This is one of my favorite podcast episodes that I've ever done! I have been a fan of today's guest for a long time, so this interview was a pinch me moment.

Our guest today is Kristina Kuzmic! You may know her from Instagram, TikTok, Oprah or as author of the best selling book "Hold On But Don't Hold Still". Chances are you've seen Kristina.

Kristina Kuzmic is a cheerleader for her fellow humans. It’s not something she ever anticipated doing, but after immigrating to America from Croatia during the war in her homeland and later facing more challenges (divorce, single parenting, poverty, depression…), Kristina wanted to be for others what she wished someone had been for her during her darkest hours.

In 2011, when Oprah crowned Kristina the winner of Mark Burnett’s reality TV competition “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star,” Oprah said, “What is that THING…that’s so charming and charismatic and connected to the audience that makes you feel like, ‘I know her, I want to be her, I’m like her’… Kristina has all of that. She is an ‘IT PLUS’ girl… I wanna watch her!” 

Since working with Oprah, Kristina has branched out on her own, creating videos about juggling all of life’s challenges, and encouraging her audience to prioritize their mental health. She has quickly become a viral sensation with 2.9 million Facebook followers and well over half a million Instagram followers. 

Now, with over one billion video views, Kristina is providing her audience with encouragement, hope and humor in a role she never expected to fill.

Typically Kristina offers support and insight on parenting, but on this episode she dives into subjects and insight that is applicable not only parents but to teachers as well. This episode will give you inspiration, motivations and laughs. You don't want to miss it!

If you enjoy this interview, be sure to join us at Summer Educate and Rejuvenate! You'll get to be there live interacting in zoom with Kristina and other teachers enjoying the conference. Get your tickets here!

Head over to the show notes- https://www.wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/inspiration-for-teachers

• Kristina's story from immigrating from war torn Croatia to America
• The origins of some of Kristina's funny videos
• How to combat overwhelm as a teacher and parent
• Kristina's advice for teachers who don't have a "teacher bestie"
• Why you shouldn't compare yourself to others
• The downfall of pretending to be perfect
• And so much more!

• Wife Teacher Mommy Club
• Kristina Kuzmic Instagram
• Kristina Kuzmic Facebook
• Kristina Kuzmic Tour
• Hold On, But Don't Hold Still: Hope and Humor from My Seriously Flawed Life
• Why Would Anyone Make this Choice Video?
• The Things We Tell Ourselves Video
• Kristina's Teacher Video
• Educate & Rejuvenate
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List 

It's that time of year again! The final stretch of the school year. This is the time of year where teachers decide to stay with their school or go on the job hunt. So today, we're going to be talking all about how to nail your teacher interview.  We are going to be giving you some awesome tips for how to best prepare for your teacher interview so that you can walk in feeling confident and prepared.

While preparing for this episode, I came across the top internet searches around teacher job interviews. What better way to dive into how to do a teacher interview than by answering the questions teacher's ask most? Here are the top searched questions about teacher interviews and some quick tips.

• Research the school! Know things like mission statement, demographics, and educational programs. Demonstrate your interest in the school and to prepare relevant questions to ask during the interview
• Review the job description to identify the skills, qualifications, and experience that the school is looking for in a candidate and to prepare examples of how you have demonstrated those skills in the past
• Bring a detailed teaching portfolio

• Dress professionally but something you feel fabulous and confident wearing.
• Use confident body language, such as sitting up straight, making eye contact, and avoiding fidgeting
• Confidence in YOURSELF. Self confidence, your ability in your beliefs to do the job well

• Discuss how to give specific examples of your experience, such as sharing stories of successful teaching experiences, describing your approach to classroom management, or explaining how you differentiated instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.
• Play on strengths- tech, art, music, endorsements or special qualifications others may not have. This tends to be what impresses ME when I interview people
• Ask thoughtful questions, such as asking about the school's culture, professional development opportunities, or support for new teachers
• Be enthusiastic, positive, and engaging during the interview

