The Master Teacher Blog

One of the most important and challenging beginning-of-the-year tasks is forming strong, positive, influential relationships with students. Building relationships with some students comes easily. We may have past experiences with them, they may be confident and ready to form a relationship with us, or they may share characteristics and behave in ways that draw us to them.

However, our challenge is to form influential relationships with all students. Not every student is immediately open to forming a relationship. Some students may lack the confidence or skills to respond to or reach out to us. Other students may have a history that makes relationship building difficult.

Consequently, we need a strategy that is broad and encompassing enough to invite, interest, and accept students, despite their backgrounds, experiences, and skills. Here are seven relationship-building “hooks” we can employ to communicate our care, demonstrate our respect, and create new connections.

First, lead with your heart. Students want to know we care. Caring counts for all students, but for students who struggle, have or are experiencing trauma, lack confidence, or are not certain they belong, our caring can make a crucial difference in how they feel and learn. Our empathy and compassion reassure and invite connections with students.

Second, demonstrate and expect honesty. If we want students to trust us, we need to articulate and model its importance. Our willingness to prioritize fairness, consistency, and transparency can assure students of our trustworthiness. Further, when we assume the honesty of students, we communicate our trust in them. Obviously, trust is at the heart of strong relationships.    

Third, consistently communicate and encourage hope. Students want to feel our belief in them and their success. We can treat their mistakes and setbacks as nothing more that temporary conditions and opportunities to learn and try again. Of course, our hope and confidence are most important when students do not feel the same way about themselves.   

Fourth, show your humanity. Sometimes students are surprised that teachers are real people who have lives outside of school. By sharing appropriate information about ourselves and our families, we invite students to understand and relate to us. Knowing our interests, our passions, and even our dislikes can be interesting and appealing to students. When we use personal experiences and examples to explain a concept or reinforce a point, we also make it more meaningful and memorable.  

Fifth, demonstrate humility. We are not­­­­­—nor should we pretend to be—perfect. Students often assume that teachers “know everything.” Consequently, our openness and willingness to admit our mistakes and learn from them can be surprising and reassuring. Our humility also makes us human and can facilitate relationship building.

Sixth, enjoy and share humor. Humor is a strong connection builder. Humor can break tension, relieve stress, and make us accessible to students. Delighting in the unexpected, appreciating irony, and even telling a weak “dad joke” can help students see us as safe for relationship building. However, we need to be careful to avoid humor that is disrespectful or at the expense of another person.

Seventh, look for ways to honor students. When we notice and value the experiences and cultures of our students, we send a message of respect. Recognizing and reinforcing positive behavior not only reduces incidents of negative behavior, but it also reassures students that we are paying attention and appreciate their cooperation. Finding frequent, small ways to honor effort, progress, and achievements communicates our expectations and support. Students are drawn to people who notice, value, and respect them.

Relationship building is important, but it is not always easy. We need good strategies and patience. These seven “hooks” can support a good start. What else have you found to be effective relationship building actions? Consider sharing your go-to secrets with your colleagues.   

In the coming weeks we will be meeting new groups of students. They will be making assumptions about us that will influence their behavior. We, too, may make assumptions about the students we meet that will influence how we perceive and engage with them.

While impressions and assumptions can create short-cuts for our thinking and decisions, they also can undermine our efforts to engineer a good start to the year and derail our attempts to form productive relationships with students. While quick judgments can feel efficient, they can mislead us in ways that threaten our effectiveness and make the success we seek more difficult to achieve. Consider these five potential missteps that can make our work more challenging and our students less successful.

Misstep #1: Assuming students have the skills and background knowledge presumed by the curriculum. It may be that the students we face in the fall did not complete last year’s curriculum or develop the skills necessary to succeed with this year’s curriculum. Or, they may have lost some of last year’s learning over the summer and need review and reteaching. We gain little by plowing ahead as though students are ready for learning challenges based on faulty assumptions. By setting aside time in the first weeks for some low-stakes assessments and diagnostics, we can gauge background knowledge and skill readiness. Time spent now preparing students for the learning that lies ahead can generate lasting benefits as the year unfolds.

