This rock and roll legend was absolutely a porcupine when he was young. He was hyperactive and would dance on tables at home. He was teased for wearing leg braces and for being Jewish. Can you guess who this is? leadinggreatlearning.com/famous-porcu... #huggingporcupines

How cute is this? This stuffed porcupine will be given away along with a copy of my new book #HuggingPorcupines at the @ISTE_ASCD conference June 28-July 1 in Orlando. Connect with me at one of my sessions (event.ascd.org/2026/program...) if you can.

It's been a while. Are you ready for the next Famous Porcupine post? Edward was a class clown in school and knew he was destined for stardom. He was right. leadinggreatlearning.com/famous-porcu... #HuggingPorcupines

Famous Porcupine: Edward

Edward was a class clown and spent more time practicing jokes and impersonations than he did studying. Things worked out for him.

leadinggreatlearning.com

Join me for the Thrive Conference (www.nrhdynamic.com/a/2147830604...) next Thursday, April 29! During this online event, you'll get a preview of my new book, #HuggingPorcupines and gain access to a whole bunch of resources to support kids who struggle with behavior in school.

Want to hear more about my new book, #HuggingPorcupines? Join me April 29th for a free online event! www.nrhdynamic.com/a/2147830604...

Are you ready to learn about another famous porcupine? This one was called stupid by his father and was beaten with a birch rod in school for defying teachers. He went on to be one of the great world leaders of the twentieth century. #huggingporcupines leadinggreatlearning.com/famous-porcu...

Dave holds the record for the number of crayons he can shove up his nose, yet he also said he hated being the class clown. Let's remember to keep #huggingporcupines. leadinggreatlearning.com/famous-porcu...

This famous "porcupine" was teased as a child and expelled from school after throwing a book at another girl's head. She went on to revolutionize the cattle industry. Do you know who she is? leadinggreatlearning.com/famous-porcu... #huggingporcupines

Check out my recent article in Legacy (The Worthy Educator) about why some kids avoid learning. It's an excerpt from my new book, Hugging Porcupines! www.theworthyeducator.com/_files/ugd/2...

My new book #HuggingPorcupines is now available on Amazon! This would be the perfect summer read for schools looking to better support kids with challenging behaviors. www.amazon.com/Hugging-Porc...

Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies to Support Our Most Challenging Students

Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies to Support Our Most Challenging Students [Anderson, Mike] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies to Support Our Most Challenging Students

amazon.com

Great article. Willpower is overrated. Don't present kids with lots of temptations and then teach them how to resist them (like offering sugary cereals for breakfast in schools). Instead, remove temptations and teach kids how to avoid them. www.npr.org/2026/03/09/n...

Kids' willpower is no match for fast food and screens. Try this instead

For decades, parents were told to help children build willpower like a muscle, to resist things like junk food and too much time on their screens. But new research suggests a better strategy.

npr.org

Can you guess who this porcupine is? He was a wild child, skipping school and throwing rocks at police officers. With the guidance of one special adult, he went on to be a sports legend. #huggingporcupines leadinggreatlearning.com/famous-porcu...

Famous Porcupine: George

This famous porcupine was drinking beer and whiskey and throwing rocks at police officers in elementary school. He went on to sports stardom.

leadinggreatlearning.com

I'm excited to announce that my newest book is available for preordering! Hugging Porcupines provides a walk through the school year with tons of practical strategies. #huggingporcupines ascd.org/books/huggin...

Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies to Support Our Most Challenging Students

Insightful strategies for reaching and teaching our “porcupines”—those students who struggle in school and challenge us most. We've all known students who disrupt class, break the rules, and try our p

ascd.org

I was once hit by a car while running, and it helped me reflect on good goal setting in teaching. leadinggreatlearning.com/maybe-its-ok...

Maybe It’s Okay Not to Meet All of Our Goals

I was once hit by a car while running, and it helped me realize that maybe it's okay to not meet all our goals.

leadinggreatlearning.com

Looking for great resources to lead your (and/or others') professional learning? I've added a section to my site with free binders about common topics I support in schools including Hugging Porcupines, Teacher Talk, Boosting Student Motivation, and more. leadinggreatlearning.com/resources/

Resources - Mike Anderson Consulting

Looking for Resources? Are you facilitating a staff meeting or in-house PD event and need some resources for teachers to explore? Or are you looking to further your own PD for your professional growth...

leadinggreatlearning.com

So much of what makes teaching so purposeful involves delayed gratification. That's fine. But let's not forget the importance of finding purpose and motivation and joy in our daily work with kids! leadinggreatlearning.com/delayed-grat...

