Have you ever seen the Vogue 73 Question Videos on YouTube? Basically, someone behind the camera follows a famous person around and asks 73 rapid fire questions. You get to hear their responses but also get a little peek into their life and how they live. Well, we love to watch these videos and to make things fun this summer, we’ve decided to create our own form of rapid fire questions! In today’s episode Bridget has crafted 25 questions all around time management, organization, and productivity...
Jul 01, 2021•28 min
Is there really anyone who actually enjoys managing their email accounts? We can say that this is one area that we do not particularly enjoy but that doesn’t mean we can simply let it go like Ana in the movie Frozen. Email communication is essential and if not managed correctly then you are at risk of missing important notices, forgetting important dates and misreading information that requires your attention. In our next installment of The What, Why, and How for Teachers we are digging deep int...
Jun 24, 2021•20 min
Balancing work and relaxation can be challenging, especially after spending so many months in ‘work’ mode. You might be struggling to stop and rest your body because you are constantly filling your time with doing tasks or you might not have any motivation with doing things that will help you in being proactive so that you are not stressed in the fall. We share some of our best tips for helping to create a work-life balance this summer. This will help you to unwind from the school year and enjoy...
Jun 17, 2021•23 min
We’ve got some big plans this summer and in today’s episode we are sharing where we are going, what we are doing, and some pretty major events happening in our lives right now! You will want to listen to this episode… Michelle has some exciting news! SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes ! Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really gratef...
Jun 10, 2021•37 min
Another year in the books and so much has happened and changed. As we come to the end of the 2020-2021 school year we want to have an honest reflection of the year with all of you. This includes the challenges we faced because of the pandemic, our initial feelings as we headed into the school year and some of the highlights that kept us going strong. While we all had different situations for what our school year looked and sounded like, we hope that you can relate and also reflect on this past y...
Jun 03, 2021•52 min
Digital planning has increased in popularity over the last year. As more and more teachers begin to see the value of handling all their lessons and maintaining digital files versus paper files, digital planning will only continue to increase. For those of you who have been watching the trend but haven't quite jumped into the digital planning world, this episode is for you. Or, if you have no idea what digital planning is, this episode is also for you! We take a deep dive into digital planning an...
May 27, 2021•30 min
Let’s be honest, closing down our classrooms will look a little bit different this year. If you’re someone who has transitioned from virtual to in the classroom, there might be more things to consider as you’re prepping for your first beach getaway. While we all might be hoping for a little more normalcy with the upcoming year, it would be a waste to simply throw everything we have done this year away. Instead, it’s important to consider how you start transitioning and using more digital resourc...
May 20, 2021•32 min
Are there certain areas of your life where you are happy with exactly how it is? You feel this way because it’s become a habit but have you ever sat back and considered if what you are doing is actually helping your productivity. Today we are chatting about 5 things that teachers no longer need! Yes, we will most likely touch on something that you are still doing but should start looking for alternative methods to help boost your productivity in and outside of the classroom. So what are the 5 th...
May 13, 2021•49 min
The end of the year can be an exhausting and challenging time for everyone. Not only are our bodies beginning to feel beat from the school year but we are experiencing more deadlines, to-dos, and constant battles with keeping our students engaged. Using strategies that will help you be proactive are essential during these crazy times, and in today’s episode we have just the thing! As you might know, our 2021-2022 Digital Planners have launched and are available for purchase. You can find them HE...
May 06, 2021•35 min
We all have to set boundaries in our lives. Whether you are like Bridget and drink too much diet coke or you are like Michelle and you can get engrossed in a project and commit every breath you can to getting it done. Boundaries are what helps to keep the balance in our life. The problem with setting boundaries is not necessarily recognizing what needs to be done but how to maintain the boundary. A lot of what we recommend in our episodes is to build discipline but we’ve also figured out a few s...
