Habits for Resilient Learners
Empowering Students to Thrive Through Challenge and Change
- Lindsay Prendergast - Assistant Director of Professional Learning, The Danielson Group
- Piper Lee - Senior Account Manager for Strategic Accounts, NWEA/HMH
- Amanda Brueggeman
Foreword by Meghan Hargrave
Staff Development & Professional Learning
Empowering Learners, Building Resilience
Imagine a classroom where every challenge inspires growth and every obstacle sparks curiosity. Habits for Resilient Learners offers an actionable framework that educators can follow to support student resilience, an essential skill to help students excel under academic pressure, adapt to challenges, small and large, and persevere in a complex learning environment.
Packed with practical strategies rooted in the science of learning, this book helps teachers nurture self-awareness, self-regulation, perseverance, and problem-solving skills in students. This toolkit goes beyond academic survival—encouraging a mindset of empowerment and adaptability that lasts a lifetime. Inside you will find:
- Ten evidence-based habits to foster students’ resilience and innovative mindset
- Actionable strategies to cultivate each habit in students
- Tools, activities, and quick tips to use in your classroom
- Wisdom and real-world anecdotes from the authors’ experiences as lead learners and leadership coaches, supporting schools and districts across the country
This is your invitation to cultivate resilient, adaptable learners ready to thrive—in school and beyond
"Habits for Resilient Learners offers practical strategies that educators can immediately apply to help students build agency, perseverance, and confidence. The authors combine research, real stories, and classroom-ready tools to make resilience both teachable and attainable. This book is a valuable resource for anyone committed to preparing learners for success in school and in life."
"Habits for Resilient Learners by Prendergast, Lee, and Brueggeman invites educators to view resilience not as a fixed trait but as a skill that can be developed. In today’s turbulent times, this perspective feels especially urgent. Each chapter highlights a specific habit, blending research with practical strategies that teachers can use right away. I value how the book grounds resilience in both evidence and classroom application, making it a resource that any teacher can lean on to build stronger connections with students and help them thrive as learners over the long term."
"Habits for Resilient Learners is a must-read for every educator committed to preparing students for success in and out of school. In times of constant change and unforeseen challenges, resilience is no longer optional; it is a fundamental skill. Each chapter provides opportunities for reflection, allowing educators to pause, examine their own practices, and consider how to best support the growth of resilience in their students. Habits for Resilient Learners is grounded in evidence-based research and provides powerful insights for fostering perseverance, building confidence, and cultivating resilience in all learners."
"Habits for Resilient Learners illuminates a powerful blend of lived classroom stories, clear research, and ready-to-use strategies that teachers can immediately integrate into practice. The learning from this book becomes the thread that weaves together how educators can support students in mastering content while building resilience."
"Students need tools to help them succeed and teachers need practical strategies to help their students thrive. This dynamic team of experienced educators offers us an innovative approach to doing both. Not only do the authors share specific ways we can support students’ academic success, they include strategies for promoting well-being too. A must-read for busy teachers who are ready to motivate their students to embrace their own learning journeys."
"This book is a powerful resource for educators, offering research-based routines and habits that are easy to implement in everyday teaching. I feel confident that the student learning and student engagement in the classroom will be improved when these habits and tools are applied in practice. I especially appreciate the focus on healthy digital boundaries and fostering resilience in both educators and students—timely and transformative guidance!"
"From the very start of Habits for Resilient Learners, I could tell I would be shifting my personal and professional mindset. As a mother and educator, I learned ways to promote my own children and students not just to learn but to own their learning. Each new habit helped me to better understand and put into practice learning opportunities that prepare resilient learners to be successful in the school setting and beyond. The text offers practical and useful ways for any area or level of educator to take back. What a gift!"
"Habits for Resilient Learners by Prendergast, Lee, and Brueggeman delivers practical classroom strategies that support the development of resilient learning habits that lie within each of our students. Supported by research, the authors provide easy-to-implement tools and use relatable classroom experiences that teach how resilience is about moving beyond our struggles. When these 10 habits are modeled, reinforced, and prioritized by educators, they have the capability to impact learners well into their adult lives."