Delayed Gratification - Mike Anderson Consulting

In both teaching and running, many of the benefits show up down the road (ahem, sorry for that). But it's not all about delayed gratification!

leadinggreatlearning.com

In both teaching and running, many of the benefits show up down the road. But it's not all about delayed gratification! leadinggreatlearning.com/delayed-grat...

Delayed Gratification - Mike Anderson Consulting

In both teaching and running, many of the benefits show up down the road (ahem, sorry for that). But it's not all about delayed gratification!

leadinggreatlearning.com

Teachers--is there something in your classroom or teaching that's just not working right now? Don't be afraid to really shake things up to find a solution. Here are a few examples to consider: leadinggreatlearning.com/is-it-time-t...

Is It Time to Try Something Different?

Sometimes it's time to try something really different. If you're struggling with the same problem day after day, it might be time to shake things up!

leadinggreatlearning.com

If reading is so important for kids, why do they spend so little time doing it in school? It just doesn't make sense. #commonsenseteaching leadinggreatlearning.com/runners-gott...

Runners Gotta Run. Readers Gotta Read.

Runners gotta run. They need to log a lot of miles. And readers gotta read (like actual reading!) a lot to get better at reading.

leadinggreatlearning.com

Welcome to the winter doldrums, folks, where (even awesome) learning and work can start to feel like a slog. This is a great time of year to try a special event with your students to sharpen their sense of purpose for learning. leadinggreatlearning.com/a-special-ev...

A Special Event Sharpens Purpose

An upcoming race gives daily training runs a greater sense of purpose. The same is true in the classroom. A special events boosts purpose.

leadinggreatlearning.com

Teachers are often hesitant to let kids experience consequences in school, because they worry about push-back from parents. Whether you're running or working with families, it's better to face potential trouble head-on. leadinggreatlearning.com/run-toward-o...

Run Toward Oncoming Traffic

Whether you're running or working with families, it's better to face potential trouble head-on. This helps you get ahead of it!

leadinggreatlearning.com

It's that time of year again. Are you going to set a New Year's resolution? If so, here are a few ideas to help you set one you might actually follow through on: leadinggreatlearning.com/how-to-set-g...

How to Set Good Goals for New Year’s Resolutions

You'll be more likely to be successful with New Year's resolutions of you make them about habits and keep them realistic.

leadinggreatlearning.com

#Motivation comes and goes, for students and teachers. Here are a few ideas, drawn from my experience as a runner and educator, about how to navigate the natural ups and downs of motivation: leadinggreatlearning.com/motivation-c...

Motivation Comes and Goes

Runners and teachers know that motivation comes and goes. We need strategies to keep ourselves (and our students) moving forward.

leadinggreatlearning.com

My latest blog post is finished! It's part of a series I'm working on that explores what #running reminds me about #teaching and #learning. This one explores how to navigate the natural ups and downs of motivation. leadinggreatlearning.com/motivation-c...

Motivation Comes and Goes

Runners and teachers know that motivation comes and goes. We need strategies to keep ourselves (and our students) moving forward.

leadinggreatlearning.com

Teachers, which routines in your room are solid? Which are shaky and will need some review in January? Good routines help students function independently and help you devote more of your attention to teaching. Start making a list now. leadinggreatlearning.com/revisiting-r...

12 Routines to Revisit in January - by Mike Anderson

Students have been away from school for the holidays, and you'll need to help them regain their school groove. It's time to revisit key routines!

leadinggreatlearning.com

On Nov. 10, I worked with Ka'elepulu School in Kailua, HI. We dug into student motivation and considered how to lean into intrinsic motivators (autonomy, competence, belonging, purpose, curiosity, and fun) and away from extrinsic ones (tickets, points, prizes, grades, etc.).

A calm start to Monday morning sets a tone of safety and productivity for the rest of the week. Start thinking ahead to next week with some ideas from this article: leadinggreatlearning.com/a-calm-start...

A Calm Start to Monday Morning

Monday mornings set the tone for the rest of the week at school. Read on for practical strategies to have a calm start to Monday morning.

leadinggreatlearning.com

Teachers, here's a blog post to pass along to parents about how to pack foods for kids that help them have a great day at school: leadinggreatlearning.com/foods-that-f...

Foods that Fuel Attention, Good Behavior, and Learning

As parents, we all want to help our kids succeed in school. Let's pack them foods that fuel attention, good behavior and learning.

leadinggreatlearning.com

We can design writing rubrics with intrinsic motivation in mind.