck Yeager

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to reconsider what drives achievement.

In the push for higher scores, tighter pacing, and stronger rigor, it is easy to treat relationships as secondary, important but not instructional. But decades of research now make something unmistakably clear: trust and belonging are not extras. They are foundational to learning.

This week’s resource explores what 70 years of research across 2.6 million students reveals about the power of teacher-student relationships. And even if your school is focused on academics, accountability, or outcomes, it is a timely reminder that when students feel known and supported, achievement has somewhere solid to grow.

Read more

I feel like I’m constantly saying, “It’s been a busy week.” While that’s true (when is it ever not busy), I don’t necessarily need that to be my focus.

I have other options:

“It was a hectic week” - No different from my typical response.

“It was a hard week” - Sometimes true, but this week wasn’t particularly tough.

“It was a productive week.” - Meh. I got a lot done, but not nearly as much as I had hoped.

“It was a week well spent.” That’s it. I’ll go with that.

I like to think of time as a currency that’s always being depleted. You can’t stockpile time the way you can stockpile gold. But you can invest time in something that stores value. Instead of precious metals, you can deposit your time into relationships. And much like buying stocks, you have hopes of what will happen, but you can’t predict it with certainty.

Hopefully, my weeks are spent depositing my time into my students, my colleagues, my kids, my wife … you get the idea. And I can’t control what they do with it, but I have hopes of what might happen.

This week, I got two very encouraging notes - one from my wife and one from a former student. I don’t live in order to receive these sorts of responses, but it sure helps when they appear. It certainly makes time feel well spent.

I hope you had some authentic encouragement from someone this week. And if not, who knows, maybe it’s just around the corner.

I like this week’s video. I love that this student had the courage to push through her isolation and be vulnerable in sharing her gifts. What an amazing kid! And this week’s PD is a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about lately - getting kids outside! Turns out the research backs up what most of us already knew.

Enjoy!

Mike

P.S. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my new mid-week post. Within 24 hours, it became one of the most-read posts of the school year. If you haven’t already, scroll to the poll at the bottom of the post and vote! I’ll try to send out a couple each month. I appreciate the support!

Senseless Survey

Just for fun!

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Quiet high school paints portraits of classmates

Possible Caption: It’s never too late to connect.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“Your failures are your accomplishents because it makes you prepared for whatever it is that you are going to do next.”

Lee Daniels

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to protect what already works.

In the rush to cover content and meet goals, it’s easy to see recess as extra—a nice-to-have if there’s time. But decades of research remind us that play isn’t a break from learning; it’s a key part of it.

This week’s resource explores how even small shifts—like adding a few extra minutes of outdoor time—can lead to big gains in student well-being. And even if recess isn’t an option in your particular situation, it’s a reminder that when we make space for joy and movement, we’re also making space for focus, growth, and connection.

Read more

Welcome to the maiden voyage of Etcetera, the mid-week email that contains little (hopefully) helpful morsels that you can use with your staff, share with a colleague, or simply enjoy on your own.

My two commitments are as follows:

1. I’ll never use AI to write my thoughts here. I feel like, too often these days, I’m simply scrolling through emails knowing that someone outsourced their thinking to a chatbot. I certainly use AI in my day-to-day, and to assist with things like Emailable PD, but I want to keep this mid-week check-in candid and informal. You’ll get unfiltered Mike, so beware. (The same goes for my intros on Saturday’s emails. No AI to be found there.)

2. If I found something useful, fun, or interesting, it’s fair game to share. I know not everyone shares my taste. If you at all feel like this is one more thing in your inbox, you can check your Substack preferences and unsubscribe from this section while remaining subscribed to the Weekly Inspo Vids Saturday newsletter.

Let’s get to it! Thanks for reading!

Mike

P.S. I hope the video works above. I was getting some weird errors with my test emails.

On Leadership

“My job is to always be opposite the moment.”

As an Aggie, I’m obviously biased, but this is a great clip on both a leader’s role in the moment and how no one can lift morale with a single speech or action. It takes building a culture.

On Nurturing Tiny Humans

Let’s make our kids dangerous

I have three boys, and I love this. I grew up in a Texas home that was about as classically “masculine” as it gets. Trucks in the driveway and guns locked up in the garage. Now I’ve got nothing against either, and I actually had a very non-toxic father. Still, I want to instill in my boys a greater measure of compassion, self-awareness, and vulnerability than I had as a kid. I want the same for my students.

