When families lose food assistance or affordable care, children carry the burden into the classroom. Hunger, illness, and instability show up as absenteeism and lost learning. This is the quiet war being waged on our kids—not with weapons, but with policy choices that strip away their safety nets.

To teach well, educators must begin well. The first month of school sets the tone for safety, wellness, and joy in learning. Research shows that when teachers prioritize well-being, belonging, and social-emotional growth before diving into content, students thrive academically and emotionally. Begin Well offers practical, evidence-based guidance for creating humanizing classrooms where both teachers and students flourish.

This summer, let’s treat ourselves to a different kind of professional development—one rooted in love. Informed by thirty years of research, I invite educators to grow in three essential practices: communication that begins in listening, visualization that sees student strengths, and community that nurtures belonging. These aren’t strategies—they’re ways of being. Let’s study love this summer, so we can teach it more powerfully in the fall.

The hardest part of equity work isn’t data analysis. It isn’t professional development. It isn’t political backlash. It’s trust—not just gaining it but deserving it.