Teach Different

How should I be judged by other people?

We all know the feeling of being judged. Many times others look to our accomplishments to judge whether or …

How do we know if somebody is good or bad?

Kids are in the midst of making so many ethical choices about the types of people they should be hanging …

What is the purpose of education?

Our society has always struggled to agree on the purpose of education. Some say the purpose is for students to acquire factual knowledge of subjects. Others argue that the real purpose …

How do we create systems so that individuals can be successful?

Success comes from a confluence of forces. Sometimes, it is the sheer will of the …

What makes a great leader?

Great leadership is about having influence. To get that influence, leaders use whatever tools they have. For some …

What is the best way to respond to hard times?

Tough times greet all of us in varying degrees. The challenge is how to figure out exactly how we …

What is perfection?

Motivation looks different to different people. For some, striving towards perfection is the greatest motivator for excellence. For others, who take a more incremental approach, just getting better …

Which problems are worth solving?

We are often told to be mindful of each other, our surroundings and ourselves. Implicit in this concept of …

Is it possible to get buy in to a vision if there isn’t buy in to the leader?

There's a familiar saying "You can't teach kids until you reach kids." The idea here is that you have to develop a rapport with the people …

How do we support others without instilling a sense of dependency?

Everybody has bad days. At those times what we all need is to have somebody pay a little attention to us and pick up our spirits so we can gain strength …

How do we recognize our power to live in the moment?

Living in the moment is hard. There are forces acting against us. There’s the past which weighs us down and often causes depression and fear. And then there’s the …

We are all individuals, yet we are all also part of families, schools, teams and peer groups. Our identities are shaped by what we think of ourselves …

How do you know when to speak up?

We're always telling kids to listen and to speak their mind. What we rarely do is help them discern when it is appropriate to listen and when it makes more sense to speak. Some suggest …

Justice is often defined as a sense of fairness and equality which society has a natural obligation to bring about. Seen in this way, justice is a first priority that when met will yield all other benefits to citizens. …

Can you motivate people who are reluctant to learn?

Motivating people to do things is exhausting, and many times futile. It happens in the classroom with students who are reluctant to do work. Sometimes the reluctance …

When should you have empathy for others?

Sometimes it's important to follow rational thinking to solve problems. In those cases, turning off our own …

When should you put others' needs above your own?

When we come to the aid of others, we also become happy ourselves by virtue of doing the right …

Should you fear mistakes?

We all know what it feels like to be afraid of doing something. We hesitate, delay and ultimately choose to do nothing and …

How do we know when cooperation is the best strategy for success?

Working with other people is hard if you like to work fast. You have to slow down, compromise and wait for people to catch up to your pace. On class …

Is it brave to do the right thing?

Thinking about the right way to act requires patient and careful thought. Acting from a good conscience in this …

Should we look to the future or past for guidance?

Finding our purpose in life is a confusing journey with competing forces acting against us. On the …

Should we be a role model for others?

When we are being watched by others, we are compelled to do the right thing and that benefits the world. Being …

Should you always try to get what you want?

We tell our minds to speed up, make decisions, satisfy our desires and create quick solutions to our …

Is love more powerful than hate?

Love is a powerful force in the universe. That much is true. What's unclear is just how powerful love is and whether …

How do you know when to adapt your goals?

Rarely to we achieve our goals by following the exact path we set at the beginning. Instead, we experience …

What is the best way to respond to hard times?

Tough times greet all of us in varying degrees. The challenge is how to figure out exactly how we …

How hard should we try to be accepted by others?

Being excluded for unpopular opinions hurts. Being excluded because of race, gender, ethnicity or …

How do we know which risks are worth taking?

Everybody wants success, however it is defined. That is clear. The confusion comes when we think about the best way to go about getting success. Some people carry the logic …

How do we know if we should change our goals?

Setting goals forces us to picture success before it happens. If we are able to create a picture of …

What's the best way to use questions?

Not all questions are the same. Some challenge authority, break rules and send people down new pathways of …

What does it take to be a good leader?

Sometimes leadership means control and enforcement of rules. The leader must demand compliance from followers. …

What is the mark of an educated mind? 

