I am a middle school teacher in an urban enclave of Phoenix, Arizona. It's a beautiful barrio, but you wouldn't guess that if all you examined were test scores and data charts. I have an amazing, beautiful wife and three awesome children.

I love to drink coffee, listen to indie music, run for hours, read and write. I have very few talents. I'm pretty good at talking, decent at listening and okay at art. I'm lucky to have found a career that fits my identity and personality and this absolutely limited skill set.

I believe that true impact occurs in a paradox. The more I try to "make an impact," the less I impact a student. The more I try to teach to the test, the worse students do on the test. The more I focus on changing behaviors, the worse students behave. The more I try to be relevant, the more irrelevant and hopelessly "uncool" I become. Yet, when I teach to the student, I find that they often pass the test, think well, treat one another with respect and find my class to be relevant.

My desire is to explore this and other paradoxes together.  My goal is to be practical, philosophical and personal. I want to engage in an authentic dialogue. I admit that I'm not an expert, just a guy trying to figure out life and my place within it.