048: What You Need to Do NOW to Get Ready for Back-to-School Next Year

I have a love-hate relationship with to-do lists. Seriously. While I love a good list, I'm picky about them. I don't do just any old list. I only do manageable, REALISTIC lists. Yup, those actually exist and we can control them even when it's that back-to-school "monster" list.

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That back-to-school to-do list is probably already out of control. Here's how you can get that monster reined in and gain peace so you can rest and recharge this summer. And we all know...your summer teacher self-care is ESSENTIAL. 

In today's episode, I am going to give you just one more task before you check out for the summer. I know, I know.  You could not possibly be more "done". I get it. However, this task is not difficult, won't take much time, and it really is essential in order for you to not be the overwhelmed teacher at back-to-school time. You WILL thank me when the...

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#047: How to Help Families Keep the Learning Going All Summer

summer slide Jun 04, 2021
Summer is a time for rest and rejuvenation. We need it and so do our students, but what do we do about that summer slide?

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While the summer slide is real, so is the need for a break. Honestly, a break is the best way to help students start strong in the fall. Loading up our students' summer with more work just burns them out on school and makes them resentful. So how do we walk the line of helping kids maintain and take a much-needed break at the same time?

Today's episode is just a few quick and simple ways to help students and families walk that line while having fun this summer and [hopefully] not even know they're learning.

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out about all kinds of activities kids can do from home if they choose to that will create curiosity, support active brains and keep kids learning. Things like:
  • The best author pages for activities and fun stuff.
  • Great online...
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#046: How to Make Staying Fit and a Regular Workout Routine Happen with Fit Teacher Momma

self-care May 27, 2021
I say it all the time...self-care is essential and having an exercise routine is one form of self-care.

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Taking care of YOU is the foundation for becoming a joyful teacher and effective teacher.  And while there are lots of forms of self-care, fitness is an important one for both our physical and mental health! It reduces stress, gets our bodies working more efficiently, and helps us focus better all day long.

Today's guest is Ann Wiegmann Stafford, aka Fit Teacher Momma, who has a unique [and free] solution she created to help herself and other teachers stay fit, support each other and connect. She's a science teacher, mom of 2, and wife who is passionate about fitness.

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out: 
  • How Ann got started.
  • What her system is and how it works.
  • How simple it is to get started on your fitness journey.
  • Why now is the right time to get started taking care of YOU.

Ann...

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#045: Growing a Love for Reading with Jodie Rodriguez from Growing Book by Book

Do your families struggle to support their child's literacy at home? Is weeding out the best books out of the sea of books exhausting? Help is here!

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You know literacy is my passion, and in today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with a kindred soul.

Today's guest is Jodie Rodriguez from Growing Book By Book.  Jodie has been an educator for over 20 years teaching the little ones through adults.  She had worked as a Reading Specialist, Literacy Coach, Curriculum Coordinator, Federal Programs Coordinator, and Head of School. 

Her focus is on what really matters when teaching young readers and connecting home and school for awesome literacy growth. With two high-energy boys of her own in addition to her teaching experience, you KNOW she gets what really works to grow readers.

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out: 
  • Why Jodie...
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#044: Simple Ways to Improve Your Students' Writing

When teaching writing, it's easy to get caught up in the details...

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Writing is one of the areas that I find teachers struggle with teaching the most. It's such a personal and tricky thing to teach. And quite honestly, it's one area we can sometimes feel unqualified or less confident in because we doubt our own ability to write well. It's kind of the nature of being a writer. We're our own worst critics, aren't we?!

While we do all the right "things" when teaching writing like giving directed feedback, assessing, using rubrics, providing lots of practice, etc., it's easy to forget a few of the basics in all the moving parts.

In case you haven't guessed...today's episode is all about teaching writing. It doesn't matter what grade you're teaching, from primary to upper elementary, writing is an important skill for all students. It can be easier to teach than you think.

Listen in. 

