Reigniting Passion: How Changing the Learning Culture Helped a Veteran Teacher Find Joy Again

When I first started working with this veteran teacher, she was feeling drained, frustrated, and ready to retire. She had years of experience, but the spark she once had for teaching was gone. 

As I worked with her, I introduced a new way of approaching instruction—incorporating workstations, read-alouds, reading groups, and simple strategies that prioritized engagement and student ownership. She started to see a shift pretty quickly. Her students were more engaged, excited to learn, and taking ownership of their learning. 

But the biggest transformation? She found joy again in her classroom. She told me she was excited to teach in a way she hadn’t felt in years. The principal and other teachers even commented on the change in her attitude. 

This experience reinforced how changing the learning culture in a classroom can ignite both student engagement and teacher passion. When we shift how learning is approached—creating a space where students take ownership and are excited to learn—it revives the energy and purpose of teaching.