What Teaching through Transitions Has Taught Me

After 14 years as a military spouse and 10 years as an educator, there’s one constant I’ve learned to count on: change. Some transitions are expected—like switching grade levels or adjusting to a new curriculum. Others are . . . well, less optional. My family will be moving again at the end of this school year, which means I’ll be packing up my classroom and will soon be starting fresh in a new state for the fifth time since I started teaching.

Whether it’s a cross-country relocation or simply welcoming new students every few months (as any Las Vegas teacher knows all too well), teaching through transitions shapes how I approach each opportunity. Over the years—from Tennessee to Mississippi to Okinawa to Las Vegas—I’ve realized something important: the strategies that keep students grounded don’t really change, no matter where you are. 

Below are a few insights I’ve gathered along the way—practical, classroom-ready ideas to help you create steadiness for students, even when everything around them is shifting.

1. Revisit Your Teaching “Why” to Stay Grounded

Every time we moved, I found myself pulling out the old binders from my college teacher-prep program. Classroom rules. Parent communication plans. Behavior strategies. Even my original teaching philosophy—the one I had to write as a student about why I wanted to be a teacher.

Here’s the interesting part: my “why” has never changed. But the way I teach certainly has. Rereading that philosophy each time I move keeps me grounded. It reminds me who I am as an educator, even when the school, standards, principal, or state changes.

Try This in Your Own Classroom:

Take 10 minutes to write down (or revisit) your teaching philosophy. One paragraph. Your core belief about kids and learning. Then tuck it somewhere you’ll see during times of transition.

2. The Schedule May Change, but You Don’t Have To

Four states, four sets of standards, more supervisors than I can count . . . but my classroom expectations have stayed the same.

No matter where I teach, I keep the following consistent:

• Clear classroom rules that don’t require reinventing the wheel
• Positive first contact with parents, always in Week 1
• Predictable communication routines, like monthly newsletters
• Nonnegotiable procedures for safety and transitions

The daily schedule is always different. That’s a given. But the tone I set in my classroom—the structure and the warmth—does not waver.

Teacher Tip: When everything feels new, choose three routines you will keep exactly the same. Let those become your classroom’s foundation. Check out "How to Establish Classroom Routines for Productive Learning."

3. Kids Are Kids Everywhere

I’ve taught students in schools with high immigrant populations, schools where 99% of families qualified for free and reduced-price lunch, and schools where every child had healthcare and a roof over their head. 

Though I’ve taught in schools that are economically, linguistically, and demographically diverse, the kids all laugh at the same jokes. They argue about Santa the same way. They want to feel seen, safe, and loved by their teacher. Even students who don’t yet know English still understand a shared giggle. The human part of teaching never changes.

And the strategies that work in one place work everywhere:

• Call-and-response attention grabbers (“Class class!” “Yes yes!”) and clap-backs
• Proximity cues to boost engagement
• Building background knowledge before a lesson
• Pausing—truly stopping—until you have their attention

These aren’t new. I learned them 15 years ago in college, and I’ve watched them work in every classroom I’ve ever taught.

4. The Students Who Fight Structure Need It the Most

This has been true in every school, in every state, in every demographic. The students who resist routines are often the ones who need the most consistency.

They might not have a stable home life. They might be raising younger siblings. They might be dealing with frequent moves like so many military-connected kids. They might be learning English, worried about fitting in, or masking stress they don’t have words for.

When students challenge the structure, it’s rarely defiance for sport. They’re trying to see if the boundary is real, and if the adult is reliable.

5. Give Yourself and Your Students Grace during Transitions

As I head into yet another move (hopefully the last one for a while—my husband retires this year and we’ve moving back home to Tennessee to be near our parents), here’s what I remind myself: I want to create the kind of classroom I’d want my own children in. That’s what helps me sleep at night. That’s what gets me up in the morning.

Stability Isn’t a Place, It’s a Practice

Whether you’re moving, switching roles, adjusting to new curriculum, or simply welcoming new students every week, you are the most constant thing in your classroom. 

Transitions will always be part of this profession. But consistency—the kind grounded in care, structure, and connection—is something we can offer anywhere in the world.

Recommended Resources for You:
Seven Key Actions for Effective Behavioral Management from Dr. Anita Archer
5 Strategies for Time and Task Management for Teachers