In this episode, find...
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#043: How to Solve Playground Disputes Quickly and Easily

Are you worn to the bone with playground disputes? Here's help.

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There are lots of ways kids [knowingly and unknowingly] sabotage recess time and turn it into anything but fun. From cheating to tattling to flat-out rule-breaking, recess this time of year can become a battlefield and everyone's taking sides.

There's no reason for you or your students to suffer or miss out on having a fun break every day instead of heading into battle. Or worse, dragging those playground disputes back into the classroom after recess is over.

Today's episode is all about …recess and how to train your STUDENTS to not only problem solve with diplomacy but to be proactive in avoiding problems by setting up rules of play BEFORE starting a game. 

Just because this solution is simple, doesn't mean it's not powerful!

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out: 
  • How to train students to establish Fair Play...
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#042: 5 Mom Mistakes I've Made That Also Apply to Our Classrooms

As a mom, I make mistakes every single day – big ones, small ones, and in-between ones. It’s unavoidable. 

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The key is to reflect and learn from them so you don’t keep making the same ones all the time. That’s when you know you’re stuck.

Today's episode is all about mistakes. Seriously! We talk about mistakes, personal reflection, and how important they both are for our students and our own kids' growth. But... do we own our mistakes and consciously learn from them in the same way? It's so much harder to do than we think!

As a mom and an educator, I have to say taking the time to pause, reflect and learn from my mistakes is much harder than it should be. However, I have found that I not only quit making the same mistakes over and over when I do take the time to reflect, but I can dump of the mom/teacher guilt too. That might not be a win in your book, but it is in...

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#041: 7 Things You Might [unintentionally] Be Doing to Reinforce Poor Classroom Behavior

classroom management Apr 22, 2021
I’ve found that sometimes we’re making the classroom management problems worse without even knowing it! 

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As hard as it is to admit that we're part of the classroom behavior problem in our own classrooms, it's often true. It is hard to look at ourselves and what we are doing and saying each day for lots of reasons. To begin with, life in the classroom is so very busy. There's just not a spare moment in our day most days. In addition, self-reflection can be HARD, especially when we are our own worst critics. 

I'm not asking you to beat yourself up. In fact, you better NOT beat yourself up over it. Just become more self-aware at the moment when things aren't going well. So with that thought... today I have 7 ways you MIGHT be [unintentionally] reinforcing poor classroom behavior. I promise they're easy to fix [and you're not alone in this]!

Listen in.

In this episode, find out:
  • 7...
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#040: 11 Ways to Help Your Students Actively Participate in Class Discussions in Meaningful Ways

We’ve all experienced it – students who simply don’t participate unless we call on them. And even then...their answers are often lacking in quality or understanding.

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You might have tried drawing student names out of a bin to call on students randomly, call directly on students, or even lectured on the importance of participating. On the surface, this might appear to be working, but is it really accomplishing the real goal of students demonstrating their understanding and having engaged students and a real, class discussion? Or are our students just checking the box by answering when forced to do so?

Today's episode is all about …helping your students actively engage and participate in meaningful ways. 

So how do we generate interest and build confidence so students will gladly participate and even look forward to having their say?

Listen in. 

In this episode, find...
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#039: 5 Ways to Use Classroom Reading to Impact Long-term Student Success

Raise your hand if you have students that have never [or rarely] been read to at home. Well...I'm raising my hand right along with you! 

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It can be frustrating and leave you feeling like your students will never get ahead in reading. But, that's lie.

Today's episode is all about how I use classroom reading time to impact students' long-term reading success. There's no reason to think you students can't succeed in reading and in school if their home is devoid of books and reading. No, you can't change that, and you shouldn't stress yourself out over it either. Instead, I suggest a more proactive approach but owning what we CAN control...our classroom time.

By intentionally structuring my classroom reading to provide background knowledge, vocabulary growth, and tons of time both reading and being read to, my students see exponential growth. It's simple to do once you know how.

 

In this...
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