Misstep #2: Presuming language skills reflect intelligence. The poor grammar we hear may reflect an absence of exposure and support. A student’s dialect may be more reflective of how family and friends speak than the capability of the student. Accents are more reflective of culture and language acquisition than learning potential. Meanwhile, students who seem well spoken may struggle with some content and skills and need more time and support to find success. Our challenge is to look past how students speak and commit to helping them learn and succeed regardless of their background and current language skills.

Misstep #3: Overinterpreting the absence of active engagement. The absence of student contributions, questions, or other interactions can be the result of many factors. Culture, natural shyness, and fear of mistakes can influence the choices students make about visible learning engagement. Some students need to feel comfortable and safe with us before they choose to engage. Other students may need more time to think and may seek ways to avoid the risk of public exposure. Still other students may need to see more purpose and relevance in what they are asked to learn before they are willing to invest. Taking time to get to know students and explore the causes of their behavior can help us to understand and respond in supportive and effective ways.

Misstep #4: Confusing students with their behavior. It is important to distinguish between our perceptions of students and their behavior. Character and behavior are not the same. A student who misbehaves or is not meeting expectations is not a bad person. Rather, their behavior may not be serving them well. We can accept and support the student while rejecting their behavior. We also need to keep in mind that our assumptions, expectations, and support can have a powerful influence on how students behave and whether they achieve.

Misstep #5: Allowing the behavior of siblings or past reputations to influence our expectations. Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of being confused with or assumed to be the same as our siblings. It may be that older brothers or sisters were exceptionally strong students, or they may have not established a behavior record worthy of emulation. Regardless, such expectations are unfair and can lead to unrealistic or undeserved expectations. Similarly, students who have struggled in the past with other teachers may not necessarily struggle with us. They may find success if given an opportunity for a new start. Meanwhile, students who have excelled in the past may find learning in our classroom more of a challenge. We can avoid this danger by offering students a “clean slate” and building a relationship with them based on shared experiences.  

Without question, the first weeks of school will be filled with new experiences, new students, and new challenges. These are aspects of teaching that make it an exciting, self-renewing career. However, we need to guard against making assumptions that do not serve us and our students well, and that can derail our efforts to successfully launch the new year.

As human beings, we often internalize how we are treated, and our students are no exception. While the intensity with which students seek evidence and reassurance of our relationship with them may vary, all students want to know that they matter to us, that we are attentive to their needs, and that we want them to succeed. Even students who may seem to resist our influence and reject our guidance want to be connected and included. These students may be carrying negative past experiences that make it more difficult to make connections and gain trust with adults in their life. It is crucial to not give up on making these connections and continue attempting to forge a relationship with these students, even when it doesn’t seem possible.

It is also true that much of what we communicate to students about our feelings toward and perceptions of them are not scripted and often are not even consciously demonstrated. Yet, students watch, feel, analyze, and interpret our words and actions to discern where they can find reassurance, protection, and connectedness. Let’s examine eight ways that we communicate to students what they mean to us, what we think about them, and what our actions and intentions say to them:

• Noticing. A greeting at the school or classroom door, an authentic and personal smile, or fist bump can send an unmistakable message that students are noticed and they count. These seemingly small gestures can have an outsized impact on how students feel about us and about themselves.
• Respect. Regularly calling students by name, listening to what they have to say, sharing their victories and empathizing with their struggles tell students that they are worthy and have our respect. When students feel respected, they are more likely to show respect in return. 
• Safety. When we establish and consistently enforce reasonable rules, refuse to tolerate hurtful teasing and harassment, and otherwise attend to students’ physical and emotional safety, we free students to be themselves. We make it safe to participate and take learning risks. When we create an environment that students feel is safe, we set the stage for everything else we want to accomplish.
• Caring. While noticing is important, caring goes the next step to inquire, listen, and act.  A question or comment when students may not be feeling well or are having a bad day, offering to do something to help, and even stepping up to advocate for a student who needs adult support can create a significant, lifelong impression on a student who feels lost and helpless.
• Belonging. When we build a classroom community, encourage respect and inclusion, and step in when students are shunned and ignored. It is important to assure students that they are welcomed and belong. Students who may lack social skills, come from backgrounds from other students, and otherwise may struggle to fit in can be especially aware to whether they have a place and feel connected to the class. These students often appreciate our attention and actions more than we know.
• Confidence. “I know you can do it”, “I have seen you find your way through difficult challenges before”, and “I believe in you” are all powerful statements when students hear them from us. Feeling our confidence can make the difference between giving up and persisting in the face of difficult learning or life challenge for students. Students do not always believe in themselves. Our confidence may be exactly what they need to feel to find their way through.
• Positive presumptions. Assuming that students are well-intended, trying to do the right thing, or simply made a poor choice when they made a mistake or behave inappropriately can send a powerful message about what we think of them and the behavior we expect from them. Giving students “the benefit of the doubt” reassures students that we view them as more likely to act positively than engage in mischief. Assuming that students are trying to meet our expectations encourages positive behavior. Assuming that students are purposely misbehaving risks encouraging them to validate our negative assumptions.
• Forgiveness. When we give students a fresh start after a bad day and avoid rehashing yesterday’s conflict or reminding students of past disappointments, we signal to students that we are focused on what today will bring. They do not have to fear retribution or uncomfortable reminders from the past. We free students to face forward and do their best without being hampered by guilt and regret.

