If you've been around for a while then you know how much we love checklists. They can keep you on track, help you remember what you needed at the grocery store, and give you that little extra time in bed each morning. When you have a checklist that has been curated with thought, you'll find that your checklist will do a lot of the work for you. In this episode, we are breaking down our favorite checklists to create. We give each of the categories you need to consider and some ideas for the check...
Mar 16, 2023•24 min
You’ve heard the process over and over but you still don't know how to make it all happen? Sometimes we just need to hear and see how others make it work. In Episode 166. Project Planning 101: How to Break Down Big Tasks into Bite-Size Pieces? We take you through the steps but today we want to help you get a better picture of how to break it all down. We are going to be completely vulnerable with you and plan these projects in real time so you can fully see our thought processes! Listen in to le...
Mar 09, 2023•40 min
When tackling a project like lesson planning, do you struggle with knowing where to start? Do you procrastinate because you feel overwhelmed? Or do you often end up getting nothing done instead of taking small steps? In this episode, we’re going to provide you with a set of steps to follow that will guarantee your projects get broken down into small enough tasks that you can actually get done! In this episode we teach you: How to identify the project you are working on Determine the deadline for...
Mar 02, 2023•23 min
If you want to learn more about Google Slides and how you can use them in your digital planning, this episode is for you! It can feel so frustrating when you feel as though you are making 100 clicks for something so small! This leads to procrastination and… yup, stress. That is why we wanted to do an entire episode on some helpful hacks that will save you time. Today, Michelle is going to teach us her 6 tips and tricks for Google slides while walking me through it all! If you have Google Slides ...
Feb 23, 2023•34 min
In this podcast episode, we discuss how to shift priorities while still getting your things done. We discuss the importance of communication and collaboration with family members and other teachers. We also discuss the In this episode we share: How to identify your shift of focus and priorities How being proactive can make these times easier for you Creating a plan for non-negotiables and figuring out what you can let go of Making adjustments as you go and also coming back to where you started S...
Feb 16, 2023•28 min
Do you avoid digital planning because it seems overwhelming to get started? Digital planning can be nerve wrecking and if you are thinking about planning digitally or you are new to this world, then this episode will be a great way for you to take a look at how you can make things a little bit easier. Today, we are sharing some hacks using our favorite app GoodNotes In this episode we share: How to get your settings correct in GoodNotes and some basics for getting started Apple pencil tricks for...
Feb 09, 2023•40 min
Do you ever feel like you need a step by step guide on how to actually be productive? We talk about productivity ALL the time, that is the P in Teaching to the TOP, but we’ve never broken it down and given you just the basics to get started… until today! Today, we want to bring a sense of calm to your productivity by breaking it down to the 5 basic elements that you NEED and will also be sharing some things to avoid In this episode we share: How to tackle your calendar to optimize your productiv...
Feb 02, 2023•39 min
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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 grateful if you left us a re...
Jan 26, 2023•54 min
Bridget is sharing her journey with implementing the strategies for the book Getting Things Done by David Allen. Join her as she works to navigate being a mom, wife, teacher and business owner! Bridget will share her plans for new productivity strategies to implement each day and report back with how those strategies impacted her work flow. LINKS MENTIONED: Grab her BOOK! Building the Literacy Block: Structuring the Ultimate ELA Workshop SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is s...
Jan 19, 2023•51 min
It's book club month and we are reading David Allen's book Getting Things Done! In this episode, you can join Michelle as she reads each day and shares her thoughts on the book. She will give you a synopsis of her reading and her biggest takeaways. Join Michelle as she takes you along on a week of her life! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a ...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 16 min
It's a brand new year and we want to share our plan for 2023! No more resolutions. We are now tackling a new approach to getting very clear on what we want to accomplish and be in 2023. So grab your digital planners and turn to your quarterly pages because in this episode we want to dive deep into our BIG goals. We may not know the path that we need to take just yet, but when we have these big goals spread out over the 12 months we can be more intentional with our time. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING ...
