Are you a teacher who's feeling overwhelmed with grading? You're not alone! All teachers fall behind on grading at some point in their careers, and it can be a HUGE source of stress. But don't worry, there are ways to grade faster and catch up. In this episode, we'll explore some strategies that can help you grade more efficiently without sacrificing quality. We'll discuss the importance of setting realistic grading goals, utilizing technology tools, and developing a grading system that works be...
Mar 14, 2023•10 min•Ep. 114
One aspect of teaching that frustrates literally EVERY TEACHER is students not turning in their homework. No matter what consequences or how much extra time you give, it seems like some students just REFUSE to do any work, let alone submit it! In this episode, I discuss why students aren't turning in their work, as well as some actionable ways to finally get them to submit their homework. Still figuring out lesson planning? Grab my free Lesson Planning Guide here 👉🏼 https://teachersneedteacher...
Mar 07, 2023•14 min•Ep. 113
Teachers tend to spend HOURS of time grading, and especially outside of their work hours. Whether you're physically taking papers home or online, grading assignments is often the bane of all teachers. Surprisingly, there ARE ways to cut down on grading without reducing the effectiveness of your teaching! In this episode, I cover 6 ways to cut down your grading without sacrificing the amount of learning in your classroom. Still figuring out lesson planning? Grab my free Lesson Planning Guide here...
Feb 28, 2023•14 min•Ep. 112
Many students have been struggling with their behavior in the classroom since the start of the pandemic. Parents and students went through tremendous amounts of stress and anxiety, which caused a disruption in student behavior. It can be difficult to understand why these changes are occurring, but the key here is understanding why students are feeling this way so that we can work together on developing effective solutions for everyone. Still figuring out lesson planning? Grab my free Lesson Plan...
Feb 14, 2023•12 min•Ep. 111
Are you tired of spending countless hours on lesson planning, grading, and answering emails? ChatGPT is here to change that! This cutting-edge AI technology can assist teachers in so many aspects of their job and make their lives in their classrooms easier. In this episode, you will learn how ChatGPT can help streamline a teacher's workflow so that they can spend more time focusing on what's important - like their students. From creating engaging lesson plans to grading assignments in a fraction...
Feb 07, 2023•14 min•Ep. 110
Many teachers today can trace their successes and difficulties in the classroom back to their own experiences when they were students. Unfortunately, if those experiences were negative or traumatic, that can affect how they interact with their current students. In this episode, I discuss how teachers’ past experiences in school can have a negative effect on their current teaching practices. I explore how these experiences can lead to students feeling overlooked or unheard, and how teachers can b...
Jan 31, 2023•22 min•Ep. 109
A lot of teachers are truly dissatisfied and fed up with teaching for many reasons, but one of the main ones is student behavior. Students, their parents, other staff, and admin can definitely behave in ways that trigger us and make us want to give up completely. Recognizing when a situation is triggering us and our ego-based responses is crucial. In this episode, I explore what this means and how it can manifest itself in the classroom. Understanding and working on being less reactive can help ...
Jan 24, 2023•13 min•Ep. 108
Having difficulty managing behavior in the classroom as a newer teacher? This video explores how to break the cycle of cause and effect between student behaviors and your own. Learn to be honest with yourself about your presence in the classroom, as well as how you cope with confrontation and conflict. Find out how to be a firm but a caring presence that is respected by students. But I also delve deeper into the psychological side of things. I talk about how student behavior is influenced by pas...
Jan 16, 2023•19 min•Ep. 107
In this video, I cover how to deliver effective lessons in the classroom. It covers how to explain concepts in a way that students understand, use lectures, have students read a text, watch a video, or solve a problem. If you've been struggling with figuring out how to actually TEACH a lesson, then this video is for you. Still figuring out lesson planning? Grab my free Lesson Planning Guide here 👉🏼 https://teachersneedteachers.com/lessonplan I have a new YouTube channel! Join me over there and...
Jan 09, 2023•16 min•Ep. 106
In this episode, I discuss three bad habits that are killing student engagement in the classroom and provide strategies for educators to improve learning experiences. I look at ways to talk less, be more engaging, and be more flexible and relatable. No time to take notes? I've created a workbook with all of my tips 👉🏼 https://teachersneedteachers.com/3badhabitsyt I have a new YouTube channel! Join me over there and subscribe! Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show? You can email me...
