How the legend of Tsukán, the Maya rain god Chaac, and the sacred waters beneath the Yucatán may reveal the deeper story behind Disney’s newest adventure Concept Art for the New Walt Disney World Attraction, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent Indiana Jones has encountered more than his share of snakes. From the Well of Souls in Raiders of the Lost Ark to a running joke that has followed the character for more than four decades, they have become almost as closely a

Thomas presenting his solo session, The Reimagineering Education, at SXSW EDU 2026 Last March, I had the opportunity to speak at SXSW EDU in Austin about an idea I have been exploring for much of my career: what might happen if we approached the design of schools with the same kind of imagination and intentionality that Imagineers bring to the experiences they create? I had twenty minutes. Anyone who knows me probably knows that twenty minutes is not nearly enough time for me

Every Journey Transforms the Traveler: Embracing the Odyssey of Education Matt Damon as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (Courtesy of Universal) The Power of Transformation For years, one of my favorite units to teach in Ancient History was The Odyssey. Each semester, another group of students would meet Odysseus for the first time. They would marvel at the Cyclops, argue over the Sirens, laugh at the arrogance of the suitors, and grow frustrated by the years he wa

Standing with my sons in front of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy Every one of us carries stories that stay with us long after the final page is turned, the credits have rolled, or the experience has ended. We often think of them simply as memories from childhood, but over time they become something more. They shape the way we see the world, influence the work we choose to pursue, and, in ways we rarely recognize at the time, become part of the people we eventually bec

What Imagineers know that educators are beginning to discover... Students building a 250 sq ft house from reclaimed shipping pallets as part of their assignment of addressing the real-world issue of homelessness in their community. If you've spent any time in schools recently, you've likely felt it, that undercurrent of tension between what we know learning can be and what it so often becomes on an ordinary Tuesday. Students who seem more disconnected than disruptive. Teacher

Twenty years after its debut, the lessons hidden beneath the chrome and racing stripes of Cars remain as relevant as ever, offering timeless insights about ambition, friendship, purpose, and what truly matters in life. Sometimes the greatest detours lead to the most important destinations. Twenty years ago, audiences were introduced to a brash young race car named Lightning McQueen who believed success was measured by trophies, endorsements, and the roar of the crowd. What be

There are very few fictional characters who can legitimately claim to have influenced the course of a person's life. Indiana Jones is one of them. When Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered on June 12, 1981, audiences were introduced to an archaeologist, adventurer, and professor whose exploits would inspire generations of moviegoers. Like millions of others, I was captivated by the action, the mystery, and the sense of adventure. What I could not have known at the time was that

What you model about learning matters more than anything you teach. The author at a museum exhibit design conference. Growing up, it turns out, really is optional. I want to talk about something most educators believe in theory but struggle to practice. Play. Not because the concept is complicated, but because somewhere along the way, schools decided it belonged only to recess, kindergarten, and the last few minutes of Friday afternoon after the real learning was done. The mo

Every person involved in designing, building, leading, and supporting schools shapes the experience students have long before they walk through the door. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: schools should be places where experiences are intentionally created, where someone actually thought about what a student would feel, notice, and still think about years after they've graduated. That idea was front and center when I had the chance to keynote the Association for Le

For more than a century, schools have been structured around a central premise: information is valuable because it is scarce. Access to knowledge once required institutions. Books were expensive. Expertise was centralized. Research took time and proximity to universities or libraries. Schools existed to organize and distribute information efficiently, and success was measured by how well students mastered it. That model made sense in the Information Age. It makes less sense n

Designing Schools Where Creativity, Story, and Purpose Shape Learning Rethinking Leadership for a Changing Era Leadership has always been shaped by the context in which it exists. During the Industrial Age, effective leadership emphasized efficiency, predictability, and control. The Information Age shifted attention toward data, analysis, and access to knowledge. Each era asked leaders to develop a particular set of skills in response to the demands of the time. Education now

Exploring the connection between rigor and engagement Same content, different experience. Which lesson would you rather be a part of? As student-centered learning has evolved, classrooms have begun to look and feel different. Educators are paying closer attention to how space, story, and experience shape learning, borrowing ideas from museums, experiential design, and even theme park environments to create settings that feel more immersive and human. Along with that shift has

Reflections on a year of growth, gratitude, and the work ahead Meaningful work begins with meaningful conversations, like this one at the Beer and Napkins event. As the new year begins, I find myself reflecting on the one just behind us with gratitude for the ground it helped prepare. The past year marked an important chapter in my work, shaped by long-held ideas finally stepping into the world and by meaningful conversations with educators who continue to do deeply human wor

As a kid, I learned to tell stories and create entire worlds spending hours playing with Marx playsets, Star Wars action figures, and GI Joes. My toys were the tools that built my creativity and imagination. What were your favorites? Every holiday season, adults find themselves walking through aisles of toys, thinking about the children in their lives and remembering the gifts that once lit up their own childhood. There is something about holding a toy in your hands that brin

Discover how moments of play can transform learning, support emotional health, and create a more vibrant school culture. Walk into a classroom, a playground, a makerspace, or even a faculty meeting where people are laughing, exploring, building, or imagining—and you can feel the difference immediately. There’s an energy that’s hard to describe but easy to recognize. It’s the spark that comes from play. Play is often treated as something extra. A reward after the “real work” i

There’s a certain kind of magic that happens in a classroom. It’s the moment when a quiet student finds their voice. It’s the laughter during a spontaneous class discussion. It’s the spark in a child’s eyes when something finally makes sense. But before that kind of magic can happen for students, it must first be reignited in the teacher. If you're feeling tired, worn down, or just stuck in the routine—you’re not alone. Teaching is demanding, emotional, and often overwhelm

Every space tells a story. The question is: is it the story you want your students to hear? Teachers are experience designers. From the way a room feels when students walk in, to the small routines that shape their day, everything about a classroom sends a message. And when we design with purpose, we create environments where learning feels exciting, safe, and full of possibility. Intentional design isn’t about decoration—it’s about connection. A well-crafted space invites st

As we move toward Thanksgiving, I keep thinking about the quiet, steady work that happens in every school across this country. It rarely makes headlines. It doesn’t show up in policy briefs. Yet it shapes the lives of children in ways that last far beyond a single school year. Thanksgiving is a season of gratitude. It invites us to pause and recognize the individuals who pour themselves into the life of a school. When you spend your career inside classrooms, hallways, cafeter

Across the nation, educators are grappling with a challenge that has quietly grown into a defining issue of our time. Students are drifting. Motivation feels fragile. Curiosity seems harder to spark. Many classrooms echo with the tension between what we hope learning could be and what the day-to-day experience often becomes. Teachers feel it deeply, and students feel it too. Beneath the surface of test scores and attendance reports lies something more concerning: a crisis of

Leadership isn’t about managing systems; it’s about shaping lives. My 2nd Period Ancient World History Class at Mauldin High School in 1997, a picture that always reminds me why we do what we do. To my fellow administrators during National Principals Month… Disney Imagineers often say, “It’s the people who make the magic.” You can have the most beautiful story, the most immersive space, and the most engaging experience. But none of it matters without people. It is people who