Jan 05, 2023•34 min
Teaching to the TOP is officially 3 years old! Happy Birthday to us! We are wrapping up the year by sharing our favorite episodes and topics from 2022! We love to reflect on the challenges we faced and also chat about our goals for the year to come! In this episode we share: Our favorite episode from the year Challenges we faced How we have grown this year Our goals for next year SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a pe...
Dec 29, 2022•49 min
Who doesn’t love a Secret Santa gift exchange? This episode we are sharing our secret santa gift boxes with you! Even though we can’t be together in person, this virtual gift exchange episode is a must listen! We are sharing some of our favorite things with each other! Listen as we open our gifts from each other including goodies in these categories: Something to eat Something to wear Something to read Something for the business Something she NEEDS Check out last year's gift exchange! Episode 10...
Dec 22, 2022•43 min
Do you get overwhelmed during the holidays trying to fit in all the fun and still be effective? The holidays are such an amazing time in and out of our classrooms! You can enjoy the season and stay on track! This is your reminder to use the strategies that work and always come back to them when you want to stay on track. In this episode we share: 10 tips that will help you stay focused and enjoy this season How to prioritize what is important When and how to ask for help Learn to decide what is ...
Dec 15, 2022•28 min
Do you feel guilty when you need to take a day off? Teacher guilt is REAL! Whether you know you’re going to be out or you have a last minute emergency, there are steps you can take to make your return to work seamless and less stressful. Today, we are talking about three strategies you can use to rid yourself of the guilt once a for all. We’re showing you how to deal with planned and unplanned absences so you can pick up right where you left off without the guilt, and in some cases come back eve...
Dec 08, 2022•22 min
This week we have the perfect gift guide to get you through this holiday season. Are you struggling to think of things for your teacher friend, coworker, or even for yourself? We’ve put together the best list that comes in a range of prices. Use the links below to purchase! *Please note some of these are affiliate links. The Meat Clear folders - https://amzn.to/3XNRDJT Zipper folder - https://amzn.to/3UnQUfu Plastic paper organizers - https://amzn.to/3VK78ky Lightswitch remote - https://amzn.to/...
Dec 01, 2022•40 min
HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y’ALL! We are coming to you all this Thanksgiving with a chatty and thankful episode. Grab your coffee, go for a walk, or just decompress after eating so much this evening and listen in as we share some of the things we are most grateful for this year. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!...
Nov 24, 2022•44 min
Are you a procrastinator? We’ve all been there at some point in our lives… yes, even Michelle! But did you know the reason for your procrastination can actually be solved when you dig deep down into the root of the problem? While we may not be able to completely eliminate procrastination, we can uncover the steps to limit the amount you procrastinate In this episode we are breaking down the 5 steps you can follow to avoid procrastination. We dig deep into the root of the problem and give you sim...
Nov 17, 2022•32 min
We can learn lessons from all areas of our lives. The connections you can make from your hobbies, personal lives, and travels can make a big impact with your productivity and how you create a better work-life balance. These lessons that we learn are often caused when we have a big undertaking and need to adapt (e.g. getting married, having kids, starting a big project). When you make the choice to begin these tasks, you have to find ways to make everything else work and feel balanced (if that is...
Nov 10, 2022•28 min
Need a little inspiration to keep you moving? We’ve got an extra special episode where we share some of our favorite quotes that lift us up when times are hard… or even when we need a few reminders. So grab a coffee, go for a walk, and save this episode to come back to time and time again. Quotes: “Life isn’t fair. Fortune favors the bold. Stop scrolling on IG and start taking action on your dreams!” “Choose easy and live hard or choose hard and live easy.” “You can’t make someone else’s choices...
