I have a very important message that I need to you to understand. One that is echoed in a very impassioned quote from Martin Luther King Jr. Its something that I have held onto since the first time I stepped into my classroom; something I must remind myself from time to time. And when you hear this ONE thing, I want you to envision this idea as ...…

I have a hard time using the word fail. It’s not my favorite word to use and I am convinced that the way you speak affects the way you think and your actions. Therefore it’s a word that I avoid using in my classroom and in my personal life. Unfortunately, everyone I know loves to use the word fail. In my classroom my students constantly talk ab ...…

What does gratitude mean in education? It starts with something that happened to my during my second year of teaching. If you survived the cut throat, desperation and hopelessness that is the first year of teaching (which is all about survival); then the second year is MAGIC! You are more engaged with who you are, what you are capable of doing, ...…

With the holiday season upon us, we finish one thing to only pick up another. We go though everything that we need to in order to finish the year/semester off right, only to pick up all of the responsibilities required to complete during this holiday “break”. In the melee of everything, what we should be focusing on, is rest. We need to rest. Y ...…

It took me a few years of teaching in the classroom to discover EXACTLY how to save our educational system. One day, I had an epiphany; an Ah-HA moment that changed my life. Stop making it all about the kids. As a parent, the best thing I can do for my children is to take care of myself and bring the best version of myself to them on a daily ba ...…

I had an AMAZING interview with Hannah from Syllabiblog In addition to her full time position as a teacher who teachers future teachers on HOW to teach; she maintains her blog and a highly active Instagram Account where she posts about a modern day educators life. This interview is a breath of fresh air, as Hannah openly discusses the personal ...…

Let me tell you a story about Matthew; Matthew is what you would probably imagine as a “trouble maker”; whatever that person is in your mind, he is that kid. Not only that, Matthew is smart. It has been my experience that for the most part, on average, most of my trouble makers are usually of high intelligence. These are kids rub many people th ...…

Before I realized it… I received my 5 year pin working for my school district. I have only taught at this school district; and I have only taught at one school in this school district. Two different subjects and now that I’m starting my 6th year, a little over 1,000 kids. I took a few seconds pause when my name was called; slightly stunned and ...…

A new school year is a new beginning; teaching is one of the few professions where you not only get to start a new, but you also get better the longer you practice. It is a calling that refines you through its process. This weeks podcast touches on that process; the process that went into creating the moment where you meet your students, and yo ...…

Great teachers are not JUST found in a classroom… I am extremely excited about my interview with Jake Widmann… Author of the book (SEPT 2018) Up: Lessons of Adversity, Hitting Bottom, and Choosing A Life That Matters Some of our main topics: how he was “that kid” in our classroom… the one that drives you nuts! Jakes gives us some amazing insigh ...…

Summer Is HERE!(for most of us anyways)While it's a great time to relax, sleep in, walk around in your pajamas all day, and go full slob... it is an opportunity for two things which we should not take lightly and we should appreciate.Opportunity To RechargeWithout question; teachers need the summer off. Above our contractual obligations, we put ...…

As we approach the end of the school year, as the state tests are distributed, and as we slowly wind down to the end of school, it is very easy for all of us (teachers included) to loose sight of the fact that... school isn't over! Yet, around this time, we start to see the clues and signs that yes, the clock is winding down. The biggest clue; ...…

There is no doubt that the hardest part of teaching is the emotional labor we perform, day in and day out. That is, the lifting of our students spirits, keeping a straight face when they do something bad, even though it was really really funny. Doing our best to not get visibly angry and frustrated when our students misbehave. Understanding tha ...…

Emotional labor is an invisible but powerful force that is felt but unseen to the inexperienced eye. It's why moms are so good at making you feel better without applying medicine, and why it doesn't bother you that you scraped your knee with dad, because you had such a great time (which mom cleaned and put a bandaid on, and dad just rinsed with ...…

In this 3rd part of The Conversation Series, I wrap up what I believe is the conversation we should be having right now regarding education. Recent tragedies have shed a new light upon the fact that the educational system is failing our students. We can no longer sit back and wait for lawmakers, researchers, or other stakeholders to address the ...…

In part two of the conversation, we discuss our students and take a macroscopic snapshot of where they are and what they are going through.They are facing different pressures than before, and because of that, our students have different needsThere is no sense in trying to judge the merits of these needs; it is more important to identify, adjust ...…

The role of the classroom, and school, has changed dramatically in our society.What is the NEW role of the classroom, and the school, in our NEW reality, and in the future?Before information was so freely accessible, the school house was one of the very few places one could have access to information (someone had to teach you to read before you ...…

This is Random Acts of Kindness Week!I hope you take it upon yourself to be kind to yourself FIRST...But also to be kind to your fellow TEACHERS!And most important, showing and modeling kindness towards and for your STUDENTS! It is the most important lesson you could ever TEACH!

