Returning from winter break, teachers are well rested and ready to start the second half of the school year. But oftentimes, students come back feeling excited and forgetting all of your procedures and expectations. This can lead to a lot of rough days in the classroom! We were recently on another podcast, Educate & Rejuvenate, where we discussed four tricks for having a rough day reset in the classroom. With teachers going back after the new year, we thought this information was so valuable...
Jan 06, 2025•42 min
For our last episode of 2024, we wanted to share another fan-favorite episode. In this replay episode, you will gather some tools that will help prevent behavior problems before they even start in the new year! With school in session for a while now, you might be seeing some behavior issues starting to creep up that weren’t there before. Instead of just dealing with them as they come, it’s much better to put strategies in place that prevent behavior problems from occurring in the first place. Tu...
Dec 30, 2024•26 min
As we wrap up 2024, we’re bringing back our top two most popular episodes—fan favorites that truly resonated with our listeners. First up, we’re revisiting an episode packed with strategies to boost student engagement through active participation! When designing lessons and activities, our goal is always to make them engaging and encourage active participation. But true engagement goes beyond academics. For students to be fully engaged, they need to be involved behaviorally, emotionally, and men...
Dec 23, 2024•23 min
If there’s one thing we’re passionate about, it’s procedures and routines! Earlier this year, we had the chance to chat about this topic on the Rainbow Skies for New Teachers podcast. We found the discussion so valuable—especially for this time of year—that we had to share it with you, too. In today’s episode, we’re diving into why it’s never too late to introduce (or revisit) procedures and routines in your classroom. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: http...
Dec 16, 2024•33 min
Along with January being the start of a new calendar year, it also allows teachers a new beginning to the school year. Both bring the opportunity for fresh starts and a new perspective on how to handle the upcoming year. But in order to achieve that, it’s best to plan ahead and treat the first day back from winter break like the second first day of school. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to maximize the week after winter break and set yourself up for success! For all the resources menti...
Dec 09, 2024•25 min
Teaching during the month of December can be a magical time for both you and your students, but it can also be challenging! With so many interruptions to your regular routine like holiday assemblies and class parties, your energy can be drained quickly. So in order to fill your cup back up, we’re sharing some of our tried and true December teaching tips. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/tried-and-true-december-teac...
Dec 02, 2024•23 min
With the holiday season in full gear, we can imagine how bombarded you are with how to make everything in your classroom feel festive. And if that’s your jam, by all means, you go for it! But for most of us, we worry that too many holiday festivities will derail our classroom management or get us behind in the curriculum. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing three ways to be the fun teacher in December without losing control of your class. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to...
Nov 25, 2024•24 min
With winter break just around the corner, we want to do everything we can as teachers to be prepared and enjoy our break from school. In last week’s episode, we walked you through how to plan your end of December and start of January lessons in advance. However, finding the time to actually plan is the tricky part. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing our best teacher prep for January tips and tricks. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstor...
Nov 18, 2024•18 min
When December hits, it seems like a long road until you’re on winter break. So when break finally arrives all you want to do is relax, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy doing things you love! Then as break nears the end, you get stressed and overwhelmed with all the work you still need to do when school resumes in January. In order to resolve that feeling, in today’s episode, we’re sharing a system for teacher winter break prep that will leave you prepared and planned for the new yea...
Nov 11, 2024•26 min
On Sunday afternoon and evening, do you ever feel anxious about the upcoming week? This recurring feeling that you’re experiencing is actually called the Sunday scaries. Since many people have this feeling, it’s important to learn what’s happening to your mind and body and strategies to move past it. To give us a better understanding of it all, guest Kelsey Sorenson is sharing ways to overcome the teacher Sunday scaries. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: ht...
Nov 04, 2024•32 min
In order for a classroom to run smoothly, sometimes it takes more than just the teacher to make it happen. Getting students involved provides them with responsibility and ownership of the classroom and building its community. One of the best ways to achieve this is by incorporating classroom jobs. But like with everything, class jobs have their own set of headaches. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to troubleshoot your classroom job system and ways to make them work for you. For all the ...
Oct 28, 2024•24 min
Did you know that just like there are four seasons in a year, there are seven seasons in a school year? And just like there are positives and negatives to each environmental season, the same applies to the seasons of school. But one thing that stays consistent is the need to engage your students. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing tips for keeping students engaged all year, despite the seasonal changes. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.second...
Oct 21, 2024•28 min
We have an exciting treat for you today! We're introducing you to our new podcast, The Holiday Headstart. If you like the thought and care that we put into planning for back-to-school, you're going to love the way we plan for Christmas (and other holidays!). 🎄 Tune in to hear an episode of The Holiday Headstart where we deep dive into the importance of intentional holiday planning. Then, head to your favorite podcast listening app and follow or subscribe to The Holiday Headstart so you never mi...
Oct 15, 2024•31 min
There are several spots inside a teacher’s classroom that are special and impactful for students. However, none build a classroom’s culture or relationships more than the classroom carpet! This designated gathering space is the heart of the classroom, which is why having specific procedures and routines for it is vital. So in today’s episode, we’re doing a deep dive into how to manage student behavior during your classroom carpet time. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the...