When we hear a new idea, our first instinct is to accept the idea without question, either because we have intuition that it is true or we simply trust the messenger. Accepting …

Should we tell the truth?

Everybody hates to be lied to. When that happens, we feel anger and dissapointment. There is a sense of betrayal, a loss of …

Do we have control over our own success? 

There are few things more frustrating than having to wait for other people to decide your future, whether …

How should you show confidence?

The only thing worse than being afraid is for others to see you that way. Fear diminishes a person's ability to lead …

Should we strive for success?

We often think of success in life as being tied up with the external rewards we get like money, fame or power. Life is …

What is needed to change the world?

Most agree that you can't change much in the world if you don't have the knowledge of what needs to be changed. With education comes understanding, perspective and a keen awareness of …

How should we act when we are angry?

Anger is one of those emotions that we say is inherently dangerous and unpredictable. When we're angry, we are …

How do you know when you should stand up for yourself?

Children are taught from a young age that when they want something they should wait their turn …

Does power reveal our true character?

Being a good person is hard enough. It's even harder when we occupy positions of authority. Authority gives us leeway to deal with others in whatever way we want, and carry through …

Can our imagination make us happy?

Happiness is something that everyone wants. Sometimes, though, our imaginations create anxiety and actually prevent us from experiencing happiness. We make things worse than they …

Do you need to fail to learn?

From a young age we are taught the value of learning from our mistakes. The logic goes something like this, when we make mistakes we see opportunities for improvement and learning. Failure …

How do we know when the cautious approach is the right one?

Students sometimes rush into decision-making without forethought. They do it with term papers, for class projects, and even in their relationships. This …

How do you know when hard work is worth it?

Students are always being told to do their best and that there is intrinsic value to putting in a hard …

How do we know when self-discipline is in our best interest?

Self-discipline is hard for students. It requires that they shut out distractions, …

Is failure necessary for success?

Student success is often determined by achievements, like getting a job, acing a test, or winning a competition. Failure is seen as the opposite of success, and something to avoid at …

Should you ever use anger to solve problems?

Students must learn how to solve all kinds of problems. Some problems are academic; others are …

How do you know when you should change your values?

Of the many elements of a strong character, none is more important than a person having a strong …

How do we know when to give up on change?

We're always telling children that it's important not to complain about things and that it's always better …

What’s the best way to lead a happy life?

When kids talk about strategies for living a happy life, they often talk about goals, like getting a great job or becoming famous. If they reach that goal, then that's clear …

Can we decide to be free?

Freedom is an often used yet really complex concept. Many consider freedom something that is granted to them, something they don't have to work for. Others see freedom as something denied, and …

What makes one person more powerful than another?

We constantly compare ourselves to others, often concluding that they have it much better than we …

What is the best way to overcome your enemies?

Enemies have a way of bringing out the worst in us. They make us act and think in mean ways. When we mimic the behaviors of our enemies we get revenge on them and feel a …

Is fighting the best way to get what you want?

Conflict consumes people of all ages. What makes conflict so taxing is the uncertainty in knowing how to deal with it in healthy ways. The simplest way to think about …

Do we control our own happiness?

Teachers and parents alike espouse the value of focus. With focus, children appreciate the value of the moment and …

How do you stay happy in a cruel world?

When bad things happen, students have to make choices about how they'll protect themselves. Some choose to fight back against the people or events which caused them pain, thinking …

Do humble people make good leaders?

To most students leadership is about confidence, being in front of the crowd, setting the example, and showing the way. Some assume that to be good leader you have to act the part, …

Should we worry about our future?

It’s no secret that most kids tend to ‘live for the moment’ rather than planning for their futures. Living in the …

What is the purpose of school?

Most teachers agree that skills and content are important components for a quality education. Debate erupts over which …

When is going against the crowd the right thing to do?

Peer pressure is real. Many students choose to follow the crowd to avoid the repercussions of …

Are role models healthy for us?

The old adage "Just be yourself" looks good on paper, but gets pretty scary in the real world when we must rely on …

What in life is actually in our control?

The power of self-awareness isn't obvious to us. We may feel ourselves at the mercy of life, that life just …

What makes somebody a hero?

