Mike Williams

Founder and Executive Director, CollabED
Educator and Adjunct Professor
Advancing teacher development, leadership, and collaboration

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

Classroom teacher.

I keep asking:
What actually keeps teachers in the profession?
Not mandates.
Not initiatives.

Mentorship.
Community.
That question is shaping the work I’m building through CollabED.

Let’s support educators.
#TeachersOfX #TeacherDevelopment #CollabED

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

🚀 ElevatED is live.

Free PD courses built by educators, for educators. Self-paced. No official credit — just real growth on your terms.

#teachered #teachers #teachersofx

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

I built this for selfish reasons.

My kids had great teachers in elementary school.

Lucky.

That word bothers me.

Luck shouldn't decide whether a kid gets a teacher who actually sees them.

I want that for my kids in middle school. High school. All of it.

Not just the elementary years where we got lucky.

This week, the world takes a moment to recognize teachers.

I want to recognize them every single day.

That's what CollabED is for.

Teachers deserve more than a week.

CollabED exists because of my kids — and every other kid who deserves the same.

[Kids In Need Foundation @KidsInNeed]

#postforpencils is here again! For every post or repost that includes #postforpencils, @werticonderoga will donate a pack of pencils up to 2M to under-resourced students through @kidsinneed, all the way until March 30. Learn More https://t.co/ar3q3jOmpq

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@ShiftParadigm @alex_mich3lle @MathteachCT @GridironSchol91 @Yrwhathrts74085 @teacher_mom03 @Brandieteaches @sarah_b_ware @kumabair44 @jane_strauser @DrSalitas @AmyHatcher222 @AMiranda_JCE @cperez_phe @BeckyKurkowski @MzSLN257 @narelleford @LaneBaima @BethFratesMD @mrswilliams21c @SteinbrinkLaura @AllysonApsey @BethHouf @leighmragsdale @tracyscottkelly @iamnoadaniel Following all!

[Brian Tolentino M.Ed @TolentinoTeach]

If you haven’t taught in a classroom post-Covid, you don’t know what it is like to teach the modern student.

The students have changed.

Teaching has changed.

You have to be in the classroom daily to understand what I mean.

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@KJWinEducation Leadership conversations can look very different from the classroom floor. Policy, strategy, and data matter. But the lived experience of teachers matters just as much. Bridging that gap is where real improvement happens.

#EducationLeadership #TeacherVoice #SchoolLeadership

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

Kindergarten readiness conversations are important, but they cannot rest on one quick check or screening. Development shows up differently across children. The real goal should be making sure schools and families work together to support those early foundations.

#EarlyChildhood #KindergartenReadiness #Education

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@bobbyfijan Stories like this show how different educational paths can work well for different families. Success is not tied to one model. What matters most is whether students are challenged, supported, and given opportunities to grow.

#Education #Learning #SchoolChoice

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@Homceelin @Raindropsmedia1 When policies push teachers out for taking care of their own families, it sends a troubling message about how the profession is valued. If we want teachers to stay, basic humanity has to be part of the system too.

#TeacherRetention #TeacherSupport #EducationPolicy

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@teachergoals Curiosity and human connection have always been at the heart of great teaching. AI may change the tools we use, but the real work of education will still be helping students think, question, and make meaning together.

#AIinEducation #FutureOfLearning #Teaching

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

There is real value in learning how to handle feedback and high expectations. When young people experience accountability in supportive environments, it builds resilience and growth. The key is making sure the challenge comes with guidance and care.

#StudentGrowth #Coaching #Education

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

Schools do more than one thing at once. They educate, build community, support families, and yes, help society function while parents work. But reducing school to “just daycare” ignores the skill, care, and purpose educators bring to the work every day.

#Education #TeacherVoice #SchoolCommunity

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@Catlin_Tucker Clear communication has always mattered. AI just makes it more visible. The better students can explain their thinking, ask precise questions, and clarify intent, the more powerful any tool becomes.

#AIinEducation #EdTech #Teaching

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@MrDanielBuck When words and actions don’t match, teachers notice. Safe schools need both relationships and accountability. If students experiencing bullying don’t see clear consequences or protection, trust in the system starts to erode quickly.

#SchoolSafety #StudentBehavior #TeacherVoice

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

Foundational skills matter. When students build fluency early, it frees their thinking for deeper problem solving later. The challenge is balancing strong practice with meaningful math thinking so we are building both confidence and understanding.

#MathEducation #TeacherVoice #EducationLeadership

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

Every learning environment shows students a different slice of the world. Homeschool, public, private. Each has strengths and limits. The real question is whether students are learning how to think, collaborate, and navigate the world they will actually live in.

#Education #Learning #TeacherVoice

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

For a long time we treated one path after high school as the “right” one. In reality, strong societies need builders, electricians, nurses, engineers, teachers, and everything in between. The goal should be helping students find the path where they can thrive.#CareerPathways #CTE #EducationLeadership

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

It is strange when you step back and think about it. The profession responsible for shaping every other profession is often one of the least valued financially. If we truly believe education matters, compensation and support should reflect that.

#TeacherPay #TeacherSupport #EducationPolicy

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

When any discipline approach is implemented without real structure or support, teachers feel the impact first. The goal should always be safe classrooms and learning for everyone. If a system leaves teachers or students feeling unsafe, something in the implementation needs serious reflection.

#StudentBehavior #SchoolSafety #TeacherVoice

[Mike Williams @CollabED_Mike]

@Raindropsmedia1 Stories like this hit hard. We say we value teachers, but policies sometimes tell a different story. When educators have to choose between their family and their job, something in the system is broken.#TeacherSupport #TeacherRetention #EducationPolicy