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I love teaching, and I find that if I don’t feel I have to perform and if I don’t feel tense, then I don’t need as much recovery time as an introvert tends to need after class. And the more that you’re enthusiastic about it and your heart’s in it, when you feel comfortable, when you’re in your flow … that’s going to really improve the experience for them, too. It’s that uncomfortable silence with people you don’t know very well, and you’re talking about things you don’t care about and it’s like, “Oh, my gosh, can’t we just sit here in silence? You should give yourself that time (even if everyone else isn’t doing it that way or if there’s something else that you feel like you should be doing) if that’s what you need to really be your best self for your students in the afternoon.

But it doesn’t just benefit students — talking about current events in the classroom can also be advantageous to teachers. I’ve been a subscriber to The Week for five years, and it’s the primary way I consume news. The Week now has a Classroom Education Program, which is designed to make it easy for educators to bring the discussion of current events into the classroom by providing them with the magazine and a matching Lesson Guide. The Week has a special offer for teachers: you can subscribe to The Week’s Classroom Education Program for just $1.09 per copy here.

When you begin to view your work through the lens of doing fewer things better, you give yourself permission to clear away obligations that aren’t meaningful, both at school and in your personal life. We don’t have time to think about big picture stuff like lifestyle and legacy, which means we don’t have to face the reality that our big goals are never going to happen if we don’t intentionally create change. We convince ourselves we don’t have time to figure out a better way, and the best stuff in life passes us by because we can’t prioritize it. Friends, I really hope you will use this “Fewer Things, Better” book to learn the process of freeing up time, attention, and energy for the things that really matter: the activities that truly impact student learning; the practices that make you a more effective educator; the routines that make your home and personal life more fulfilling.

Every time something is added to our plates, we are told, ‘It’s in the best interest of the students.’ Don’t try to guilt me! ” Kendra added, “It’s what’s best for kids. It’s a fake problem to pretend like teachers must choose between teaching children or teaching the subject they love. It’s the fact that I love BOTH my subject AND children that makes me love teaching and makes me desire to gain expertise with students and math.