New Zealand is overhauling math education to address stagnating scores, introducing structured instruction based on the science of learning. The initiative, backed by $20 million for teacher training, aims to improve student performance by emphasizing explicit teaching and problem-solving.

Under the guidance of French teacher Blair Gearhart, students at Rahway High School in Rahway, N.J., crafted croquembouche, a French dessert known for its crunchy texture. This project, inspired by a French festival, allowed students to delve into French culinary traditions and history.

Kristen Day advocates for "hummingbird teaching," where educators subtly guide and observe rather than dominate the classroom -- encouraging children to solve problems independently. Day contrasts this with "helicopter teaching," which can hinder development, and cites studies showing that child-led learning boosts confidence and motivation more than traditional, teacher-directed methods.

Leaders should embrace agile optimism, which is more open-minded than fragile optimism that hinges on positive outcomes, writes Nick Tasler, an organizational psychologist. "Believing that you or your team can accurately predict all the details on the road to your desired outcome without making any missteps ensures that it's only a matter of time before your fragile optimism shatters into a thousand little pieces," Tasler writes.

A recent Education Week survey found that 70% of teachers check work email on snow days, highlighting the heavy workload educators face. Teachers report working an average of 52 hours per week, far exceeding the 38.5 hours in their contracts and the 32.75 hours worked by employees in other industries.

Liberty Woodland School in London has adopted a four-day school week to address mental health concerns and teacher shortages. Students attend school in yurt-style tents from Monday to Thursday, with extended daily hours, and the initiative has received positive feedback from students and parents for improving well-being.

Like gardeners, educators must tend to students’ genius and joy. Gholdy Muhammad, Yaribel Mercedes, and Ben Bruhn, with the Genius Garden Collective, share nine conceptualizations of “joy as,” along with reflective questions to help guide you in applying joy to your professional practice and lives.

In the new issue of Educational Leadership, superintendent Jennifer Gallagher shows how school curriculum can be revitalized to create joyful and transformational student learning experiences.