Dave Stuart Jr.

Dear colleague, An important promise I make to myself and to my students is that we will never do busywork in my classroom. We’ll be busy, for sure. Time is precious, the fruits of learning is priceless, and you only learn by doing work with care. But it won’t be busywork. Here it’s helpful to […]

Dear colleague, Thanks for those who’ve supported my work via registering for the Focused Finished Seminar (details/registration here). It makes what I do possible — truly. Recently I took a day off school to visit Ravenna, OH. While there, I led colleagues through the student motivation/engagement methodology found in The Will to Learn. Whenever I […]

 Dear Colleague, In my last article, I asked what your Focused Finish might look like for this school year. And y’all are wise, sane people — so many of you are seeking that sweet spot between limping to summer and overwhelming yourselves with All The Things. Based on these conversations, I’m pumped to unveil my […]

Dear colleague, At the front of my classroom hangs a simple poster with the words “Do Hard Things.” It reminds my students—and me—that growth happens when we embrace challenges with purpose. Doing (the right) work with (belief-fueled) care = the core of the Do Hard Things ethos. As we enter the final quarter of the […]

Dear colleagues, Earlier this year, our colleague Mrs. Ariella Kranczer wrote in to me about her clever “I do, you do” implementation of Everest Statements in her eighth grade ELA classroom. Wanted to share it here because it is excellent! Hi, Fellow teacher and follower of you. I love what you model and share- thank […]

Dear colleague, Our colleague David T. Reese wrote in to me earlier this year with a pretty phenomenal example of a written mini-sermon. I wanted to share it here on the blog in case it helps or encourages someone like it has me! Best, DSJR 3 Part Writing Task: Letter, Annotated Writing Moves, Writing about […]

Dear colleagues, When our colleague Caleb wrote in to me with this classroom story (below), I was covered in goosebumps. What a phenomenal example of the power that is possible in everyday classrooms like yours and mine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Recently, my 8th grade language arts students have […]

Below are some mini-sermons from the practice of our esteemed math teacher colleague Caroline Ong, from the 24–25 school year. Week #1 of the school year, PreCal: Week #2 of the school year, PreCal: Week #3:

Dear colleague, There are only a few basic ways to end a school year now that we’re in countdown territory: So what’s the better alternative? I didn’t invent it, but I’ve seen it’s power in myself and in others too many times to count. It’s called “the Focused Finish.” The Focused Finish is how I’ve […]

Dear colleague, It’s March. Good gracious, do I ever love March. It’s just hard not to love… But Dave, you might be thinking, you’re not one of those burnt out teachers that counts down to the end of the year, are you? No, I’m not currently burnt out. (Though that ebbs and flows often, as […]

Dear colleague, Here’s a list of YouTube Live talks I’ve given so you have them all in one place.

Dear colleague, Yesterday ​I gave a (very rough draft) recorded talk​ on whether or not school and its definitions of success are outdated. Basically, I argued that: These were the three most important slides I used: 1️⃣ First up, this is what schools are for: the promotion of long-term flourishing via teaching students toward mastery […]

Dear colleague, Today I gave a YouTube Live talk on what I’m calling the Student Motivation Apocalypse. Yep — kind of doomsday-ish, I know. But that’s not actually what I mean. Don’t have time to listen to the talk? Here’s the gist: I hope you find it helpful or encouraging. Teaching right beside you, DSJR

Dear colleague, According to Efficacy belief OG Dr. Albert Bandura, there are four keys to the cultivation of Efficacy in an individual. I’ll list them, describe them briefly, and give a practical pointer or two. Lots of interesting things we can take away from Dr. Bandura’s four keys to efficacy. Mad respect, Dr. B. DSJR

Dear colleague, Back at the start of November, I guided my students through our first WOOP goal-setting exercise of the year. (For more on that, see this video, this article, or the Define Success chapter of The Will to Learn.) WOOP is a really beautiful strategy to get good at. It’s research-supported, it gives students […]

Dear colleague, Ashley Yazarlou is a true Will to Learn warrior, having led innovative and personalized professional development on the material in the book multiple times in her setting of Hemet Unified School District in California. Last year, when leading a session on the Effort and Efficacy beliefs, she asked participants to define Woodenization in […]