Overcoming Teaching Challenges to Build a Thriving Classroom

Being a teacher is a profession filled with both challenges and rewards. In this edition, I’m focusing on the specific challenges I’ve encountered, especially early in my career, and how I learned to navigate them to create a thriving environment for my students. From managing the classroom to balancing responsibilities, each hurdle has been a path to stronger, more sustainable teaching practices.

Challenge 1: Building Routines & Procedures from the Ground Up

In my early teaching years, one of the biggest challenges was classroom management—specifically, creating effective routines and procedures. Teacher training programs usually discuss classroom setup and behavior management in broad strokes but rarely delve into the daily, repetitive routines that can make or break classroom dynamics.

Early on, I realized that routines had to be explicit, consistent, and cover every aspect of the day. However, finding which routines worked best and how to maintain them wasn’t straightforward. Through observing experienced colleagues, talking with mentors, and trial and error in my classroom, I learned to establish routines for everything, from how students enter and exit the classroom to procedures for group work and transitions between activities. Over time, I developed a structured template for designing routines, which now allows me to set up my classroom for success from day one. With these routines firmly in place, I can consistently help students build habits that align with classroom expectations.

Challenge 2: Creating Curriculum from Scratch

Another major challenge I faced early in my career was designing my own curriculum. Without a set of textbooks or a prepared curriculum, I had only a list of standards and a basic pacing guide to work with. While it was exciting to have the freedom to develop materials tailored to my students’ needs, the task of curriculum creation is extremely time-consuming and complex.

To make the process manageable, I focused on learning how to break down each standard into smaller, teachable components. Standards can be broad, so I focused on separating content knowledge from skills to make lessons clear and targeted. As I became more skilled in “dissecting” standards, it became easier to design aligned activities and assessments. I now rely on a framework I developed for planning curriculum that aligns directly with standards, ensuring students receive instruction that is focused and coherent.

Challenge 3: Reaching Every Student in the Classroom

One of the universal struggles of teaching is reaching every student’s unique needs. With a room full of students, it’s common to face the temptation to teach to the middle, leaving some students without the support they need or others waiting idly if they grasp material quickly. In my earlier years, this often led to disengagement and occasional classroom misbehavior, as students who weren’t fully engaged would disrupt others or lose focus.

To address this, I shifted to a self-paced classroom model. By placing explicit instruction in videos, I freed myself to provide individualized support, creating true differentiation. This approach allowed me to engage with students one-on-one or in small groups, helping struggling students catch up while challenging advanced students with extension materials. The self-paced model fundamentally changed my classroom dynamics, allowing all students to engage at their own level and pace.

Challenge 4: Navigating Limited Support and Resources

A lack of support and resources can be a daunting obstacle. In some teaching positions, I found myself with more experience than my leadership team, leaving me without the guidance or coaching many teachers benefit from. This lack of support often made me feel isolated, and I quickly realized that my professional growth would depend on my own initiative.

To fill the gap, I sought resources independently, including blogs, podcasts, and webinars that matched my professional development needs. I reached out to colleagues for collaboration and advice and found that connecting with other educators was invaluable for exchanging ideas and best practices. This experience taught me the importance of taking charge of my own growth, and I now make it a point to provide mentorship and share resources within my own network whenever possible.

Challenge 5: Learning to Set Boundaries

One of the toughest but most essential lessons I learned was the importance of setting boundaries. As a naturally enthusiastic teacher, I wanted to take on as many responsibilities as possible, from leading clubs to attending students’ extracurricular events. While rewarding, this “yes” mindset quickly became overwhelming, and I often found myself stretched too thin to perform at my best.

To overcome this, I began prioritizing tasks that directly impacted my teaching and set clear boundaries for my time outside of work. Saying “no” became a powerful tool to protect my energy, and I learned to focus on quality over quantity in my commitments. I now advocate for teachers to balance their responsibilities to avoid burnout, allowing them to give their best to students without compromising their well-being.

Join Me for a Free Live Workshop

For those of you interested in exploring some of these topics further, I’m excited to announce a free live workshop on Saturday, November 16th, at 9 a.m. We’ll be covering essential topics, including building routines and procedures, dissecting standards, designing aligned assessments, and finding a sustainable work-life balance. This event will be streamed on LinkedIn and YouTube, and attendees will have access to additional resources designed to support these strategies in their own classrooms. I hope to see you there! You can register to attend here.