10 Lessons From 25 Years in the Classroom

In the season two premiere of Unfiltered Ed: Don't Quit Yet, Erin Hall marks her 25th year teaching high school social studies by sharing the ten lessons that have held up across her teaching career. Most of them come back to the same idea: the relationship is the work. Content, strategies, and technology change. How you treat kids and how you take care of yourself don't.

Her top 10

• Kids remember how you treated them. They can look up the facts. They'll remember whether you saw their strengths and made them feel capable. She ends every course with an "I Will Remember You" list for each student.
• Most kids aren't mad at you. Acting out usually has a cause unrelated to you. A minute spent figuring out the trigger can prevent many problems.
• Classroom management is about predictability. Teenagers want consistency more than freedom. A boundary that holds one day and slips the next invites trouble.
• Good teaching stays the same. New initiatives are often good teaching repackaged. Keep your proven strategies and spiral them. Whoever is talking is doing the learning, so let students do more of it.
• Technology isn't the enemy; disconnection is. Teach balanced, ethical use of tools like AI, and protect space for students to think for themselves. (She's moved to paper-and-pencil exams.)
• The "difficult" student needs you most. Behavior is communication. Win over the likely ringleader early with a genuine positive call home.
• You can't care more about their grade than they do. Give support and resources, ask what's behind the lack of effort, then let students own the outcome.
• Choose your teaching family wisely. Spend time with the people who show up and stay positive, not the ones who complain about kids.
• Apologize to teenagers. Saying "I was wrong" builds respect few adults earn with them. Owning your mistakes and modeling accountability are relationship builders.
• Every morning is a reset. "Don't Quit Yet" is a daily decision. Don't hold grudges, and remember you may be the brightest spot in a student's day.

How this connects to the STRONG Framework

S — Successes

• For you: Jot down one specific way a student grew this week. On hard days, that list is evidence your work is paying dividends.
• With students: Borrow Erin's "I Will Remember You" idea. Name a student's growth out loud or in writing, especially the kid who started the year struggling.

T — Thoughts & Takeaways

• For you: "They're not mad at you" is a mindset shift. Asking what's behind this? changes how you respond and how much you carry home.
• With students: Teach the same question. Help kids notice what's driving their own frustration, and give them time to make connections instead of hunting for a quick answer.

R — Recovery, Renewal & Rebuild

• For you: Treat each morning as a reset. Yesterday's hard class doesn't get to drain today's energy.
• With students: Give them the clean slate too. No grudges. A kid who had a rough day yesterday walks into a fresh start.

O — Optimize & Outreach

• For you: Build routines you can hold even when you're tired, and spend your time with colleagues who fill your tank.
• With students: Predictable routines help students feel safe. Reach out early with a genuine positive call home, starting with the kid most likely to struggle.

N — No to Perfectionism

• For you: You can't carry 100% of every student's success. Do your part, then let go of what isn't yours to control.
• With students: Apologize when you get it wrong. It shows kids that mistakes are survivable and owning them builds respect.

G — Gratitude & Growth

• For you: Slow down to notice those moments in teaching where students are in the flow, or when they show gratitude and appreciation. Find something good about each day and think about it right before you go home.
• With students: Tell students what you appreciate about them, and build in moments for them to name what they're grateful for and how they've grown.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: Unfiltered Ed: Don't Quit Yet, "My Top 10 List"