Last night I was watching TV and one of the Building Better Schools campaign commercials came on unexpectedly. I’d seen and shared the initiative before while presenting in ETFO locals across Ontario, but this time it caught my attention differently because one of the people featured was someone I know and admire personally through this work. So afterward, I went back to revisit the site and spent some time listening to more of the stories and reflecting on the campaign again from that perspective. One thing I appreciate about Building Better Schools is that it helps make visible something many people working in education already know deeply: Support is not infinite, and when systems are stretched, people are often doing their best while still having to make difficult decisions about time, attention, staffing, and learner needs. I also think class size conversations can sometimes sound abstract until you connect them back to actual human relationships and day-to-day realities in classrooms. The number of learners in a space changes the amount of flexibility, responsiveness, communication, and support that’s realistically possible. Anyway, I thought I’d share the link here in case anyone wanted to explore the stories too. Curious what others think if you take a look. https://vimeo.com/1191568619?fl=pl&fe=sh

I scheduled a drop-in Thursday at noon - welcoming conversation: Ask me (almost) anything! I’m looking forward to connecting with more members as our little community grows.

There was a holiday here this week, so there were no live coffee chats or workshop-style drop-ins on the calendar. I’ve also been deep in the finishing touches of the website as it gets closer to going live. Instead, I thought I’d share a few glimpses of what’s been coming together behind the scenes — and I’m excited to share them with my Thriving Together community first 💛 From left to right: 1. A sample section from the shop/product pages 2. “An entry point for every learner” featuring the nine core conversations 3. A simplified summary section layered into pages where the reading level may be above grade 9, as part of the accessibility approach 4. The Thriving Learner framework featured on the “Our Approach” page 5. The resources page with support articles related to using tools and materials 6. The Thriving Together section of the website, including the community invitation block It’s starting to feel very real now. Thanks for being here, and I’m looking forward to connecting more next week.

I had a lovely conversation with a new community member this week and it got me thinking… About how people process information and dialogue. Some people process best live. Others need time afterward to revisit ideas, pause, reflect, reread, or return to conversations later once their thoughts settle. Sometimes meaningful ideas emerge in discussion and then disappear just as quickly. Because of that, I’ve been exploring what it could look like to create more structure around our coffee chats and community conversations — not from a “content creation” mindset, but from an accessibility, reflection, and shared learning perspective. I’ve been wondering about things like: • short written catch-ups or reflection summaries • access-note-style recaps • internal transcripts or archived conversations for community members • ways to help people revisit ideas if they missed a discussion or process information differently At the same time, I care deeply about consent, trust, and psychological safety in this space. For me, there’s an important distinction between:🌱 internal community reflection and learning and 📣 public-facing sharing or promotional content. If conversations are ever recorded or documented, my intention is for that material to primarily support reflection, accessibility, continuity, and internal distribution within the community. I may occasionally reflect publicly on broader themes or ideas that emerge from conversations, but I would not publicly share identifiable clips, direct quotes, or personal stories without explicit permission from the person involved. I’m still thinking this through carefully, and I wanted to share some of that thought process openly because I believe structure and inclusivity should grow together — not compete with one another.

Last night while watching a hockey game, I thought about a fan-made sign that instantly communicated an idea without needing much explanation at all. It got me reflecting about how often visuals are quietly doing heavy lifting in everyday life — helping us navigate spaces, recognize meaning, make decisions, follow directions, connect ideas, or respond quickly. I’m starting to play around with a little “Visuals IRL” concept where I share quick examples of visual communication showing up naturally in the world around us 👀 Now I’m curious: Is it just me that thinks visuals all day long? What visuals do you notice throughout your day that seem to “work instantly”? Could be: 🏒 sports signs 🚻 public symbols 📍 maps/navigation 🛒 stores 📦 packaging 🚦 traffic signs 📱 app icons 🙂 emojis …or anything else that helps communicate meaning quickly without needing a lot of words.