Last week, we stepped out of our usual teacher world and into a room full of some of the world’s biggest business leaders at the Fortuna One Conference in Perth.
And while they weren’t talking about lesson plans, math groups or what to do when 28 kids all need you at exactly the same time, we couldn’t stop making connections back to the classroom.
Because when you strip it all back, so many of the ideas that help people lead, grow and build great businesses apply to teaching too: Strong routines. Knowing your people. Backing yourself. Being willing to try something new. Celebrating progress. And remembering that the energy you bring matters.
So, here are 7 lessons for teachers we took away from the day, along with some simple teaching tips for teachers that you can take straight back to your classroom.
7 Powerful Lessons for Teachers
Steven Bartlett: Join the 1% Club
1% better, every day. Tiny improvements feel invisible today and huge by the end of the year.
Celebrate small wins. For example: A kid who finally remembers their 7s deserves a moment. (and honestly, so do you).
And fail more to learn faster. Steven has a Head of Failure in his company. Mistakes are how kids (and teachers) grow. This is where growth mindset lessons really help our young learners.
Make those 1% improvements visible
This idea immediately made us think about fact fluency.
One more fact remembered leads to a little more confidence which means a slightly faster recall than last week. All these small wins add up!!
Our Speedy Numbers resources give students short, consistent number fact practice while allowing them to track their own progress along the way. Explore Speedy Numbers here.
Shelley Sullivan: Slow Down and Listen to the Room
Teach the class in front of you – Last year’s group needed something different. This one gets its own version of what you may have taught before. Take into account the individuals that make up your particular class.
Stay open to opportunity – The best idea for your room might come from a kid’s question or a lesson that went off-script. Some of the best lessons we have ever taught have come directly from the students in our class.
You don’t have to copy anyone – “We’ve always done it this way” isn’t a reason. Build a room that works for your kids. We encourage you to mix it up and try new things.
This might be one of our favourite lessons for teachers from the entire day. There is no perfect classroom formula. Take the ideas that work, leave the ones that don’t and keep listening to the little humans sitting in front of you (And no, this will probably change from year to year).
Gary Brecka: Your Energy Is Your First Asset
Everything builds on your energy. Patience, creativity, connecting with your students and the good lesson ideas. They all need fuel in the tank. Some tips to help protect your energy asset:
- Bring calm into the room – A minute of breathing or a quick grounding activity helps the kids reset, and you get the same benefit.
- Be the real you – Kids trust teachers who are genuine, it also gives them room to be themselves too.
- Try a brain break – Brain breaks are the perfect reset for teachers AND students!
Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop for five minutes and give everyone a chance to reset. Our UNO Brain Break Cards are filled with quick activities designed to get kids moving, thinking, laughing and ready to come back to learning.
Take a look at our UNO Brain Break Cards here.
Greg Secker: Process Beats Prediction
You can’t predict the day…. Meaning, you can decide ahead of time what you’ll do when things go sideways. Let’s face it, we’re working with kids, so things are often unpredictable.
Rules take the emotion out – Set clear expectations and boundaries make your decisions easier and fairer for the kids.
Belief is transferable – Want to get better at something? Spend time with the people already doing it well.
And if there is one thing teachers know, it’s that you can plan the day down to the minute… and still have absolutely no idea what is going to walk through your classroom door!
Having simple routines and expectations already in place means you don’t have to make every decision in the moment.
Kayla Itsines: The Boring Stuff Wins
This may be the paragraph that you skip over. But please don’t, There is some great stuff we learned from Kayla.
- Community builds confidence – When kids feel like they belong, they’re braver about having a go. We are all about building class community, not only at the beginning of the year but throughout the year too.
- Small rituals matter – The door handshake, the Friday game, the silly class chant. Nobody else has yours. These are the things that make your students feel safe, feel seen, and feel part of the class community.
- Know your class’s why – What is your classroom all about? Say it out loud and let the kids help shape it. Remember, the classroom culture is a team effort.
Not every great teaching tip for teachers needs to be groundbreaking. Sometimes it really is the little things you repeat over and over that make your classroom feel like your classroom.
Aaron Sansoni: Effort Needs a System, or It Is Just Noise
Systems carry the load. Meaning, routines for behaviour, transitions, lesson setups and group time mean you’re not reinventing the wheel every single day!! Create simple systems that you can easily teach your students so you can all take responsibility for how the day runs.
Next up, pick your direction. What do you actually want your classroom to feel like? What educational values are important to you? Name them!
Finally, decide, then follow through. A system only works if you stick with it past the wobbly first week.
This one REALLY spoke to us. Because teachers already work incredibly hard. The answer isn’t always to put in more effort. Sometimes the answer is to create a simple system so you don’t have to keep doing the same work over and over again.
An example of an easy, simple system we have put into our classroom is PA of the day. It is basically a reward, job, and classroom management system all rolled into one. Read about it and get your free PA of the Day badges here.
Another example is to stop reinventing your math block every week. Instead, create a system that works week in and week out. This is exactly why we love creating math games and routines that can be used again and again.
Teach your students how to play once, then change the numbers, skill or level as their learning progresses. Less time searching for something new. More time actually teaching. Explore our low-prep math games here.
Joseph McClendon III: Your Energy Walks Into the Classroom Before Your Lesson Does
This is your permission slip to have fun. Kids pick up your mood long before they pick up the content.
Watch your self-talk – Swap “this class is hard work” for “this class keeps me on my toes.” Your brain listens.
Go Playful – Commit to the silly voice, the countdown, the game. Half-in doesn’t land As well as a teacher committing to join the fun.
We LOVE this one. Because when you think back to the teachers you remember from school, chances are you don’t remember every worksheet they gave you or every lesson they taught.
You remember how it felt to be in their classroom… and sometimes the easiest way to get kids excited about learning is to show them that you’re excited to be there too.
The Common Thread – Lessons for Teachers
Seven speakers with seven very different messages. But when we looked back through our notes from the day, there was a common thread running through almost all of these lessons for teachers.
- Great teaching isn’t about doing everything perfectly.
- It’s about backing yourself.
- Building routines that make your days easier.
- Staying open to what your students need.
- Creating a classroom where kids feel like they belong.
- Trying things, learning from them and continuing to show up.
And perhaps most importantly, remembering that the little things you do every single day really do add up.
That’s something we’ve believed at Rainbow Sky Creations from the beginning: teaching doesn’t need to be more complicated to be effective. Often, the simplest ideas are the ones that make the biggest difference.
Want more simple teaching ideas like these?
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Rainbows ahead 🌈
What to read next:
Where to get started with our UNO Math games
Math games your students won’t stop asking for
Podcast episode: We asked an 11-year-old what teachers need to know
About the Author: Alisha Hughes
Alisha Hughes is a primary educator, maths lover and Co-Founder of Rainbow Sky Creations. She spent 13 years teaching in Perth, Sydney and Dubai, UAE, and for the past 10 years she’s been encouraging teachers to back themselves and find more joy in their work. Today, she brings her classroom experience and creative eye together to design hands-on resources that are clear, engaging and easy to use. Alisha wants every child to feel seen and heard, and Rainbow Sky resources aim to help teachers reach all learners in the room. She also co-hosts the Rainbow Skies for Teachers podcast, sharing practical ideas, strategies and encouragement with primary teachers around the world. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
