Cultivating Knowledge in Tomorrow’s Leaders

I have always believed that teaching is both an art and a craft. Unlike other crafts, ours is not meant to be kept; it is meant to be given away, multiplied, and carried into the future through our scholars. Like any craft, it requires sustainability. If teachers are exhausted, unsupported, or left without tools, our work cannot thrive. The truth is, our current system is not built for success. It leans heavily on compliance, paperwork, and rigid structures that rarely honor the flexibility, creativity, and humanity that teaching requires. I refuse to only complain about it. I want to be part of the solution. Sustainability in education does not mean lowering expectations; it means equipping teachers with tools, strategies, and communities that make success possible. It means building systems that cultivate curiosity instead of stifling it, and nurturing teachers so they can nurture their students. Dr. Kevin Leman reminds us through his mission that we are working with tomorrow’s leaders today. The answer begins with intentionality. We must design classrooms and schools that honor the dignity of both teacher and scholar. We must give teachers access to resources that save them time without compromising depth, and we must place relationships, real human and meaningful relationships, at the center of learning. Change will not happen overnight, but it will never happen at all if we only critique without creating. My passion is to help build those solutions: sustainable practices, innovative tools, and classical approaches that remind us that education is not about producing test scores, but cultivating souls and minds prepared to lead tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Ms. Banuelos

Why Study Math? It’s a Workout for the Brain!

I’ve always wondered why we’re required to study math in school (and I'm a math teacher). Not just the basics, but algebra, geometry, functions, and more. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about why so many students struggle with it. Why doesn’t it always feel useful or relevant to their lives? Here’s the thing: math is more than numbers. It’s a full-on mental workout. Just like lifting weights builds your muscles, solving math problems builds your brain. When we study math, we’re not just memorizing formulas. We’re developing logic, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. We’re learning how to break down complex ideas into manageable steps. We’re practicing how to reason, how to stay focused through frustration, and how to find patterns. These are all skills that show up later in life, even if you’re not solving equations on a whiteboard. From decision-making and budgeting to technology and design, math shapes the way we see and interact with the world. The connections that form in the brain during math learning are deep and lasting, and they support thinking across every subject and situation. Even if a student never becomes a mathematician, the mental habits they build through math will stay with them. So the question isn’t whether math is useful. The question is how we can help students see its value and feel more confident building those brain muscles.

I will be working this year to help my students understand this or at least be open to this idea. It's my goal!

Sincerely,

Ms. Banuelos

The Kind of PD Teachers Deserve

If we believe that all students deserve differentiated learning experiences (which they do), then we as teachers deserve the same. Great professional development is more than just a checkbox. It’s more than mandatory meetings or one-size-fits-all sessions. At its best, PD honors who we are: learners, thinkers, doers, and mentors. It sees us not just as employees, but as human beings who deeply care about our craft. Educational leadership plays a powerful role in this. When our leaders take the time to truly support us by offering learning that inspires, challenges, and respects our time, it sends a beautiful message. It tells us that we matter, and that our growth matters too. Schools aren’t just places where students learn. They are places where adults grow and learn as well. This isn’t about an attitude of entitlement. It’s about loving what we do so much that we want to keep learning how to do it even better. Professional development should be rooted in that love. It should be full of curiosity, conversation, relevance, and joy. It should give us the tools and the space to explore, to ask questions, to collaborate, and to grow in meaningful ways. We give our best to our students every single day. We deserve to receive the best in return. Let’s keep learning together, one step at a time!

Sincerely,
Ms. Banuelos

Bridging Centuries: Classical Education in the Age of AI

What happens when ancient wisdom meets modern technology? That’s the question I’ve been exploring through a new project I’m developing: Classical Education in the Age of AI. At its core, classical education is about cultivating virtue, seeking truth, and developing a well-ordered mind through timeless practices like Socratic dialogue, narration, and deep reading. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence represents a powerful tool that is rapidly transforming how we teach, learn, and think.

The project I’m working on isn’t about choosing between tradition and innovation. It's about weaving them together. It’s about preserving the soul of classical education while equipping scholars and educators to engage wisely with the digital world. Over the next two years, I’ll be building out a resource that helps educators navigate this intersection thoughtfully and practically. This work will include lesson examples, philosophical reflections, professional development tools, and ways to use AI to support, not replace, the human-centered, truth-seeking nature of a classical classroom.

Follow along as I share ideas, questions, and tools from the frontlines of this evolving conversation.

Sincerely,

Ms. Banuelos 🐝

 

✨ One Page Cheat Sheet: AI Lesson Planning Prompts

💡 Quick Prompts to Try in ChatGPT

1. Instructional Setup

"I have 20 instructional days in August. Break the month into weeks."

2. Lesson Flow

"I am teaching Into Math Grade 8, Module 1: Transformations. Lessons: Investigate Transformations, Explore Translations..."

3. Daily Elements

"Please include objectives, bellwork, a daily planner message, classical connections, and homework."

