Creating Engagement in February: The Micro-Milestone Method

You look at the calendar. Spring break is 6 weeks away. That might as well be 6 years. There’s nothing to work toward. No holidays. No breaks. No "classroom community" energy.

February Behavior Management: Understanding Dysregulation vs. Defiance

You’re standing there trying to decide—do you address this as a behavior problem or something else? And you’re exhausted, and February has already been hard, and you just need the class to function for the next 37 minutes.

The Teacher’s 30-Second Classroom Management Fix

Teacher burnout doesn’t need dramatic overhauls. It needs Kaizen: one 30-second classroom improvement, repeated. Here’s how small changes save careers.

Kaizen: The Japanese Practice That Can Save Your Teaching Career (Without Burning It Down First)

You don’t need a teaching overhaul. Kaizen—the Japanese practice of continuous small improvement—can save your career one tiny change at a time.

Building AI for STRONG Teachers: Course Construction Update

I'm building something I wish had existed when I first started exploring AI as an educator: a course that helps teachers use AI thoughtfully, sustainably, and in ways that actually align with their values.

Teacher Energy, The Budget Approach

And here’s what most teacher wellness advice gets wrong: It treats energy like it’s unlimited. Like, if you just had better time management or a better morning routine or a more positive mindset, you’d have enough energy for everything.

When Helping Students Avoid Anxiety Actually Makes It Worse

When we remove every uncomfortable situation for anxious students, we might be making things worse. The difference between accommodation and avoidance matters.

When a Student Says "I Can't"

Are we accommodating student anxiety or making it worse? Explore the tension between removing obstacles and building capacity to handle hard things.

The Power of Boring

Teaching in February feels like Groundhog Day. Same routines, same struggles. But here’s the truth: excellence comes from boring things done repeatedly.

Classroom Management Without Yelling: The Stoic Teacher Approach

Learn 3 Stoic philosophy practices to manage your classroom without yelling. Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus offer ancient wisdom for modern teachers. Research-backed strategies you can use this week.

Why Edify: January Update

What we're building.

New Year Goal Setting for Students: Teaching Kaizen Instead of Resolutions

There’s a better way to teach goal-setting. And it starts with rejecting resolutions entirely.

The STRONG Year

Teacher Burnout Prevention: How to Manage Your Energy (Not Just Your Time)

Here’s the truth: Teaching is an inherently energy-depleting profession. You spend six to eight hours a day regulating other people’s emotions, making hundreds of micro-decisions, performing cognitive and physical labor simultaneously, and operating in a state of constant vigilance.

Strong Teacher

Building The STRONG Year in Public: February Module Nearly Done

Here's another STRONG Teacher update. February is almost complete in The STRONG Year.

Weekly Report

Teaching on Autopilot: How to Reconnect Mid-Year

Combat mid-year teacher burnout by reconnecting with students. Three research-backed strategies for presence and relationships when routines feel stale.

Why Teachers Need a Moonshot Project

That ambitious project you keep thinking about? It's not extra—it's what can bring joy back into your teaching. Learn why moonshots are sustainable, not exhausting.

STRONG Teacher Newsletter

The Superintendent Call You Won't Make

When the superintendent cancels school, you rest without question. But when the decision is yours? Here's how to give yourself that same permission.

The STRONG Year

Second Semester Planning for Teachers: The 80/20 Approach to Mid-Year Assessment and Adjustment

Here’s the truth: You don’t need to fix everything. You need to fix the right things.

Why Edify Podcast

Teacher Burnout Prevention: 37 Years of Classroom Wisdom with Craig Shapiro

What separates teachers who burn out from those who thrive for decades? A veteran educator shares what really matters.

Strong Teacher's Lounge

Student Engagement Strategies for Winter: How to Beat the January Slump Without Creating New Lessons

You don’t need new curriculum. You don’t need to reinvent your lessons from scratch. You don’t need to become a more entertaining teacher.

Weekly Review

The Teachers Who Last Are Still Wondering

Curiosity isn't a luxury—it's a sustainability tool. Discover why the teachers who burn out stopped wondering and how to practice curiosity this week.

STRONG Teacher Newsletter

True Education

What kind of people are your students becoming?

Martin Luther King Jr.

What MLK Jr. Knew About Teaching

Martin Luther King Jr. understood something about education that we're still trying to remember.

Mid-Year Reality Check: Say No to Perfection

A ruck reflection on letting go of what isn't working