Joyful in Primary Podcast

Let's bring some joy to your classroom management! Simplicity is king when it comes to teaching. It's so easy to get caught up in the frilly, enticing things, but they complicate our lives and take our teaching time.

Let's simplify your classroom management. We're going to talk about class rules, how to make homework work for you, the wonderful world of hand signals, the easier way to do classroom jobs, and how to declutter your classroom.

Plus, a little update about the Joyful Teacher Academy!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Finish With Joy series
Ultimate Guide to Simple Class Rules
Free Hand Signal Posters
Joyful Teacher Academy

Sweet teacher, today's episode is very special. I was able to contribute to Hal Bowman's Dear Teacher project, and I'm going to read you my letter to primary teachers.

Not gonna lie, I get a little emotional. So please look over that, but just know it's because primary teachers mean so much to me.

If you need a teacher pick-me-up to get ready for this coming school year, I hope this works.

If you don't need it right now, come back to it when you're feeling a little overworked and a little underappreciated. I can help with the second part!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post

Now that we've got our mindset right and are ready to assess all the knowledge our students are going to gain, let's talk about how to get that knowledge in their heads!

Being the smartest teacher isn't enough for your students to achieve their learning goals. That's because if students aren't engaged with your lessons, they won't learn! I strongly believe that engagement is vital to student achievement.

So today, we're going to get you ready to have your most engaged year yet with three strategies and plenty of freebies!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Today's post - Part 3: Engagement
Part 1: Mindset
Part 2: Assessment
Episode 12: Student Engagement 101
Letter and Sound Fluency Routine
Letter Squads - one week trial
Happy Bag freebie
Cheer Cards freebie

Hey there, teacher! Welcome to Part 2 of our series on teaching the alphabet. If you missed last week's episode, I'd encourage you to start there to help establish the most effective mindset for this content.

If you're ready for today's episode, we're going to dive into assessment. Believe it or not, assessment doesn't have to be a bad word! Hang in there with me when I say they can actually be fun. For that to be true, they have to be done the right way and for the right reasons.

And I'm going to show you how!

I'll walk you through the assessment process I use for letters and sounds, and I'll give you the templates I use free for download on the blog!

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with Letter and Sounds Assessment Binder)
The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 1: Mindset
Letter and Sound Fluency Blog Post
Rainbow Sight Word System
Letter Squads - free trial
Alphabet Parade Planning Guide
Alphabet Parade Blog Post

Teacher, do you ever get frustrated when teaching the alphabet? I have in the past when students just couldn't grasp the letters. This episode begins a three part series that will make teaching the alphabet easier and more fun. The alphabet is one of my favorite things to teach now, and I can help you enjoy it more and be more effective.

Let me show you how a mindset shift can improve you alphabet instruction. I'll give you a hint: imagine trying to decipher hieroglyphics.

Plus, I'll show you how to quickly fix one of the biggest gaps I see in curriculums teaching the alphabet.

Are you ready to supercharge your alphabet instruction? Let's go!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post - Part 1: Mindset
Phonological Awareness Video Series

Well, hey there, teacher! I'm back after a two week break, refreshed, energized, and ready to talk school! Today, I am excited to bring you the ultimate guide to simple class rules. This is something I have used year after year I believe fully in it. And that is why I want to share it with you right now, when we are totally not even thinking about school.

Well, actually I am thinking about school, I can't help it.  :)

If you're feeling like classroom rules are a lot of hype for very little pay off, roll your desk chair on over and let me share the three reasons I absolutely LOVE classroom rules.

Then, we'll talk about how to make your classroom rules simple and effective so that they work for you and your primary students. Are you ready?

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy

Teacher, we've made it! It's the summer after the craziest school year ever. You've earned rest, and I want you to have it! Here's the thing: let's make sure we're intentional about it so it doesn't just slip right through our fingers.

Don't panic, because I'm not saying you can't still binge watch your favorite TV show. If we do a little planning ahead to make sure we're using our time effectively, you can rest, recharge, grow, and be ready for next school year. Plus, you won't find yourself at the end of the summer looking back with regret.

Sound like a plan? Let's make this your best summer yet!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Finish With Joy
Joyful Teacher Academy
Northwestern Medicine

Teacher, I see you here volunteering your precious time to get more information, motivation, and encouragement for what you do. That is amazing.

Today, let's talk about the beliefs that make up your teacher core. This isn't a lesson on beliefs you should try to create in yourself. What we're going to do today is recognize them so that you can use them to refuel your teacher spirit.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS podcast episode
Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS blog post
Finish With Joy series and free workbook download
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

Teacher, we have reflected on what our pain points are, focused on things we can eliminate to maximize our time, and planned ahead for the next year.

Now, it's time to use everything we've learned to fuel yourself for next year. Summer's coming folks, and it's a great time to invest in yourself!

Professional development doesn't have to be boring, I promise! Our approach will make sure that it's tailored specifically to you and helps you become more joyful. Best of all, your plan can be done whenever you choose.

Let's get you ready to make your difference!

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post (with free workbook download)
Joyful Teacher Academy

Teacher, are you ready to translate your stress into solutions that will set you up for a joyful school year?

We all have pain points, or stressors, in this career. Today, I'm going to walk you through how to examine those and design actionable steps to prepare you for your most joyful year yet. We can choose joy, but it isn't enough to show up to our classrooms one day and decide that that's the day we're going to be joyful.

We're going to pick our top three pain points and then design solutions for them so that they don't continue to steal our joy next year.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post (with free workbook download)
Joyful Teacher Academy