Hello everyone! We are back and ready to roll! I'm alone on this episode, so things are a little different, but it is still worth the listen (if I do say so myself.) In this episode, I talk about our 16th episode milestone, the future of the podcast, and I also lay out a lesson in detail that I had great success with in my classroom. The lesson is great for ELAR teachers of all grades and is easily modifiable to fit your needs. Make sure you have pen and paper ready because you'll want to jot down some notes! Enjoy! SHOW NOTES: These are the songs I used in the lesson. You can use the same ones, or spice things up with your own choices. Am I Wrong Original Cover Radioactive Original Cover Girls Just Want To Have Fun Original Cover Hallelujah (a million versions. I picked this one because they know it from Shrek.) Original (sort of) Cover

Hello everyone! I've been gone too long! I've missed you all. I really have. But, to make up for it, we have an extra long episode today, where I have a conversation with my partner in crime, Mrs. Smithey! As is common for the podcast, our episode took a life of its own once we got going, so the intro doesn't exactly match what we ended up spending our time discussing. In this episode, we talk about how her past has made her the teacher she is today, and how that shapes everything she does in the classroom, from relationship building, to helping struggling readers gain confidence, and everything in between. I hope you have as much fun with this episode as much as we did making it. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! We have an IMPORTANT episode this week. You will want to share it as much as possible. In this episode, I sat down with my friend and co-worker, Tony Moreau to talk about the importance of science education, teaching the "controversial subjects," and using Instagram and pets to engage students in the learning! Tony brings his awesome personality, ideas, and love for science in this episode and makes it one no one should miss. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! In this episode, I talk with Mrs. West about her toughest year, what went wrong, and how she came out on top afterwards. Not only does she open up and share her personal stories about how she struggled and why, but we also get to see how she recovered, and what steps she took to get her class back on track. This is a fantastic episode for anyone who is having issues, feeling burnt out, or wants to know that they aren't alone in their struggle. Enjoy! PS: Mrs. West was really nervous to be on the podcast. So, if you could, tell her how awesome she was. We all need a boost for our egos sometimes!

Hello everyone! Writing. It can cause stress for the teacher and the student. We push and we push and we push, and we end up not wanting to read final products and the kids don't want to write them. So... What do we do? Malyn Bannister (one of my favorite teachers of all time) is here to help us and teach us what she has been doing to transform her class into a class of writers and creators. In this episode, we hit on recent training she has received that changed how she saw her class, how she has used it, and what simple, yet effective, steps she has taken to get her writing class going. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! We took last week off due to scheduling issues, but we are back with a great episode. We are talking flexible seating (alternative seating) in the classroom. We hit on why you should consider changing your class seating, giving up control of certain things, practical ideas for your class, and a personal look at Jennifer Moreau's experience with changing her class, and how she pulled off such a big task. Jennifer is a fantastic teacher, and this episode is packed full of ideas, musings, and great teaching advice that is sure to help you somehow. Enjoy! Click here for a helpful blog post from Edutopia on the topic of flexible seating. PS -- Check out her room!

Hello everyone! This week's episode is all about having structure in the classroom and using structures to better the interactions and academic success of your students! Kecia Dennis of RMS is here to share her insight into what structure means for her, how she uses it to create a safe classroom environment, and how she uses structures specifically in her class to boost academic achievement. Kecia is brilliant in more ways than I can list here, and has filled this episode with so much useful advice that it's impossible not to learn something new you can use in your room. As a side note, we mention Kagan several times in this episode. This podcast isn't sponsored by them in any way or connected, other than finding the tools they provide invaluable for the classroom. Click HERE to visit their website and learn more. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! I am pumped for this episode. Today we are talking about how to better serve our English Language Learner populations and our Newcomers ! America has always been a home for families all over the world. Today, teachers are being asked to better serve these families more than ever, and we plan on helping you guys out in this episode. Cindy brings her expertise, passion, and insight to the table and offers everyone who listens some great and practical advice that can be used TOMORROW. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! Boy, do we have a great episode for you this week. We are talking about EXCELLENCE, and how to achieve it in your classroom, both academically and behaviorally. I sat down with one of my good friends and colleagues, Chris Alegria, of Richland Middle School, to discuss the "secret" to his successes in his class. Shocking, it's something that we can all do today. Some of us probably do. Many of us might not. In any case, his advice and passion (and humor) are not to be missed or disregarded. Everyone can learn from him. Chris was teacher of the year at RMS two years ago and has an astonishing number of commended students on his state exams. Listen to the episode for more details! Enjoy!

Hello everyone! In episode 6, we are talking about balancing coaching, teaching, and how a passionate educator can use both mediums to build great relationships with their students. The intro to this episode is hilarious to me because of how I stutter. Not sure what was the cause, but it makes me laugh each time. Also, this episode's intro isn't exactly what the conversation ended up being about. The goal was to talk about balancing coaching and teaching solely, but we ended up discussing relationship building far more. Perhaps, that's a sign of which is more important to a successful school year? In any case, this is a great episode, with one of my dearest friends, Mrs. Ha. You'll learn a lot from her during this hour. Her compassion and dedication is evident in every word she speaks. Enjoy!