Everybody respects heroes because they rise above and do extraordinary things. Common wisdom sees heroism as something you attain from serving others. Think of the firefighter who saves …

What is the best way to overcome our fears?

Fear is a force that can be debilitating for kids and adults alike. Fear obstructs clear thinking and …

Can we really make a difference in the world.

When students are told they can change the world, many don't believe it. They think making the world a …

Should we strive for perfection?

So many of our students feel pressure to be the perfect athlete, student, or friend. This feeling is accompanied by …

Do you have to go through bad experiences to be a strong person?

Everybody experiences struggle. Sometimes the struggle ends up making the person more self-confident, stronger and better able to move forward to the next …

How do we know when to trust other people?

Trust requires that you must set aside your feelings of suspicion and agree to work with people in good …

Do you have influence over the world?

Students are in the midst of figuring out who they are and how they can influence the world. Some feel helpless …

Is sacrificing yourself for others always the right thing to do?

Sacrifice requires that we do things today that don’t have immediate benefits for ourselves; but help others instead. Students have generous hearts but, …

What is the best way to raise your self esteem?

All students know at some level what it feels like to be humiliated. When this happens, the person who is hurt has a decision to make, he/she can either buy into the …

What's the best way to deal with negative people?

Negative people are everywhere, in the classroom, at home, or at the workplace. We often feel trapped and forced to be patient with people who bring us down. Sometimes …

Does a confident mindset guarantee success?

There's no denying that confidence plays a role in success. What's harder to determine is just what kind …

Do you have to have critics to succeed?

Taking constructive criticism can be difficult. It requires a person to resist the emotional need to lash …

Can people learn no matter how old they are?

While it is true that education is valuable to all of us at any age, it is also true that our energies …

Do we control our own actions?

Life throws unexpected events at us which take us by surprise. When crisis happens, we feel out of control. We are …

Do you control your future?

If there is one message we send consistently to our kids, it's this: your choices matter. We want them to see the world …

Do you need loyalty to fight injustice?

Sometimes doing the right thing means that you will face scorn and ridicule from other people. This …

Do we have control over our own success?

Setting aside the 19th century gender-biased language and applying the wisdom to all students, Thoreau is …

Do we have the power to make ourselves happy?

Students think and talk about happiness all of the time. Some believe happiness is something we control …

How do you know when to put other people's needs above your own?

Students of every age struggle with moral decisions about how to balance their own individual needs with the needs of others. Either way they decide, …

Does diversity makes us stronger?

Diversity is something many students confront for the first time in school. They are required to learn with …

Should we question what we are sure of?

All students have run across "know-it-alls," people who walk into a room and express supreme confidence with …

What does it mean to be a friend?

Students have strong opinions about friends. They are in the process of making friendships and ending them. …

Do we have control of our future?

Students are fed the consistent message that they can achieve anything in life if they work hard at it. They are in …

How do you know when giving to others will make you happy?

Happiness is something all students want. The challenge is how to get it. Students often …

What's the best way to plan your life?

Setting life goals is an activity we encourage young people to do. If you set goals for your future, then you …

Do you have the responsibility to be a role model for others?

Many students assume they are just a number and don’t really matter in the world. They …

Is patience a virtue?

Adults praise the importance of patience, telling kids that if they are patient and work hard over time, they'll be in a …

Do you have control over your own success?

Character development is at least as important as the development of academic skills. A strong character …

Should great leaders follow?

Students understand the dynamics of leadership firsthand, both from the perspective of being a follower of their …

How do we know when forgiveness is the right thing to do?

Students know what it feels like to be hurt. When they are hurt, they have choices to make about how to treat the people who hurt them. These choices give them …

Do you need to work with other people to be successful?

The ability to work in a team is touted by teachers, employers, and coaches as an …

Should we always tell the truth?

Honesty is a character trait to which most people aspire. With honesty comes trust and respect from others. Without …

What does respect look like in the classroom?

According to Emerson the key to learning is respecting the student. The learner has the keys to learning and teachers can teach anything by acknowledging the wisdom of …

Should our feelings be the guide for our actions?

Ask some people and they'll tell you to listen to your gut when you make decisions.  Ask others, …

Can you be happy without freedom?