Oct 14, 2024•23 min
Whenever teachers plan their lessons and activities, besides making sure the content is right, their next priority is student engagement. We’ve talked many times before on the podcast about the idea of balancing the structure and novelty in your classroom. However, we’ve never fully explained what it is and how to effectively use it. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing six ways to boost student engagement using structure and novelty. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the...
Oct 07, 2024•25 min
When it comes to the profession, a lot of teachers get nervous and struggle to communicate with parents, so when parent-teacher conferences come around, it makes a lot of teachers anxious. We felt the same way when we were in the classroom but have since learned a few tips and tricks along the way. In today’s episode, we’re troubleshooting some common problems with parent-teacher conferences and sharing our favorite parent conference tips. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to...
Sep 30, 2024•22 min
Raise your hand if you’ve spent time planning a lesson, but it flopped when you taught it in front of your student. We’re raising our hands high! It can feel deflating when a lesson doesn’t keep the interest of your students. However, there are things you can do to increase student engagement when presenting a lesson. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing five techniques that will ignite active student engagement during any lesson. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the sho...
Sep 23, 2024•25 min
You’ve made it to the end of the day smooth sailing but hit the rough waters of chaos right before your students leave. You’re tired, exhausted, and unsure why there’s turmoil at this every day. If this sounds like you, there’s a disconnect in your daily routine. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to troubleshoot this routine and giving four teacher-approved tips for streamlining your dismissal routine. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.s...
Sep 16, 2024•22 min
As you all know by now, we love having efficient and effective procedures and routines. We believe they’re the backbone of your classroom management and the key to having everything else in your classroom run smoothly. However, there’s one routine we’ve neglected to discuss, which is setting up your centers. The complexity of successfully run centers is why we’ve never discussed them before. In today’s episode, we’re sharing strategies for how to set up centers at the beginning of the year. For ...
Sep 09, 2024•26 min
One of the biggest struggles as a teacher, especially when you’re new to the profession, is managing your classroom. With so much going into classroom management, the main component being student behaviors, you want to find ways to keep students motivated and exhibit positive behaviors in your classroom. And one of those ways is through class rewards. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to make your back-to-school classroom management system work in your favor and not against you. For all ...
Sep 02, 2024•24 min
Every Thursday this summer, we've been bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as today. And today is our last Thursday tips episode for the summer! This week's tips are: [00:49]: Tip #1 - Ways for teaching class consequences to your students. [06:22]: Tip #2 - Plans for dealing with and managing classroom behaviors. To hear more about these tips, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podc...
Aug 29, 2024•24 min
If you are anything like we were, one of our main goals at the beginning of the year was to build positive relationships with our students. We know the countless benefits having positive relationships can have on your students and classroom, so we always did the typical getting-to-know-you activities at the start of the year. However, we needed to find ways to keep those relationships growing with more than just those activities all year long. This is when we began to incorporate surprise and de...
Aug 26, 2024•21 min
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as today. This week's tips are: [00:52]: Tip #1 - How to master the art of the “teacher look.” [05:04]: Tip #2 - How to have effective classroom management using attention signals. To hear more about these tips, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-look Resources: Classroom Procedures & Routines Editable Sli...
Aug 22, 2024•21 min
If you’ve been listening to us long enough, you know how much we love procedures. We’ve covered the importance of establishing them, how to teach them, how to plan them, and how to fix them. However, we’ve never discussed putting all that information together with a few simple steps. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to make classroom procedure planning successful and effective this school year. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondst...
Aug 19, 2024•19 min
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as today. This week's tips are: [01:16]: Tip #1 - How thriving at back-to-school starts with a clean slate. [06:00]: Tip #2 - Give yourself the space to live in your season during back-to-school. To hear more about these tips, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/thriving-at-back-to-school Resources: Better Than Before ...
Aug 15, 2024•22 min
We’ve talked a lot over the last few weeks about how to effectively plan your first week of school. We like to think of these first few days as a launchpad for a successful school year. With so much you need to think about, we’ve decided to help you create and organize a way to manage it all. In today’s episode, we’re sharing the three lists you need to make to plan your first week of school. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.n...
Aug 12, 2024•24 min
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as today. This week's tips are: [00:49]: Tip #1 - 3 reasons why you should make your inside recess plan now. [03:46]: Tip #2 - Our best teacher-approved tips for inside recess activities. To hear more about these tips, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/inside-recess-plan Resources: Amazon List for Inside Recess Mater...
Aug 08, 2024•22 min
If you’ve been with us long enough, you know how much we value procedures. We truly believe establishing clear and concise procedures and routines leads to an efficient classroom and decreases behavior problems. But with the number of procedures you need throughout the school day, it can be challenging to think through it all. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing guiding questions that will assist you in planning classroom procedures that will set your students up for success. For all the resou...
Aug 05, 2024•22 min
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as today. This week's tips are: [02:24]: Tip #1 - 10 teacher-approved tips for when you get your class list. [08:13]: Tip #2 - Why affirming is the most important goal at the start of the year. To hear more about these tips, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/back-to-school-to-do-list Resources: Teacher Summer Talks S...
Aug 01, 2024•23 min
At the start of every school year, we talk a lot about establishing and incorporating your ATTABOY goals into your lessons and activities during the first few weeks of school. And while we believe in the training component of your goals, the most important goal is actually affirming. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing some practical takeaways for building positive student relationships and affirming students at the beginning of the year. For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head t...
Jul 29, 2024•23 min