On Classroom Management

Down the rabbit hole we go …

In my day-to-day search for videos that teachers can actually use, I stumbled upon Tyler Hester in the video below. It’s about seven minutes long, so you can watch a very short clip I made here, but I’ll make a quick caveat.

Now, my warning is this: Tyler talks about a lot of ideas that some might call punitive in our current landscape, like homework, detention, and the like. I don’t have as strong feelings about these concepts as some, but I can imagine he might update some of his ideas if he were making this video today (this video was uploaded 11 years ago).

The thing I love about this video, and specifically about the clip I shared above, is the connection between consequences, consistency, and students feeling safe and respected. As a teacher, I’m going to admit something that I’m not supposed to admit: I’m frequently too lazy to follow through. This is true of my parenting as well.

To be consistent is exhausting. But it’s critical. And students (and kids) internalize that they’re either worth the effort or they’re not. It’s maybe counterintuitive that consistent consequences communicate respect, but they absolutely do. And teachers I’ve coached often struggle to make that connection.

Interesting side note:

My judgmental side came out a bit when I Googled Tyler to see what he’s up to these days. Turns out he taught for just four years and then left for leadership positions in other areas, and now runs a PD company.

I often grow weary of that story. Teacher A is an all-star, a bit prone to self-promotion, and exits before year five to tell other teachers how it’s done. Pretty soon, they’ve been out of the classroom for twenty years, hopelessly disconnected from the real day-to-day in a building, yet make a living telling principals and teachers in the trenches how it’s done.

That was my judgmental side. My researcher side should’ve simply read the rest of his bio.

Tyler then went to Harvard for his doctorate, went back to the classroom before starting his current company, where he serves as the CEO while still serving as a part-time Vice Principal.

Well, I’ve been put in my place. Makes me want to chat with him more. Should I reach out?

Thanks for reading this first edition of Etcetera. I’ll keep at it as long as you’re reading (and when I have time).

Thanks, friends!

Mike

I hope you all had a splendid week, even if it was hectic.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the busyness of the day. Like you, I have a “To Do” list a mile long in my head. It never seems to get shorter. As such, I’m often hurried from one part of the building to the next and not stopping to engage colleagues or students longer than a few seconds.

Since returning from the break, however, I’ve been running a little experiment. I’ve been more focused on connection than efficiency. I try not to worry if I miss a task or am 15 seconds late to a meeting. Instead, I try to really look a kid or coworker in the eyes, actively listen, and try to give a heartfelt response.

I’ve been doing this for about three weeks now. And, you know what? I feel less stressed and more at ease. I seem to have found pockets of extra time to get stuff done. I’ve hit the end of my days, and my task list has actually decreased.

I’m not sure what all that means, but I’ve found that by prioritizing people, the little details somehow fall into place. It’s been pretty cool.

Thanks for letting me ramble on there longer than usual. And just so you know, I don’t use AI to write my intros. It’s 100%, unfiltered Mike … for better or worse! (Someday, I’ll write a whole manifesto on why that’s important to me.)

I’ve taken enough of your time, so I won’t go on about the videos and PD this week. Check ‘em out! They’re great!

Much love,

Mike

P.S. I was stoked to see that over 90% of you would like to hear from me mid-week. Thanks for that! I’m not promising I’ll have time each week, but I’ll drop some bonus content whenever I’ve stumbled on something I think you’ll like!

Senseless Survey

Just for fun!

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

The Side of Teaching No One Sees

Possible Caption: Be a tugboat!

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

Helen Keller

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to pause with purpose.

In the moment, it’s easy to step in. A confused glance, a wrong turn, or a moment of silence can trigger our instinct to rescue. But new research suggests that the space just before we help is where deep learning begins.

This week’s resource explores how subtle shifts, like asking a question instead of offering a solution, can help students build confidence, persistence, and problem-solving skills. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best support is stepping back just long enough for students to step up.

Read more

Things have been moving at lightning speed since returning from the holidays. I always forget how quickly the second half of the year goes. On the bright side, the slowly lengthening days and the unseasonal sun this past week in the PNW have been a real mood boost. I hope you’re finding some simple pleasures amidst your workload as well.

This week’s video gave me a real chuckle. You can hear the scandalous gasps in the background from all the kiddos as they can’t wait to get the gossip. It’s a solid lesson hook that’s worth the spotlight, I think.

And this week’s Emailable PD continues to cover noteworthy research from 2025. While we cover some specific findings around working memory and math word problems, the content is definitely applicable for all teachers. Before becoming an admin and then teaching business, I was a Language Arts teacher for a decade. So many of these “offloading” strategies would work in an LA, SS, or Science room as well. I hope your teachers find it useful!

