Tongue of Fire

When SNAP Disappears, millions of working families will feel it first at the dinner table. I’m one of them. I’m a mom, a teacher, and a pantry scavenger who’s learned to make soup out of onions and hope. No time to cry, I'm starting my survival guide right now. Here’s how I’m feeding my family, holding onto dignity, and proving that hope still has flavor.

Hard work matters, but it’s not the whole story. Some fields flood, some forests burn—and still we judge the ones left in shadow. #We Can Thrive challenges the myth of moral merit and asks: what if thriving was something we protected for everyone?

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.

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.