Jan 03, 2023•17 min•Ep. 105
In today's episode, I'm discussing the pros and cons of quitting mid-year so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to leave your job. I talk about the benefits of continuing to work through the end of the semester, as well as the potential drawbacks to leaving before a break. Whether quitting is right for you depends on your individual circumstances, but you can be confident in taking action if it is after listening to this episode. Grab my Stay or Go Checklist ! I have a n...
Dec 16, 2022•16 min•Ep. 104
It's that time of the year again - finals are quickly approaching and you have a limited amount of time to make sure your students are prepared. Preparing for any test can be an overwhelming task, but with the right strategies in place, it is possible to help your students succeed! In this episode, I cover three activities that you can do to cover all the content needed before finals or major assessments, from getting a chance to preview the test material to putting students in charge of creatin...
Dec 09, 2022•11 min•Ep. 103
With the amount of pressure and things on their to-do list, many new teachers struggle with planning effective lessons. And while they probably have knowledge of their state standards, they're not using them fully to their advantage. In today's episode, I not only break down how I would study the standards but also how I would research the scope and sequence of those standards and then look for materials. I have a new YouTube channel! Join me over there and subscribe! Got questions, feedback, or...
Dec 02, 2022•22 min•Ep. 102
So you’ve survived the first couple of months of school (or maybe you were just thrown in), and you’re figuring out what you need to teach. If you’re lucky, you’ve been handed a curriculum, but that doesn’t mean you know where to start. In this episode, I’m going to go through the lesson planning process so that you not only figure out what you’re supposed to be teaching but help you figure out how to tell if your students are actually learning. Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show...
Nov 25, 2022•16 min•Ep. 101
The pandemic and distance learning have been difficult for both teachers and students, but especially our special education students. In this episode, I talk to Brandie Rosen and we discuss how teachers can support our SPED students online as well as how to simplify the IEP process. How to reach Brandie: https://iepsuntangled.com/ https://brandierosenconsulting.com/ https://www.instagram.com/teachers_love_learning/ https://www.pinterest.com/brandierosenconsulting/ https://www.facebook.com/teache...
Dec 14, 2020•40 min•Ep. 100
It's been months since my last episode, but I'm back. In today's episode, I discuss where I've been, my thoughts and experiences on distance learning, and the future of the podcast. Check out my new YouTube Channel! Your Own Damn Way Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show? You can email me at [email protected] Connect with me Subscribe to Apple Podcasts , Google Play Music , or Stitcher Join my Facebook Group Message me through Instagram or Twitter...
Nov 09, 2020•25 min•Ep. 99
Being a new teacher is difficult for everyone, but SPED teachers have a unique set of challenges that most of us gen ed teachers never realize. Part teacher, part curriculum writer, and part parent liaison (among other things), SPED teachers wear many hats. In this episode, Brandie Rosen and I discuss not only the challenges but how to attack these without losing your mind. How to reach Brandie: Her website Instagram Facebook Grab your free resources: SPED classroom toolkit: https://brandierosen...
Feb 03, 2020•41 min•Ep. 98
We will all have special ed, or SPED students at some point in our classrooms, and we often feel lost in terms of how to support them. New teachers especially struggle since they struggle to know things like accommodations and IEPs. So I brought on special education expert, Brandie Rosen, and we discussed all things SPED. Check out my new YouTube Channel! Your Own Damn Way Got questions, feedback, or want to be on the show? You can email me at [email protected] Connect with me Subscri...
Jan 27, 2020•36 min•Ep. 97
As a new teacher, can you imagine how awesome it would be if your classroom basically ran itself so that you could focus on small group and individual instruction? There are obviously a ton of ways to get a classroom to run smoothly and to keep students engaged, but what if you could do it while teaching them about personal and fiscal responsibility? In this episode, Thom Gibson describes just how he accomplishes this through a system he tweaked and innovated over the years and that he keeps on ...
Jan 20, 2020•34 min
In the last episode, we discuss how to pay off debt and save for an emergency fund, as well as the need for a budget, and today we discuss our financial future - which can be difficult for some to consider when they’ve got another 30 years of teaching to go! But it’s so important that we start early because when it comes to retirement savings, time is your friend! So Rob discusses how to plan so that you can have the lifestyle you want when you retire, how you can retire earlier than planned, an...
