Last month, I presented with Antonia "Toni" Cameron at the NCTE/NCTM 2025 Joint Conference for Elementary Literacy and Mathematics in Chicago, connecting literacy and mathematics while developing student talk where each voice matters.

Despite our strong content, we struggled to step away from our individual company brands as we created our presentation. How could we let go of the need to stand out and let our partnership shine? With the support of graphic designer Alexis Graf, we calibrated to center our theme around how organizations mirror fractals in nature.

This collaboration, where we challenged each other's thinking and both emerged stronger, raises key questions: How do we model for children to lean into partnerships that make us stronger? How do we ensure partnerships hold space for each voice to thrive in our classrooms, organizations, and homes?

My friend and colleague Dr. Fabiola Bagula recently shared a thought I keep returning to: “When we’re leaning through difficulty, we tend to want to shrink ourselves. We tend to get fearful and so we end up actually becoming a very small version of ourselves instead of leaning into the courageous part.”

And her final thought continues to challenge me:  “What does it mean for an organization to be a learning organization? What happens when we make a mistake? What really does happen?  What are the consequences?”

Lastly, I'm heartbroken to share that we lost someone truly special from the education world in June. Kylene Beers mentored me through her books for years, always having the courage to stand on the side of children. Sitting in any session she was facilitating was always a gift - both for her brilliance and wit.  She will be terribly missed by those of us who looked to her as a beacon of hope and resilience. In honor of Kylene, let’s continue to lean into difficulty with courage, knowing we all have so much to contribute.