Taken together, these eight connecting and confidence building behaviors can have a powerful impact on how our students feel and behave. However, this is not necessarily an all-inclusive list. What behaviors would you add to reassure and connect with students?

When we experience positive energy emanating from others, we tend to feel happier, safer, and more relaxed. On the other hand, when we sense negative energy, we often become tense, depressed, deflated, and less secure. We are remarkably sensitive to the energy vibes we pick up from around us, and others are susceptible to ours. The influence does not always even require words; we can feel it in the atmosphere.

The energy we project and perceive in others is more than an abstract idea. It is a real, experienceable force. It is also infectious. It influences our interactions with others and their interactions with us. Energy is a source for forming relationships and it is an influence we can tap into, whether you are an administrator working with teachers and other staff, or as a teacher working with students.

Occasionally, we encounter what might be considered “energy vampires." They consistently project gloom, doom, negativity, and cynicism. They sap our energy and challenge our optimism. The key is to recognize who may be sapping our energy, leaving us depressed, and feeling pessimistic. To the extent we can, these are people to avoid or spend as little time with as practical. They are free to choose negative energy as their vibe, but we can choose not to be infected.

Of course, at times we can all feel negative. Events, experiences, and even our current mood can leave us feeling energy depleted, but it is important not to stay there. We have the power and responsibility to manage the energy we carry with us and project to others.

Beyond the role of energy in our personal and collegial relationships, it also plays an instrumental role in our effectiveness with the staff we supervise and the students we teach. Let’s examine seven connections via which our energy is communicated and influences our work with staff and students.

Inspiration. Enthusiasm matters. Students respond to teachers who are passionate and truly care about their teaching. In conjunction, teachers can sense the passion and commitment of their leadership team. This energy feeds creativity, stimulates curiosity, and stirs passion. The result often is the emergence of new possibilities and the inspiration to pursue them.

Responsiveness. Staff and students are quick to pick up on supportive, interest-infused attitudes. Our open-mindedness, desire to understand, readiness to encourage, and shared confidence communicates the respect and support they need to add fuel to their energy and reinforce their commitment.

Authenticity. Others notice when we are comfortable in our skin. When we signal that we are not perfect or all knowing, we become more human and approachable. Our willingness to share our experiences and value humor also makes us more relatable. Our authenticity draws others to us; it is reassuring and trust evoking. When we model authenticity, we also make it safe for staff and students to let go of their expectations to appear to be perfect and never make mistakes.

Empathy. Caring is a powerful source and transmitter of energy. Trust thrives in accepting, nurturing, and supportive environments. Students feel safe to express their thoughts and feelings, and staff feel respected and valued. As a result, their confidence and commitment grow.

Adaptability. We demonstrate positive energy when we look for the upside of situations without being naïve or overly optimistic. Our flexibility in the face of barriers and setbacks models resilience and agility. Our commitment to be proactive and ready to try something different communicates confidence and optimism; two energizing habits.