There was a picture I recently saw showing a real life cowboyThe Manliest of MenHis physical exterior (I would imagine) matched his mental and emotional interiorNo doubt that man was a man or resilience and strength.We want our kids to be resilient, to be tough, to be “tough enough”We feel that our experiences made us who we are today, the tria ...…

Courage Through KindnessHow many of us have encountered a student who has been "given" so many chances, that at some point you decide in your mind and in your heart that you have done enough...So you quit on that student.I have encountered these students... one in particular. And as I stood at that precipice, looking down at this student becaus ...…

When you travel to a new place, it always “feels” as if your voyage, your travel, takes a very long time. Why?Since you are traveling to a new destination, one that you have never been before, you are observing everything around you. Your senses are hightened, and because of your awareness of this new place, your brain is trying to retain as mu ...…

I was able to connect with my students in a way that was outside of what was normI was able to educate them on something that may not have been the normal topic, but it added value to their lives. They saw it as valuable, and because of that, we had a very engaging conversation where they were asking good questions, and they were learningI was ...…

Probably the shortest podcast ever!An affirmation for 2018 specially made for you!Wishing you the absolute best!Juan

A Sense of Gratitude - Episode 019the year winds or has wound down for some of you, it’s important that we reflect back on the year, but at the same time as most of us are wrapping up our semester and wrapping up everything we have accomplished, it’s important that we have sense of gratitude:What is gratitude? Google definition - the quality of ...…

Who you are makes your kids feel bad (and you don’t even know it) - Episode 018Talking to a teacher who was having a problem with her students. Had an opportunity to observe the classroom and immediately felt and saw the high levels of stress and anxiety in the room (you could feel it). After my initial observations we had a very productive tal ...…

Why I Need To Smile - Episode 017It has occurred to me that I must explain my own personal WHY as to WHY it is important for ME to Seal It With A Smile.Its important because this was not the norm for me growing up.My father always carried a sullen angry face around... it was his default face. In fact, there are only a handful of times that I ca ...…

The Giraffes In Your Classroom - Episode 016My wife and I were having a conservation. I’m sure your familiar with this one; the one where you both feel like you are not being heard and you both are not listening to each other.Solution: See your other half as a Giraffe.Do you know a giraffe? Ever own one? Spent a significant amount of time with ...…

(UPDATED) The Humble Thread In The Cape - Episode 015During this week of Thanksgiving, most of us will be resting and relaxing and hopefully enjoying some time off with family, friends, our animal friends, and loved ones. During this time of reflection, we can also reflect on our lives and find humility within us. But how can we do that? How ca ...…

Clear your mind....I want to take you back about 60 or so years, back to the early 1950’s in rural West Texas. Take you to a warm hot day in August; dry mountain air in a small one horse town. Exactly the kind of town you would imagine when you think of a one horse town in your mind. These types of towns continue to exist, they are full of tigh ...…

This week we have a special guest, Jenn “The-Teacher-Next-Door”!Jenn is an accomplished teacher with over 20 years of experience and is the owner of the Teacher-Next-Door.com and online store at Teachers-Pay-Teachers. Her passion for helping others has made her successful both in and out of the classroom!We talk about her “soap-box”issue, her t ...…

EPISODE 12 - Are YOU Listening?Spent the weekend at a pumpkin patch watching kids taking pictures and parents taking pictures of kids. This must have some effect on their developmental growth; seeing themselves that often. If anything , it adds to the idea that we all learn in an environment of relationships! And since *** LEARNING IS ORGANIC ( ...…

I was recently asked to be interviewed by former student. The question was, “What do you do when you have a disruptive classroom?”My answer, “I’ve never had a disruptive classroom. I will never have a disruptive classroom.”And it caught my student off guard. So she asked why...There are a few caveats you must be willing to accept:*** LEARNING I ...…

Towards the end of my first year of teaching, I had arrived at a level of tired understood only by other teachers. During these weeks, when the attention span of every child is as long as their interest in completing work, I was having a very difficult time. The only thing I could do was smile. And laugh and smile.When I saw the reaction from m ...…

In all my years of teaching, there have been days where I have struggled getting through a class period. It is heartbreaking. Not only that, it leaves you feeling less than and like there is no hope for you. It makes you question your sanity, your profession, your livelihood. These moments are the reason why so many teachers leave the professio ...…

"Why Am I Learning This?"It’s an all too common question asked in the classroom. When will I ever use _____ BLANK? I’m not going to be a _____BLANK, why should I learn this? I’m not going to college, so I don’t need this.It is a teacher’s kryptonite to hear these words as it deflates your ambitions and drive. Some of the biggest rewards as a te ...…

Failure Is Not An OptionThere are so many life lessons around failure, and as a teacher, you will have to deal with it often, especially if your in your first three years of teaching, because you will absolutely mess some things up, but its ok, as we will learn today! Its is an emotional topic for many people and for kids especially, whether th ...…

Three strikes…There was a young lady that I met during our meet the teacher night recently; a student of the highest caliber that not only exemplifies what a student should be, she also possessed a delightful personality and disposition. As I began to speak with her parents, I could see the same excitement and exuberance she displayed in class ...…

The MissionI remember the little school house in East Texas arboretum, a replica of an early Texas school house; chairs are all lined up perfectly, with old books that talk about agricultural measurements and calculations. There’s quite a bit of mathematical calculations that were needed back in rural communities and for many who continue to li ...…

This weeks episode was inspired by two different situations: the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and a podcast from the show Invisibilia (click on the link below to listen to the podcast)NPR: Invisibilia - The New NormIn the wake of Hurricane Harvey, thousands of people from across the country and in Houston have been responding to the needs of ...…

As the United States enjoyed a rare event this week and thousands if not millions of people stood outside during their working hours to experience the Great American Eclipse, I couldn't help but notice and feel the immense weight of that moment.It was the realization of the power of shared experiences, which can bring people together from vario ...…

As an educator, we have all encountered that one child... who forgot to bring his/her pencil to class...For some, this is the BANE of their existence... How can a parent allow their child to come to school unprepared!What if there was another way... a NEW way of looking at this situationWhat if we can add a special filter to this situation, whi ...…

Welcome to Seal It With A Smile!So glad you could join me on what will be a very long conversation on how we can add value to our roles as educators. The world is changing at a rapid rate and knowledge is everywhere. So what role do teachers (educators) have in a world where the knowledge we have is freely available?The answer is in MoanaIn sho ...…