Teaching by Habit

Teachers regularly set meaningful goals for their classrooms and professional growth, yet the demands of the school day can make even the best intentions difficult to sustain. This book offers a practical alternative to relying on motivation, willpower, or large-scale change. Drawing from research on habits, implementation intentions, automaticity, positive emotion, and professional support, Kendall C. Terry introduces SMART Habits, a framework that helps teachers translate important goals into small, specific actions connected to the natural routines of the school day. Through classroom examples, teacher vignettes, reflection questions, and practical worksheets, readers learn how to identify useful cues, begin with manageable actions, build supportive conditions, and adjust habits when circumstances change. Written with respect for teachers’ professional judgment and the complexity of classroom life, this book does not promise effortless transformation. Instead, it demonstrates how thoughtful actions, practiced consistently, can reduce the distance between intention and practice. Teachers will leave with realistic strategies for creating sustainable professional growth, strengthening classroom experiences, and helping students develop productive learning habits of their own.