Consistency. Clear expectations and structure can give staff and students reassurance and reduce the energy they must spend trying to discern what is expected of them. Consistency also generates a sense of calm and predictability, a key element in sustaining energy for engagement and resilience.

Of course, there are times when we, too, want to find energy to be inspired and need to feel reassured. We may seek security and authenticity on which we can depend. The same connections and influences we often share with others can be sources of energy we can tap into to fill our needs.

Conversations about bias are not new, but there has been a more recent trend addressing the implicit biases that we develop naturally through the experiences we have, the experiences we don’t have, how we interpret our experiences, and what we learn from others. Biases influence what we believe about people and what happens to and around us. They influence our expectations, interpretations, and interactions with others, including our students.

Biases are invisible yet omnipresent. They subtly and persistently influence how we see and engage with our students, and as an extension, they can shape how our students experience learning in our classrooms. Our biases can influence our students’ emotional state and psychological development, and they can hold the potential to undermine our efforts and our students’ learning. Let’s explore five of the most common biases that haunt our classrooms and how we can counter them.

Expectancy bias. Also known as the Pygmalion Effect, this bias allows our perceptions of students’ potential to drive what we expect, how we support, and how we evaluate the work and behavior of students. Multiple research studies have shown this bias to have a significant effect on how well students learn and perform. This may be good news for students whom we perceive to be talented, but it is very bad news for students we perceive as having low potential. Expectancy bias can also influence student behavior. Students whom we perceive as well behaved can more easily be given extra chances and the benefit of the doubt, while students perceived as mischievous, sneaky, or otherwise prone to misbehavior are often blamed and punished more frequently and harshly.

How to counter: We can avoid expectancy bias by having high expectations for all students and not allowing past performance to shape our beliefs about their future potential. We might commit to supporting all students to build their potential. We can also focus on individual student progress rather than comparing the performance of some students to others.

Gender bias. This bias involves different perceptions about female and male students. As examples, girls are assumed to share characteristics such as being more likely to demonstrate good behavior and skills in reading and writing but not being as likely to demonstrate strong skills in math and science. Boys are seen as more prone to mischief and leadership roles and not as strong in communication and relationships. While there may be some natural gender-related tendencies present, girls and boys share more characteristics than not. Girls commonly demonstrate strengths and interests often attributed to boys, and boys often excel in areas that are perceived to favor girls.

How to counter: We can start by being conscious of the language we use, the assumptions we make, and the behaviors we practice that reinforce gender labels. We might make it a point to balance opportunities for participation, responsibilities, and leadership. Further, we can encourage and support students—regardless of gender—to enroll and excel in a wide variety of academic and career-related subjects.

Stereotype bias. Socioeconomic status, ethnic background, race, and other factors can play a role in how we see and interact with our students. We may hold lower expectations for these students’ learning and expose them to less rigorous curricular content. We may make negative assumptions about their likely behavior and commitment to learning. We may even press them less to perform than we do for other students.

How to counter: We can regularly check ourselves and our beliefs to be certain that we are not expecting or supporting these students’ learning less than that of our other students. We can focus on each student as an individual, value their strengths, and support their growth. We also need to review instructional materials and resources to avoid reinforcing stereotypes and to ensure positive models for learning.

Affinity bias. We sometimes encounter students with whom we feel a stronger than usual sense of connection. We may share similar personalities, backgrounds, interests, or even certain life challenges. Even without consciously deciding to do so, we can give these students more attention, encouragement, support, and positive feedback than other students. While the students who experience our affinity may benefit, other students often pick up on what they see as favoritism. As a result, they can feel unseen, ignored, or even disliked, and those can lead to feelings of resentment; meanwhile, the student who is the object of our affinity can experience separation, teasing, and jealousy from classmates.

How to counter: Being aware of our feelings and the consequence of showing favoritism is a good start. We might also be careful to provide equitable feedback and attention to all students. We could even go as far as collecting data on our interactions to ensure an equitable distribution exists among all students.

Confirmation bias. When we have a preferred approach or have done something in a certain way for some time, we can assume that it is the best way to do it, even when there is evidence that other approaches work better, at least in some circumstances. Equally challenging, when trying alternative approaches and strategies, we can find ourselves paying closest attention to information that supports what we expect rather than objectively evaluating evidence. Confirmation bias can leave us clinging to practices that are not effective or that are not as effective as other options and approaches.

