Rainbow Skies for Teachers

As a new teacher, hitting the midpoint of the school year can feel like hitting a solid brick wall. The initial excitement and energy that carried you through the first few months may start to wane, leaving you feeling fatigued and overwhelmed. But don't worry, this is totally normal! 

In this episode, we share five effective strategies to help you overcome teacher fatigue, regain your enthusiasm, and finish the school year strong (or start out strong if you are one of our teachers in the Northern Hemisphere). 

5 Strategies to Conquer Teacher Fatigue:

• Reflect and Celebrate Small Wins
• Reconnect with Your Passion
• Prioritise Self-Care and Well-being.
• Build a Support Network around you 
• Utilise Resources for New Teachers (start by getting this freebie)

Remember, mid-year fatigue is a common challenge for any teacher, but with the right strategies, you can overcome it and continue making a positive impact in your students’ lives. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, your feedback helps us improve and reach more educators like you! Until next week…

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in today’s episode

Grab our freebie: Surviving your First Year of Teaching

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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About Schools for Change:

Schools for Change is on a mission to take action on homelessness through education and advocacy! The initiative by charity StreetSmart Australia, offers educators free, curriculum-aligned classroom resources and activities to help kick-start conversations about homelessness and social change. 

The free resources help create flexible and engaging opportunities to introduce tricky topics like homelessness and poverty, build empathy and curiosity through storytelling, and dispel stigma with facts and evidence.

How to connect with the team at Street Smart Australia:

On Instagram via @schools.for.change 

Online via https://streetsmartaustralia.org/schools-for-change/ OR 

Email at [email protected]

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Catering for all your student’s needs when teaching Maths is a daunting job! It can feel like you need a clone (or two) of yourself to make it all happen. In this episode, we dive into one of the most common challenges teachers face: effectively differentiating math lessons to meet the diverse needs of their students. 

The good news is we have the best solution! 

Math groups, also known as math centres or workshops, offer an engaging and flexible approach to personalised learning. We share how we run math groups and 10 reasons why we think you should give them a try in your classroom.

We love Maths groups because:

• They make differentiation easy
• They build student confidence
• Kids love them
• They are an easy way to integrate technology
• Increase engagement in maths lessons
• Students can work collaboratively as problem-solvers
• You can build mathematical fluency
• They allow you to create hands-on learning experiences
• They encourage Independent learners
• They provide a safe learning space

Whether you're a new teacher looking for effective differentiation strategies or an experienced educator seeking fresh ideas, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you make the most of math groups in your classroom.

If you know someone who would benefit from this episode, please share it. Here at Rainbow Sky, we are all about teachers helping teachers. 

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in today’s episode

• Grab our freebie: 6 ways to create maths lessons students love
• Learn about our mini-course Transform your Maths Groups
• Uno card activities to use in your Maths Groups

Today’s episode was brought to you by Second Story Window. Join the FREE Back to School Audio Summit here. 

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In this episode, we enjoyed talking to Kailey from The Balanced Educator Podcast. She is a breath of fresh air when it comes to learning and understanding the vital role that co-regulation plays in teaching and student learning. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to start effectively co-regulating with your students, you will want to listen to what Kailey has to share. 

We unpack:

• What does co-regulation mean in the context of teaching and learning
• How does co-regulation differ from traditional classroom management models, and how does it foster a positive learning environment?
• Some specific co-regulation techniques for educators to try
• Common challenges teachers might encounter and how to overcome them
• How teachers can gauge the effectiveness of their co-regulation efforts.

Kailey will have you ready to take the journey with your students to begin daily self-care practises and learn concrete skills for emotional wellness and mental health.  

If you know a teacher friend who is just as passionate about making co-regulation part of your daily routine and needs that nudge to get started, be sure to share this episode with them.

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

Connect with Kailey at @educalme or through their website www.educalme.com. 

If you’re ready to support your students with co-regulation try educal for free here. 

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Have you ever been sitting around the staffroom table and caught yourself saying, ‘There just isn’t enough time'? 

It is no secret that teachers are time-poor. 

Today, we are discussing time-saving tips, tricks, and hacks that have worked for us over the years. Some of them have been in our toolkit for a long time, and others are totally new discoveries. 

