To all the overwhelmed early-career teachers: You've got this!

New to teaching and nervous about embarking on this fulfilling but challenging career? Just back from a break and looking for some refreshers? Maybe you've been teaching for a while and need tips for staying positive and centered on the job. Whatever your trajectory, You've Got This: Finding Happiness and Success in Your First Years of Teaching is loaded with strategies and resources to make teaching rewarding for your students, their families, and you.

Educators Suzanne Dailey and Robert Dunlop have spent their careers as reflective practitioners devoted to helping K–12 teachers get the most out of teaching so that students can get the most out of learning. In this comprehensive, reader-friendly guide, they provide page after page of research- and practice-based ideas for

• Planning, executing, and reflecting on lessons.

• Connecting with colleagues, students, and families.

• Differentiating instruction in the classroom.

• Ensuring a comfortable and engaging learning environment.

• Motivating yourself to teach and your students to learn.

• Successfully addressing common challenges.

Whether you are just now entering the profession or simply need a reminder of why you started teaching in the first place, you’ll find the guidance and encouragement you need in You've Got This.

Testimonials

"This isn't about just surviving for first years. It's about laying the foundation for a career filled with engergy, impact and joy.

- Shawn Achor

"This book is a lifeline for new teachers - uplifting, practical and full of heart".

- Jim Knight

STRIVE for Happiness in Education

Teaching can be one of the most meaningful and rewarding careers in the world—but meaningful work doesn't automatically mean a happy career. [Book Title] invites educators to pause, reflect, and take an honest look at their own happiness and well-being at work.

Through research, inspiring stories, and practical strategies, this book challenges educators to think differently about what brings them joy and fulfillment in their careers. More importantly, it provides realistic, job-embedded ways to make positive changes without adding another long list of things to an already busy day.

Inside, readers will discover practical ideas for:

• Reflecting on what truly brings you happiness and fulfillment at work.

• Identifying the aspects of your career that energize you—and those that drain you.

• Building simple routines that support well-being throughout the school day.

• Finding more joy in the everyday moments of teaching.

• Making meaningful changes that can improve job satisfaction.

• Protecting yourself from stress and burnout.

• Creating a career that feels sustainable, purposeful, and rewarding.

Each chapter combines research with real-world stories and practical strategies that educators can put into action immediately. Rather than simply telling you to “find balance” or “take care of yourself,” this book helps you discover specific ways to build well-being into the work you are already doing.

Most importantly, STRIVE reminds educators that happiness at work isn't a luxury—it matters. When we intentionally invest in the parts of our profession that bring us joy, we create more fulfilling careers, stronger relationships, and better experiences for ourselves and the students we serve.

Whether you are a classroom teacher, school leader, or education professional, this book will leave you thinking differently about your career, inspired by what is possible, and excited to try new ways to find more joy at work.

Because you don't have to leave education to find happiness in your career—you may just need to find more of what makes you happy within it.

Testimonials

"Makes a clear case for why happiness is a crucial component of achieving our potential."

- Shawn Achor

"This book is a gem for teaching looking to be professionally engaged and personall rejuvenated".

- Dr. Lea Waters