How to counter: Commit to having current practices prove themselves. Start with an expectation that a different approach might be better, and collect evidence in an attempt to prove it. Allow the evidence, rather than pre-existing beliefs, to determine the outcome. However, be certain to practice the alternative approach long enough to become proficient before making a judgment.

Biases can be destructive, but they are not inevitable—and we are not helpless to them. We can educate and equip ourselves to understand and overcome their presence and their impact. Our commitment to our students can be the motivating force.

Sweet, sweet summertime! For some educators, summer break is a time to do just that—take a break. Others do not have that luxury. And for many, summer is a time for both leisure and continued work, work that may or may not be related to education. These next few months will almost certainly seem to fly by; how we spend them remains to be seen, but if we are lucky, we will have time to rest and time to learn and grow.

Summer does not always mean that we have the time and opportunity to take a course or that we can set aside the time we do have to attend a conference. When possible, these are certainly great sources for learning; they can be excellent for networking, re-energizing our passion for education, and providing professional growth experiences. However, courses and conferences are not the only ways to gain new skills and elevate our practice.

When our summer is too full, too hectic, or too unmanageable to engage in formal learning—or if we just don’t want to go that route—we have an array of other options from which we can choose. These options can flex to accommodate our schedule, and they can allow us to focus on what we want to learn, when and where we want to learn it. Let’s explore six informal, but promising, ways to feed a summertime desire to learn.

Consider setting aside time to meet with a colleague (or colleagues) whose practice you admire. Often, colleagues who have an existing relationship with us and who share common experiences can provide highly useful tips, techniques, and ideas we can adopt or adapt for use with our students. Our relationship can also make it safe to ask questions that we might be reluctant to ask in other settings. Equally beneficial, we can share effective strategies and approaches from our practice that our colleagues may find beneficial in their work with their students.

You might join an educator group on social media. Like the first option, engaging with other educators in an informal setting can make it more comfortable to ask for advice, ideas, and suggestions that we can add to our repertoire of instructional, classroom management, and administrative strategies. Learning from others who share similar experiences can also provide us with encouragement and reassurance. Social networking can offer opportunities to share ideas and insights about what works for us.

Set aside time to read books, journals, and blogs you did not have time to read during the year. There never seems to be enough time to read everything shared with us, especially during the school year. We might have a stack of journals that were set aside for later reading. We might have heard from colleagues and others about books that they have found especially useful. Or we may follow blog sources that we have not had time to keep up with. Summer can offer the opportunity to return to these sources of information at a time when we can read, reflect, and plan.

Listen to professionally-focused audio and video podcasts. Summer break can offer a wide array of options for listening and watching podcasts. Whether driving to and from summer destinations, relaxing between summer activities, or engaging in physical activities that leave room for your mind to wander, podcasts can be a good way to catch up on issues and trends of interest, explore new ideas and thinking, or encounter some new perspectives worth considering and trying out.

Do your own blogging or podcasting. Of course, we don’t necessarily have to just read or listen to the ideas and insights of others. We can capture and share our own thinking and practice with others. While we might not initially consider this approach for learning, in fact, reflecting on our own practice, explaining useful techniques, and sharing what we have experienced can be a great way to solidify what we have learned, understand a deeper level of what we know, and discover new ideas and even better ways to accomplish our work.

Engage in your own research. We may want to find our own path as we seek to learn a new technique, overcome a persistent barrier, or uncover something completely new. Beyond what we may learn through the usual channels, we might search websites and databases that specialize in new research, report on promising practices, or engage in deeper debate regarding educational issues. This approach can pair well with a summer school course we might be teaching or a course we are preparing to teach in the fall.

Summer can be a valuable time for learning and reflection, but we do not need to rely solely on formal options and opportunities. The fact is that we can create our own! When we take responsibility for our own learning and find ways that work for us, the results can be amazing.

