Emotional Labor in Teaching: The Science Behind Your Exhaustion
Teachers perform emotional labor at rates comparable to therapists—without the support. Here's what the science says, and three ways to start protecting yourself.
Nobody Told You This Was Part of the Job
Teaching isn't just lessons and grades. Emotional labor is real, it's exhausting, and it's time we named it—plus three ways to start managing it.
The 60-Second Reset: Why Micro-Transitions Might Be the Most Underrated Teaching Survival Skill
Your brain carries every period change into the next one. It's called attention residue — and it's why 2pm feels impossible. Here's a 60-second micro-transition practice backed by neuroscience.
The February Crisis: Finding Evidence That Teaching Still Matters
These aren't signs of weakness. They're signs of February.
Mid-Year Routine Reset: Fix February Fade Without Starting Over
Here's what most teachers get wrong about mid-year routine breakdown: They assume students are choosing to be sloppy. That they're testing boundaries or being deliberately difficult.
Building Classroom Community in February: Two-Minute Connections
Your classroom feels transactional. You give directions, they follow them (or don't). You assign work, they complete it (or don't). Everyone is just going through the motions until the bell rings. What do you do?
February is brutal. Here's something that helps.
You're still showing up every day. That matters more than you know.
What If You Just... Stopped for a Minute
Your brain doesn't shift between tasks as fast as your schedule demands. Here's a 60-second micro-transition practice that can change your whole afternoon.
Where Are You With AI? (And Why Starting Here Matters)
The AI for STRONG Teachers Course is alive and growing in the STRONG Teachers Lounge. Here's an update on the newest addition.
The 5 Real Causes of Teacher Burnout (And What Actually Helps)
Let's talk about the five real causes of teacher burnout—not the ones people want to talk about, but the ones that are actually burning you out.
Creating Engagement in February: The Micro-Milestone Method
You look at the calendar. Spring break is 6 weeks away. That might as well be 6 years. There’s nothing to work toward. No holidays. No breaks. No "classroom community" energy.
February Behavior Management: Understanding Dysregulation vs. Defiance
You’re standing there trying to decide—do you address this as a behavior problem or something else? And you’re exhausted, and February has already been hard, and you just need the class to function for the next 37 minutes.