Behind the Scenes
Between the Bells & Beyond the Books
There is so much more to teaching than what happens at the front of a classroom.
Behind every lesson are scribbled notes, carefully chosen texts, cups of coffee, conversations in hallways, plans that worked beautifully, plans that absolutely did not, and countless small decisions made with students in mind.
Behind the Scenes is where I share those moments: the routines, reflections, lessons learned, and everyday experiences that continue to shape the educator I am becoming.
5:30 AM | Before the Story Begins
The day starts quietly.
Coffee. A glance at the calendar. One more look at today’s lessons. A mental checklist of the students I need to check in with and the things I absolutely cannot forget.
I have learned that preparation creates the foundation for a good day, but teaching rarely follows a script. The lesson plan may be written in ink, but flexibility is always pencilled into the margins.
7:45 AM | Setting the Stage
Before the hallways fill, the classroom begins to take shape.
Materials are organized. Slides are opened. Emails are answered. Accommodations are reviewed. Yesterday’s work becomes today’s next step.
These quiet minutes are some of the most valuable of the day. They are the space between planning and possibility, before the classroom belongs to everyone again.
8:30 AM | And So It Begins…
Then the students arrive.
Questions. Stories. Laughter. Forgotten assignments. Brilliant observations. Unexpected conversations. And occasionally, “Wait… we had homework?”
This is where the lesson plan becomes something real.
Teaching is part instruction, part observation, part improvisation. Sometimes the best learning happens exactly as planned. Other times, a student’s question takes the class somewhere far more interesting.
Between the Bells | The Pages You Don’t See
Teaching lives in the spaces between lessons too.
It is feedback written in the margins. A conversation with a student who needs encouragement. An email home. A changed deadline. A new explanation because the first one did not quite land. A colleague sharing an idea in the hallway.
These moments rarely appear on a lesson plan, but they are often where some of the most meaningful work happens.
After the Bell | Notes in the Margins
When the classroom becomes quiet again, reflection begins.
What worked? What didn’t? Who surprised me? Who needs another chance? What will I change tomorrow?
I don’t believe good teaching means getting everything right the first time. It means paying attention, reflecting, adapting, and returning the next day willing to try again.
Every class leaves something written in the margins.
Still Becoming
One of my favourite things about education is that there is no final chapter.
I began The Sage’s Library while learning how to become a teacher. Today, it documents something different: the ongoing process of becoming a better one.
My classrooms, students, colleagues, professional learning, successes, and mistakes have all added something to my practice.
And there are still plenty of blank pages left.
Welcome behind the scenes.
Stories That Inspire
Lessons found beyond my own classroom
Stories have always shaped the way I understand the world, and some have shaped the way I teach. Through literature and film, I have encountered educators, mentors, and characters whose lessons about voice, empathy, courage, curiosity, and connection continue to influence my practice.
Voice & Belonging
Erin Gruwell’s story reminds me that meaningful teaching begins with knowing the students in front of us. Her classroom demonstrates the power of literacy, student voice, and creating spaces where students feel seen, heard, and valued.
Curiosity & Courage
John Keating reminds me that education should encourage students to question, explore, and develop their own perspectives. His classroom celebrates curiosity, literature, creativity, and the courage to find one’s own voice.
Empathy & Integrity
Atticus Finch reminds me that teaching extends beyond academics. His example emphasizes empathy, perspective, and the courage to stand by what is right. He reinforces the importance of helping students look beyond their own experiences and approach others with understanding.
Connection & Compassion
Henry Barthes reminds me that every student enters the classroom carrying a story we may never fully know. Detachment captures the emotional complexity of teaching and reinforces the importance of compassion, human connection, and seeing the person behind the behaviour.
Not every educator who shaped my practice exists within the pages of a novel or on a screen. Some were the teachers, professors, mentors, and colleagues who challenged me, encouraged me, shared their classrooms with me, and helped me discover the kind of educator I wanted to become.
From them, I learned that great teaching does not come from a single method or perfect lesson. It comes from relationships, reflection, adaptability, and a willingness to keep learning. I carry pieces of their wisdom into every classroom I enter, while continuing to develop a teaching practice that is distinctly my own.
Every teacher leaves something written in the margins.
The Sage's Library 