In this week’s episode of Holding the Line, we explore what it truly means to pick up the spot of the person next to you when they can’t hold their part of the line. From a devastating personal loss experienced by our principal to students testing boundaries, we reflect on how teachers and staff stepped in to support both our students and each other. This episode highlights the importance of relationships—not just with students, but with coworkers—showing that trust, loyalty, and resilience are the foundation of a line that won’t break. Through bending when necessary, standing firm when it counts, and carrying each other’s load, we demonstrate that holding the line is about showing up for everyone in it.

In this raw and honest episode, Colton Lee takes us inside the first week back at his Alternative Learning Center — a four-day whirlwind marked by new students testing limits, tech blocks adding fuel to frustration, and a chaotic parent blow-up echoing through the halls. He unpacks the harsh realities of working in a high-needs environment: a SPED caseload growing faster than prep time allows, kids gaming the system to avoid work, and teachers already drained by Thursday. And when a new hire walks out before day one even begins, Colton reflects on what it really means to stand united — and why these students need stability more than anything else.

If you've ever felt like you’re holding the building up with one hand and your sanity with the other, this one’s for you.

In this episode, we flip the script and hear directly from the ones who see it all — our students. Colton sits down with his own teenage daughter to talk about what teens really notice about teachers and adults online, how our digital lives can build or break trust, and why even students without social media still see our “shadows.” If you’ve ever wondered what your students think when they Google you — don’t miss this one.