TALKS & WORKSHOPS
Nicholas designs talks and workshops that blend storytelling, philosophy, and practical classroom design.
Whether the starting point is Tangents, the Prisms of Inquiry, or The Moirae Conversations, the goal is the same:
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Help people think more deeply about how we learn, why curiosity matters, and what kind of future we’re preparing the next generation for.​
FEATURED SESSIONS
The Prisms of Inquiry:
A Framework for Student Autonomy
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A practical session introducing your six-stage Prisms of Inquiry framework showing teachers how to gradually shift from control to co-creation while maintaining rigor and clarity.
Monomyth Pedagogy:
Teaching Through Worlds, Not Worksheets​
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A cross-disciplinary approach that builds critical thinking, discussion, and literacy through narrative inquiry to bring mythology, science, and philosophy together to spark rich discussions about fate, choice, and the future.​
When Will I Ever Use This?:
Anti-Apathy Weapons in the Age of AI
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A workshop that helps teachers transform emerging career research into sustained inquiry, empowering students to connect coursework with real postsecondary pathways and interviews so they can see relevance and resilience beyond fears of AI-driven obsolescence.
Gamification Beyond Glitches & Gimmicks:
Designing Intrinsic Motivation into the Experience
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Using examples from Tangents: Raise Failures, this session shows educators how to build gamified experiences that encourage vulnerability in learning and increase intrinsic motivation.
Read the Comments
Argumentation over Online Arguments​
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3 powerful ways to use CER with trending social media topics so students can craft informed, concise, and persuasive stances.
The Science behind Empty/Full:
Science Literacy in an Age of Memes, AI, and Misinformation
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Adapted from themes in Hourglass Science, this talk helps educators confront short-form digital distractions while building scientific reasoning and civic responsibility.
Students as Citizen-Scholars
From the Campus to the Community​
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5 essential stages that help students separate academic evidence from social controversy and convert real-world issues into meaningful civic action.
Teaching in Tangents
Lessons from Over a Decade in the Classroom
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Tangents is a memoir of over a decade in public education, offering deeply personal and practical lessons that help teachers rediscover purpose, resilience, and student-centered practice.
Formats
Keynote-style talks (30–60 minutes)
Interactive sessions (60–90 minutes)
Half-day design labs focused on one Prism or text
Who it’s for
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Teacher teams and instructional coaches
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Pre-service and graduate programs
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Conference sessions and unconferences
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Community reading groups and libraries
If you’re curious about bringing one of these sessions to your school, campus, or event, share a few details about your goals and timeline. I’ll follow up to see if we’re a good fit and how we might tailor the experience for your context.
Participants leave with ready-to-apply inquiry strategies and discussion structures
that support autonomy, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary literacy.
I Hate Graduations
A Graduation Speech
In 2022, the day I announced I was leaving the classroom, the class of 2023 asked me to return the following year to speak at their graduation.
I was humbled that despite my departure, they were requesting one last lecture.
This is that speech that provides a better preface to TANGENTS than any other I have written.
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- Nicholas Anthony Linke
Nicholas has previously explored these ideas as the host of The Delta, an education-focused segment of The Heartland Pod podcast.
In episodes on leaving the classroom, teaching students to question authority, and rethinking school culture, he began shaping the stories and arguments that now underpin Tangents, Prisms of Inquiry, and his current talks and workshops.
