Rainbow Skies for Teachers

It is often comforting knowing that someone has walked in your shoes before you. Today’s guest, Bridget, has been teaching for 18 months and is here to share all the truths about the good times, the not so great times and what has helped her survive and thrive in the first year of teaching - and Bridget is in fact thriving. 

Bridget aka Miss Inclusivity on Instagram, is not only a new teacher but also a business owner so she knows first hand what it is like to be juggling lots of balls. 

In today’s chat we talk about:

Where Bridget’s energy and passion comes from

What keeps Bridget motivated (because those first few years aren’t easy)

How to reframe your thoughts to have a positive mindset

The rollercoaster ride of teaching and her top tips for new teachers

Her lanyard business and how she helps teachers

You will love Bridget’s energy and passion! We hope you enjoy this conversation.

You can access more teacher strategies, classroom inspiration and a wealth of resources by visiting our website  www.rainbowskycreations.com.

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

Transform your First Years, our membership that supports new teachers. 

Shop Miss Inclusivity’s lanyards here:  https://missinclusivity.com/pages/lanyards 

Connect with Bridget on Instagram @missinclusivity  and TikTok @missinclusivity

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Looking for ways to mark student work faster and in a more effective way? You have come to the right place!

Marking or grading work can be extremely time consuming and let’s face it, as teachers we can often feel very time poor. At the end of the day, marking/grading is all about giving students adequate feedback about their learning and for you as the teacher to monitor their progress. Too often we get caught up in the ‘rules’ our admin gives us, such as: You must mark every piece of work, written feedback needs to be detailed or bookwork is the only way to truly assess your student’s progress…

Well, we are calling out all of these things today! Stick with us as we talk about the true purpose of marking/grading student work and how you can save time as a teacher in the process. 

We share our top 10 tips to help you mark / grade your students work in less time:

• Keep everything you need in one organised place
• Mark work as you go, giving immediate feedback to your students
• Have a designated spot in your classroom for books or worksheets to go if they need to be marked
• Group students to provide more detailed feedback when marking
• Skip the bookwork and marking altogether
• Mark as a class
• Make an investment in a personalised stamp to save time
• Try batching your grading / marking
• Mini marking keys are helpful
• Set homework that require no marking (if you need to set homework at all)

Finally, treat yourself for a job well done! If you loved these time saving ideas, then you should check out our mini course Transform Your Teacher Time.

Thank you for joining us for another episode of Rainbow Skies for New Teachers.

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

Learn more about saving time here: Transform Your Teacher Time

Check out teacher stamps by Miss Honey Teachers

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We have fallen victim to these common reading group traps many times! Today we wanted to share the downfalls we have made and share how you can avoid them in your classroom.

Reading groups can feel like juggling a million balls. But even though it can be difficult, they are a crucial part of the school day.

Run your reading groups more efficiently and calmly by avoiding these common mistakes:
Mistake 1: Over Complicating Activities or Choosing Rowdy Tasks
Mistake 2: Choosing Activities That Require Explicit Instruction or Supervision
Mistake 3: Lack of Preparation for Small Group Lessons
Mistake 4: Planning Activities That Require Lots of Marking
Mistake 5: Grouping Students by Levelled Readers

Don’t worry, we share what to avoid but also what you can to do to ensure successful reading groups!

If you need more help to set up your reading groups so they run like clockwork in your classroom, check out Transform your Reading Groups.

Thank you for joining us for another episode of Rainbow Skies for New Teachers.

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode
Our Mini Course: Transform your Reading Groups
Blog Post: Things to Avoid when Running Reading Groups
Science of Reading Podcast Episode 21 with Sara Marye
Science of Reading Podcast Episode 29 with Malia Hollowell


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One of the toughest jobs as educators is working with a class of people who are still learning how to self-regulate. You’re doing your best to get them all onboard with the lesson you want to teach them.

In this episode, we chat with Dr Jessica Werner who is extremely passionate and motivated to help schools support and retain amazing teachers! As a global educator and professor of education, she understands how tough it is for educators today. 

We talk about: 

• Common disruptions teachers face
• Effective classroom management techniques
• Quick social-emotional strategies 
• Ways to deal with diverse students' needs.

Jessica is truly a lifelong learner. She loves learning about why our brains do what they do, and how that knowledge can be used to empower educators and really support the learners and teachers in schools. We hope you enjoy this conversation. 

You can access more teacher strategies, classroom inspiration and a wealth of resources by visiting our website  www.rainbowskycreations.com.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Dr Jessica Werner here  

Learn more about Northshore Learning here

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Today’s episode has 2 parts, the first is 5 essential tips for preservice teachers embarking on a prac and want to make the best impression from the get-go. The second is for mentor teachers and our advice to help you give your preservice teacher the most valuable learning experience.

5 Essential Tips for Preservice Teachers:

• Manners aren’t just for kids
• First impressions are a thing
• Get involved in the classroom and school life
• Build relationships respectfully and professionally
• Phones need to go away while you are on the job

Hosting a Prac Student 101:

• Communicate your expectations clearly 
• Establish a mentorship relationship
• Plan and involve your prac student in lesson preparation
• Observe and provide constructive feedback (think 3 stars and a wish)
• Encourage reflection and self-assessment
• Setup times for regular meetings
• Model effective teaching practices and provide opportunities for the prac student to try them 
• Celebrate successes and provide encouragement

We need great teachers in the classroom, so both preservice teachers and mentor teachers alike have a responsibility to get the most out of a prac for the future students that will be sitting in our classrooms. 

