When students are given scaffolding—time, tools, and support to climb the ladder of learning—they don’t just survive Shakespeare or Poe, they enjoy them. From Wimpy Kid to Julius Caesar to The Tell-Tale Heart, I’ve seen students connect when teachers have the freedom to adapt. Scaffolding isn’t extra; it’s the bridge that makes real learning possible.

After just a few days offline, the headlines hit like an arctic wind: another school shooting, a young Black student found hanging, free speech under fire. We are not okay—and pretending otherwise only deepens the fracture.

Wordrise graphic defining “empathact” as taking action motivated by compassion and empathy. Illustration shows one child helping another stand up. Example sentence reads: “Our community empathacted to start a food drive when my neighbor lost her job.” Boxes explain why it matters and word history.

“World Mostly Okay” doesn’t make headlines, but it’s the truth. Scarcity is a script designed to keep us scrambling. Let’s flip it. Let’s live like there’s enough, act like there’s enough, and preach the Word of Enough until fearmongers lose their grip.

Most of us are workers—the backbone of this nation. Yet billionaires profit from our labor while pitting us against each other. This September 16–20, 2025, workers across the U.S. will join Blackout the System—a 5-day labor and economic protest. Whether you can go all in or take small steps, you can be part of reminding those in power: without us, nothing runs.

Being real: school can feel like a burrito explosion—messy, confusing, sometimes even hostile. But education is still your sharpest defense against people who want you docile. Frederick Douglass said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” That’s the survival skill. AI won’t replace your brain, but if you use it wisely, it can help you learn faster, think sharper, and protect your freedom of thought.

Commentators are seizing on the Minnesota shooter’s transgender identity to fuel culture-war attacks. The evidence tells a different story: supportive school climates, restorative practices, and safe gun storage prevent violence. Scapegoating trans kids does not.

AI won’t know your kids—but it can help you prep smarter, adapt lessons, and even brainstorm feedback when your brain is fried. The trick is steering with better questions. This post explores how teachers can use AI as a copilot—saving time, sparking ideas, and modeling responsible use for students. Don’t panic. AI isn’t replacing you—it’s waiting for your instructions.

AI isn’t magic—it’s a tool, like a car, and it only goes where you steer it. The real secret isn’t in faster answers, it’s in asking better questions. From dinner ideas to lesson plans, the sharper your question, the sharper the result. We may be in the democratized age of AI, but access isn’t the same as power. Don’t panic—practice curiosity, clarity, and courage in your questions, and remember: you’re the human.

High-masking neurodivergence can make someone seem ‘too good to be believed’—meeting expectations on the surface while burning out underneath. The cost is real: exhaustion, recovery days, and long-term harm. Belief, early support, and fair systems can lift the mask so people can thrive on their own terms.

In Defining My Ws, I name the people I’m creating for—neurodivergent thinkers, soul-tired rebuilders, and anyone brave enough to question the script. Byrne Alive is built on fire, truth, and the belief that full authenticity might just be the key to freedom.

Policies that target homelessness, addiction, and mental illness are being used to criminalize poverty and expand authoritarian control. This post unpacks how civil commitment orders, media manipulation, and coded language are leading us down a dangerous path—with echoes of the past we can't afford to ignore.

Relax, Guys – South Park Reveals Narrative Diffusion in its wild Season 27 premiere, using satire, shock, and Satan to expose how mass gaslighting works. From Trump in bed with the devil to the tactics of audience asphyxiation, this episode doesn't hold back, inspiring me to do the same.

Before I had the words for grief, neurodivergence, or belonging, PBS gave me a window into what community, curiosity, and kindness could look like. Now that Congress defunded public broadcasting, I want to say thank you to the shows that raised me.

I left Etsy because I won’t chase visibility in someone else’s machine or profit from a platform that turns human suffering into merch. My kids, even when they were little, watched my choices. They're still watching. And silence is complicity.

Over 100 lives were lost in the Texas flood—many of them children. As the waters recede, we're left with urgent questions: What caused this? Who’s responsible? And how do we separate truth from noise? This post explores the tragedy, the media's response, and why learning to verify information isn’t just smart—it’s compassionate.

I pressed play on The Residence expecting a clever White House whodunnit. What I got was a slow-burn mystery that reveals a mirror held up to power, perception, and the people caught in between. Uzo Aduba leads a phenomenal ensemble in this sharp, stylish limited series from Netflix. No spoilers here, just a high recommendation and a closer look at the twists that turn murder into satire.

It’s not just a game—it’s the illusion of one. Behind the flash and sleight-of-hand, real lives are wagered while the rules stay rigged. This post unpacks the voice of middle-class morality used to distract, divide, and blame the vulnerable, all while power consolidates behind the curtain. Step right up and watch the show—just don’t forget who built the table, who stacked the deck, and who profits when you play along.

Today was one of those “small” days that actually took everything. I made appointments, taught classes, advocated for my health, and pushed through the weight of ADHD, trauma, and survival mode. I'm not asking for anything. I just need to yawp my yawp. A raw, unapologetic shout from someone choosing to be real. Because we’re not broken—we’re overburdened. And maybe you are too. You’re not alone. Yawp on.