Curriculum Design
Why Backward Design Changed My Unit Plans Forever
Starting with the end in mind isn't just a catchphrase—it's the difference between covering content and creating understanding.
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Faith · Science Education · Curriculum · Leadership
Evidence-based insights for educators who want to do more than survive—from a biologist, curriculum designer, and lifelong learner in the trenches of high school science.
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About the Author
I've spent my career in the high school science classroom—teaching biology, designing curricula, and studying what actually works for real students in real schools. My four degrees aren't trophies on a shelf; they're lenses I use every single day to ask better questions about teaching and learning.
My faith is the foundation beneath everything I do. I believe every student is made in the image of God, and that conviction shapes how I design lessons, how I lead, and how I treat the people in my classroom. Teaching isn't just a profession to me—it's a calling.
This blog exists because I kept noticing the same gap: classroom teachers hungry for research-based strategies, and educational research written for no one who actually teaches. I translate between those worlds—guided by both scholarship and scripture.
Whether you're a first-year teacher trying to survive, a curriculum coordinator looking to sharpen your program, or a school leader rethinking professional development—you're in the right place.
Latest Posts
Practical strategies, honest reflections, and research made readable.
Curriculum Design
Starting with the end in mind isn't just a catchphrase—it's the difference between covering content and creating understanding.
Assessment
Five low-stakes strategies I actually use—exit tickets evolved, and why some of them surprised even me.
Biology Teaching
An honest account of every approach I've tried, and the analogy that finally made a room full of 10th graders actually ask questions.
Educational Leadership
Spoiler: it's not another Saturday workshop. Research on what moves the needle—and why most PD doesn't.
Inquiry Learning
Productive struggle isn't chaos management—it's the science of learning applied to the science classroom.
Standards & Policy
A practical breakdown of the Next Generation Science Standards for teachers who need to actually build lessons from them.
Faith & Teaching
Teaching as a vocation, not just a job. How Christian values like grace, dignity, and servant leadership show up in lesson plans and parent conferences alike.
Browse by Topic
Every post is tagged so you can go straight to what matters for your classroom or role.
Resources & Offerings
Beyond the blog—tools, courses, and consulting for educators ready to level up.
Done-for-you unit plans, rubrics, lab guides, and curriculum maps aligned to NGSS. Download and teach tomorrow.
Deep-dive workshops on curriculum design, assessment literacy, and science pedagogy—on your own schedule.
One-on-one coaching for teachers and curriculum coordinators, plus school-based professional development.
The Foundation
These aren't just principles I write about — they're the convictions I carry into every classroom, every curriculum, and every conversation.
I design curriculum that honors the whole person — not just the student who performs well. Every child in a classroom is created with purpose and worth.
I didn't end up in education by accident. I believe God places teachers where they're needed, and that means showing up fully — for the hard classes and the hard students.
Facts fill a lesson plan. Wisdom shapes a life. I aim to help teachers go beyond content delivery toward the kind of instruction that changes how students think.
Whether I'm in the classroom or coaching a school leader, my model is the same: lead by serving. The best educators I've known put their students and colleagues first.
Teaching is exhausting. Curriculum work is grinding. I write honestly about struggle, because grace — for our students and for ourselves — is how we keep going.
I won't tell you what sounds good if I don't believe it works. I share what the research actually says, and I'm honest about the places where I got it wrong first.