If you know a preservice teacher OR a mentor teacher, share the love and this episode with them.

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

Freebie for Preservice Teachers

Free lesson plan templates 

Mentor Teacher Guide 

Today’s episode is sponsored by The Hive an all-in-one online hub for your classroom - Get your 7 day free trial here. 

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Today our guest is Caley Rose, a pop singer and songwriter who is on a mission to change the narrative of self-confidence with her Music with a Message Program.  

In this episode, we talk about:

• How music is a powerful tool that we’re probably underutilising in the classroom. 
• What teachers will notice when they start using music as a teaching tool.
• How transformational music can be to our soul + well-being.

Caley is all about empowering children and young adults. Her music is filled with self-affirming dialogue that is transforming classrooms and providing the space for meaningful discussions. If you know a teacher friend who is just as passionate about building self-confidence in the next generation and believes in the power of music, be sure to share this episode with them.

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resourses mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with Caley Rose on Instragram or TikTok
• Listen to her music here
• Learn more at www.CaleyRose.com/musicwithamessage 

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Dennis Matthew is a Speech Pathologist by trade, but he doesn’t only work alongside teachers in schools, he is also an author, songwriter, poet and musician with purpose! Dennis travels around to schools all over USA sharing his passion for the underdog to feel seen and heard. 

We talk about a lot in the episode, including:

• What an in-school speech pathologist does and how do they support students and teachers
• Dennis’s mission is to help every child find their voice and how he does that through his work
• How it is our job as the adults in our students' lives to advocate for them and care for their wellbeing
• The power of music and storytelling to support SEL in the classroom
• How schools are a village that we all contribute to

Dennis is a blast and has so much to share. Towards the end of the interview I try to get him to choose his favourite book that he has written and he shares how each of them is close to his heart because they all contain a piece of his story. 

This month in Transform your First Years, we are diving into how Allied Health professionals, like Dennis, can help us support our students. Join us here. 

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Shop Dennis’s books here.
• Find Dennis on You Tube here.
• Connect with Dennis on Instagram.

This episode was brought to you by Transform your First Years, our membership that supports new teachers. Learn more here. 

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This episode is an important one. We sit down with Amy, a renowned expert on teacher wellbeing, to debunk myths and provide actionable insights into how educators can improve their wellbeing. 

Amy shares wisdom from her book Teacher Wellbeing: A Real Conversation for Teachers and Leaders. She discusses the deeper aspects of well-being and common mistakes schools make in addressing this crucial issue. Whether you're a teacher or a school leader, this episode is packed with valuable advice on fostering a healthier, more productive environment.

In today’s episode we break down:

• Common myths about Teacher Wellbeing
• How ‘outsourcing’ our wellbeing isn’t helping us as teachers 
• Micro-stresses that teachers face
• Subjective and psychological wellbeing
• Mistakes we often make when it comes to wellbeing and what we can do as individuals to make a change
• The connection between productivity and wellbeing
• Moving away from reactionary environments in schools to being proactive and how this small change can have a massive impact

Amy offers crucial advice that will help us take back our power and control over our wellbeing as teachers because at the end of the day teacher wellbeing impacts student wellbeing and we are there for the kids!

This is the perfect episode to share with a teacher friend, especially one who may be struggling in this area of wellbeing and balance right now. 

You can access more teacher strategies, classroom inspiration and a wealth of resources by visiting our website  www.rainbowskycreations.com.

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

Learn more from Amy at www.thewellnessstrategy.com.au

Connect with Amy on socials @_thewellnessstrategy  

Find Amy on Linked in here.

Amy’s book: Teacher Wellbeing: A Real Conversation for Teachers and Leaders  

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Have you ever been that teacher who has complained or been frustrated by the fact that your students don’t know their times tables? As Grade 3 and 4 teachers, we feel you! Building up your students’ times table fluency is so critical in helping develop their numeracy skills.

In today’s episode, we are going to share 10 fun ways to engage your students in learning their multiplication facts which in turn will build their fluency and overall confidence as little mathematicians. Big promises? No way! All these games and activities have been tested in our own classrooms over the years.

Here are 10 games we love to help build multiplication fluency:

1. Building blocks
2. Pop stick skip counting
3. Uno card multiplication games
4. Coloured rice or bean search
5. Egg carton game
6. Playdough arrays
7. Ask me badges
8. Gone fishing times table game
9. Multiplication Flowers
10. Guess Who game for multiplication
11. Bonus: Our FREE Flip it game 

We hope you are ready for your students to become more fluent and confident in recalling their multiplication facts!

If you know a teacher that struggles with this same problem, share this episode. As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved!

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in today’s episode

• Types of beans: Dried kidney beans, black beans, borlotti beans
• Need a visual? See all today’s ideas in action here.
• Board games for learning blog post 
• Episode 33: Our favourite Maths resource, UNO Cards 
• Uno card activities to use in your Maths Groups
• Guess Who Multiplication game
• Free Ask Me badges
• Free Flip it game

This episode is sponsored by Transform your First Years – A membership for new teachers that will fast-track your expertise + confidence  – because teacher life is a team sport!

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• Noticing your own energy
• Non-verbal communication
• Mutual respect
• The messages we are giving our students on the daily. 

1. Expectations 
2. Confidence and
3. Modelling 

• Listen to Claire’s Podcast - The Unteachables Podcast
• Follow Claire on Instagram @the.unteachables 
• Learn more at: www.the-unteachables.com 

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