High-school Principal S. Kambar Khoshaba shares three ways to recognize and motivate teachers beyond traditional, extrinsic rewards. Public recognition, including a program that allows students, families and staff to nominate teachers; personalized, handwritten notes of encouragement; and passing recognition to students through an initiative that rewards positive behavior are some ways Khoshaba shares that help to foster a culture of connection and appreciation.

When you're overwhelmed as a leader, it can impact your company's efficiency, decision speed and employee morale as teams wrestle with unclear priorities, which can result in lost opportunities and turnover, writes Allison Dunn with Deliberate Directions. To prevent this, Dunn outlines how to achieve strategic, operational and personal clarity by creating systems for setting priorities and hierarchies about how decisions get made and by whom, taking most of the weight off of you.

Teachers are increasingly turning to virtual schools for better work-life balance, with many finding the flexibility of remote teaching appealing. Educators at California Virtual Academies and Virginia Connections Academy have highlighted the ability to create more engaging lesson plans and manage their schedules more effectively.

More than twenty years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, educators like Chris Theilacker of Sylacauga High School in Alabama are helping students understand the significance of 9/11 through dedicated history lessons. Theilacker, who teaches history and AP Psychology, was among the participants in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Institute for Educators in New York, gaining new strategies for teaching about the event, learning to use artifacts and firsthand accounts to engage students with the complex aspects of that day.

Educators are divided on the integration of AI into classrooms, according to a recent EdWeek Research Center survey, with about a third of educators viewing AI tools like ChatGPT as somewhat negative for education, and another third seeing them as somewhat positive. Many educators express concerns about AI's impact on students' critical thinking and creativity, while others see its potential to improve teaching efficiency and students' preparation for the future.

The Juneau, Alaska, School District will reinstate its universal free breakfast program after receiving more than $1.5 million in restored state education funding. The district will allocate $230,000 to the breakfast program this school year and is encouraging families to apply for free and reduced-price lunch to increase federal funding.

By prioritizing relationship-building and authentic connection, educators can move beyond compliance to create engaged learning communities. The September 2025 issue of Educational Leadership explores how educators can foster belonging in learning through culturally responsive teaching, asset-based practices, and durable-skills development that deepens learning.

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