11 Ways to Improve Teacher Well-Being

11 Ways to Improve Teacher Well-Being

Teaching is hard (often draining) work, and educators’ instincts about what will bring relief are frequently wrong—just as they are for most people.  That’s because our minds deceive us, says cognitive scientist and Yale professor Laurie Santos, one of the world’s leading researchers on well-being and happiness. “One of the most annoying features of the mind is the fact that we all have these intuitions about the kinds of things we should be doing to feel better. But the research shows that many of those intuitions are just incorrect.” In this episode of School of Practice, Dr. Santos joins host Kristin Leong to debunk some of the most popular and persistent myths about happiness—more money *mostly* doesn’t buy more happiness, for example, and a values mismatch at work may be more consequential for burnout than you think—and shares a set of evidence-based tools teachers can begin to apply right away to reclaim a sense of balance.  Related resources: * Learn more about this episode [https://www.edutopia.org/podcast/11-ways-to-improve-teacher-well-being] * The Research on Protecting Teacher Well-Being [https://www.edutopia.org/article/laurie-santos-small-shifts-teacher-well-being/]  * Coursera: The Science of Well-Being [https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being] * The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos [https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos] * Yale’s Happiness Professor Says Anxiety Is Destroying Her Students [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/21/magazine/laurie-santos-interview.html] * What a New Survey Says About Teachers’ Plans to Leave Their Jobs [https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/what-new-survey-says-about-teachers-plans-leave-their-jobs]  * The Burnout Challenge [https://www.theburnoutchallenge.com/] * No, You Don’t Always Have to Confront Your Feelings Right Away [https://www.npr.org/2025/02/06/nx-s1-5276331/you-have-more-control-over-your-emotions-than-you-think] * Ross Gay on Finding Everyday Delights [https://whyy.org/episodes/ross-gay-on-finding-everyday-delight/] * Research: Exploring the Ripple Effect of ‘Always On’ Digital Work Culture in Secondary Education Settings (2021) [https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-67349-9_23] * Research: Time Confetti and the Broken Promise of Leisure (2020) [https://behavioralscientist.org/time-confetti-and-the-broken-promise-of-leisure/] * Research: Buying Time Promotes Happiness (2017) [https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1706541114] * Research: Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself (2015) [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061733520/] * Research: High Income Improves Evaluation of Life but Not Emotional Well-Being (2010) [https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1011492107] * Research: Toward a Durable Happiness (2008) [https://drsonja.net/wp-content/themes/drsonja/papers/KL2008.pdf] * Research: Achieving Sustainable Gains in Happiness: Change Your Actions, not Your Circumstances (2006) [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-005-0868-8] * Research: Counting Blessings versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life (2003) [https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.84.2.377]

Rethinking Zeros in the Grade Book

What’s your take on eliminating zeros from the grade book? Does your school have a no-zeros grading policy? Even if it doesn’t, you probably have opinions about it.  Setting 50% as the minimum grading threshold is a well-meaning effort to more accurately assess student learning, but it can also create new—and frustrating—challenges for teachers and students. In this episode of School of Practice, teacher and instructional coach Tyler Rablin explores the tradeoffs of eliminating zeros from the grade book. We’ll hear from teachers in our community with firsthand experience navigating the policy, and discuss exceptional strategies for building motivation and accountability without relying on numerical penalties. Related resources: * Learn more about this episode [https://www.edutopia.org/podcast/rethinking-zeros-in-the-grade-book] * Getting Rid of Zeros Won’t Fix the Grade Book [https://www.edutopia.org/article/problem-50-percent-minimum-grade] * Template: Tyler Rablin’s Late Work Contract [https://wpvip.edutopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Late-Work-Contract.pdf] * Do No-Zero Policies Help or Hurt Students? [https://www.edutopia.org/article/do-no-zero-policies-help-or-hurt-students/] * Why the 100-Point Grading Scale is a Stacked Deck [https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-the-100-point-grading-scale-is-a-stacked-deck] * The Case Against Zeros in Grading [https://www.edutopia.org/article/case-against-zeros-grading] * How to Help Students Focus on What They’re Learning, Not the Grade [https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-help-students-focus-what-theyre-learning-not-grade] * Why Teachers Should Grade Less Frequently [https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-teachers-should-grade-less-frequently] * Research: “Equitable” Grading Through the Eyes of Teachers [https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/equitable-grading-through-eyes-teachers] * Research: Can We Trust the Transcript? Recognizing Student Potential Through More Accurate Grading [https://crescendoedgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/White-Paper-Can-We-Trust-The-Transcript.pdf]