Happiness is about the most personal thing there is, and it comes in many shapes and sizes. If you ask Susan B. …

What's the best way to earn respect?

We all want respect. It's how we know we matter. You might think there a lot of ways to earn respect but if you ask Confucius, there is only one true way, respect yourself, and …

How do we know when someone is telling the truth?;

The truth is, we never really know. Chief Joseph's quote states that you could get a good idea by …

How do we know when to be silent?

There are times when words are helpful and there are times when we talk too much. According to civil rights …

Should we question what we are sure of?

Everyone thinks they know something, and we all question some things, but very few people question what they …

Is goal-setting necessary for success?

Success doesn't come easy. We all know that. But, not everybody would agree with Lao Tzu, that goals …

How do we know when to have hope?

One of the hardest skills to develop is the ability to see the world from different perspectives. This skill is …

How do we know when we should intervene to solve problems?

For most of us, when we see a problem, we try to solve it. The father of medicine, …

How do we know when we should put others ahead of ourselves?

Everybody wants to get ahead. No one wants to be left behind. Dr. Seuss reminds us that …

Should we have the freedom to disobey rules?

Some people think that freedom gets in the way, that we should all conform because that's what rules are …

Should we avoid bad people?

Kids are in the midst of making so many ethical choices about the types of people they should be hanging out with. There …

Is doing the right thing the best way to influence others?

There are people in power, and there are people who want to do right. These two people are …

What does it take to succeed?

Going through hard times is something most everybody has to do. Some people face hardship and turn away. They become discouraged and think that success is unattainable. Others see hardship …

What is the best way to find happiness?

Happiness is one those concepts that students talk and think about a lot, but rarely define. They are encouraged to motivate themselves to set goals to achieve happiness but the …

Do we have control of our future?

Students are fed the consistent message that they can achieve anything in life if they work hard at it. They are in …

When is the right time to put your own needs above others?

Students must make decisions in life about how to treat themselves and others. There is a …

Should you always follow the rules?

Everywhere a student goes there are rules, at home, in the classroom, and in society. The effectiveness of these …

Do you have to go through suffering to be a good person?  

Suffering is a fact of life. Sometimes the suffering occurs on an individual level; others times it is shared with others. People react to suffering in very …

Is dreaming good for us?

Ask the students what they dream about and you are sure to get a wild variety of interesting answers. Students dream all of the time and some use them to set lofty goals for their life pursuits. …

How do we know when we should be afraid?

Fear is an emotion we can all identify with. Fear causes stress and discomfort, and makes us do things we …

Is social distancing healthy for us?

The Coronavirus outbreak of 2020 drove society into isolation. Schools closed, and businesses shut down. Our …

Do all people deserve kindness?

When students interact with others, they have a lot of moral decisions to make. It’s hard for them to decide exactly how to treat other people, especially strangers. They often don’t have …

What's the best way to convert an enemy to a friend?

Every student knows a little something about enemies and conflict. They don’t get along with everybody and these inevitable conflicts force them to make choices about …

Can you be successful in life without doing what you love?

Success, students are told, comes from doing well in school, building friendships, and …

Do you need knowledge or imagination to have influence in the world?

Some students are dreamers who live comfortably thinking about a world not yet created. Then, there are the ‘down to earth’ students who find comfort …

Is anger always self-destructive?

Anger is an emotion that all of us have to manage throughout our lives. Students get angry with their teachers, friends, and parents. It’s important for them to develop a self-awareness …

What does it take to be happy?

Students think that more is better - more money, influence, friends and good grades. The idea of cutting back on desire isn’t attractive, yet we can’t have it all. Throughout life students …

How do we know if working with others will make us better off?

Cooperation is not a foreign concept for students. They are told at all stages of life …

How do you know when you should speak out against injustice?

Responsibility is a scary word for students. It means that they should take ownership …

Should we trust people with power?

Students are no strangers to power. They have parents, coaches, and teachers exerting power over them and telling …

There’s only one thing that can capture student attention in an age of social media and an education system focused on data-driven instruction, and that’s unforgettable classroom conversations.  Listen to Teach …

Listen to Teach Different's co-founder, Dr. Steven Fouts, share the story of Jarvis and how Teach Different's 3-Step Method was born in the fall of …