“Think of a time you were joyfully learning something new. How would you describe the scene? Who was there and how did you feel? What were you thinking or doing? Was it joyful? And how did you know you were learning?”

I am thrilled to announce that my upcoming book, Forever Getting Better: 5 Essential Practices for Reclaiming Teacher Expertise, has moved into the next production stage. Selecting cover art and a visual style that captures the book's core metaphor was a wonderful experience. I'll share an official release date soon.

Meanwhile, to keep growing and getting better together in the new year, I invite you to join PreK-12 educators from across the country and around the globe. Together, we will embark on a monthly journey from January through June to refine and broaden our instructional practice. Participants will meet for one hour each month in small groups organized by inquiry topics and professional interests. In these sessions, we will address our shared challenges and gain insights from the true experts in the field — you!

To express your interest and apply for a group, please complete the form here. If you have any questions or need additional information, contact oliviawahlbusinessmanager@gmail.com.

I hope to connect with as many of you as I can at NCTE in Philadelphia later this month. Gathering in packed sessions with pen and notebook in hand, eager to capture every presenter's brilliant insights, reminds me of our core purpose and the inspiring possibilities ahead in the field of education we cherish.

What I’m Reading Now

Upcoming Schoolutions Episodes

This November, Schoolutions invites you to consider the question: What kinds of learning experiences go beyond the classroom and stay rooted in place, community, and tradition? This month's conversations offer strategies to ground learning in community, connect it to the real world, and grow resilient, curious learners within a living system. 

Follow Schoolutions on socials @schoolutionspodcast. This season, guests share how they use the five essential practices from my upcoming book to ensure all children in their care thrive. Each episode this season drops in two parts: part one on Monday, part two on Friday, with a highlight reel from the guest every Wednesday.
Check out the November lineup below. And if you haven't already, join the Schoolutions Podcast community by clicking this link.

11/02 (Part 1) & 11/06 (Part 2) Season 6, Episode 8

Learn how to cultivate resilience, create routines that honor your community's traditions and cultures, and inspire your students to extend and apply their learning beyond the classroom. This conversation features first- and second-grade co-teachers, Kristin Page and Dr. Melissa Cullen from Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary in Tulalip, Washington.

11/09 (Part 1) & 11/13 (Part 2) Season 6, Episode 9

Build real-world learning that lasts beyond one classroom and keeps students curious. My guest is Dr. Annalies Corbin — an anthropologist, archaeologist, and founder of the PAST Foundation, which has helped schools in 42 states connect classroom learning to real-world problem-solving. Dr. Corbin is also the author of Hacking School: Five Strategies to Link Learning to Life and host of the top-ranked Learning Unboxed podcast.

11/16 (Part 1) & 11/20 (Part 2) Season 6, Episode 10

Discover how to create learning rooted in place and purpose, drawing on lessons and patterns from nature to cultivate thriving learning ecosystems––where abundance, relationships, adaptation, and renewal can flourish. Gwyneth Hagan, a poet, educator, and designer teaches us how to build our own Wild Design for Learning.

11/23 (Part 1) & 11/27 (Part 2) Season 6, Episode 11

Learn from Dr. Chelsea Craig, principal of Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary in Tulalip, Washington, how to turn the moment someone tells you “no” into a lifelong mission. Dr. Craig shares her story about how, as a Tulalip educator, she is rewriting what school means for her community by reclaiming it one song, one story, and one morning at a time. 

Listen on Apple
Subscribe on Spotify
Watch on YouTube