The Power of Control
Discover how Stoic wisdom can help teachers focus on what they can control. Learn practical strategies to reduce stress, build resilience, and create calm inside and outside the classroom.
This school year, I’ve decided to experiment by choosing themes to explore in Friday’s newsletter.
Over the next four weeks, we’ll start with lessons from Stoicism—an ancient philosophy practiced by figures like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus.
At its core, Stoicism isn’t about suppressing emotion or “toughing it out.” It’s about cultivating wisdom, resilience, and perspective so we can live (and teach) with clarity and strength.
Each week, I’ll share a Stoic quote and connect it to both life in the classroom and life outside of school.
Quote
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”— Marcus Aurelius
Teaching often feels like standing in the middle of a storm—curriculum shifts, technology glitches, student energy that swings from tired silence to chaotic chatter in minutes. It’s easy to feel powerless.
But the Stoics remind us: our strength lies not in controlling the storm, but in controlling our response to it.
We can’t decide which policies come down from above, or how every student shows up on a given day. What we can control is how we prepare, how we enter the room, and how we choose to respond when things don’t go as planned.
This doesn’t just create calm for us—it creates calm for our students as well. A steady teacher presence can become a lighthouse in their storm.
Outside of school, this principle is just as powerful. We can’t control traffic, other people’s moods, or unexpected challenges that show up in daily life. But we do control whether we meet those challenges with anger, patience, or curiosity.
Strength begins with choosing our attitude.
Reflection
Where this week can you shift your focus from what you can’t control to what you can?
Affirmation
“I direct my energy toward the things I can influence, and release the rest.”
Try This
Write down two columns on a sticky note: “Control” and “Not Control.”
- Fill in each as you think about your week.
- Keep the note visible as a quick reminder where to place your energy.
Teacher Commuter Playlist: Let It Be by the Beatles
Have a great weekend!
Jeremy
