If you are like many educators, you have collected strategies for years, yet still crave something deeper than tips and tricks. This final post in our Going Deeper: Teacher’s Inner POWER series invites you to weave everything together: the NICE and WAND frameworks, and the Presence, Organization, and Wonder that form the foundation of your teacher identity.
When you live as a NICE Teacher, you nurture courage, integration, and encouragement within yourself. When you activate your WAND, you remember that you are worthy, authentic, and divinely directed. These frameworks are not just teaching tools. They are mirrors reflecting your truest self.
At your core, you are not simply an educator. You are a guide, a light, and a channel for transformation.
Good news: you can live this identity in simple, repeatable ways.
These steps include:
- Step 1: Revisit Your Purpose Regularly
- Step 2: Integrate Reflection into Your Planning
- Step 3: Keep a Teaching Manifesto
- Step 4: Lead From Authenticity
- Step 5: Walk in Divine Direction
Let’s look at each step in more detail…
Step 1: Revisit Your Purpose Regularly
Hard days can make you forget why you started. Usually, you can avoid drifting by keeping your “why” visible so it can hold you steady.
For example: Write one sentence: “I teach to help students feel safe, seen, and capable.” Place it on your desk, planner, or wall. On challenging days, read it before first period and let it guide your next small choice.
Step 2: Integrate Reflection into Your Planning
Planning can become purely academic and mechanical. Usually, you can avoid that by adding one reflection question that invites wonder and meaning into the lesson.
For example: Alongside your objective, write: “How will this lesson inspire wonder, not just learning?” Then choose one wonder element: a story, a real-world connection, a student-led question, or a moment of quiet noticing.
Step 3: Keep a Teaching Manifesto
Identity is easier to live when it is named. Usually, you can avoid forgetting who you are under pressure by writing a short manifesto and returning to it often.
For example: Write 5–7 lines that begin with “I am…” and “In my classroom…” such as: “I am a nurturing, courageous guide. In my classroom, mistakes are allowed and curiosity is celebrated.” Read it every Monday. Adjust it as you evolve.
Step 4: Lead From Authenticity
Students do not need a perfect teacher. They need a real one. Usually, you can avoid “performing” teaching by letting your humanity be visible in healthy, grounded ways.
For example: Laugh with students. Admit when something did not work and say, “Let’s try a different way.” Share what you are learning. Authentic leadership gives students permission to be brave learners too.
Step 5: Walk in Divine Direction
It is easy to doubt yourself when outcomes feel unseen. Usually, you can avoid despair by trusting that you are exactly where you are meant to be, doing work that matters in ways you may never fully measure.
For example: Begin the day with a simple intention: “Guide my words and my choices.” End the week by writing three moments where you felt aligned, present, or connected. This builds trust in the path you are walking.
To live as a wonder-filled teacher is to integrate who you are with how you teach. Presence steadies you. Organization supports you. Wonder restores you. NICE and WAND remind you that you already carry what you need.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this blog post, written especially for you. It was taken straight from my mind and heart as I felt vulnerable to share glimpses of my world with you. The article was polished and meticulously reviewed to make sure it was in the best possible light before it was published so that it may serve you well.
If you’re seeking additional resources or personalized support, feel free to reach out at www.insightfuleducation.org. Together, we can cultivate classrooms where you and your students feel empowered to learn and thrive, which is aligned with the NICE Teacher framework (Nurturing, Integrated, Courageous, and Encouraging).