my journey and mission
About Me
Shirley preyan
Shirley Preyan is a caring, committed, lifelong educator. Her vast experience hails from holding various positions ranging from unlicensed GED teacher to school co-founder. She has served on campuses varying from turnaround to progressive district-based choice schools. She is especially committed to serving students of color with emotional and behavioral challenges.
Born and raised in Detroit, Shirley is a proud foster care survivor who aims to pour unconditional belief into all students. She credits her passion for education to her late Grandmother who had a strong influence on her life as a child. Shirley is a proud wife and loving mother committed to being a leader of emotional support for students, families, and teachers alike.
Care is not just warm and fuzzy. It is transformational.
shirley preyan
awards and recognition
America’s Favorite Teacher Group Finalist, Quarter Finalist (2026)
Campus Teacher of the Year (2024)
Distinguished Teacher: Dallas ISD (2023)
Recognized Teacher: Texas Education Agency (2023)
Amazon Number 1 Best Seller in Education Theory, Philosophy and Social Aspects of Education, Contemporary Education Methods, Teacher Mentoring and Multicultural Education Methods (2022)
Sue Lehman Excellence in Teaching Award (2014)
The Journey
The Beginning
My journey in education began in a GED classroom. I was hired to work the front desk but quickly found myself trying to teach adult learners. It was there that I learned one of the most important lessons of my career: heart without skills leads to frustration and burnout. I cared deeply for my students, but I still needed the habits, language, and practices that make learning possible.
Entering K-12
When I entered K–12 education, I brought that lesson with me. Relationships came naturally, and I built strong connections with students. At the time, I believed relationships were the answer. Over time, I learned that relationships matter deeply—but they are only one part of the complexity of care.
Boys' Education
My passion for boys’ education was ignited in the southern sector of a large Texas school district. There, I watched caring teachers, administrators, and parents struggle to reach some of the most disengaged students. Too often, middle school boys interpreted academic struggle as evidence that they didn’t belong. I became determined to understand why disengagement happens—and how we can interrupt it before it becomes identity. I learned quickly that even though many teachers and administrators truly cared for troubled boys, still they struggled to serve them.
School Leadership
In 2018, I co-founded a progressive district-based charter school and later served as a middle school administrator. As a teacher and leader, I watched passionate educators navigate a rapidly changing world that was further transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw firsthand that caring about students was not enough. Educators needed sustainable habits, practical tools, and a deeper understanding of care itself. Most importantly, the kids were changing faster than education was keeping up.
The Book
Those experiences led me to write The Heart Is Not Enough: Habits of Educators Who Care for Modern Kids. The book was born from a simple but uncomfortable truth: our hearts for kids are often bigger than the systems and skills supporting us. It became my attempt to help teachers, administrators, and parents understand the complexity of care and its role in modern education.With new understanding, I believe we can maintain our heart for students through proper care.
The Work Today
Today, I teach in a challenging all-boys environment because the classroom remains my greatest teacher. After serving as a teacher, co-founder, and middle school administrator, I returned to the classroom to continue the work that inspired it all. I don’t share theories from a distance; I share lessons forged through daily practice. Every day, I see how transformational care can reconnect students to learning, sustain educators, and change the trajectory of a school community. My classroom is high performing and always rooted in care.
keep up with me
I started by TikTok (@teachingagain) when I returned to the classroom after my years as an administrator and school co-founder. Now, stepping back into leadership through authorship and speaking, I find myself teaching again in new ways: to other educators, administrators, parents, and students alike.
TikTok is my opportunity to share my journey and insights with the world and to help those throughout the education community care for modern kids without burning out.
@teachingagain Im trying to make a Tik Tok but of course there will always be that one kid that gets picked up late in your business. #teachersoftiktok #teachingagain ♬ original sound - Shirley Ann Preyan
@teachingagain When kids express themselves, be quiet and let them do it their way. #teachersoftiktok #teachingagain ♬ original sound - Shirley Ann Preyan