One of the keys to being effective at your job as a teacher is time management and let’s face it, we all wish for more (easier said than done). Throughout this episode we breakdown these 8 strategies that have helped us and we hope will help you too:

• Be organised 
• Set realistic goals
• Set yourself up for the term
• Be a week ahead
• Know your time
• Keep on top of daily and weekly tasks with routines
• Technology away

Managing and using your time wisely as a teacher will set you up for success from the get-go! Let us know if you put any of these time management strategies for teachers in place and how they worked for you. 

Rainbows ahead,

Alisha and Ashleigh

Resources mentioned in this episode

Free Editable Weekly Checklist

The Hive an all-in-one online hub for your classroom - Get your 7 day free trial here. 

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You don’t want to miss this episode. Our guests today are making waves in the Aussie teacher space. They are wholeheartedly dedicated to making teachers' lives better and achieving greater outcomes for students. They are change-makers, innovators, teacher empaths, cheerleaders and A-listers for Aussie teachers online.  

 Welcome to Mr and Mrs Learning Bee, otherwise known as Tam and Jez, the creators of ‘The Hive’. 

Throughout this episode, we chat about so many juicy topics, including:

• How it feels to be a teacher
• Evidence-based ways of teaching
• How the brain learns and how that is linked to the science of reading 
• The Hive and how the platform is changing teachers' lives
• The future of education, including what changes we want to see moving forward

Don’t miss the end, where we quiz Jez about teaching jargon. 

By the end of this episode, you will feel seen as a teacher - that is a promise. 

This is the perfect episode to share with a teacher friend.

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

Find Tam and Jez on Instagram @mrslearningbee or @learningwiththehive 

Website: mrslearningbee.com

Learn more about the Hive here: hive.mrslearningbee.com

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We all know what it is like to run reading groups in a primary classroom… hectic, to say the least! It is a time when we get to sit down and work closely with our students, but at the same time, we are managing the remainder of the class that is supposed to be working ‘independently’.

Over the years, we have found some activities for the groups working independently that are better than others and today we want to share this wisdom. 

In this episode of Rainbow Skies for New Teachers, we talk about the 5 golden rules we try to stick to when choosing activities for our students to do while we are reading with individuals or small groups. 

These golden rules include:

1. Limit activities that require marking
2. Consider noise level and movement (we want minimal of each)
3. Choose activities that can be used on repeat
4. Don’t underestimate simple activities
5. Teach your students how to set and pack away to your standards

We also share activities you can implement in your classroom starting tomorrow. All tasks are aligned with the research from the science of reading and follow our ‘golden rules’ for choosing activities. 

If you want a visual of these suggestions, you can find them here.

We know a lot goes into planning reading groups so they run smoothly, and more importantly, students are learning! We hope this gives you some inspiration to guide you in choosing fun and engaging activities that allow you to work with the students in your small group. If you need more help to setup your reading groups so they run like clockwork in your classroom, check out Transform your Reading Groups.

Thank you for joining us, if you enjoyed this episode share the love and send it to a teacher friend.

Rainbows ahead,
Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Our Mini Course: Transform your Reading Groups (all activities mentioned in today’s episode come as a bonus inside this course). 
• Science of Reading Podcast Episode 21 with Sara Marye
• Scinece of Reading Podcast Episode 29 with Malia Hollowell 
• Word of the Day templates
• Roald Dahl flipbook

The Hive is an all-in-one online hub for your classroom - Get your 7-day free trial here. 

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In this insightful episode, we are joined by Lesley, a passionate advocate for integrating First Nations perspectives in education. Lesley shares her expertise on how educators can move beyond the fear of being 'tokenistic' and truly become allies. 

We delve into practical advice for teachers who are nervous or uneducated about First Nations cultures and discuss the powerful impact teachers can have, especially for children from families that are not allies. 

Lesley also highlights her efforts to support teachers during NAIDOC Week and shares what this year's theme, "Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud," means to her.

With NAIDOC Week just around the corner, this is an important episode to listen to and share with a colleague. 

We also would like to formally invite each and everyone of your to join Wingaru’s NAIDOC webinar with Kylie Captian from Dream Big Education and be that teacher who makes a difference!

You can access more help with embedding First Nations perspectives on our blog and Wingaru’s blog. 

