The Teacher's Secret: What's Ordinary to You Is Extraordinary to Them
What if the thing you think is completely normal about yourself is actually one of your greatest strengths as a teacher? A simple piece of advice from CJ Reynolds changed the direction of my career and taught me to stop overlooking the unique gifts we bring into our classrooms every day.
8/18/2026
Most teachers can tell you what they need to improve.
Ask them what makes them special, though, and the answer gets a lot harder.
I know because that was me.
About five years ago, another teacher was sitting in the back of my classroom watching my students work. At one point, he looked at me and basically said, “What are you doing here? These students would be going crazy in another classroom, but they're working for you.”
I hadn't really thought about it.
To me, it was just my classroom. It was what I did every day.
But his comment stuck with me. I started wondering whether some of the things I'd learned over more than 20 years of teaching might actually help somebody else.
Eventually, I reached out to CJ Reynolds. I figured I would be lucky if he even read my email, but he responded with an idea I've carried with me ever since:
Your ordinary is somebody else's extraordinary.
That changed how I looked at myself as a teacher.
We all have things we take for granted. Maybe you're great at connecting with difficult students. Maybe your classroom runs smoothly because of routines you've used for years. Maybe you explain complicated ideas in a way students understand. Maybe you're creative, funny, organized, patient, or great at getting reluctant students to participate.
You may think, “That's just what I do.”
But somebody else may be struggling desperately with the exact thing that comes naturally to you.
I saw this play out with one of my students. I casually told my class that I had a dream of someday writing a screenplay. I'm not a professional writer. I wasn't presenting myself as an expert. I was simply sharing something about myself.
About a week later, a student came to me and said she was writing a book.
I expected a few pages.
She showed me roughly 80 pages.
She had opened herself up and shared something she was passionate about because I had been willing to do the same.
That's the power of bringing yourself into the classroom.
So instead of constantly looking at what other teachers do better, spend some time looking at what you already do well.
💡 What comes naturally to you?
🤝 What do students seem to respond to?
🌱 What could you share that might encourage somebody else?
You don't have to teach like someone else.
Lean into what makes you different.
Because your ordinary may be exactly what somebody else finds extraordinary.
👉 Watch the full video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGB31EpYc0&list=UULFQOIbqNhb_gseSVU6bE3uUA