• Highlight your strengths and skills, such as explaining your teaching philosophy, discussing your experience with technology or project-based learning, or describing your experience working with diverse learners
• Be authentic, honest, and personable during the interview
• Demonstrate your passion for teaching, such as sharing stories of how you have made a positive impact on students, explaining why you became a teacher, or describing your vision for your future classroom
• Remember to be yourself your passion will come through. Think about the things that you are passionate about and definitely research the programs and talk about the experiences you were part of in student teaching

• Do not speak negatively of past employers. Speaking negatively about previous employers or colleagues can make you appear unprofessional or difficult to work with.
• Avoid common interview mistakes, such as being unprepared, appearing disinterested, or failing to follow up after the interview.
• Be respectful, courteous, and professional throughout the interview process.
• Always be yourself
• Don't focus on your past negative work experience

These are just a few tips that we talk all about on this episode of the podcast. Whether you are just finishing student teaching and looking for your first job or looking for a change, you want to be prepared. Have no fear because you'll feel confident and ready after listening to this episode!

Head over to the show notes: https://www.wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/teacher-interview

• How to Prepare for a Teacher Interview
• How to Introduce Yourself in a Teacher Interview
• How to Impress During Your Teacher Interview
• How to Sell Yourself as a Teacher
• What Teachers Should NOT Do in an Interview
• How to Nail Your Teaching Interview

• Wife Teacher Mommy Club
• Educate and Rejuvenate Summer 2023
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List 

As teachers, we have a lot of tasks to do each day. Whether it's grading, assessments, or just general classroom management, teachers have so much to do. With how much teachers have to do, it can feel like there is not enough time in the day.

It is really easy to get overwhelmed when you look at your classroom and all you have to teach throughout the year. THEN, think of all the school activities and all those little things that take time out of your classroom teaching schedule. Talk about no time for everything!

That's what this episode is all about- how to simplify your teacher work day and work less! And we have a very special guest on the show with us today. Jamie Sears from Not So Wimpy Teacher joins us to talk all about how to simplify your teacher work day and work less.

Jamie Sears is a wife, mother of 5 children, a former 3rd grade teacher, and creator of “The Not So Wimpy Teacher”, an education blog that spans across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email, and similarly named podcasts. With half a million teachers and administrators in her tribe, she teaches educators how to better help their students and themselves.

Whether you feel like you have no time, are stressed out or or just need some pointers on how to simplify your work day, this episode is the perfect listen for classroom inspiration and how to shift your mindset to simplify your work day and stress less. You won't want to miss it!

Head over to the show notes: https://www.wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/work-day-work-less/

• How teachers can cut back on time spent on planning
• Smart classroom management hacks to implement in your classroom
• Deciding what assignments you should and shouldn't grade
• How to decide how many hours you are going to work
• Jamie's new book "How to Love Teaching Again"
• How teachers can save time on their lesson planning and grading

• The Not So Wimpy Teacher
• How to Love Teaching Again
• Educate & Rejuvenate Summer Conference
• Join the Wife Teacher Mommy Club!
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List 

If you're feeling less than confident about yourself as a teacher, listen up. On today's podcast, we're going to be talking about two ways to look at your confidence in yourself as a teacher… starting today! These two strategies and perspectives will help teach you how to be confident as a teacher.

Everyone needs a confidence boost from time-to-time, whether you're a new teacher or are a veteran teacher, especially when you meet new challenges. It's great when someone else gives you support, but you can't depend on others to keep you feeling confident.  You are responsible for developing and nurturing your self-confidence. Having confidence as a teacher can improve your overall effectiveness as well as your wellbeing.

Confidence as a Teacher comes down to TWO THINGS:

1) Self Confidence: Belief in ourselves and our thoughts. Believing that we’re already amazing and acknowledging how far we’ve come is essential to increasing self confidence. If we believe in where we are going, then feedback and "criticism" will become “learning moments”. They won't be a "bad thing" but rather a gift to help us improve.

