Hey there, teacher friend!

Are you ready for Part 2 of making your morning meetings EPIC? If you missed Part 1, jump over there and catch it from the top. I'll be here. :)

Today we're going to talk about the last two of five components to make your morning meeting engaging and memorable. With these two tips related to incorporating content and ensuring your students are successful, morning meetings won't just be time takers! Plus we're sharing bonus tips!

Links in today's episode:

Blog Post - Morning Meeting
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

Could your morning classroom routine use a little pizzazz? Join me as I interview Susan Matthews, who is an absolute master at morning meetings.

If you haven't tried morning meetings yet, give us a chance to explain why they're so important and beneficial. Besides being engaging, if you craft them thoughtfully, they give students a chance to be successful that will boost their confidence for the rest of the day.

We're also sharing 5 components you need to have an epic morning meeting. In Part 1 today, we'll cover the first three components, so be sure to tune in for the next episode for the last two components and bonus tips!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Kindergarten Word Works
First Grade Word Works
Blog Post - Morning Meeting
SEL Toolkit
Blog Post - Names
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Christmas break! While I'm looking forward to some rest, TV, and time with my family, I'm also planning ahead for January.

This is a perfect time to reflect back on the first half of the school year and push the reset button for the start of the second half. These three goals will get you set for a successful beginning in January.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Blog post: https://teachertoni.com/reset/
Sticker Card Starter Kit: Sticker Card Starter Kit: Positive Behavior Management System | TpT (teacherspayteachers.com)
Virtual Rewards: teachertoni.com/virtualrewards/
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: primary-teacher-friends-join-1024x287.png (1024×287) (teachertoni.com)

Did you know there's one word all your students want to hear? It's connected to their identity. It's a powerful way to make them feel connected and valued. Plus, it barely takes extra time and very little effort to make sure you say this word once you know what it is.

Ready to find out? Let me show you what it is and how to implement it!

Links mentioned in today's episode: 
Today's blog post: The One Word Your Students Crave: Their Name! - Teacher Toni
Sight Word Engagement Guide: 3 Sight-Word Strategies (scientifically-proven) to BOOST Engagement in Primary (K-2) - Teacher Toni
Cheer Cards: Classroom Cheers: An Active, Motivational Tool for Primary Teachers (54 Free Cheer Cards to Download) - Teacher Toni
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends

Need some motivation to keep teaching content during the holidays? Today, Toni shares why these three weeks are so important.

She also gives three tips to make sure you're continuing vital learning without being accused of being a grinch. Our primary kiddos don't need a bunch of holiday movies to enjoy the holiday spirit. With a little planning, our lessons can be both content rich and festive.

Links in today's episode:
Holidays podcast episode: https://teachertoni.com/holidays/
Kindergarten Word Works: Kindergarten Word Works: Christmas Edition (Printable & Interactive PDF) (teacherspayteachers.com)
First Grade Word Works: First Grade Word Works: Christmas Edition (Printable & Interactive PDF) (teacherspayteachers.com)
Classroom Cheers Post: Classroom Cheers: An Active, Motivational Tool for Primary Teachers (54 Free Cheer Cards to Download) - Teacher Toni
Direct Drawings: Art for Kids Hub - YouTube

Teacher, do you feel like no one sees or cares about the hard work you're putting in? Let me assure you that I do.

Our world needs a lot more gratitude going around. Today I'm going to explain why gratitude is healthy and how we can show it to others and ourselves. You might be the person someone needs to hear from today, and your encouragement could be the very thing they need to keep going.

I'm going to share a simple way you can share your gratitude. It'll require you to search your feelings, but it'll be good for you and the person you share with. Trust me on this one.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

• Today's blog post: https://teachertoni.com/gratitude/
• Dear Tired Teacher blog post: https://teachertoni.com/tiredteacher/
• Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-that-will-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/?sh=aa2e675183c0
• Morning Message blog post: https://teachertoni.com/morningmessage/
• Word Hippo (aka the unicorn thesaurus): https://www.wordhippo.com/
• Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends

Today's episode brings you an interview packed with energy and ideas from best-selling author of Teach Like A PIRATE, Dave Burgess. Come along as Toni talks with Dave about bringing the PIRATE spirit to the classroom. 

They explore student engagement and how using hooks is an investment of time rather than a waste of time. That's because if you make content an experience it becomes memorable. Come embrace Dave's enthusiasm and carry it into your teaching!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

• Follow Dave on Twitter @BurgessDave
• Dave's blog: www.daveburgess.com
• Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends

Sweet Teacher, I know your heart and spirit are exhausted and ready to give in. I know that you have too much to do and too little time to do it. I know that our current situation has added a deeper, more violent layer of stress to an already overwhelming career. I also know that all of your hard work and sacrifices go highly unnoticed and unappreciated. More than any of that, I also know that the World can't afford to LOSE YOU as a Teacher.  You have to keep going.

If you feel like you just can't keep going on like this, you need to listen intently to this episode.  Toni shares a very personal story of a little girl who gets in trouble the day after Halloween and how the unparalleled impact of a caring teacher can change everything.  If you can't hear the raw passion in her voice something is wrong with your headphones. Children need you and Toni spills out her heart in hopes that you'll hang in there for the ride.

Links mentioned in this episode: 

• Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends/ 

Feeling worn down, discouraged, or burned out? Join Toni and special guest, Barbara Gruener, to learn what self-care REALLY is (it's doesn't only mean a spa) and why you should absolutely be practicing it.

We'll talk about self-talk, saying no, and how to avoid feeling guilty for giving your best self to the world.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

• Blog post with Self-Care Boosters: https://teachertoni.com/selfcare/
• SEL blog post: https://teachertoni.com/sel/
• Barbara Gruener's blog: http://corneroncharacter.com/
• Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends

If you're a Primary Teacher, you know that teaching a student how to write a sentence correctly isn't an easy task, especially considering we normally have 20+ of the little critters to split our teaching between.  If you've felt the frustration of walking around the room, struggling to give each child the instruction they need to form a sentence correctly (with capitalization, spacing, punctuation, etc.), you need a new way. 

Today, Toni will share with you the EASIEST way EVER to help your students get over this writing hurdle. With this quick and simple routine, you'll see a transformation in your students' sentence-writing abilities... PROMISE! 

The best part? She's not only going to teach you why and how to do it, but she's providing the tools you need to get started as soon as TODAY. . So, listen in and let's get those kiddos writing sentences straight-away.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

• Join our Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends
• Free Sentence Writing Tool-Kit: https://teachertoni.com/writingsentences/