14 Excellent Ways to End the School Year

The end of the school year can feel like the best––and worst––of times.  On the one hand, it’s a great stretch because “the routines and procedures are set,” and the kids have their sights set on summer vacation, says Kansas City-based middle school ELA teacher Jeremiah Kim. But the workload for teachers closing out the year can be intense. “We all just want to be done, but we still have these boxes to check,” he says. In this episode of School of Practice, Kim joins host Kristin Leong to explore a toolkit of low-lift, delightful,  teacher-tested activities that inject celebration, meaningful reflection, and even some review into the last few weeks of class.  Hang in there, teachers, summer break is just around the corner!  Related resources: * Learn more about this episode [https://www.edutopia.org/podcast/14-excellent-ways-to-end-the-school-year] * 19 Highly Engaging End-of-Year Activities [https://www.edutopia.org/article/19-highly-engaging-end-of-year-activities/] * Wrapping Up the School Year in English Language Arts [https://www.edutopia.org/article/ending-school-year-ela-student-interests/] * Meaningful Learning to End the Year Strong [https://www.edutopia.org/article/end-year-activities-k-8/] * Finishing Strong in Elementary School [https://www.edutopia.org/article/keeping-students-engaged-end-school/] * 4 Meaningful Activities to Mark the End of School [https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-meaningful-activities-mark-end-school/] * How to Celebrate the End of the Year in Elementary School [https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-celebrate-end-year-elementary-school/] * 8 Epic Ideas for Ending the School Year [https://www.edutopia.org/blog/celebrating-end-of-school-year-vicki-davis] * Research: Reappraising Academic and Social Adversity Improves Middle School Students’ Academic Achievement, Behavior, and Well-Being [https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1820317116]

One Task, Many Doors: A More Effective Way to Differentiate

It’s a mistake to assume that good differentiation always means splitting students up into small groups, says Michael McDowell, an author, coach, and former teacher.  A more effective approach, he says, is to design rigorous learning routines that unite the whole class—from fast finishers to kids who need extra support—with shared strategies, structures, and thinking moves.  Think: Same surface, different deep problems, much more time in the “we do” space, and a big emphasis on high-quality classroom discussion. In this episode of School of Practice, McDowell breaks down three low-prep differentiation strategies, explains how and when small groups fit into the picture, and makes the case for basketball over ping-pong question protocols.  Related resources: * Learn more about this episode [https://www.edutopia.org/podcast/one-task-many-doors-a-more-effective-way-to-differentiate] * How to Differentiate Without Splitting Students Up [https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-differentiate-without-separating-students] * Teaching a Class With Big Ability Differences [https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-class-big-ability-differences-todd-finley] * AI Tool Demo: Differentiating Class Materials With Diffit (video) [https://www.edutopia.org/video/ai-tool-demo-differentiating-class-materials-with-diffit] * A Starter Kit for Differentiated Instruction [https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/starter-kit-differentiated-instruction/] * 4 Research-Backed Ways to Differentiate Instruction [https://www.nwea.org/blog/2024/4-research-backed-ways-to-differentiate-instruction/] * Actionable Assessment: A Step-by-Step Guide to Responsive Teaching and Student Growth [https://www.amazon.com/Actionable-Assessment-Step-Step-Responsive/dp/1032993995]

Helping Students Overcome the Forgetting Curve

Have you ever delivered a lesson and felt your students were acing it, only to revisit the same information a week later and realize hardly any of the new content stuck? You just came up against the forgetting curve—and lost. Our brains are hardwired to forget things unless we take active steps to remember. According to research, nearly half of new information—if not used right away—is forgotten within an hour of exposure. And if you wait a week, up to 90 percent fades into the mist. But that’s not inevitable. In this critical episode of School of Practice, high school teacher Cathleen Beachboard shares her top three strategies to help students remember what she’s just taught them. We’ll ask her how she weaves these strategies directly into the learning process as she works to “flatten the forgetting curve.” Related resources: * Learn more about this episode [https://www.edutopia.org/podcast/helping-students-overcome-the-forgetting-curve] * 3 Ways to Help Students Overcome the Forgetting Curve [https://www.edutopia.org/article/helping-students-overcome-forgetting-curve] * How to Engage Elementary and Middle School Students’ Memory Processes to Improve Learning [https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-engage-students-memory-processes-improve-learning] * Why Students Forget—and What You Can Do About It [https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-students-forget-and-what-you-can-do-about-it] * Making Retrieval Practice a Classroom Routine [https://www.edutopia.org/video/making-retrieval-practice-a-classroom-routine] (video) * Connecting Science to Problem-Solving in the Real World [https://www.edutopia.org/video/connecting-science-to-problem-solving-in-the-real-world] (video) * Finding the Retrieval ‘Sweet Spot’ for Students [https://www.edutopia.org/article/student-retrieval-sweet-spot] * Research: A New Look at Memory Retention and Forgetting [https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxlm0001110]