The most important and urgent challenge educators face today is to prepare today’s students for the future. To help them succeed in life and in their future careers, we teach our students basic and universal academic skills, nurture social skills, coach resilience, promote mental and physical health, and encourage other habits and competencies we know will be important to their future. However, we may not be spending enough time considering some higher-order skills that we can predict will become increasingly important in the world where today’s students will live and work.

A recent report from the World Economic Forum provides a strong reminder of the importance of thinking skills as our students prepare to enter life beyond formal education. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 is based on data from more than 1000 employers worldwide, across 20 industries and 55 global cultures.

While much of the report presents predictions for job growth, changes, and losses in the remainder of this decade, it also identifies three types of thinking skills that employers globally believe will be crucial for career success and that they will seek in the workers they hire: critical thinking, creative thinking, and analytical thinking. Let’s explore these crucial skills, the role they are likely to play in a world infused with artificial intelligence, and how we can teach and nurture these skills in our students.

Critical thinking: Critical thinking describes the ability to recognize and question assumptions, interpret information, discern biases, synthesize information, evaluate options, reflect, and make good decisions. The value of critical thinking has long been recognized, but it takes on new importance in the context of AI. More information will be available in the coming years than in all recorded history. Our students will be challenged to understand the implications, assess the value, and harness available information to accomplish worthy purposes and goals. In a world of AI, workers need to be able to assess what is important, what fits, what makes sense, and what will be useful in a specific context.

We can teach and nurture critical thinking by:

• Asking important, open-ended questions that encourage deeper thinking and by having students wrestle with “why,” “how,” and “what if” questions.
• Engaging students in analysis of case studies, scenarios, and simulations to sharpen their thinking, predict outcomes, and defend their reasoning.
• Giving students opportunities to experience problem-based learning in which they collect and evaluate information, collaborate with others, and discover and assess potential solutions.
• Encouraging students to reflect on and make sense of their learning and life experiences through activities such as discussions, journaling, and reflection prompts.
• Participating in debate around important, complex, and even controversial subjects, including consideration of other’s points of view and defending their positions with logic, reason, and facts.

Creative thinking: Creative thinking is generally defined as the capacity to think flexibly, generate new ideas, identify new approaches to solving problems, imagine new possibilities, take responsible risks, and develop novel insights. While AI possesses growing capabilities, there will remain a role and need for human prompts, technology collaboration, insight and foresight to frame challenges, and the ability to bring fresh ideas and rich imagination to bear on the challenges and opportunities the world will present.

We can teach and nurture creative thinking by:

• Encouraging students to engage in the arts and employ drawing, drama, storytelling, movement, and music to express ideas and demonstrate learning.
• Challenging students to develop multiple approaches and develop multiple answers to tasks and problems.
• Providing students with open-ended challenges that allow them to generate ideas, structure approaches, and create solutions.
• Celebrating mistakes and missteps as valuable opportunities to learn.
• Exposing students to wide-ranging perspectives, cultures, histories, styles, and ways of thinking.

Analytical thinking: Engaging in analytical thinking involves the ability to uncover patterns, recognize relationships, evaluate data, draw conclusions, and employ structured approaches to solving problems and making decisions. While AI can be a powerful tool to provide and support analyses, humans still play a role in discerning appropriateness, deciding application, determining utility, and monitoring the accuracy of AI processes. Understanding information and data presented to AI will be crucial to making decisions that take advantage of what AI presents.

We can teach and nurture analytical thinking by:

• Nurturing logical reasoning strategies through puzzles, riddles, problem-solving, and mathematical proofs.
• Developing student competence in varied forms of structured problem solving such as the scientific method, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, Venn diagrams, and decision trees.
• Teaching students to employ and interpret varied forms for organizing and presenting data such as graphs, charts, heat maps, and infographics.
• Coaching students to identify potential bias and faulty assumptions through analysis of news reporting, advertisements, opinion writing, and political propaganda.
• Engaging students in inquiry-based learning to investigate phenomena, solve problems, and uncover answers by framing questions, gathering evidence, making reasoned conclusions, and providing evidence and reason-based defenses.

We might think that such high-level thinking skill are only important for students who will engage in work roles that require extensive education and technical skills. However, the world for which we are preparing today’s students will demand of its workers the ability to think critically, creatively, and analytically in any role— and reward them for it.