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

Where to Start Embedding First Nations Perspectives (especially if you are unsure) blog post

Explore Wingaru Education

Connect with Lesley and the team on Instagram

Purchase a NAIDOC Week pack

Join the webinar

Book: Fair Skin Black Fella by Renee Fogorty 

Check out Jordyn from @learning_to_ngangaanha

Join Transform your First Years here.

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There are loads of fun and cute ideas out there for the early years in primary school, but how can we keep our upper primary students engaged in their learning?

Today we are joined by Jess Stedman, otherwise known as The Sydney Teacher online, and she shares her teaching philosophy with us. She takes a deep dive into how we can create hands-on, open-ended and engaging classrooms for learners in Grades 5-6. 

Jess is passionate about providing lots of opportunities for her students to move, engage in conversation with each other and collaborate together as they learn. She offers advice about the different ways that you can do the same in your classroom. 

We also dive into fun lesson ideas such as thinkers keys, escape rooms and problem-solving that will encourage that ‘buy-in’ from your upper primary students. 

Jess is a passionate teacher and this conversation is one that will have you feeling inspired to go out and give some of her philosophies a go.

If you know a Grade 5 or 6 teacher, send this podcast episode through to them.

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

Connect with Jess on Instagram @the.sydney.teacher or through her website thesydneyteacher.com

Kagan Cooperative Learning 

UNO card Maths Packs for Grades 5-6

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Here at Rainbow Sky Creations, we are all about turning everyday stuff into cool lessons. Enter UNO cards - our hands-down favourite resource for Maths ever!

The possibilities are endless for UNO cards to spark curiosity and excitement in learners of all levels. 

We share these helpful lessons ideas for all age groups in today’s episode: 

Preschool / First Year of School 

• Colour sorting
• Identifying numbers before and after
• Number collection match
• Making tallies
• Making a number line

Grades 1 and 2

• Friends to ten
• Simple addition and subtraction number sentences
• Number of the Day generator (free here)

Grades 3 and 4

• Times table fluency
• Comparing numbers using greater than and less than symbols
• Place Value war game (free here)

Grades 5 and 6

• Multiplication fluency
• Creating fractions
• Prime and composite sort

Whether you teach preschool or Grade 6 UNO cards are a great way to engage your students in mathematical concepts and have fun at the same time.

Want more UNO inspo, find it on our blog:  www.rainbowskycreations.com/blog

Rainbows ahead,

Ashleigh and Alisha

Connect with HUE Document Cameras: 

HUE HD Pro Camera

Follow @‌huecameras on Instagram

Get 15% off using the code 15RAINBOWSKY (valid on Amazon Australia until the end of June, 2023)

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Free Place Value War Game
• Free Number of the Day Template

Ready-to-print UNO resources:

• Pre K / Kindergarten (prep) 
• Grade s1 & 2 
• Grades 3 & 4 
• Grades 5 & 6 

❤️💛💚💙

This episode was brought to you by Schools for Change, an initiative created by Street Smart Australia—access free resources for your classroom here. 

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Are you a teacher who sometimes feels like everything at school is just too much? Well, guess what? That's totally normal!
 
We're here to let you know that you're not alone in feeling overwhelmed with all the things teachers have to do. But just because it's common doesn't mean it's good to stay stressed out all the time. We know that being overwhelmed isn't fun, and it's hard to do a good job when you feel that way.

Even teachers who've been doing this for years, like us, still have times when we feel overwhelmed. So, we've gathered some helpful tips to share with you.
 
These are things we've learned that can make a big difference when that overwhelmed feeling starts creeping in.
 
8 ways to beat teacher overwhelm:

• Share your feelings
• Take time for yourself 
• Wishlist your to-do list
• Get enough sleep
• Stop multitasking
• Clear the clutter
• Reflect on the positive
• Try some technology free time

Learning to manage that feeling can make you feel better and help you do an even better job in your classroom.
 
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
Join us inside Transform your First Years this month where we are coaching and supporting our members through these common feelings of overwhelm.

Connect with HUE Document Cameras: 

HUE HD Pro Camera

Follow @huecameras on Instagram

Get 15% off using the code 15RAINBOWSKY (valid on Amazon Australia until the end of June, 2024)

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