On Friday, March 14, 2025, a group of thoughtful school leaders gathered in Manchester, NH for a one-day workshop. The goal was to think about how to support teachers’ physical and emotional health to rekindle teachers’ professional fires.
We began
A Conversation Between Starr Sackstein and Mike Anderson
Starr Sackstein and I each often hear a worry from teachers we work with. They’re dedicated to the profession but are feeling exhausted, worn out, and stagnant. They aren’t sure what to
On December, 10, 2020, I had en enjoyable chat with Jan Yost, Executive Director of NHASCD to talk about ways teachers can take care of themselves a bit during this intensely stressful time. Here are a few quick points that
What if there was a learning strategy that boosted student engagement, had many (many!) academic benefits for students, and reduced teacher planning and correcting/grading time? Great news! There is–and it’s a tried and true strategy you have probably been using
“I’m on the edge of a breakdown. I’m pouring everything I have into my students, and it doesn’t seem to be enough. My principal keeps telling me I need to take care of myself, but she never gives me time
What might schools look like in the fall?
We can learn from schools that have already welcomed children back to school.
In the United States, many of us (teachers, parents, and students) are filled with anxiety about what the
A Conversation with Mike Anderson, Little Things First
This is part 3 of a four-part series on how to support educators in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
In this conversation with the Little Things First podcast hosts, Tracy
Remember those days in the classroom when you thought, “I have friends who work from home. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Well, here you go! COVID-19 is giving you a chance to try it out.
No doubt, there are some upsides
This quote is one of my favorites. If you’ve attended a professional development session with me, there’s a good chance I’ve shared this with you at some point. It so clearly articulates the importance of
Kids who completely disconnect from all literacy and math during the summer may experience the “summer slide.” They return to school in the fall rusty–with little school stamina. They may even lose academic ground that they gained the previous year.
What if the best recipe for creating successful schools was developing relaxed, safe, and joyful ones? What if the key to raising achievement (even as measured by standardized tests) was to have students engage in authentic, student-driven, choice-based, and fun
You already know this, but I’m going to say it anyway. You can’t do it all in these last days of school. Go ahead. Admit it. You have too much planned, and you know no one’s going to come along
For teachers, the return from the holiday break provides a perfect time to reflect. What has gone well so far this year? What could be better? I’d like to offer a bit of advice if you’re considering a New Year’s
In response to a recent Well-Balanced Teacher Facebook post about teacher burnout, a teacher quipped: “When it’s only a month into the school year and people already feel burnt out, stressed, and overwhelmed, there is a problem!” So why is
Teachers are burning out at an alarming rate. Overworked and saddled with increasingly complex and overwhelming responsibilities, not to mention more challenging students and families, many teachers are suffering from exhaustion and chronic stress. Not surprisingly, this has a profound
In the final weeks of school, teachers can feel even more insane than usual. Paperwork and meetings pile up. As the weather warms, students itch to be outside and start to anticipate summer, for better or worse, leading to more
One of the most devastating effects of the standardization movement—with its pressures to conform and emphasis on accountability through high-stakes testing—has been the stripping of teacher autonomy—our power to make informed decisions about how best to meet the needs of
We all know the power of positive community in the classroom. When students feel valued, are known for their strengths, enjoy coming to school, and feel safe and supported, they are more ready to engage in great learning. Not surprisingly,
We all know how important a good breakfast is. When our students have a big day coming up (a research project presentation, a debate, a field trip, etc.), it’s one of the things we encourage them to do to be
How successful are you at keeping New Year’s resolutions? If you’re like most, you’re not so good at it. In fact, as a general rule, we teachers often struggle with goal-setting in general. This was something that I emerged from
You have 24 great parent-teacher conferences and one rough one.
Many students had “A-ha!” moments in math around a tough concept, but one just couldn’t get it and was near tears by the end of class.
At the end
You’re on your way home from school thinking through the day and trying to figure out how it happened. You replay events….
It was 11:15 and students were in the midst of a chaotic transition—it was noisy, three students were
One student can change the feel of a whole classroom. John throws a tantrum whenever things don’t go his way. Alicia enters the room each morning with a deep scowl exuding negative energy. Allen has way too much sexual knowledge
(This post was originally published on edCircuit.com.)
“Have you ever noticed that a third year teacher and a 30-year teacher have the same job description?”
This question, posed to me a while back by a colleague, seems particularly important in
Mikey was a challenging fourth grader. He broke down in tears often in the beginning of the year. Reading was hard. Math was hard. Recess was hard. Everything was hard. He crumpled work papers, fought on the playground, and teased