Teaching on Autopilot: How to Reconnect Mid-Year

You know that feeling when you realize you've been teaching on autopilot, or worse, your just operating in survival mode? When you look up and realize you can't remember the last real conversation you had with that quiet kid in the back?

That's mid-year disconnect. And it can be very draining.

Here's what happens in the long middle of the year. The routines that felt fresh earlier in the year now feel mechanical. You know their patterns. They know yours. And somewhere in all that familiarity, the actual human connection can start to fade. You're managing behavior instead of connecting with students.

But here's the thing about student relationships: They're not just good for student outcomes. They're one of your most powerful sustainability tools. When you're genuinely connected to your students, teaching doesn't feel like performing. It feels like being human with other humans. And that matters in February when spring break still feels far away.

The Japanese have a concept called Ichi-go Ichi-e—this moment, once in a lifetime. Every interaction with a student is unrepeatable. You'll never have this exact class again. This kid will never be exactly this age, in this moment, with you again. When you remember that, autopilot becomes harder. Presence becomes easier.

So how do you reconnect when routines have gotten stale? Not with grand gestures or time you don't have. With small, intentional moments that remind both of you why you're here.

"I've come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my personal approach that creates the climate."
— Haim Ginott

Three Ways to Reconnect This Week:

1. The Five-Student Challenge
Pick five students who've faded into the background. This week, have one non-academic conversation with each. Ask: "What's the best thing that happened to you this week?" or "What are you working on outside of school?" Listen. That's it.

2. The Two-Minute Morning
Before students arrive, stand at your door for two minutes. Not checking your phone. Not organizing papers. Just being present as they walk in. Make eye contact. Say their name. Notice who seems off. A genuine "good morning" can shift the entire day.

3. The Wonder Question
When a student frustrates you this week, pause and get curious instead of reactive. Ask yourself: "I wonder what's going on with them?" Not to excuse behavior, but to remember they're human. That shift from judgment to wonder changes how you respond.

These seem so simple, because they are. Just pick one and give it a shot for a week or two. Let me know how it goes in a reply to this email.

Have a great weekend!
Jeremy

P.S. If you're feeling the mid-year disconnect and want to practice reconnection with other teachers who get it, join us inside The STRONG Teacher's Lounge. We're working on this together.

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WHY EDIFYJeremy Jorgensen