Hey!

I’m Dan Jackson, a teacher from Sydney, Australia, and the author of Work Less, teach More: How to be an effective teacher and live a life you love. Thanks for stopping by!

You might know me as the founder of TeachersPD or the host of the Effective Teaching podcast.

But I’m also a passionate educator supporting teachers around the world in their endeavours to be effective teachers.

It all began in 2006

I'll never forget my first teaching job. I made some great friendships with the teachers I worked with and fell in love with the students I was teaching. 

While I wasn't keen on teaching when I started by the end of my first year I knew why people saw it as a calling.

Teaching is in my blood. My grandmother was a teacher, both my parents were teachers, and all three of my siblings are now teachers. I knew going into the job just how much work it was, but I didn't know how rewarding a career it would be.

From quitting to effective teaching

In 2015 I was burnt out and quit teaching halfway through the year. I felt like a victim of the system

I took 6-months off from teaching, hung out with my son who was 2 at the time and supported my wife as she traveled the country working on a national project.

During these 6-months I began my very first business and everything began to change.

In business there are soo many resources and I learnt very quickly how to be effective in my business. Focusing on the important tasks and leveraging my resources.

When I returned to teaching in 2016, I was determined to apply this to my teaching and became an effective teacher. now not only was I working less hours, I was better at my job and managed to get promoted to deputy (aka vice) principal.

What is an effective teacher?

A teacher who:

• Knows where they want to go and the most important actions to get there. 
• Prioritises their work each day in relation to who they want to be and the impact they want to make.
• Challenges assumptions and focuses on the elements of teaching that matter the most.
• Is dedicated to their students' success in life.
• Has balance in life between productivity and personal care.
• Leverages the 80/20 rule to increase their impact without wasting their time.
• Challenges the system to focus on what is best for student learning and teacher long-term careers.
• Supports and encourages those around them to increase their effectiveness.