HS English teacher clinging to what the legendary Gwendolyn Brooks wrote: "we are each other's / harvest:" (yes, that line break feels heavier than ever these days) Also: I share writings, resources + thoughts on education at thebrokencopier.substack.com!https://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx4ybto3ns2u"But those savings were eaten up by higher costs elsewhere." More research that consolidating districts and closing schools does not save money, shared today by @jillbarshay.bsky.social. (Great timing as we find out which elementary schools are slotted for closure this week in our own district.)05 Oct 2026 13:07 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx4ybto3ns2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx4xoeqnk22w"They are scary. We were afraid." Still remember this post like yesterday from @mrneibauer.bsky.social when it first came out, and fortunately/unfortunately it still is very relevant in today's moment: https://adrianneibauer.substack.com/p/the-scary-teacher05 Oct 2026 12:56 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx4xoeqnk22whttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx4xcxhzfs26"As teachers, we all want to be better for our students—but the path to better is often foggy or overwhelming” Without question, going directly to students to get feedback is 100% a win in the classroom—not always easy to read through all the results and engage in conversations, but worth it.05 Oct 2026 12:49 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx4xcxhzfs26https://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx44yyl56k2t"reflection, philosophy, the big picture are luxury items when time and resources are at a premium" This tracks with so much of what I've observed over the last few years: understandably, a short-term, "I can use this tomorrow" resource resonates FAR more than anything long-standing, reflective... [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Oct 2026 04:59 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx44yyl56k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx3vzzxanc23I feel like we need to create like a rapid-response series of rebuttals for each episode that comes out. Like: hey, here's what you actually need to know about this from people, you know, who actually know [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Oct 2026 02:54 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx3vzzxanc23https://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx3tdkfbak2e"At the end of sophomore year, I thought of myself as a ________ writer." Worth trying: ask your students how they see themselves as a writer early in the school year—and then again near the end. Have conversations around it. 100% worth your time, I assure you.05 Oct 2026 02:06 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx3tdkfbak2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx2jqslrms2pThis upcoming week, we'll try out this new end-of-unit system in our classroom: having students take picture of important moments of learning in their notebook and adding reflections to an ongoing document. Much better than typical "spiral checks," I hope!04 Oct 2026 13:41 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2jqslrms2phttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mx2i6n5ru22iOr, at minimum, requiring transparency when it is used. [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Oct 2026 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2i6n5ru22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwzbbxs5cc2xThankfully, my parents weren't ever ones to do this. 🙏 But one time I rode home with a friend after a travel tournament basketball game and the entire hour was spent picking apart every single thing they did, and it was both eye-opening and absolutely awkward to sit through.04 Oct 2026 01:37 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwzbbxs5cc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwyyrdjkvs2o4 weeks into the school year and I’ve thought about AI…hardly at all. I love the foundation of our classroom so far and it is really difficult for me to think how it would be “better” to bring any notion or AI into it.03 Oct 2026 23:05 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwyyrdjkvs2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwyhn5rg322hAbsolutely love this piece—and the work of laying out a progressive vision for education? That is really really complicated. The problem, I think? What's best politically is probably not going to rhyme very well with what's best for students. [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Oct 2026 17:58 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwyhn5rg322hhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwxvojehj22e"Instead of occasionally swapping book recommendations, students are carrying their recommendations with them." Okay, so this is a really, really cool thing—and now I'm starting the weekend imagining what this could look like...03 Oct 2026 12:37 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwxvojehj22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwwribfz6k2jPro tip: don't leave your coffee thermos at home on the counter on the first Friday of October. (We made it, but oh boy.)03 Oct 2026 01:49 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwwribfz6k2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwvkupxzak2qThe playbook: ⓵ attack traditional public schools with ferocity while removing funding/resources ⓶ expand private schools with absolutely zero oversight and accountability Definitely NOT about what's best for students/learning... [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Oct 2026 14:18 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwvkupxzak2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwvhro3sb22qOctober is hard enough without an unhelpful narrative shift yet again. I'm already frustrated and it hasn't even launched... (Also: at some point can more people see the irony of being sold a story by something called "sold a story"?)02 Oct 2026 13:23 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwvhro3sb22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwvhj3dsj22q"It’s a vulnerable space between giving up and pushing forward" As we move into October and the expectations rise while students might be losing that initial momentum, this was a helpful thing to read this morning for me as I think forward: I think we forget the vulnerability in all of this.02 Oct 2026 13:18 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwvhj3dsj22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwvde34cps2u“She makes people feel better.” "They are never afraid to voice their perspective.” "I like that he’s curious because it makes me curious too.” Cool things happen when you ask students which students are making our classroom better. (Seriously: ask them!)02 Oct 2026 12:04 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwvde34cps2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwu4ljincc2gLet's just say: this octopus isn't blank anymore 😎 Reading the first round of peer nominations aloud to the class, watching students cheer for each other to sign? Definitely a very cool thing to watch happen.02 Oct 2026 00:30 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwu4ljincc2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwstp4tv7c26"has Teach For America made education better over the past quarter century?" 10 years ago (on a now-defunct blog) I wrote a long reflection before TFA's 25th anniversary summit in Washington DC—trying to capture how I felt. Despite a lot of personal gratitude for my own experience, I ended here:01 Oct 2026 12:18 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwstp4tv7c26https://bsky.app/profile/marcusluther.bsky.social/post/3mwrovmjtm22yHad students draw their own crow/pitcher to reflect on where the water level was as they prepare for an essay—and this little guy got left behind. It’s pebble gathering week in our classroom! 🐦‍⬛🪨01 Oct 2026 01:20 +0000at://did:plc:hmok2ty2usdxxclvja73m4ok/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwrovmjtm22y