Don’t Sniff the Glue: A Teacher’s Misadventures in Education Reform
I went into teaching to change the world. Instead, my students changed me.
These are some of my stories. I tell them at a time when education’s gone from being “a noble pursuit” to the epicenter of a national storm. Good teachers are leaving the field at staggering rates. Politicians and pundits are out in full force. Everyone has something to say about education–everyone except the students and teachers in the classroom.
Don’t Sniff the Glue: A Teacher’s Misadventures in Education Reform is the humorous and heartwarming story of one teacher working through idealism and red tape to teach the teens who will soon run the world.
A Broke Teacher’s Guide to Success
I was a broke teacher–a really, really broke one, spending my paycheck on my job. I wanted to write a warning for all the other broke teachers doing the same thing. But, as I wrote, I realized something–if you gave a teacher a million dollars, most would still be broke because “broke teacher” isn’t about money. It’s about behaviors and thinking so deeply stuck inside teachers you need minor surgery to fix it. This book starts with “don’t spend your paycheck on your job.” Next: it identifies and calls out the broke teacher thinking, and the wya the system keeps teachers broke. Last: it tells my story of how I learned to see these things for what they were–untrue. I took a lot of beatings to get to the end of this story. I hope it helps you out. And, if you really are a broke teacher, find me–I’ll lend you my copy so you can start practicing Lesson Number One: “Don’t spend your paycheck on your job.”
Tiny T-Rex Tries to Annoy Mom
Tiny T-Rex does everything he can to annoy his mom…to no avail. This is a quick collaboration with world-famous (my favorite) cartoonist Sarah (Steenland) Woods. It was going to be a kid series, but life got away from us. This isn’t a Newberry medal attempt–it’s just two friends figuring out Kindle Childrens’ Book creator. But: I’ll post it here. You may want to see, or you might even write a book or two yourself.
Journey into the Secret Garden: Paronella Park
Australia’s Paronella Park is an Australian national gem. It was an honor to work on this with one of my favorite cartoonists, Sarah Woods. It’s meant to be used in the Park, but you can enjoy it as is to learn about Paronella Park. It’ll make you want to visit!