Giving students a designated, structured way to transition from one activity to the next all day long can set you and your students up for success all day!

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Transitions in the classroom, all those little moments when your students are moving from one activity to the next, really can make or break your day. I know that sounds like a bold claim, but it's really true. When we don't have strong systems and procedures for transitioning in our classrooms, we lose our students' attention and sometimes their good behavior as well.

Today's episode is all about how to set up and direct the transition times in your day. And guess what...you and your students make tons of transitions each and every day. I think you'll be surprised by how many transitions there are that you haven't even thought about. 

It's really easy to lose students when changing activities, moving from one space in the classroom or school to...

Do you have students struggling with anxiety? Unfortunately, your students are not unique in this. Anxiety is pretty common in classrooms around the world these days.

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As I am living the student anxiety train with one of my own children, it has got me thinking about all of our students that regularly deal with anxiety. How do we help them to not only manage day-to-day but move forward? 

Our very fast-paced and "connected" world today can be both a blessing and a curse for our students. While it's great to stay connected with, chat and play games online with both friends and family, our online lives can become a detriment to our real lives if we aren't careful. The declines in real social skills, stressful personal lives, and ever-increasing school standards and pressures combine to make for a rough go for many of our students. 

While it's great to say be grateful, have a growth mindset, etc., that's...

None of us start the school year hoping it's a challenging year. That would be ridiculous!  No. All teachers start the year with hope and great intentions, right? But, somewhere along the way, things can start to unravel [some years more than others]. 

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So we need to figure out - where do things begin to fall apart so we can prevent that from happening in the future.

Today's episode is all about establishing systems and procedures that can go the distance so you and your students are set up for success all year. [Even when you hit those inevitable bumps in the road].

Where do you start? Well... we need to begin by defining what a well-run classroom looks like, what a great class community feels like and what the day-to-day looks like in an organized teacher life.

So what kinds of things make up the infrastructure that is the foundation of a well-run classroom, an organized...

Do you ever feel like there just isn't enough time in the day for teacher self-care activities? There's just too much to do and you're too tired at the end of the day to do one more thing...Right?!

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Well, if there's one thing that you should take away from this last year it's that self-care matters! As teachers, we HAVE to take care of ourselves first in order to do our best for anyone else. Turns out...the old saying "you can't pour from an empty pot" is true! Besides, if you don't take care of yourself, who will?

If you haven't guessed already, today's episode is all about teacher self-care activities. I'll bet you haven't thought about all the different ways you can be caring for yourself, how to identify the type of self-care you're needing at any given time and what each one looks like.

I say it all the time, but it bears repeating…self-care is NOT selfish! And putting yourself...

“Writing is hard, even for published writers. And writing with your students... can be just as difficult." 

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“I don’t know what to write!”

It’s a common refrain throughout classrooms, no matter what grade you teach. Three plus three is always six, but writing, well, writing is different every time. Most students want to write something once, get their grades, and be done.

Today's episode is all about the writing process. Lisa chats with writer and teacher Loretta Oakes as they peel back the many layers of writing and what teachers can do to make writing easier and more fun. After taking a screenplay class, Loretta branched out into articles and children’s books, editing friends’ works as she went. Loretta joins us to give her best ideas for coaching students into being better writers.

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out: 

• The three different...

Have you ever felt overwhelmed and stressed about managing and planning all the moving parts for literacy teaching? Do you ever worry that not all of your students will make a full year’s growth in reading and writing?

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Don't worry, I've got 4 things you can do NOW to help you teach literacy successfully all year.

I KNOW you want each of your students to reach maximum learning and grow as much as they can in their time with you. We all do! But...accomplishing that is easier said than done when we're moving at lightning speed all day, every day, right?! 

In today's podcast episode, I've got you covered! There are a few things that are game-changers when it comes to teaching. These things can help reduce your stress, tame that overwhelm, and give you a new perspective so you can actually fully focus on teaching literacy [or any other subject].

Listen in. 

In this episode, find...

Cell phones out, toilet paper on fire--just another day in school when the regular teacher is out and a sub is in charge, right? No way!

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Do you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed out about figuring out what information your sub will need? How many hours do you spend making sub plans? Too many, right? And when you’re sick, making detailed sub plans is the last thing on your mind. But those sub plans are the key to a successful day for your substitute teacher! Join Lisa as she chats with Barb Mastro, former PE teacher, swim coach, and sub extraordinaire.

Today's episode is all about Barb’s best tips for planning for a substitute teacher, straight from the sub herself. As a substitute, Barb has taught it all--from AP Calculus to language arts, and elementary P.E. As a band mom and swim coach, she might come in knowing what kids are trustworthy, but that still doesn’t mean they won’t...

I keep a section on my bookshelf just for teacher books. Do you?

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As a teacher, you should have some books on your teacher bookshelf as your go-to resources. While I have quite a few teacher resource books I've collected over the years, I admit to having some favorites. Today I'm sharing 5 of my favorite must-have books for your teacher bookshelf. Don't judge me or my book picks until you hear me out as to why I love these books and think they're essential. One of them is a bit unconventional but I stand behind it as an essential resource.

In case you haven't guessed it already...today's episode is short and to the point and will help you grow your teacher reference book collection. Who doesn't love a great book, right?! And one that will help you in your teaching...even better!

I'm so excited to share these 5 books with you!

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out: 

• What my 5 book picks are.
• ...

Are you tired of classroom organization that doesn't last the whole school year?

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We spend days, even weeks, organizing and setting up our classrooms at the beginning of the school year. But, after back-to-school is in the rearview mirror, that organization can quickly fall apart. Learn how to both GET and STAY ORGANIZED for the long haul in this episode of the Teach Joyfully Podcast with my guest Kelly Jackson from the Simply Organized Teacher.

Obviously, today's episode is all about classroom organization. But, being an organized teacher and having a well-run classroom is really more than just organizing papers, books, and other "stuff." In fact, I think you'll be surprised by all the systems and additional items that need to be addressed in order for your classroom to run smoothly. 

Join me as I chat with Kelly Jackson from The Simply Organized Teacher to talk about all things classroom...

Being able to relax this summer and let school go for a bit can be as simple as getting a few simple things in the works and walking away.

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You'd think relaxing over summer break would be easy. But sometimes, it's hard to let go and wind down. Turning our teacher brains "off" in the summer isn't necessarily automatic. When that happens, I've found that getting a few simple things under control or "in the works" can help me let the rest go and truly rest and recharge over the summer. 

So if this all sounds familiar to you, this episode is for you! I've got 5 simple tricks that will Make back-to-school so much easier and help you let go and relax because you've got a plan in place and a bit of progress toward that plan to boot. #teacherwin

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out: 

• What 2 things you need to schedule that you probably haven't even thought of.
• A one-minute task you can do...