Rainbow Skies for Teachers

Teaching is an exciting ride, but it comes with its fair share of worries, especially for newcomers. From connecting with students to balancing work and life, these concerns can be daunting.

New teachers often grapple with common worries that can impact their confidence in and out of the classroom. But we are here to help that…

During the show, we discuss the following new teacher worries (that we hear most commonly from new teachers) PLUS we share some of our top solutions to help you with these common stressors:

• Building relationships with students
• Classroom management
• Lesson planning and delivery
• Assessment, data and grading
• Work/life balance

Before you go, don’t forget to FOLLOW and REVIEW our pod - it would mean so much to us.

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 our New Teacher Workshop on January 9th, 10th, 11th. Grab your free workbook here. Replays will be available on our  Instagram feed

Ice breaker game ideas

FREE Classroom Management Masterclass

More Lesson planning help and hacks

10 Ways to Assess Your Students

Learn more about Crayola’s Creativity Week here

Let's hear from you! Text us!

We know how overwhelming teaching can feel when you’re just getting started. That’s why we’re on a mission to help as many new teachers as possible to conquer all the biggest challenges encountered at the start of the school year.

Join our annual New Teacher Workshop! 

During the workshop, we will be going live on January 9th, 10th, 11th of January on Instagram and inside our secret Facebook Group to help you:

• Plan your  first day in the classroom
• Create a classroom management plan
• Get access to checklists to save your time as a teacher

Grab your FREE workbook here and all the nitty-gritty details sent to your inbox.

This is what other teachers said about the Challenge last year:

💜 “You guys have really eased my first day stress” 

💜 “These lives have been super helpful” 

💜 “I am so inspired by all the little things you both create. Thank you” 

See you during the New Teacher Workshop!

Rainbows Ahead,

💕Alisha and Ashleigh

PS If you are listening to this after Jan 11th, 2024, don’t worry. All the replays are on our Instagram feed. 

Let's hear from you! Text us!

There are not many jobs out there where someone who steps out of university is expected to do and achieve exactly the same thing as someone who has been in the industry and role for 40 years. 

That is why we need to support each other when teachers are just starting out (even after teaching for over a decade, things can get daunting and hectic at the best of times).

Perfection is a unicorn – meaning you can’t be the perfect teacher. The perfect teacher doesn’t exist. Even teachers with all the experience under their belt make mistakes, miss deadlines or forget important events. 

Join us in this episode and laugh along as we candidly explore the mistakes we've made in our journeys, reassuring you that amidst the challenges, you're not alone in your experiences.

If you loved or could relate to this episode, don’t forget to follow and review our pod to stay updated with the latest content. And, send us a post on social media so we can say a personal thank you!

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

💕 Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

Join our Podcast Facebook Group Here

Take our New Teacher Quiz Here

Episode sponsored by Transform your First Years (A membership for new teachers that will fast-track your expertise + confidence)

Let's hear from you! Text us!

The myriad of choices and factors to consider when thinking about setting up your classroom can be overwhelming. 

Every teacher shares the common goal of establishing an inviting environment that fosters a sense of welcome and comfort for their students. Additionally, considering the substantial time you'll spend in the classroom throughout the day, it's crucial that the space brings you joy as well.

Today, we talk about the things you SHOULD include in your classroom setup, the things you COULD include, and one thing we believe you DON’T need to worry about. 

Should’s:

• A reading space
• An organised space for your teacher papers
• A door display

Could’s:

• A Wow wall
• A Word wall/place for vocabulary

Don’t worry about:

• Laminating every simple thing! (Don’t worry; we discuss some alternatives to laminating in this episode, too)

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to follow and review our pod to stay updated with the latest content. And, send us a post on social media so we can say a personal thank you!

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

💕 Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Take our New Teacher Quiz Here
• Grab a FREE door display here

Let's hear from you! Text us!

Christmas is a time of giving. Kindness is a wonderful way to give to others without costing a cent. Here are 7 helpful and simple ideas outlining how you can promote Christmas kindness in the classroom:

• Daily Reminders
• Dedicating a specific lesson about Kindness
• Kindness Advent Calendar
• Make Kindness Baubles
• Create Kindness Compliment Wreaths
• Run a Kindness Kris Kringle
• Kindness Campaign Flyers

Christmas is the perfect time to explore and reflect upon how our students can contribute to the world by being kind. And best of all, during the most expensive time of year, kindness is FREE!

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to follow and review our pod to stay updated with the latest content. And send us a post on social media so we can say a personal thank you!

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

💕 Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Yay, I’m a Teacher FREEBIE
• FREE A Cheat’s Guide to Christmas in the Classroom
• Christmas Kindness Desk Tags
• Kindness Advent Calendar
• Kindness Compliment Wreaths
• FREE Kindness Kris Kringle
• FREE Kindness Tear-off Flyers

Let's hear from you! Text us!