Much love,

Mike

P.S. I realized none of the polls worked last week. They were turned off upon publishing. My apologies! I think I worked out the bugs, so I’m reposting my “Special Poll” here. Thanks!

Special Poll - Take Two 😳

This one should actually work!

I come across so many great videos, articles, online ideas, etc., as I put together the newsletter. Not all of them are an exact fit for the Saturday email, but may still be very helpful to busy administrators who don’t have time to search for inspiration. Would a mid-week email sharing these fun little tidbits be something you would be interested in?

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Dear Darling

Possible Caption: Sometimes you just gotta go full send!

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“I believe in the impossible because no one else does, and that gives me an excellent chance at accomplishing it.”

Florence Griffith Joyner

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to help students slow down and think clearly.

In the swirl of numbers, storylines, and operations, math word problems can overwhelm even confident students. It’s not just the math. It’s the mental juggling act of figuring out what matters and where to begin.

This week’s resource highlights new research into what capable problem solvers do differently. The findings are refreshingly actionable. When students offload information onto diagrams and notes, they are significantly more likely to succeed. It’s a small shift with big impact, because when thinking is visible, problem-solving becomes possible.

Read more

I’m going on my second consecutive weekend of my wife traveling and me flying solo with my three boys after hectic work weeks. And you know what, my current motto is, “Embrace the mess and have fun.” We’ll see if I make it to Monday with that attitude. Send pizza, please!

This week, we’re covering our third of ten research studies from 2025. We’ve had great responses so far, and I personally always enjoy this opportunity to get a bit nerdy. Today’s installment is all about cell phones and how they’re actually, well, sort of evil. I think at this point, few educators dispute that schoolwide phone bans have been beneficial, but it’s interesting to see what the data say. Check it out!

This week’s video is a cool idea, one that I regularly ponder. It asks and answers the question: What would happen if no one ate alone at lunch? And it comes with an assignment. I’m genuinely curious to hear how your schools have tackled students who feel disconnected at lunch or in other social situations. I’d especially love to know if the idea was student-generated, as in the video.

I ask because my class runs the student store every day, so I have a front row seat to the social dynamics of the cafeteria each day. And while phones have disappeared, there are still many lonely individuals. I have kids with big hearts and would love to plant some ideas.

Seriously … reply to the email or comment. Let’s brainstorm!

Much love,

Mike

Special Poll

I come across so many great videos, articles, online ideas, etc., as I put together the newsletter. Not all of them are an exact fit for the Saturday email, but may still be very helpful to busy administrators who don’t have time to search for inspiration. Would a mid-week email sharing these fun little tidbits be something you would be interested in?

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

We Dine Together

Possible Caption: How do we build a community where kids care for one another?

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.”

Joan Baez

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to reclaim attention—intentionally.

In classrooms shaped by constant notifications and digital pull, it’s easy to assume students can simply “tune it out.” But the research tells a different story: when phones are removed from learning spaces, students don’t just behave differently—they learn differently.

This week’s resource explores what happens when phones leave the classroom, drawing on large-scale studies that show improvements in focus, academic performance, and classroom relationships—especially for students who need structure the most. The takeaway is both simple and practical: fewer distractions create better conditions for learning to take hold. Because when attention is protected, teaching has room to do what it does best.

Read more

We’re a week into the new year, and it’s been a slow start on this end. A furlough day and a snow delay made for a quick week, but it was good to see kids again. As I’ve said before, when school buildings are empty, they feel like they’re missing their purpose. It felt good to be in bustling hallways once more.

This week we’re continuing our 10-part series covering some of the best educational research published in 2025. We tackled “The Attention Problem” last week. This week, we’re covering the tie between handwriting and literacy. Several studies have produced fascinating findings on the topic. Learn how it can be applied in classrooms this year.

Finally, I hope you enjoy the inspirational video this week. Anyone who feels burnout may be able to relate particularly well.

Much love,

Mike

P.S. This week’s entire email is free for all! Everyone can get a glimpse at what paid subs have access to all the time. In addition to years of Emailable PD archives, all subscribers get immediate access to our four editable PowerPoint PD modules, 13 Teacher-Led PD Courses, and special all-staff pricing.

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Control the Controllables

Possible Caption: Appreciate the things you can’t control. Don’t take for granted the things you can control.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud, too. That’s a part of it.”

Denzel Washington

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to slow down—just enough to let learning stick.