After the end of an eventful school year, the beginning of a well-deserved summer break can be a good time to step back, reflect, and attempt to make sense of the shifting, stirring, and often stubborn issues and challenges we face. The pace of our work can often make it difficult to see and make sense of what is happening in the world around us. Consequently, while we might busy ourselves trying to fix symptoms of problems, we might not truly understand the root causes of what vexes us.

Teachers, administrators, paraeducators, and other school staff members share many frustrations and distractions that can get in the way of serving students and supporting their learning. The challenge is to frame issues so that they can be understood and addressed. Fortunately, questions can often serve as tools to begin the process of understanding and lead us to see issues with greater depth and insight.

As we reflect on this school year and think about the next one—or the ones after that—we can use some key questions to guide our thinking, planning, and actions. Here are ten questions that may be useful to the quest.

• How is the make-up of our student body changing? What do we know about changes in poverty levels, shifting demographics, expectations of education, career aspirations, and other experiences, expectations, and challenges that shape our students’ relationships with us and learning? How might shifts in make-up of the student body be having an impact on academic achievement, behavior, social cohesiveness, and other issues we observe?
• What forces are shaping the ways in which our students relate to each other and us? Technology, social media, and political divisions may be at play. Shifts in housing development and availability or in socioeconomic appearances might also be factors. We may not be able to change or dismantle these forces, but recognizing them can help us to understand, give guidance, and provide resources where appropriate. We might teach students more or different coping mechanisms, coach useful skills, and offer other opportunities to counter what they face.
• What rules and expectations no longer serve the purposes for which they were established? Consider that chewing gum was a big no-no in the 1950s (and in some schools and classrooms still to this day!). Hair and skirt length were flashpoints in the 60s. Some schools had policies about students’ “bold beauty” expressions in the 80s. What battles are we fighting today that need a “ceasefire” and a reset? Cellphones and smartwatches are receiving lots of attention, for valid reasons, but they are likely not the only elements to consider.
• What routines and rituals no longer seem relevant to—or serve the interests of—our students? Tradition components of student dances, pep assemblies, theme days, and some clubs might be places to start our reflection. How are we shifting what we offer to align with what students find interesting and worth engaging in? Esports, niche clubs, and student-generated activity ideas might be good starting places.
• What instructional practices no longer generate the same levels of engagement and learning? Teaching harder, persisting longer, and pushing more may not be the answer, especially when those things occur at the expense of teacher morale and student achievement. It may be time to shift approaches, let go of long-held assumptions, and explore other strategies. As examples, what if we began our instruction where students are, not where we want—or where the curriculum expects—them to be? What if we gave students more choice and voice in what and how they will learn? What if, instead of us setting goals for students, students were expected and supported to set goals for their own learning?
• How clear are we about the future for which we are preparing our students? Of course, no one can fully predict the future, but there is much that we can anticipate and plan for. What skills will students need to be successful? Where and how well are we teaching, nurturing, reinforcing, and having students utilize these skills as they learn?
• Do we need to revisit how are we defining success? Are test scores enough? Many educators, if not most, say no. What other data and indicators should be captured and analyzed? What might a comprehensive profile of success look like for our students? For our school or district? Students and learning are complex, and determining what defines success needs to reflect that.
• How are parent expectations changing? We know that in general, parent support has waned. What might be causing this shift? What might we do to better align what we do with what parents are expecting? What can be done to see higher levels of parent support, and how do we get there? Similarly…
• How are the ways in which parents and the community communicate and engage with us changing? Are periodic newsletters effectively communicating our message? How effective are the channels through which parents and the community communicate with us? Might we need to engage new or shift social media and messaging platforms? How will we know when we get it right?

Obviously, not every question on this list is relevant to your circumstance, and some of the ideas mentioned are more actionable than others. There also may be issues or topics missing from this list that you need to consider and plan for as you think about the coming year. You know your community and the issues and pressures that are likely to require attention and leadership in the next school year. Consider framing these items as questions for your reflection, investigation, and planning during the summer months—but make time to focus on relaxation and restoration, too.

