Lissa Pijanowski, Ed.D

Teachers, you’ve got this! Nothing like some end of the year humor. 🙂 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYibOEiB5Tj/?igsh=MXp5YzB1cGsya29s

Every May I become one minor inconvenience away from legally changing my name and starting a candle shop in Vermont. If you’ve ever worked in a school during the final stretch, just know: I see you, I salute you, and I hope your emotional support iced coffee is large enough to heal generational trauma. #TeacherLife #school #storytime #ComedyReels #Relatable

May the 4th be with you. 🎬

New Adventure . . .
I am thrilled to be joining the Department of Social Foundations & Leadership Education at the University of North Georgia. I will be serving as an Adjunct Professor and will begin teaching courses this summer in the graduate level M.Ed in Curriculum & Instruction.

This innovative program offers two concentration options: Innovative Teaching with STEAM endorsement and Educational Leadership with Tier I certification. The deadline for the new cohort in May 1. For more info, click the link below.

I will still be working with my partner districts in 26-27 so this is the best of both worlds!

Curriculum & Instruction (M.Ed.) Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction

Love this! In honor of playoff season - check out this creative teacher! So great!

“all you can do is learn from it and get after the next one.” 🎙️ . . . #teacher #teacherlife #elementaryteacher #sports #pressconference #sportshumor

What's your ONE WORD for the year? Think about your goals for 2026 - find a common theme - what word will help you focus on what you want to accomplish this year?

I love this activity for January PD. It helps professional educators take a moment to reflect and focus on future goals. At Black's Mill ES in Dawson County 1.5.26 and the conversation and words were powerful! These teachers are going to have an AMAZING 2026!

CREATE - INTENTIONAL - FOCUSED - PRESENT - MEANINGFUL - GROWTH - OVERFLOW - COMPLEMENT - NURTURE - HEALTH
and many more . . .

Noteworthy research from the Edutopia Ed Studies Roundup for 2025:

*Two of the studies confirm what we know - teaching is complex and inherently HUMAN and better results are based on stronger relationships.

*Two of the studies discuss how AI is helping SpED teachers with workload and how ChatGPT is creating writers who forget.

*Two of the studies support movement for learners through microbreaks and the need for more recess in elementary school.

*The top 10 rounds out with research on cellphones, productive struggle, and handwriting.

Enjoy! Here's to a great 2026!

The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2025 We’re back with our roundup of the most insightful studies of the year, from the power of brain breaks to groundbreaking research on AI, cell phones, and handwriting in the classroom.

The Teacher Toolkit is an amazing online resource I use often when teaching strategies. Filled with proven instructional strategies for K-12 teachers with video examples, templates, and more! Check it out! https://www.theteachertoolkit.com/

NEW BOOK: Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It - Author - Dr. Timothy Shanahan (September 2025)

Recommending this as your next professional book if you teach children to read. This research challenges long held beliefs and practices about teaching reading - BUT it offers 27 practical strategies to help students access grade level text and beyond. I have been following Dr. Timothy Shanahan for years and this may be his most compelling work to date - a culmination of what he has learned and how latest research has changed his thinking.

Why one reading expert says 'just-right' books are all wrong In a new book, researcher Timothy Shanahan argues that giving students easy texts is holding back US reading achievement