As an educator, I’m always learning and trying to be better for the learners I work with. Last year, I became frustrated with how I was teaching writing. There were so many different ways to plan for personal narratives, informational texts, and opinion pieces—and I often felt I was guiding my students through every step instead of helping them develop true independence as writers.

Moving Toward Simplicity Over the years, I’ve tried many different classroom management strategies. I’ve used “Mystery Person,” class vs. teacher games, and a handful of other tricks to keep motivation high. Some of them worked for a season, others fizzled out. But as the years have passed, I’ve found myself leaning toward simplicity. Instead of layering on more systems and competitions, I want my learners to grow from a foundation that is clear, consistent, and meaningful.

From Endings to Beginnings At the end of last school year, I wrote about some of the traditions I use to close our year together. Afterwards, several people asked me to share some ideas for the beginning of the year. So here it is—a practice that has become a cornerstone of how I build community with my learners: creating a…

The first week of school is always full of excitement, energy, and (let’s be honest) a little nervousness too. This year, to help my second graders get to know their new school spaces and begin building a sense of community, we went on a very special adventure: a Gingerbread Scavenger Hunt. The Gingerbread Kid Runs Away! On Day 1, we discovered that our Gingerbread Kid had “escaped” from the classroom.

When I first started teaching (over 20 years ago!), planning felt like a weekly mountain to climb. I remember dreading that Sunday afternoon feeling—the looming pressure of submitting weekly plans to the headmaster using a rigid template. It was time-consuming and exhausting, especially as I started my family. I often felt like I was on a hamster wheel, trying to stay ahead but never really feeling caught up.

International Day is one of my favorite events at school. It’s a vibrant celebration of diversity, where the hallways come alive with national dress, languages, and—of course—unforgettable food from around the world. But for those of us who identify as “third culture kids” or global nomads, it can stir up deeper questions. Where do I belong? Do I represent my Pakistani heritage, though I’ve never lived there?

I want to begin by sincerely thanking everyone who supported me as I took the first step in sharing this blog more publicly. I’ve been incredibly moved by the kind messages and encouragement I’ve received—especially from friends and colleagues around the world. Your responses have truly humbled me and reminded me how powerful it is to share and connect through our work.

If you had told me a year ago that I’d be coding my own games for class, I probably would have laughed. My experience with coding has been fairly limited: introducing my young students to Scratch Jr., and during lockdown, diving into creating Pixel Art Reveals using Google Sheets – a skill I picked up through many helpful YouTube tutorials and online workshops offered by generous educators.

Technology is constantly evolving, and AI is undoubtedly here to stay. As educators, it’s our responsibility to remain perpetual learners, not just to keep pace but to empower our students to…

Group work frustrates students when roles are unclear and workloads are uneven. Grouper can help make it more effective.

A year ago, I shared my initial foray into incorporating AI in education, moving from skepticism to a sense of pioneering spirit (you can read about it here: Today, I’m thrilled to share how …

Imagine learning to knit, but never how to start. My life has been a series of stitches, some held tight, others unraveled. Little did I know, those stitches would become a way to connect with and …