In a digital-first world, it’s easy to assume that faster tools lead to better outcomes. But the research tells a different story: writing by hand plays a powerful role in how students learn letters, recognize words, and build lasting understanding.

This week’s resource explores why handwriting strengthens reading and memory across grade levels—and why typing alone can’t replace it, especially for early learners. The takeaway is simple and practical: when we intentionally put pencil to paper, we give students a deeper, more durable foundation for learning. Because sometimes, slowing the process is exactly what helps learning move forward.

Download a PDF here or JPEGs here.

Something Interesting or Fun (or Both)

I found this amusing … maybe you will, too.

World’s Largest Collection of Snowglobes 🗻

Talk soon,

Read more

Welcome to 2026, everyone! I hope you navigated the holidays comfortably and were able to enjoy family, friends, and food. We managed to make it through with minimal sickness and maximal toy assembly (in terms of complexity … not necessarily quantity). Good times had by all!

While on the break, I dropped by my building briefly. To be honest, it felt so eerie. At different times in my career, I’ve really enjoyed a quiet hallway. The first week after teachers were gone for the summer was always one of my favorites. Things were calm, and I could really focus and get some work done … and go out to lunch! In the bleak of winter, however, an empty building feels rather lifeless. And while I’ve enjoyed my time at home over the break, I’m excited to get back and see colleagues and kids. I hope you feel similarly!

We’ve got a longer, but high-quality video to kick off the new year. It’s a snippet of a conversation that Simon Sinek had with an astronaut (while in space!) about what motivates public servants. The answer? You might be surprised, but it’s very encouraging.

And we’re bringing back a special series of Emailable PDs that we started last year, with a focus on the best educational research published over the last 12 months. It’ll be a ten-part series focused on the most implementable and clear-cut strategies that were confirmed as effective by research in 2025. It was quite popular last year, and I hope to have similar feedback. Please do let me know what you think!

Much love,

Mike

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

What really drives greatness

Possible Caption: Public service is based on love.

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

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Weekly Quote

“Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.”

Clarence Odbody in “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is a reminder to pause—on purpose.
In classrooms full of movement and momentum, it can feel counterintuitive to slow down. But the research is clear: brief, intentional breaks don’t interrupt learning—they supercharge it.

This week’s resource highlights why student attention fades (it’s not a discipline issue) and what we can do about it. The best part? The fixes are simple, practical, and ready to use tomorrow. Because when we build in moments to reset, we give students a better shot at staying present—and coming back ready to learn.

Read more

I wanted to send out a quick note because, well, I miss you all. I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday with your loved ones. Mine’s been full of toy assembly, rich foods, and the occasional nap. Couldn’t ask for much more!

Just for giggles, I’ve been reviewing our video feedback for the 25-26 school year. I have to say, this is our best year …

Read more

Well, we just about made it. Heading into the final week before a break always has a certain, fun energy. I’m pretty excited to have some quality time with my students, and then some quality time with my own kids for a couple of weeks.

As you head into this last week, I hope it’s a solid one for you and your teachers. I know it can be a hard week for students who struggle while at home. Cut them some extra grace, and then give yourself some space from work. Well deserved!

This week’s video is a fun little reminder of how we can bless our own kids across our district. I might actually see if there’s a way I could take my high schoolers to visit our middle schoolers. I think it would be pretty cool.

This week’s Emailable PD is all about maintaining relationships as the year progresses. This is a good season for a reminder. I need to continually remind myself that the students I think I know are complex individuals about whom I can always be more curious.

And with that, I hope you have an incredibly warm holiday with your people. You deserve it! Just a reminder that the newsletter will also be on holiday break. After today, the next weekly email will arrive on January 3rd.

Much love,

Mike

Weekly Video

Use in staff newsletters, encouraging emails, etc.

Students Sneak onto Campus and Deliver Secret Stash

Possible Caption: Teach our students to pass it on!

Vote below, and we’ll track your favorite videos in our archive.

Looking for a past video. Check our archive.

Weekly Quote

“We are more fulfilled when we are involved in something bigger than ourselves.”

John Glenn

Weekly Emailable PD

Use in staff newsletters, emailable PD messages, etc.

Suggested Email Body:

This week is an invitation to lean in. As routines settle and the year picks up speed, it’s easy for relationships to fade into the background. But steady connection—especially now—can be the difference between students coasting and truly engaging. This week’s resource offers practical, doable ways to keep relationships growing, even as the calendar fills. Because when students feel seen all year long, they show up—not just in class, but for themselves.

Read more