TEACHING THE HABITS OF HEROES

As a middle school English teacher, it was the bane of my existence trying to get students to complete their assignments. It seemed like that’s all I was there to do. Like it was part of my job description to motivate them to do the work. Even the simple assignments!

“Brad, it’s a one sentence response to the chapter we just read in class. One sentence!!”

Often, I’d hear teachers lament this with me, and we’d both fall into the trap of thinking the very unhelpful thought: “Kids just aren’t motivated these days.”

But what if the problem wasn’t motivation?

What if it wasn’t even about understanding the content? What if it was something… smaller? Something habitual?

James Clear’s Atomic Habits makes a compelling case that behavior doesn’t come from big, life-changing pep talks. It comes from tiny, consistent actions done again and again. 

That’s exactly what we want our students to develop: confidence, character, and productivity, built one tiny habit at a time.

Here are five takeaways from Atomic Habits that every teacher should be using to help you get the most out of your students without the exhausting nagging and begging.

1. TEACH IDENTITY, NOT JUST TASKS

“Every action you take is a vote for the kind of person you want to become.” (Atomic Habits, Chapter 2)

Grades are outcomes. Rubrics are outcomes. “Mastery” is… you guessed it: an outcome.

But identity? That’s sticky.

When students see themselves as “the kind of person who…” (turns things in, asks for help, tries again), they stop needing constant motivation.

So instead of praising outcomes, praise identity. Say things like:

• “You’re the kind of student who finishes what they start.”
• “Looks like you’re becoming a deep thinker.”
• “I noticed you helped someone without being asked. Leader move.”

You’re not just assigning tasks, you’re narrating the hero story they’re already living.

2. MAKE CUES UNMISSABLE

“Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.” (Atomic Habits, Chapter 6)

If the assignment instructions are on a dusty bulletin board behind the sink and under a poster from 2004, don’t be surprised when they don’t follow through.

Set up obvious visual cues and repeatable signals. Examples:

• A “start-of-class” checklist that lives on the board.
• A bell-ringer timer that students race (or beat cooperatively).
• A physical space in the room that screams “turn this in here.”

The fewer decisions they have to make, the more mental bandwidth they can spend actually doing the thing.

 

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3. MAKE LEARNING FEEL COOL (OR AT LEAST INTERESTING)

“The more attractive an opportunity, the more likely it is to become habitual.” (Atomic Habits, Chapter 8)

The common instructions to “Read the directions and answer the questions” does not exactly seduce the teenage brain.

But turning that same task into “solve the mystery the author left behind,” or “decode what the villain is thinking,” or “make this answer so clear that even a sleep-deprived raccoon could understand it”?

Now we’re getting somewhere.

Wrap habits in story. Build an XP system. Turn boring stuff into mini-quests. The content doesn’t have to change, but the framing does.

4. STOP WAITING FOR MOTIVATION TO SHOW UP

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” (Atomic Habits, Introduction)

Middle schoolers aren’t unreliable because they’re lazy. They’re unreliable because their executive function is still a baby deer learning how to walk.

Motivation is fleeting. Systems are forever.

Build in classroom scaffolds that trigger helpful behaviors:

• Default routines (every Tuesday = peer review)
• Habit stacking: write your name, read the instructions, circle the verbs
• 2-minute “start it now” moments before they leave class

Confidence doesn’t magically appear, it grows when kids can trust themselves to show up, even when it’s boring, hard, or awkward.

5. CELEBRATE THE 1% IMPROVEMENTS

“Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.” (Atomic Habits, Chapter 1)

We love a good transformation story, but teaching isn’t an 80s montage. It’s more like watching a tree grow with a LOT more complaining.

Notice the tiny wins:

• The kid who actually wrote two sentences today.
• The student who found their paper on time for once.
• The teen who said “I guess this makes sense” instead of “I hate this.”

Point those moments out like they matter, because they do. That’s how students learn to see themselves as capable.

TEACHERS = HABIT ARCHITECTS

Teaching isn’t just about delivering curriculum. It’s about helping students become someone one tiny choice at a time.

You don’t need to overhaul your classroom or become a motivational guru. You just need to design a system where students can feel small wins, build self-trust, and begin to believe the story that they are the kind of person who does the work, owns their growth, and builds their own future.

That’s how you turn sidekicks into heroes. (And maybe get Brad to write that one sentence.)

 

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About Joey Mascio

Joey Mascio is a middle school teacher, certified CBT coach for teens, and professional improv comedian. He’s the creator of Sidekick to Hero, a gamified mindset training app that helps teens build confidence, character, and productivity. When he’s not coaching teens or cracking jokes in the classroom, he’s BBQing for his wife and four children.