What we can do...

January 30th, 2026

If you've been reading these newsletters every week for the past two years, as I have shared ideas on the IB Diploma Program, IB Economics, the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, or whatever else happened to be on my mind that week, you may have noticed something different recently.

For the past two Fridays, I did not send a newsletter. 

That is the first time that has happened in two years.

There are plenty of explanations as to why... 

An incredible opportunity to fly to Hong Kong to work with the IB faculty at Victoria Shanghai Academy alongside my colleague and friend Kurt Supplee. Three additional virtual workshops this month with schools in Mexico, Brazil, and Ecuador. Plenty of work, travel, and presentations to prepare.  But those are just excuses.  

In any other month, any one of those experiences would have become the focus of a Friday newsletter.  

And yet, when I sat down on each of the last two Tuesdays, the day I usually write the first draft of this newsletter, I started typing and then stopped. Everything I was writing felt unimportant, or at least not the most important thing of the week to talk about or share.

Writing about intellectual ideas felt misplaced when the very fabric of my country, the United States, was experiencing horror and turmoil following the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by the Trump administration’s ICE agents as they peacefully protested federal immigration enforcement in their neighborhoods in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Against that reality, my usual topics felt small, even trivial.

When I think about those horrors, about children being detained, about immigrant communities, I think about my own years in the Peace Corps, my life experiences in the United States, and the fact that for the past eighteen years I have lived as an immigrant outside my own country.  What is happening in the United States and globally as a result, trouble me deeply.  I am worried about the future, as anyone who cares about justice and rule of law should be.  

But then...

...and I guess it's my teacher mind kicking in, I think ok, what can we do?  

I look for hope. I look for safety. I look for joy for kids.

And I think that is our gift as educators. More than content, more than curriculum. Our responsibility and our opportunity. To create small spaces, small moments of safety, inclusion, and joy, even when the world around us feels anything but stable.

Last night, I was sitting in the theater at the Anglo American School here in Bulgaria, watching opening night of "We Will Rock You". It is a musical set in a dystopian future, and it is a production that Sofía has been directing for the past six months. And somewhere in the middle of that performance, the message clicked for me. 

Sitting there, watching the show unfold, I was reminded exactly why what we do matters.

Young actors on stage singing with unapologetic vulnerability. Students acting at the very edges of their skill and confidence. A live band made up of sixth through twelfth graders. A band director playing two instruments at once. My dear friend James on electric guitar, an instrument he picked up in adulthood. Every piece of it was brave and deeply human. The entire space filled with courage, trust, effort, and joy.  That is what Sofía and her colleagues have created for those kids.

That is the work of educators.

We create life memories for kids. We create irreplaceable moments of belonging, safety, and joy. 

Whether we step into a classroom, onto an athletic field, into a theater, or into a dance studio, we are given an opportunity every single day to make a real and lasting impact on young lives. 

I honestly cannot think of another profession that is granted this kind of privilege.

So if you have been feeling what I have been feeling these past couple of weeks, tired, unsettled, unsure of where to place your energy, I have a simple invitation.

Reinvest in your classroom. Reinvest in the kids who walk through your door each day. 

Honor their fears. Validate their nervousness. Acknowledge the realities they may be carrying, whether visible or unseen. Meet them where they are. Offer a warm smile and a few encouraging words.

Let them know that what is happening in the world right now is temporary. It will pass. Goodness will return. The pendulum will swing back toward democratic values, toward restraint of power, toward places that once felt safe, joyful, and secure becoming so again.

If you are looking for something meaningful to invest in, invest in those kids.

They are watching us closely. 

And whether they say it out loud or not, what they are looking for more than anything else, at least in my mind, is safety, inclusion, and joy.

That is what we can do.

Be good out there and I'll see you next week.




Opportunities to Empower IB Teachers and Students... 

If your school would like a tailored training on the updated Extended Essay guidelines, we’d love to help—onsite at your campus or live online—just send me an email at [email protected] and we’ll work together to make it happen. 

Effectively Supervising the New Extended Essay - February 7th, 2026 - This focused and practical workshop is designed to help teachers confidently navigate the updated Extended Essay framework for the Class of 2027. Together, we’ll explore what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and how to effectively guide students through both the Subject-Focused and Interdisciplinary pathways.  Spots are still available.

IB Economics Online Courses  - These Online Economics Courses provide IB aligned, self-paced learning across core topics—Introduction, Microeconomics, Market Power, Macroeconomics, and The Global Economy. Each course combines clear video lessons, real-world examples, structured slides, and IB-style practice questions. Trusted by 27,000+ students world wide, these courses help students master concepts, raise grades, and feel confident in your economics journey.

IB Economics Teacher Membership - Empower yourself behind the scenes. Teaching IB Economics can be a rewarding yet challenging journey—balancing content delivery, effective writing strategies, real-world examples, and engaging lessons. This membership is here to support you every step of the way, helping you bring the curriculum to life and inspire your students.

IB Economics School Membership - The School Membership is your all-in-one solution for IB Economics. With 450+ video lessons, 1,000+ pages of materials, exclusive teacher tools, student review resources, professional development, and access for up to 100 users, it empowers teachers, supports students, and connects your school to a global IB Economics community.

IB Economics On-Demand Teacher Workshops - The On-Demand IB Economics Teacher Workshops offer practical, curriculum-aligned training at your pace. Each 3-hour course includes video lessons, strategies, and a free 30-min Q & A. Gain actionable tools, confidence, and expertise whenever and wherever you teach IB Economics.

IB Economics Teacher Resource eBooks - The IB Economics Teacher eBooks provide over 1,000+ ready-to-teach resources. You’ll get lesson-specific slides, key term glossaries, IB review questions, and exam-style practice. Each eBook (Microeconomics, Market Power, Macroeconomics, and the Global Economy) is sold individually, or get all five in a discounted bundle.




Brad Cartwright

Educator | Speaker | Workshop Leader | Course Creator 

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