4. Format Preference

"Organize the month week-by-week and label each day."

5. Virtue Integration

"Include a daily or weekly virtue connection based on Excellence and Respect."

6. Differentiation or Review Days

"Add review or assessment days every two weeks. Include oral narration prompts."

 

🐝 How I Use ChatGPT to Build Monthly Lesson Plan Frameworks in Minutes

Even If You're New to AI — Step-by-Step Guide with Examples

By Ms. Banuelos | 7th & 8th Grade Math | Classical Educator & EdTech Enthusiast

"It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a poet in soul." — Sofia Kovalevskaya

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💪 Save Time, Stay in Control

I wrote the entire framework for my August math lesson plans in minutes. With ChatGPT as my planning partner, I had a full month of 7th and 8th grade math lessons structured, aligned, and ready to refine — without starting from scratch.

Let me show you how.

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📖 What You Need

• Free or paid ChatGPT account (GPT-4 works best)

• Your instructional calendar (e.g., 20 days in August)

• Lesson titles or unit overviews from your curriculum

• Your personal teaching elements (bellwork, homework, values, etc.)

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🔹 Step-by-Step Planning Workflow

✉️ STEP 1: Tell ChatGPT the Month + Teaching Days

"I am planning 7th and 8th grade math for the month of August. I have 20 instructional days. The first day is Friday, August 1st, then full weeks starting August 4. Please break the month into weeks."

ChatGPT organizes your weeks and dates.

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🖋️ STEP 2: Share Your Lesson Titles

"I’m covering Into Math Grade 7, Module 1: Proportional Relationships. Lessons include: 1. Explore Relationships, 2. Recognize Proportional Relationships in Tables..."

ChatGPT aligns your lesson flow to the calendar.

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✨ STEP 3: Add Your Teaching Touches

"Please organize by week and include bellwork, planner messages, objectives, homework, and classical connections like virtues."

ChatGPT generates a full framework, like this:

🗓️ Week of August 4–8
📚 Lesson: Recognize Proportional Relationships in Tables
🎯 Objective: Identify proportional relationships using tables.
🔔 Bell Ringer: Complete the table and decide if it's proportional.
📓 Planner: "We are learning to find relationships in tables."
💛 Virtue: Excellence – Striving for accuracy
📚 Homework: Page 12, problems 1–10
🗣️ Oral narration + model sketching

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🎓 Keep Your Voice

AI gives you the bones — you bring the heartbeat.

• Modify pacing

• Personalize objectives

• Infuse real classroom insight

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🚀 Why I Love This System

• ✅ Saves hours each month

• ✅ Gives me a clean head start

• ✅ Adapts to classical instruction

• ✅ Leaves me more time to connect with scholars

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🔍 Try It Yourself!

Use this starter prompt:

"I’m planning 6th grade science for September. I have 18 days. I’m covering ecosystems and food chains. Create weekly plans with objectives, bellwork, homework, and a virtue focus."

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Ms. Banuelos
7th & 8th Grade Math
Classical Instruction + Modern Tools

Link to 8th Grade Lesson Plans Sample (August)

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A New Chapter in a Continuing Journey

 I have been in the world of education and technology for a long time. I have led professional development sessions, supported teachers in real classrooms, and adapted to changing tools and learning platforms. Recently, I have felt a stronger pull toward a familiar yet increasingly pressing question: What does meaningful education look like as artificial intelligence becomes part of the classroom?

This is not the beginning of my journey. It is the continuation of work I care deeply about, shaped by new questions and emerging opportunities. I am choosing to be more intentional about reflecting, writing, and sharing my learning in a consistent way. I want to stay rooted in this field. I want to continue leading professional development sessions that do more than introduce tools. My goal is to encourage thoughtful reflection, build educator confidence, and provide space to explore and experiment. I want to be a reliable partner for educators; someone who can offer guidance, support, and perspective.

At the heart of this new chapter is a strong sense of curiosity. I want to understand how AI is not just adding new tools, but creating a shift in how teaching and learning are approached. I want to see what happens when scholars engage with these technologies in ways that promote responsibility and critical thinking. I want to keep asking how we preserve what matters most in education : strong relationships, intellectual challenge, joyful discovery, and shared purpose. (Even as the landscape continues to change.)

This blog will be a space where I share what I learn. I will write about the strategies that resonate, the questions that emerge, the conversations that spark deeper thinking, and the moments that stay with me. Some entries may be brief. Others might explore bigger ideas. All of them will be honest reflections from the field. There is much more to come. My hope is that this space will grow into a place of learning, collaboration, and encouragement for others who are also exploring how education and technology are evolving together.

If you are thinking through these questions too, I invite you to follow along. Let me know what you are trying in your own practice, what challenges you are facing, and how we might support one another in this work. We are not beginning from nothing. We are building on a foundation of care, creativity, and commitment. That foundation continues to guide everything we do, even as the tools around us begin to change.

Sincerely,

Ms. Banuelos