Jan 13, 2020•41 min•Ep. 5
A lot of college graduates find themselves entering the professional world without a solid financial base. They have this newfound money that they’re working their butts off to earn, and they want to live it up and have fun. This is exactly what I did, and luckily, I managed to start saving for retirement. However, a lot of financial pitfalls that come with this type of lifestyle such as consumer debt really caught up with me and so many others. So today, I’m having a conversation with Rob Phela...
Jan 06, 2020•36 min•Ep. 94
Many new teachers get to the point where they're just DONE with their teaching situation, or maybe just teaching in general. While most of you are still excited about teaching since you've just started, there are still some of you that are already overwhelmed and just over it all and are wondering what to do next. You may be wondering if teaching is still right for you. You may have hated the first semester for a variety of reasons that seem beyond your control. Maybe you still love teaching but...
Dec 30, 2019•20 min•Ep. 93
For new teachers, it can seem like they’re the ONLY ones having a tough time with a certain aspect of their teaching, and they’re often too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it. These frustrations can really weigh on them and make them feel like failures. In this episode, I discuss the common struggles I hear about AND have experienced so that you can end 2019 knowing that you’re not alone and that NEXT year, you’re going to kill it! Sign up for the New Educator Conference in Santa Clara, CA ...
Dec 23, 2019•31 min•Ep. 92
There isn't ONE TEACHER who hasn’t received an email, phone call, or message from a parent who is concerned or upset about something that a teacher did. For new teachers (and veterans, too), this can be really intimidating or worrisome because not handling it correctly can make the problem worse. How can you respond without losing face? In today’s episode, I’m covering the steps that you should take so that you don’t further anger the parent and save face in front of your administration. Sign up...
Dec 16, 2019•36 min•Ep. 91
As much as I’d like to think that I have my systems down pat after 18 years, there are STILL times when I get behind on my grading. This can be really overwhelming because it just piles on and it seems like you’re never going to get out from under it. New teachers find this especially stressful because they're also trying to figure out everything else that has to do with teaching! On this episode, I’m going to give you actionable steps that you’re going to want to take so that you can just final...
Dec 09, 2019•26 min•Ep. 90
No matter how much time we spend planning a lesson, there WILL be lessons that don’t work quite how we had anticipated. This is especially true if you’re a new teacher because you’re still figuring out lesson delivery and pacing, student engagement, and classroom management. But how do we handle this when we're supposed to stay on pace but only a few of your students are getting it? On today’s episode, I’m going to cover five steps to take when your lesson isn’t working out so that you can regro...
Dec 02, 2019•25 min•Ep. 89
Once the holidays hit, it can be a time of panic for teachers. With a quick glance at their pacing guide, they realize that they're more behind than they'd anticipated. They ask themselves: Do I have enough time to cover everything I was supposed to? Am I on track? If I didn't get to everything, how am I going to cram it all in? These are questions that at some point we all ask ourselves, and it can be scary. However, with careful and purposeful planning, you can still get to most of what's left...
Nov 25, 2019•24 min•Ep. 88
Imagine if teaching only involved the part where you're interacting with students. Things would be much easier, right? But the reality is that there are so many facets of teaching that pull at us, and unless you're hyper-organized, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by it all. I know that there are many of you that are FAR more organized than I am, but I really want to help out the rest of us that are too frazzled or absent-minded to be that way. Through a lot of trial and error I’ve been able to...
Nov 18, 2019•23 min•Ep. 87
Math tends to be one of those subjects that kids either understand and love or are completely befuddled by and hate. New math teachers often find themselves struggling between teaching procedures versus concepts. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of controversy in terms of which way leads to greater student success. In this interview, Robert Kaplinsky of openmiddle.com lets us in on why Common Core is given such a bad rap, the concept of Open Middle Math (and if you’re a math teacher who hasn’t...
Nov 11, 2019•51 min•Ep. 86
In the last episode, we covered why teachers should incorporate station rotations into their teaching, the logistics of planning for them, and how they can help with differentiation and classroom management. But if you've done them in the past and they were a disaster, chances are you didn't set them up properly. Today I bring Laura Kebart back to discuss how to use stations for small group instruction as well as how to train your students so that your stations are a success. Where you can find ...
Nov 04, 2019•38 min•Ep. 85