2) External Confidence in Capability- You can look at your wins to see what skillsets you already have confidence in. When you do this, you can see all the areas that you lack confidence in and begin to do practice and repetition to grow your confidence in those areas that you are lacking confidence.

Those are just two tips we dive into on this episode that is full of methods to help you begin owning your wins and growing your confidence. Whether you're new to the classroom or a veteran teacher, you won't want to miss this episode that is sure to help you feel more confident in the classroom.

Head over to the show notes: https://www.wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/how-to-be-confident-as-a-teacher

• How to be more confident as a teacher
• The benefit of believing in yourself and external confidence in your capability
• Why owning your wins is essential to self confidence
• How to manage your mind when “sticky moments” come up
• The theory of 10,000 hours of practice
• How shifting your mindset to positivity can increase your confidence
• A simple and easy way you acknowledge your daily and long term wins

• Wife Teacher Mommy Club
• Educate and Rejuvenate Summer 2023
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List

Go to www.educateandrejuvenate.com to get your tickets today!

Join the Waitlist and attend our Reveal Party March 28th at 4pm PT/5pm MST/6pm CT/7pm ET!

https://www.wifeteachermommy.com/op/educate-and-rejuvenate-summer-2023-waitlist/

Have you noticed that teaching and being in the classroom or school setting has become extremely difficult? Does it feel like you've lost the enjoyment you once experienced in teaching? This, as you may have heard, is called "burn out".

Teachers nowadays are overwhelmed, exhausted, and burnt out. But what can you do about it? On today’s episode, I have guests Ashley and Roberta of the Teacher Mamas Podcast and we’re having a discussion about how to recognize teacher burnout and strategies you can use to prevent burnout with teacher mom self care. 

Ashley and Roberta are both mamas and teachers and hosts of the Teacher Mamas Podcast. Together they discuss various topics like: routines, health, habits, self-care and so much more. They believe that living a healthy lifestyle is for every member in the family from young children to adults.

We're covering all things burn out on today's podcast. We dive into what burnout is and how to identify it. What self-care means and what it looks like. How your mindset, thoughts, feelings, beliefs about your career and education effect your burnout and how being ready to make a change means you need to be intentional in order to understand what your next steps are for you personally and professionally. 

Whether you’re at the point of wanting something different, or just feeling the stress of another school year, this episode is for you! Ashley and Roberta give so much insight into how to prevent teacher burnout with teacher mom self care and give actionable tips and strategies that will help you prevent burnout and handle it when it happens.

Head over to the show notes: wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/prevent-burnout

• How to prevent burnout with teacher mom self care strategies
• Why your mindset is the key to dealing with teacher burnout
• What self-care is and what it can look like
• Different types of self-care
• Ashley and Roberta give a sneak peek into their keynote for the upcoming Summer Educate & Rejuvenate conference

• Join the Wife Teacher Mommy Club!
• The Teacher Mamas Podcast
• Educate & Rejuvenate Summer Event
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List 

• Episode 10, End of Year Fatigue with Chrissy Nichols
• How To Calm Teacher Sunday Scaries [Episode 60]
• Stress Management for Teachers: Understanding the Stress Cycle with Brittany Blackwell [episode 54]
• How to Achieve Work Life Balance as a Wife Teacher Mommy with Sarah Snider [episode 47]How to Achieve Work Life Balance as a Wife Teacher Mommy with Sarah Snider [episode 47]
• How To Practice True Self-Care as a Teacher and/or Parent [episode 56]
• Don’t Consume Yourself with Teacher Burnout and Stress
• Teacher Burnout: The Big Mistake Teachers Make

BONUS #1- Clues for Keynote #1: Educate & Rejuvenate is Coming Back!

You THINK you know about weight loss… the common thought is that it's all about calories in/calories out… but then why do so many of us struggle with it? A lot of the time we ask HOW to lose weight instead of asking WHY do we struggle with weight loss. That is the subject of this special episode of the podcast. And we're so excited to have weight loss expert Corinne Crabtree of The No BS Weight Loss Program on the podcast today to talk weight loss tips for teachers.