Apr 29, 2021•35 min
Join Bridget Spackman, creator of Bridging Literacy and face of the Lettered Classroom as she shares her week of navigating a busy to-do schedule and a life with two rambunctious boys, her golden-doodle, Walter, and husband. Bridget shares how she structures her work work to ensure that she is moving forward in her business, as an educator, and spending time with family. SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t wan...
Apr 22, 2021•57 min
Are you still using a Flash Drive or External Hard Drive? Do you store all of your documents on your desktop? Is your organization system nonexistent? If you’ve said yes to any one of these questions, this podcast episode is for you. So much of what we do as educators is now online. 2020 has thrusted our careers into the digital age and now is the time to begin embarrassing what technology can do for your productivity and for your teaching. However, new ways of going about every day can pose new...
Apr 15, 2021•24 min
Ever wonder how Michelle Emerson tackles her busy schedule? This week Michelle is sharing her new schedule as she transitions to hybrid in the middle of the year. Listen as she shares how she manages to accomplish her goals, keep her school work at school and manage a successful business and YouTube channel. Michelle will dig deep into how she establishes her plan for the day, tackles a busy to-do list and establishes boundaries for doing more of what she loves. SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you su...
Apr 08, 2021•50 min
Life has a way of throwing curveballs, especially during times when you feel like you have it all together. Earlier this year we both had a period that took the rug right out from under us. It put us behind in our personal tasks, and work tasks. While this can be overwhelming and frustrating, there are strategies that have helped us not only reduce stress but also play catch-up. While these tips we are sharing are not evolutionary, they are a good reminder during difficult times. Save this episo...
Apr 01, 2021•21 min
There are always things that get in the way of our teaching. We have papers overflowing our desks, copies that need to be made, and emails that need to be answered. At the end of January we asked you which would you choose and overwhelmingly, you all said no grading. Today we want to share 10 hacks that will help you tackle your grading woes! 10 EASY TO IMPLEMENT GRADING HACKS Hack 1: Stop Grading Everything Hack 2: Create a Template Hack 3: Schedule a Time Hack 4: Batch your Grading Hack 5: Cre...
Mar 25, 2021•27 min
Everyone experiences stress, but how we choose to handle stress can determine the impact that it has on your overall happiness and productivity. Most of us view stress with a negative connotation, but stress can in fact be healthy to experience. Consider how diamonds are created. The pressure experienced reveals a beautiful diamond that can last for years to come. When we understand how we respond to stress then we can develop strategies for how we plan on controlling the stress in the long term...
Mar 18, 2021•28 min
Everyday we forget tasks that need to be completed because we fail to process the information and write it down. So often, we tell ourselves “Oh, I need to remember to…” only to forget it with little hope in recovery of what we intended to do in the first place. We have a solution to this problem! The Notes app is a free app that comes standard to Apple devices. You are able to take and store various types of notes and access the information across all Apple devices that are connected to the clo...
Mar 11, 2021•25 min
We did it! We took a personality test and we are sharing it all in today’s episode. We have been seeing a lot of educators discuss their Enneagram online and we thought it would be fun to take an enneagram ourselves and discuss what it means for our productivity as teachers. An Enneagram personality tests describes personality in terms of nine types, each driven by their own set of core emotions, fears, and beliefs. The free test which can be found here takes about 10-15 minutes to complete and ...
Mar 04, 2021•50 min
We all love a good hack. It’s not because of the creativity behind the design but because of how simple it can make seemingly complicated tasks. It can be easy to over complicate things especially when we are in search of solutions. But here is the thing, you can make small changes that add up to big results! We’ve got 10 simple hacks that you can start to implement TODAY and start seeing amazing results. Now remember, you do not have to do all of these; in fact, we recommend that you do not try...
Feb 25, 2021•30 min
One of the biggest challenges that teachers face is not having enough time to get everything done. We completely agree. Teachers have a LOT of responsibilities and it seems like we are always bombarded with more responsibilities each year. However, when we look underneath the surface at the root of the issue, we see that some of our struggles can be due to ill prepared planning periods. We know that you are mentally fatigued by the time you get to your planning period. Many of us have good inten...
