Today we discuss the ways that podcasting can be used to engage students in the classroom. Getting students to participate can be difficult at times. Teachers are continually competing with the fast pace of video games and instant gratification that exists in our world today. That's why podcasting can be such a useful tool to grab the attention of your students. I hope you stick around.

Teachers don't go into teaching for the money. In fact, we often know there won't be a lot of that. So how do we not only survive a teacher's salary but thrive instead? Today Rob Phelan from Fi Educator and I sit down and have some hard conversations about money. I only wish I had this conversation 20 years ago! I hope you will join us.

Today we will be talking about the power of habit building and the impact habits can have on your results. We will talk about an excellent book titled Atomic Habits by James Clear. You will find that just a 1% change can have a compounded interest on your desired result. I hope you'll join me.

Welcome to One Tired Teacher Episode 58: 5 Blissful Ideas to Make This Holiday Spectacular for Teachers. Today we are focusing on our holiday mindset. So often teachers go from frazzled hectic classrooms right before Christmas to frazzle hectic holiday households. So today let’s talk about 5 blissful ideas to help make your holiday spectacular and get you in the holiday mindset. I hope you will stick around!

Welcome to One Tired Teacher episode 57: Christmas Around the World in the Classroom. You can probably tell from all the Christmas decor that Christmas is just around the corner. And if by chance you are traveling to work with blinders on I’m 100% positive you can feel it in the energy in your classroom. 

Today we are focusing on getting our students to love learning and science in a time of year where they just want to play and open presents! In this engaging activity, they can feel like they are playing, opening presents, and learning all about solids, liquids, and gases.

Happy Thanksgiving from One Tired Teacher!

Celebrating one year of One Tired Teacher.

Fall is in the air! Well, actually not here in Florida. Fall doesn't come until the end of December. LOL

So here we are for fall. And this week I am trying to give you some Thanksgiving ideas well in advance. So I hope you will join me.

Gratitude is a practice. It results in positive thinking. In a difficult time and world, the one true factor that can make the most impact is exercising gratitude. It is complex, yet very simple. The cause of resentment and poor behavior is a direct result of feeling undervalued, not worthy, not heard, and not cared about. When we focus on the things in which we do value and are the most grateful for, we can change resentment into gratitude and love. Recognizing and expressing gratitude towards children can change everything. Expressing gratitude is a simple answer to a complex problem. We need to stop thinking about gratitude as emotion and begin to live it as an action. Living your life as an expression of gratitude is the greatest give you can give a child and yourself.

Halloween is one of the major celebrations that kids love! I mean what kid doesn’t love candy and to dress up as their favorite character or person?!

It’s that time of year! Time for spooky and silly, candy and dressing up. Halloween can be super fun in the elementary classroom or it can be a hot mess. Either way, here are some great books and Makerspace Moments in Literature to get your spook on!

Being a teacher can be so difficult, especially when it comes to behavior problems. Kids throwing tables and chairs and acting aggressively have increased significantly in the past five years. Sadly, we are seeing a dramatic increase in younger children who exhibit these behaviors, as well.

So what is a teacher to do? That is the question. How can teachers teach when they are continually being interrupted by one behavior issue after another?

What is a soft opener? A soft opener is an easy transition into the school day. This unique start to the day allows kids to come in and make some choices about how they want to start their school day. The choices range from reading to drawing, to STEM activities, and more. Talk about an eliminator of behavior issues!

On today’s show, I have expert ESE resource teacher, Nichole Maas talking all about behavior and how to proactively manage the classroom and provide tools for ALL children to learn and co-exist. Nichole is a wealth of information and has the most incredible heart for children. I hope you will join us as we talk about behavior, classroom management, building rapport, and helping children find their best selves.

Mary Anne and I spoke several months ago about a very important topic- social-emotional learning. Our conversation was very special to me, as Mary Anne shares her raw uncensored responses to teaching, learning, and her very first steps into the world of being a teacherpreneur.

This week we are continuing the conversation on classroom management with a focus on proactively building rapport. In the next few weeks we will cover classroom management, behavior management, and discipline. We will cover it all!

This week we are jumping into classroom management, building rapport, behavior management, and discipline. We will cover it all!

Now if getting ready for school was really as easy as listening to 5 podcasts life as an educator would be so much better! Let's get real. You and I both know it isn't. We know that it takes more than the time given us to get everything all set. Most teachers I know have to go back weeks before school actually begins. It's a lot to ask, and we are often not thanked for doing it. So I want to say on behalf of children across the world- THANK YOU! Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to excellence. Even if you do it to save your own sanity, THANK YOU! You continue to make a difference in the lives of others.

Today we will be talking about all things organization. This topic can be pretty tricky for those of us who are not necessarily gifted in this area. {I do like to keep the following quote in mind when my space gets less than tidy. LOL}