Most employers today aren’t asking, “What do you know?” They’re asking, “What can you do?” Problem solving has become one of the most valuable skills in the workforce, yet it’s one of the least consistently developed in school. In this episode, I unpack the growing shift toward skills-based hiring and what it reveals about the gap between how students are taught and what they’ll actually be expected to do beyond the classroom. I share a personal story of being completely unprepared for a job I thought I could handle, walk through how companies are evaluating candidates differently, and offer a practical framework for building problem solving into your existing curriculum. You’ll also hear how small shifts, like modeling thinking, using real-world problems, and incorporating moments of pressure and oral explanation, can change the way students learn without overhauling everything you’re already doing. If we want students to be ready for what’s next, problem solving can’t be an add-on. It has to be part of the daily work. Design Thinking Poster:

From freelancers and engineers to designers, city planners, and researchers, millions of people earn a living by solving problems through project work. Yet in many classrooms, projects still show up as add-ons instead of the main way students learn.

In this episode, Trevor unpacks why students need to learn how to do projects, not just complete them. You’ll hear why “dessert projects” fall short, what main-course project-based learning actually looks like, and how authenticity and relevance drive deeper engagement. If we want students to be ready for life after graduation, we have to start designing learning that mirrors the way the world actually works.

Want hands-on support designing main-course projects for your classroom? Join Trevor for a full-day Project-Based Learning workshop focused on building authentic, standards-aligned projects that drive engagement and deeper learning.

https://www.trevormuir.com/pbl-workshop

Take the Epic Project-Based Learning Master Class, Trevor’s online PBL Course that walks you step-by-step through designing, launching, and managing powerful project-based learning units.

https://www.trevormuir.com/pbl-course

This week we explore the 20% rule and why you don’t need to love every part of work. Learn how finding and protecting the parts you enjoy can help you avoid burnout.

Over the past month, schools in the Twin Cities have been operating in the shadow of ongoing ICE raids and heightened immigration enforcement. The impact has been felt far beyond the headlines, inside classrooms, hallways, and school communities. In this episode, I speak with three educators who are teaching in Minneapolis and St. Paul right now.

They share what they are seeing in their schools, how students are being affected, and what it’s like to try to create a sense of safety, normalcy, and care during a time of fear and uncertainty.

This is not a political conversation. It is a human one. It’s about students, classrooms, and the educators who continue to show up for kids when things are heavy. If you’ve ever wondered what teaching looks like during a community crisis, or what students need most from the adults in their lives during moments like this, this conversation offers an honest window into that reality.

In a world dominated by bad news, this episode explores why teaching students to notice and share real good news matters more than ever.

Get The Good News Project free here: https://www.trevormuir.com/good-news

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In this episode, I’m sharing one of the most impactful projects I ever did with my students, and it all came down to one thing: their work mattered.

My class was studying tolerance, conflict, and what it looks like for people to live together throughout history. Instead of teaching it the traditional way, we partnered with a local college and gave students a real challenge: master the content, turn it into lesson plans, and teach it to future teachers.

Even though a big part of the project was writing a research paper, students consistently called it their favorite unit of the year. The difference wasn’t the assignment, it was the purpose behind it.

We’ll dig into why authentic audiences raise student effort, how relevance fuels motivation, and why project-based learning leads to deeper learning, not less.

Check out the Epic PBL Workshop here: https://www.trevormuir.com/pbl-workshop

www.epicpbl.com

A look at how boredom fuels creativity for students and professionals, and simple classroom strategies to build quiet, low-stimulation moments that spark ideas.

Read the Article: https://www.trevormuir.com/blog/need-boredom

In this episode I share a winter lesson that almost got shut down after a single complaint and how my principal’s unexpected pivot changed the entire day. What happened next taught me one of the most important lessons about leadership, flexibility, and what modern students need from us. This episode is about staying open, adjusting when the moment calls for it, and why adaptability is one of the most valuable skills in today’s classrooms and workforce.

www.trevormuir.com