Feb 18, 2021•42 min
Technology is becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday lives. We use technology to communicate, to log information, to entertain, and to keep track of essential dates and times. While there may be a number of applications that can help you in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, we have found a few essential tools that will change how you plan your day. In this episode we want to start a mini-series. We will take one digital tool to dive deeper into understanding the benefits, uses a...
Feb 11, 2021•21 min
Times have been tougher and for some the last year has been the toughest of their life. With families pulled apart and isolation that has affected us mentally and emotionally, COVID has changed us. Even to this day, while we are gaining our strength to get past the hardship, we are STILL being affected by this terrible illness. But, even when we go through terrible times there are still so many lessons that we can learn. We want to share the lessons that COVID has taught us. It is through these ...
Feb 04, 2021•46 min
Are you ready to learn how to ONLY work your contract hours as a teacher!? This episode has been a long awaited one and we are so excited to share it with you. We also have a freebie that goes along with this episode. You can sign up and download your 30 Days to ONLY Working Contract Hours guide right here. Follow this guide and you will be one step closer to working the hours you have been wanting to achieve. -------------------- We started just like so many other teachers, working countless ho...
Jan 28, 2021•41 min
Have you been on a purging kick as much as we have? If not, we want to tell WHY you should jump on this train with us and give you some starting points on where to start. We have all either been, or seen a teacher who carries their “life” with them. You all know what we mean, the dreaded “teacher” bags that have every resource you need. It’s that bag that you end up packing up at the end of the day but never doing anything with it. So why get away from having so much stuff? Compare your bags to ...
Jan 21, 2021•38 min
One of the best parts of starting a new year is getting new supplies to help with our productivity. Well, it is no secret that we LOVE digital tools to help with productivity. Not only do you never have to worry about losing your things but you can have it everywhere you go without the bulk and weight of carrying physical items. We’ve narrowed down our TOP 5 favorite digital tools for you all in this episode. We share what the tool is, how we use it and how it can benefit you and your productivi...
Jan 14, 2021•46 min
HAPPY NEW YEAR TOP TEACHERS! It is a new year and that means new resolutions (for some). We’ve chatted all about what we think about New Year’s Resolutions and what you can be doing instead on our very first podcast--Episode 001: How to Create New Habits for a Successful School Year . The hardest part that we have learned is sticking to a habit. Your motivation runs out and you find it difficult to keep up with the routine. In this episode we are chatting all about what to do when your motivatio...
Jan 07, 2021•23 min
We are celebrating ONE YEAR of our Podcast! In this episode we reflect on the adventure of starting a podcast and sustaining it over COVID. We share our successes and challenges, and even discuss what it has been like working with one another. Thank you to all of our listeners for supporting us in this journey. We could not have done this without all of you! SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss...
Dec 31, 2020•44 min
Happy Holidays TOP Teachers! We are bringing you into our family traditions this Christmas Eve. We hope that despite the changes this year, you are safe and taking time to relax this holiday season. Listen in as Michelle and Bridget give you a glimpse into their traditions. Wishing you and your family all the best! SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTun...
Dec 25, 2020•35 min
It always seems that this time of the year flies by! Before you know it, it is the end of the year and you still have gifts to buy before your kids go on break. If you are listening to this and you are a teacher then you know the amazing array of gifts we can receive each year. From clothing items to an excess of coffee mugs we want to share what teachers would actually like for the holidays. In this episode we are sharing our favorite last minute gift ideas. But before we jump into the gift ide...
Dec 17, 2020•23 min
We LOVE a good countdown to Christmas whether it's an advent calendar, wearing our favorite holiday attire, or watching our favorite holiday movies! But this year, we have something EXTRA special planned! To help us cross some items off our to-do list while enjoying the festivities of the holidays, we have created 12 Days of TOP Teaching! For the next 12 days, we will be getting gifts ready, baking our favorite cookies, and more! What could be better than that? Here is a rundown of the days: Day...
Dec 10, 2020•31 min
