Why I Built VibeEDU

For years, I taught in a classroom that felt more like a pressure cooker than a place of learning. I was constantly feeling like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, or for the wheels to fall off. I felt like I was playing whack-a-mole with behaviors, on edge anticipating the next round of tantrums, elopements, biting, hiding, or refusing to do work.

And each school year, the needs grew. My students came to me carrying trauma, undiagnosed autism, sensory sensitivities, ADHD, anxiety, and challenges that didn’t have neat acronyms or clearly defined support plans. The gaps in support were wide, and the cracks in the system were deeper than most people realized.

I spent many days after school crying in my classroom, or venting to my teammates, literally trying to pick their brains for answers, for solutions, for anything that might change the way I was feeling.

But every single day, I showed up. I did everything I could to help us make it through the day intact. I used every strategy I knew, and when I ran out, I went in search of new ones. I observed what worked. I discarded what didn’t. I refined systems in real time because survival demanded it—and my students deserved it.

But the hardest part?

Watching them leave my classroom.

Because when they went on to the next grade, I saw what happened.

I watched them elope from classrooms. I watched teachers sprinting after them, panicked and out of options. I saw colleagues on heart monitors. Colleagues on medication. Educators quietly sobbing behind closed doors. I saw kids being sent to the hallway or the office not because anyone wanted to punish them, but because nobody knew what else to do.

That helpless feeling? That moment when you’ve tried everything you know and it still isn’t enough?

I never want another teacher to feel that.

That’s why I went beyond survival. I built a system that worked. I field-tested it. I refined it. I lived it. I DID MORE to know more, not the other way around.

And now, no teacher should have to search for solutions in the dark. I’ve created what we all needed years ago—and it’s not another program or curriculum. It’s a movement.

But this isn’t just about me. Or my classroom.

It’s been over a decade since those days. And now, we’re finally seeing individual schools and districts start to take action. We see leadership teams trying to equip educators and support students better.

But school by school isn’t fast enough. District by district isn’t bold enough.

It has to be bigger. It has to be unified.

That’s why I built VibeEDU.

Because for far too long, families have been left out of the conversation. Teachers have been blamed. Administrators have been overwhelmed. And students—especially neurodivergent students—have been misunderstood or completely missed.

At VibeEDU, we’re bringing everyone to the same table: educators, parents, leaders, and even students. One of my former students will be standing up and sharing what it’s really like inside a neurodivergent brain—something that’s so often talked about, but rarely heard from.

This is not fluff. This is not about morning meeting “Would You Rather” games or character-building slide decks.

This is real work. It’s about filling the gaps.

It’s about building systems that prevent the chaos, not just manage it.

It’s about creating environments where teachers don’t burn out, where students are seen and supported, and where families are respected as co-pilots, not spectators.

So yes, it started with a classroom. But it’s grown into a collective.

VibeEDU isn’t just an event. It’s a revolution in how we think about education, support, and the people at the center of it all.

And if you’re tired of waiting for change, maybe it’s time to be part of it.

VibeEDU wasn’t just built to bring people together. It was built so that no one has to feel alone in this work ever again.

Whether you’re ready to be in the room, or you simply want to support the educators who need to be there, there’s a way to be part of this.

Right now, the proceeds from every VibeEDU shirt in our SELebrate Good Times shop go directly toward providing tickets for teachers and parents who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Because this isn’t just a conference.

It’s a movement.

Shop. Share. Show up. Together, we’re defining unity, AND rebuilding education from the inside out.

Grab your shirt at SELebrateGoodTimes in the SHOP or visit Teaching Inside Out to learn more about VibeEDU. We've got the speakers, the space, and all the details waiting for you.