On today's podcast, I share 7 steps to big-picture thinking to help balance detailed oriented planning. Make planning easier and more efficient by using both picture-picture and details in your planning this school year.

Do you need some energizing ideas to help you disconnect from school? I know it is so hard to let go of the school year. I was recently in a FB group where a third-grade teacher was feeling GUILTY about not working in the summer! I wanted to take that sweet teacher by the hand and give her a huge hug and then send her on a cruise!

Teaching during a pandemic was ROUGH. Teachers have shown up in a big way. Now is the time for teachers to take a much-needed vacation. Where will you go this summer? Come take a listen to why teachers SHOULD plan a vacation this summer!

Meltdown can happen to us all. Especially at the end of -the year! Things are hectic. Our to-do list is overflowing. So how can we avoid the embarrassing meltdown that can sometimes happen at school?! Come take a listen and save your end-of-the-year sanity!

Getting to the end of the school year comes with a mixture of feelings. I know I’ve experienced overwhelm with all the looming things that need to be done. I’ve felt frustration at the lackluster attitudes my kids have displayed, and I’ve even felt a deep sadness as the days counted down. Other years, I have to admit, I’ve felt relief. Some years you are just ready to end. There are just so many feelings.

As the school year winds down, teachers find themselves with a laundry list of things to do and not a lot of energy. So how do teachers end the year while celebrating learning and getting to all the tasks required of them? They have to get creative! That’s for sure.

Natasha Nurse Clarke has so much to share with us today! She talks about her past as a nurse and how it has prepared her for college-level teaching. She also reveals many methods to get her students to open up and get the creative juices flowing. She stresses the importance of getting students involved in class and how it can lead to a future passion for them. Whether you teach elementary or college, you don’t wanna miss this episode!

Loren Thorpe joins us today all the way from Australia! She is sharing her ideas for choice boards and shares her “50 Ways of Using Choice Boards in your Classroom.” She also shares the different options you could use on your choice board for different grade levels. Join us as we explore the benefits of choice boards!

What does having a growth mindset mean in your classroom for you as the educator? We talk about growth mindset for our classroom with the terms of our students and what we want for our students, but what about ourselves?

Today we have s special guest, Sabrina Crews from Ms. Crews Classroom Creations. Sabrina has been teaching students with special needs for eight years. Ms. Crews has two MEd’s in curriculum and instruction with a focus on special education and literacy.

Teaching is at an all-time level of difficulty. Throw behavior challenges into the mix and you have a recipe for disaster. How can teachers keep their sanity and also better understand where these behaviors are coming from and why they are occurring. Join Leslie Belvins and me or a conversation on behavior function and how to look at the behavior with empathy and grade while also taking care of the rest of the class and yourself. I hope you will join us.

Today I sit down with Brian from the dynamic duo Wise Guys. Brian and I talk about how to engage students while online with connections, games, fun technology, and more. We also have a great discussion about the importance of providing equal access to education for all students. I hope you will join us.

Today I have a special guest Amy Mezni from Teaching Ideas 4U. And we are going to talk all about the magic of hands-on integrated units. Hope you stick around.

Amy shares information on integrated units. You may be thinking, is that a thematic unit, is it an intradisciplinary unit or is there a difference? Amy's going to explain the differences to us, so that is really helpful.

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?!

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

Taking time to recharge is vital for teachers. It clears our minds, nourishes our soul, and prepares us for the year ahead. Today, I gathered answers from teachers on what they do over the summer. I hope you are reminded to take a breath.

Today I am talking with Jackie Waldman about recharging over the summer. She asks us to think about recharging over the summer for teachers as a way to get back what we have lost or let go of through the year that has left us depleted.  What can we do to get just a little of that back. So powerful! I hope you’ll join us. 

Talking curriculum, professional development, and building a community of teachers is one of my favorite things to do. That probably explains why Deedee Wills from the Facebook group Primary Collaborative and I speak for over an hour! It's a long one, but I loved every moment of it.

There is a love hate relationship with the end of the school year for teachers. We often hate all the tedious tasks we are asked to do like pack up our entire classroom just to unpack 2 months later, create class lists, and say goodbye to our kids and co-workers. We also love the idea of starting fresh in August, organizing our things, and getting a much needed break from the daily grind.