Nov 03, 2022•35 min
We all love a good reset. Weekends help us decompress before the start of a new week. A new school year helps us to get re-energized for a new group of students, and a new year helps us to feel refreshed and ready to tackle the last 5 months of school. But what about those times in the year when we don’t have a break. How do we go about resetting during the middle of the week or during our planning periods. In this episode we have some of our best tips for getting you back on track. We want to s...
Oct 27, 2022•25 min
Imagine walking into your classroom and having a month worth of lessons and materials planned. How would that make you feel? For those thinking that it would be amazing but that it is also incredibly unrealistic, we want to stop you right there. What if we had a way to make planning in advance a reality? We’ve talked about batching since our first episode of this podcast. It is that good of a strategy when it comes to your productivity. Today we want to take a deep dive into what batching is, wh...
Oct 20, 2022•22 min
Planning out your lessons is one of the most challenging parts of our jobs. It is time consuming, changes day-to-day based on the needs of students, and (to be honest) we don’t get as many resources to help support us in this area. So how can we get ahead of the curve? How can we go beyond planning week-to-week or day-to-day? In this episode we want to share 5 strategies that will help you get ahead in your planning. These strategies are proven to work because we use them in our classrooms, and ...
Oct 13, 2022•32 min
Have you ever thought about giving yourself a restart every month? No need to wait until the start of a new school year or after some major break, you can start fresh every month. This is a time to get your ducks in a row and feel like your most productive self. In today’s episode we want to share a routine that will work for any lifestyle. You’ll find that after going through this exercise you will have a better plan at what the month will bring and be able to anticipate deadlines, events, and ...
Oct 06, 2022•29 min
If you are a teacher then the chances that you had to undergo some form of unit planning in college is very high. However, we have to know! Have you actually used your skills from college to plan out a unit? We’d assume that the percentage of teachers who are willing to create 120 page planned units is very small. The majority of the (little) time we have as teachers is spent creating those detailed lessons that we use week to week. Only, we recognize that unit plans can save us a LOT of time! A...
Sep 29, 2022•22 min
You better gird your loins because we are taking lesson planning to a WHOLE other level. Lesson planning is one of the biggest hurdles for teachers all around the world, but we know that as TOP teachers, being proactive is a great way to reduce our stress and help us tackle our to-do list well in advance. But how do we go about being proactive with our lesson plans? The answer to this question is to plan out your ENTIRE school year in one day! We’ve all heard the term scope and sequence. This is...
Sep 22, 2022•22 min
It’s time to get chatty! It’s no secret that some of y’alls favorite episodes are the ones where we just sit back and get chatty about life, school, and everything in between. In this week’s podcast episode we want to share some life updates. We share some funny stories, Michelle’s input in seeing Bridget’s classroom, Bridget’s reflection on starting at a new school and finally Michelle’s transition into a new routine. Grab a coffee, go on a walk, or turn it on in the car as good friends have a ...
Sep 15, 2022•35 min
What’s the most time consuming aspect of teaching? Did you say lesson planning? Most teachers would whole-heartedly agree with that sentiment. As soon as you feel as though you’ve gotten your plans and materials ready, you have another week of hours of research, creating, and assigning assignments to students. What if we told you that your lesson planning routine could be completely revolutionized by giving you back your time and decreasing your stress? Lesson planning is the process of deciding...
Sep 08, 2022•30 min
Every teacher has struggled when it comes to keeping up with the daunting work that is lesson planning. In today’s episode we want to share the ONE thing that is holding your lesson planning back, and that is creating a structure for your class period. Join us as we break down what it means to build a structure and how this will revolutionize your lesson planning. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over ...
Sep 01, 2022•26 min
This TOP teacher episode should come with a warning label attached, because we get down and dirty with some of the biggest issues in education. In order to get the most out of this episode you’ll want to be in the right mindset. If you’re feeling cranky, feeling stressed and overwhelmed save this episode for another day, because things are about to get spicy. In this episode we are going to share 3 things that every teacher needs to stop doing this school year. These are things we have done ours...
Aug 25, 2022•31 min
