My story

I didn't walk into teaching through the front door.

I started at eighteen as a teacher's aide. Then someone noticed I was patient with kids who needed more than patience, and I got pulled into special education as a behavior interventionist. Then the district came calling, and I spent years working across entire schools, building behavior plans, supporting IEPs, helping the kids nobody quite knew what to do with. Eventually I went back, got my credential, did the intern years, and landed where I am now: a fifth grade classroom, teaching ELA, math, science, social studies, and everything in between.

That's the résumé version. Here's the real one: I've spent my entire adult life trying to figure out how to actually reach kids. Not just cover content. Reach them.

That question is still what gets me out of bed.

Outside the classroom, I'm a husband, a photographer, a cat dad, a pizza connoisseur, and someone who takes his Saturday mornings very seriously. Eggs, good coffee, maybe a walk or a workout, and if the timing is right, an afternoon out at the Safari Park. My wife and I are big believers in the slow weekend. Brooklyn Nine-Nine on in the background. Cats underfoot. Nothing urgent.

I'm also an anime enthusiast who speaks Japanese, which surprises people more than it probably should.

That last part matters more than it sounds. Anime didn't just show up as a hobby in my life. It shaped how I think, how I process hard things, and honestly, how I teach. It introduced me to Japanese, which introduced me to an entire culture, which introduced me to a version of myself I wouldn't have found otherwise. Some of that story is in my posts. I'll keep writing it.

This blog exists because I wanted a place to think out loud with other people who get it. Educators who put students first but also have a whole life happening outside the classroom. People who watch anime, take photos, care about philosophy, and don't think any of that makes them less serious about their work.

If that's you, you're in the right place.

I also make classroom resources over at my Teachers Pay Teachers store if that's useful to you.

Either way, welcome.