It's beginning to look a lot like chaos leading to the end of the school year. For us in Australia, the weather is warming up, and summer holidays are on the horizon, but there are assessments to complete, reports to finalise and Christmas activities to organise.

Let’s talk about effective activities and strategies to help you make it to the finish line.

Teacher strategies

• Make a master list and tick 1-2 things off per day
• Choose an area of the room to tackle each day 
• Map out all the extra events so you feel prepared
• Put time aside for quality time with students
• Balloon pop as a countdown - (check episode 6 for more ideas)
• Keep up with routine - reading and maths groups, but make them festive

Student Activities 

• Christmas thief code cracker
• Christmas chains
• Christmas creative thinking tasks (student voice and choice)
• Kindness campaign as Christmas

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Free ebook: Yay, I'm a Teacher! Now, What Do I Do? 
• Download your free Cheats Guide to Christmas in the Classroom. 
• Access 5 Free activities to complete the school year

Let's hear from you! Text us!

Today, we are sharing the mic with four amazing Aussie teachers to hear some of their secret strategies to help manage their classes as the year comes to an end.

By the time December rolls around, everyone is tired, and often, our tried and true classroom management strategies that we have been using all year long aren’t working nearly as well.

Now is the time to mix it up so you can make it to the finish line still smiling!  Today, we are sharing 6 different strategies you could try in your classroom!

Connect with our guests:

• Tam from Mrs Learning Bee
• Eden from Eden Lisa Designs
• Julia from Mrs Chalmers Cherubs
• James - Creative Arts Coordinator, soon to be employed at Amplify

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review to stay updated with the latest content. And, send us a post on social media so we can say a personal thank you!

💕 Alisha and Ashleigh

Let's hear from you! Text us!

The research about how important it is to develop our students’ social and emotional learning is growing daily. How our students feel in the classroom is a big contributor to their success.

We know that when students feel secure and valued:

• They form a deeper connection with you as their teacher / trusted adult
• They are more likely to be ready and open to learning
• Less conflict occurs in the classroom

Today, we chat about 7 things you can do as a teacher that will help your students feel seen and valued:

1. Greet students in the morning
2. Ask questions about them
3. Notice students strengths
4. Showcase learning
5. Appreciate them
6. Dedicate a lesson to celebrate each other 
7. Create a class tradition or ritual

We hope these suggestions help you and your students. We would love to hear from you if you have success!

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review to stay updated with the latest content. And send us a post on social media so we can say a personal thank you!

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

💕 Alisha and Ashleigh

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Surviving Teaching Your First Years Free Guide 
• FREE PA of the Day badges 
• Free 10 Reasons Why I Love Being Your Teacher template 
• Compliment Jar Lesson

Let's hear from you! Text us!

We want to let you in on a little secret – simplicity is your key to success as a teacher. Keeping it simple will save you time, energy and heartache in the long run.

In this episode, we talk about how overcomplicated we can make things for ourselves and how to simplify tasks to make teacher life easier!

We discuss how to simplify:

• Classroom jobs
• All the papers + digital documents
• Planning lessons such as reading groups
• Organising classroom materials
• Storing work when students are away
• Setting student goals
• Photocopying

Ultimately, there are millions of ways to work smarter and not harder as a teacher, and we are here to help you do that!

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review to stay updated with the latest content. And, send us a post on social media so we can say a personal thank you!

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

💕 Alisha and Ashleigh

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Surviving Teaching Your First Years Free Guide 
• Professional Development Diary
• Assessment logbook (paper version)
• Growth Mindset / Goal setting  desk tags

Let's hear from you! Text us!

Are you drowning in everything that is expected of you as a classroom teacher? We are definitely here to say that the struggle is real, but there are a few simple adjustments you can make today so it doesn’t feel so hard.

If there’s one thing teachers DON’T have, it’s enough time. So here are 3 things you’ll want to stop doing immediately if you don’t have a minute to waste:

• Stop comparing yourself to other teachers!
• Stop making lesson plans, resources, and programs from scratch!
• Stop trying to do it on your own! 

“Teaching is a marathon, not a sprint – each day, term, and year, you are building on your teaching toolkit.” Rainbow Sky Creations

If you loved this episode, please rate and review it OR post it on social media so we can say a personal thank you.

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review to stay updated with the latest content. And, send us a post on social media so we can say a personal thank you!

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

💕 Alisha and Ashleigh

Resources mentioned in today’s episode:

• Free Guide: Surviving Teaching Your First Years  

Let's hear from you! Text us!