Why I’m Writing "What Teaching Can Be"

Teaching is usually discussed in terms of skills, methods, or professional expectations. Rarely do we stop to reflect on teaching as a living, evolving practice—one that shapes both learners and teachers, that interacts with the world, and that carries human consequences far beyond the classroom.

Over the years, I’ve watched countless teachers work tirelessly, often under difficult circumstances, and seen the profound impact they can have when they are free to teach with attention, curiosity, and courage. I’ve also seen the frustration when systems reduce teaching to a checklist, a set of routines, or a performance metric. It’s this tension—between possibility and constraint—that drives my writing.

My upcoming book, What Teaching Can Be, is an exploration of this space. It is not a manual of techniques or a guidebook of classroom tricks. Instead, it is an invitation to reflect on the deeper purpose and potential of teaching:

• How can teaching honor both the learner’s potential and the teacher’s humanity?

• What mindsets, practices, and conditions allow learning to flourish, especially in an uncertain and rapidly changing world?

• How can educators create spaces where curiosity, critical thinking, and human connection thrive, without being crushed by administrative or systemic pressures?

The book draws on years of classroom experience, observation, and reflection, but also on the stories of teachers and learners themselves. It examines the questions, choices, and challenges that shape the lived experience of teaching—because learning is always human, and teaching is always relational.

I’m writing this book for teachers, school leaders, and anyone who cares about the human side of learning. My hope is that it inspires reflection, sparks experimentation, and encourages educators to reclaim a sense of possibility in their work. Above all, it’s a reminder that teaching is not just about delivering content—it’s about creating conditions where minds and hearts can grow.

I invite you to join me on this journey, to think critically about the spaces where learning happens, and to imagine what teaching can truly be.