The Power of Keeping Track

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on attention—not the kind we try to earn from students, but the kind we quietly offer: to ourselves, to our surroundings, to the small but meaningful shifts in a day.

Summer has its own pace, and in that slower rhythm, there’s an opportunity: to pay attention not because we have to, but because we can.

Why Edify Spotlight

What “Younger Next Year” Taught Me About Paying Attention (and Becoming a Better Teacher)

In this week’s post, I unpack some wisdom from Younger Next Year, a book on aging well that has connections to becoming a more effective and resilient teacher.

Consistent, intentional daily choices—especially those tied to movement, connection, and reflection shape your life in and out of school. I also explore the idea of how keeping a log to fix your focus can be a powerful tool.

What “Younger Next Year” Taught Me About Paying Attention—And Becoming a Better Teacher

A simple daily log can help you care more deeply about life and teaching. Here’s how a powerful idea from Younger Next Year can shift your practice.

WHY EDIFYJeremy Jorgensen

Happier - Logging joy helps you feel more joy.

Try this: keep a small notebook—or a notes app—where you record one to three positive things each day. A kind word from a student. A laugh in the hallway. A moment of unexpected calm. This works at home, too!

It doesn’t have to be profound. What matters is that you notice, and name it. These small entries create a pattern of presence—and they give you something to return to when the days feel blurry or hard.

Joy multiplies when we make space for it.

Healthier - Your body holds patterns—logging helps you understand them.

Pay close attention to your energy throughout the day. When do you feel most alive? Most drained? What small habits seem to help?

Write down what you eat, how much you move, and how deeply you breathe ( I know, easier said than done).

Not as a way to track perfection—but to build awareness. Your log becomes a conversation with your body—one that helps you meet your needs more kindly and consistently.

Stronger - Build a “noticing journal” to strengthen your teaching intuition.

Each day after school, take 60 seconds to write one observation. A student’s mood shift. A lesson tweak that worked. A moment that caught you off guard.

Over time, these reflections create a rich record of your teaching story. They help you spot what’s working, what’s shifting, and what matters most—far more than any formal evaluation ever could.

Teacher Commuter Playlist - “Here Comes the Sun” – The Beatles

Five Things to Try

1. Start a three-line joy log. Each evening, jot down three small things that brought you joy or comfort.
2. Log your energy. Take notes at two or three points in the day: How do you feel? What’s helping? What’s draining?
3. Create a “Noticing” journal. Choose one moment each day and capture it in a sentence or two—something you might’ve missed if you weren’t paying attention.
4. Track your movement and rest. Not to “optimize”—but to understand what rhythms feel best for your body.
5. Pick a color, sound, or sensation to notice. For one day, make that your focus. Train your attention like a gentle lens, and see what you discover.

Teaching Tool: EdCafe AI

Explore how EdCafe’s slide deck and flashcard generators can support reteaching, data-driven instruction, and engaging student learning.

This week, I hope you’ll see attention not as another task, but as a gentle practice of care. For your students. For your work. And most of all—for yourself.

You don’t have to do more to feel better. You just have to begin by noticing what’s already here.

Have a great weekend,

Jeremy