Corinne has helped tens of thousands of women with weight loss- many of whom have been teachers. She is one of THE top life coaches who certified with the Life Coach School and her focus is on weight loss. She LOVES helping teachers with weight loss and as you'll see in this episode she's familiar with many of our unique challenges- like lack of bathroom breaks for drinking water and weird/short lunch times, faculty room treats, and all the stressors etc. Corinne has all sorts of weight loss tips for teachers.

We're looking into the ROOT CAUSE of why we think we can't help ourselves with treats in the faculty room, why we emotionally eat when we're stressed out with teaching… AND most importantly…. where we go from there.

We share lots of weight loss tips and strategies that are very DIFFERENT than what you've previously heard before using programs like Weight Watchers or doing calorie tracking. We're diving into the ROOT CAUSES of the why behind emotional eating, treats in the faculty room, and SO MUCH MORE. You don't want to miss this special episode on weight loss tips for teachers.

Head over to the show notes: wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/weight-loss-tips-for-teachers

• Join the Wife Teacher Mommy Club!
• The No BS Weight Loss Free Course
• The No BS Weight Loss Website
• The Phit N Phat Podcast
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List 

• How To Practice True Self-Care as a Teacher and/or Parent [episode 56]
• Stress Management for Teachers: Understanding the Stress Cycle with Brittany Blackwell [episode 54]
• How to OWN Your Wins & Set Intentional Teacher Goals [episode 52]
• Teacher Mindset: The 5 Step Framework That Will Change the Way You Think About Teaching and Life [Episode 39]
• Don’t Consume Yourself with Teacher Burnout and Stress: 9 Tips to Help You

Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran teacher, chances are that you have run into classroom management issues and wondered how to minimize class disruptions. Managing the behavior, social emotional, and learning needs of a classroom full of students is one of the biggest challenges most educators face.

That's why we're diving into how to minimize classroom disruptions and create a classroom management plan on today's podcast. And we have a very special guest with us today.

Linda Kardamis of Teach 4 the Heart is an expert on classroom management and our guest on today's podcast! Linda taught middle school math in a Christian school in Ohio before starting Teach 4 the Heart, which currently supports over 100,000 teachers a month via the website. She is the author of Create Your Dream Classroom, and the creator of the All-New Classroom Management 101, Beyond Classroom Management, Reclaim Your Time 101, and Teach Uplifted

We talk all about classroom management, how to minimize classroom disruptions and even answer questions from REAL teachers like you! Our Wife Teacher Mommy Unite Facebook Group members submitted questions for this episode and we answer them all. We answer questions like:

• How to handle impulsivity?
• How to handle constant—- “I need to go to the bathroom”
• How and why do you feel classroom management has changed in the last decade?
• How to deal with a class that constantly talks over the teacher?
• And SO MUCH MORE!

Whether you’re a novice or veteran teacher, having effective classroom management can be a struggle. It’s an aspect of teaching that needs to be changed and tweaked throughout the year, until you find the right strategy for your classroom and students. This episode is FULL OF INSPIRATION. You won't want to miss it!

Head over to the show notes: wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/minimize-classroom-distractions

• Smart classroom management hacks to implement in your classroom
• How to minimize classroom disruptions
• Questions from REAL teachers and give them actionable advice
• The benefit of involving students with classroom management
• In-depth info about how to create a classroom management plan
• Understanding behavior of students and where it is coming from

• Teach 4 the Heart
• Teach 4 the Heart Webinar
• Join the Wife Teacher Mommy Club!
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List 

• Episode 25, Insanely Clever Classroom Attention Getters From Real Teachers
• How to Motivate Lazy Students or the “Bad” Kids [episode 63]
• Episode 17, Easy Classroom Organization & Systems with Kristen Donegan
• Smart Classroom Management Hacks with Dr. Lori Friesen [episode 38]
• Favorite Classroom Management Items
• Amazing Classroom Management for Substitute Teachers
• What To Do When Students Misbehave For a Substitute