Newsletter
ISSUE #5 February 2026
Dream Class by Michael Linsin is a great guide for teachers who want to create an exceptional classroom environment wheretudents are engaged, well-behaved, and genuinely excited to learn.
Linsin presents a systematic approach to classroom management that goes beyond simple discipline techniques, focusing instead on building a classroom culture that naturally inspires student cooperation and academic enthusiasm.
The book outlines specific strategies for establishing clear expectations, fostering mutual respect, and creating routines that minimize disruptions while maximizing learning time. Linsin emphasizes the importance of consistent, calm authority, and following through on consequences without anger or frustration. He argues that teachers can transform even challenging classes into cohesive, high-performing groups by implementing his methods.
Central to Linsin's philosophy is the idea that students thrive in structured environments where they feel safe, respected, and held to high standards. He provides practical, step-by-step instructions for everything from the first day of school to handling difficult behaviors throughout the year.
This book is particularly valuable for new teachers or teachers who are struggling with classroom management issues, offering realistic solutions that have been tested in real classrooms. Linsin's confidence in these methods stems from years of successful teaching experience.
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Rip’s Teaching Tips
Monthly
Newsletter
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Ideas, resources, and inspiration for teachers
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HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN TEACHING (AND EVERYTHING ELSE)
Ray Dalio is one of the world's most successful investors. Below, he offers a 5-step process to success. You will note that it starts with goals. All successful people start with a vision of where they want to end up. All successful teachers start with a vision of how they want their students to behave, achieve, and treat one another. Then they work towards bringing this vision into reality. Remember, it always STARTS with the dream, but it can’t end there. You have to do the hard work of bringing the dream to life.
Research Spotlight:
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Removing Phones from Classrooms DOES Improve Academic Performance
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In a study published in August of 2025 and conducted by researchers from the U.S., Europe and India titled: Removing Phones from Classrooms Improves Academic Performance researchers installed over 1,000 wooden boxes across 10 college campuses in India. They embarked on a study to determine the impact of cell phone bans on academic performance. Over the course of a semester, almost 17,000 students either marched into class with their phones or deposited them in the new wooden boxes. Phone-free classrooms produced better academic outcomes, especially among new and struggling students. Phone bans “can substantially improve student grades” and “narrow achievement gaps,” the researchers concluded, providing conclusive evidence of a causal link between cell phone restrictions and better grades.
Beyond improved grades, the researchers in India reported “fewer instances of disruptive behavior” in classrooms, “less peer-to-peer conversation unrelated to course material,” and better student-teacher relationships. Kids who attended class without phones, meanwhile, became converts. As a group, they were “significantly more supportive of phone-use restrictions” going forward—signaling a “convergence of academic performance” and “increased student receptivity” that highlights the potential of phone bans to transform school cultures, the researchers say.
Adapted from Edutopia
Book of the Month: Summary of a Book That Can Change the Way You Interact With Some of the Adults (parents, caregivers, fellow teachers, school administrators, and school board members) in your work.
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TRUE Teacher Story of the Month
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Teacher Well-Being Corner
Professor: “I want you to convince me that the tree over there exists.”
Dad: “Well, I can see it, I can touch it, I could taste it if I wanted
to.”
Professor: “That’s not good enough. I’m not convinced that it
exists. What else?”
Dad: “Well, we are talking about it, so we are aware of it; if I
knocked on it, I could hear it...”
Professor: “That’s good, but I’m still not convinced. I don’t believe that the tree really
exists. What else?”
Dad: “Look, when I drive home today, I’m going to drive down that road, and drive around
that tree, and go home. You can drive down that road and continue going straight. Then you
can tell your insurance agent that the damage to your car doesn’t really exist...”
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH​​​​​​​​​​​​
TEACHING Q&A
Today’s question is one that I have been asked many times: “How do I become a great teacher?”
If you want to become a GREAT teacher, you MUST remember this: FIRST you have to be a
POOR teacher (and we were all poor teachers in certain areas of our teaching practice when we
first started out). Then you spend several years working and reflecting and learning and then you
can become a GOOD teacher. Then, and only then, when you are good at teaching, you can
choose to work at becoming GREAT.
Here’s the progression that you, me and every other teacher follows: first we were POOR at
teaching; then we worked hard and learned how to become GOOD at teaching: then we can move
towards becoming GREAT at it.
Remember, every person you ever saw who was great at something started out doing it poorly. I
like to think of little Steph Curry attempting his first three point shot. I’m pretty sure he missed.
Fun Extra
Thank you for all that you do to help kids! Teaching is hard, but there’s no doubt that you’re
making a difference. The very fact that you have taken the time to read this newsletter tells me that you want to grow and continue to get better as an educator. My compliments and my thanks!