For the next month or so, I’ll be republishing my best posts from the last half of 2025.

I don’t think there are many teachers left who believe in the very old idea that they shouldn’t smile until Christmas but, if there are, there’s now research that debunks it.

Research: When Leaders Express Positivity Early On, Employees Perform Better is a column in The Harvard Business Review that focuses on “employees,” but it’s pretty easy to substitute “students.”

You can see the primary finding in the above text box.

They also found that critical feedback is better received after the first few months, which pretty much every teacher – and every person – knows. We’re all more likely to listen to critique after we’ve developed a level of trust with people and believe they know what they’re doing and have our best interest at heart.

I’m adding this info to Best Posts On Classroom Management.