This is a time of the year when educators can feel as though our energy levels have been depleted and are in need of a boost so that we can fully enjoy our summer breaks. For some of us, the school year has left us feeling utterly spent and focused only on getting through each day. As a result, we might have narrowed some of our interests and neglected activities that have excited, energized, and motivated us in the past. Or we may be looking for something to refocus, reenergize, and renew our sense of purpose and direction, especially as we look toward the summer months and hope for rejuvenation.

There is a historical figure whose approach to life can provide inspiration and guidance for living life to its fullest, staying vibrant, and being interested in the world around us: Benjamin Franklin. It must be said that there were aspects of Franklin’s life that were not admirable and are not to be emulated. Nevertheless, he was someone who fully embraced life. His contributions to science, culture, and other areas have endured. There is much we can learn from how he approached and lived his life, things that we can apply to our own lives to keep us fresh, alert, and engaged.

Richard Munson’s “Ingenious: A Biography of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist” is filled with insights and examples of what made Franklin and his life exceptional. Here are six lessons we can glean from his approach to life and the behaviors he practiced and promoted.

Benjamin Franklin was insatiably curious. Franklin had a wide variety of interests; his curiosity extended to include science, politics, literature, philosophy, history, and more. He did not fear appearing uninformed. In fact, what he did not know drove his enthusiasm for learning.

Lesson: We do not have to fear what we do not know or what people might think. Being willing to ask, explore, and experience can lead to energizing, motivating, and enlightening new insights.

Benjamin Franklin was deeply reflective. Benjamin Franklin began each day by reflecting on what he wanted to accomplish and ended the day with reflection on what he succeeded in accomplishing and what he needed to learn and improve. He believed that reflection is the key to remaining focused, moving forward, and becoming better.

Lesson: Life is a series of experiences. However, they only have an impact when we take time to reflect on and learn from them. Reflection can help us to avoid having repeated experiences that lead nowhere, and it encourages us to view every experience as an invitation to learn, grow, and move forward.

Benjamin Franklin reveled in discovery. He appreciated discovery when it was what he expected, but he delighted in discoveries that were not what he anticipated. In fact, Franklin treasured discoveries that dispelled assumptions and revealed new insights.

Lesson: Every day features activities and outcomes, some of which are planned and expected and others that are not. We might be reassured when what we expect happens, but the unexpected often reveals something worth exploring, appreciating, and treasuring. Our choice to revel in discovery can be an excellent source of inspiration and renewal.

Benjamin Franklin was a voracious learner. He was an avid reader and prolific writer. His reading included topics far afield from his formal career. Franklin understood that exposure to a variety of disciplines and perspectives broadened his understanding and grew his knowledge. His writing offered a means to process what he learned and sharpen his thinking.

Lesson: We can access information today through multiple means, but exposing ourselves to other perspectives, views, and knowledge is no less beneficial to our thinking and understanding. Similarly, we may not write letters and depend on formal communication as much as during Franklin’s lifetime, but the process of writing, through whatever means, can still solidify our thinking and keep our minds sharp.

Benjamin Franklin was a constant networker. He maintained a wide array of friends, colleagues, and contacts. His engagement with others spanned an expansive array of disciplines, expertise, and backgrounds. Franklin saw interactions with others as valuable sources for learning, discovering fresh ideas, and challenges to his thinking.

Lesson: The social networks we form can be excellent sources of information, insight, and encouragement. When our networks include people who think differently than we think, have experiences that are different than our experiences, and who bring insights and ask questions that challenge our thinking, they can be great resources for freshening our learning and sustaining our growth.

Benjamin Franklin sought balance in life. Despite the breadth of interests and involvements that filled his life, Franklin advocated for balance and moderation. Finding time for recreation and rest from work helped him to maintain his energy and remain mentally sharp.

Lesson: Life can seem to be filled with limitless expectations and demands. As a result, we can find ourselves spending a disproportionate amount to time and energy in one area while neglecting others. Unless we commit to setting boundaries, finding balance, and practicing discipline, exhaustion and frustration will be our frequent companions as we make our way through life.

Without question, life today can be challenging. However, there are elements and aspects of life that are universal and timeless. Benjamin Franklin lived in a difference century, but much of what he promoted and practiced still has value today. Our task is to learn the lessons we need to live the life we seek.