Why Everything Feels Off: Understanding Hypernormalisation in a World That Pretends It's Fine

We’ve all felt it—that quiet discomfort that hums beneath the surface of daily life. The sense that something is fundamentally wrong, even though all the official channels insist everything is fine. The news reports progress. Politicians project confidence. Institutions carry on with business as usual. And yet, something doesn’t sit right. The vibes are off.

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Teacher Burnout Is Real: 5 Honest Ways I’m Recovering This Summer After My Hardest Year Yet

After 25 years of teaching, this past school year left me completely burned out—emotionally, mentally, and physically. In this honest blog post, I open up about the toll it took and the five ways I’m intentionally recharging this summer. From setting work boundaries to creating a Nancy Meyers-inspired life, these are small but powerful steps I’m taking to feel like myself again—and hopefully help other teachers do the same.

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The Ultimate Printable Camping Checklist to Make Life Easier

Preparing for a camping trip is no easy feat. It takes a lot of prep work to make sure that once at the lake, stress is at a minimum. There is nothing less relaxing and less fun than having to get into the car and drive off in search of whatever it may be that is needed when you are hours away from home. I am a huge fan of checklists and pretty much use them for everything. Over the years I have created my go-to camping checklist to make sure that all my gear and camping needs are packed and ready to go. When your life is organized, things go so much more smoothly and your time can be spent enjoying your friends and family. There may be no wi-fi in the mountains, but you’ll find no better connection.

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Why Listening to Audiobooks is Beneficial for Your Students… and You

Many people, teachers included, have an aversion to audiobooks. For some, there is a deep seated belief that listening to audiobooks is “cheating.” While there are many benefits to reading text, there are also plenty of benefits for allowing your students to listen to audio versions of the text they are reading. For our most reluctant readers, opening up the door to audiobooks can be a game changer for their reading lives.

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Conversation-Based Grading: Empowering Students Through Descriptive Assessment

As teachers, our goal is not just to impart knowledge but to empower our students to become active participants in their own learning journey. One way to achieve this is by adopting conversation-based grading, an assessment method that focuses on descriptive feedback and clear directions for improvement rather than assigning numerical scores. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of conversation-based grading and share practical insights on how to incorporate it into your teaching practice.

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