If you want to kick off the school year with a classroom full of joy, connection, and just a little magic, this can’t-miss classic is for you! We’re revisiting one of our most-loved episodes, all about the simple but powerful “surprise and delight” strategy for building strong student relationships from day one. In it, we share five teacher-tested ways to sprinkle unexpected fun into your routines, and give loads of easy, low-cost examples you can use right away. These small, intentional moments don’t just make your students smile, they create a positive classroom climate that lasts all year!

Prefer to read? Grab the original episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/back-to-school-surprise-and-delight/

Resources:

• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Website: National Day Calendar
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 148, How to Build Positive Relationships with Your Students at Back-to-School
• Episode 87, 4 Important Ways to Build Classroom Community at Back-to-School
• Episode 73, 4 Reasons Why Affirming Students Is The Most Important Goal for Back-to-School 
• Episode 35, 5 Ways to Increase Student Engagement – Our Secret Weapon for Teachers

By October, some classrooms feel like a true team while others still feel like a group of strangers. In this episode, we’re sharing our five-phase approach to classroom community building (Spark, Surface, Shape, Strengthen, and Sustain) so yours becomes the first kind. These are realistic, doable strategies you can use even during your busiest weeks, because strong classroom communities aren’t left to chance, they’re built with purpose and heart.

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/classroom-community-building/

Resources:

• All-About-Me Backpack (coming soon!)
• Book: Our Class is a Family
• Book: The Name Jar
• Oh Happy Dani Classroom Posters 
• Cluedle
• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 87, 4 Important Ways to Build Classroom Community At Back to School
• Episode 205, Use This One-Hour Teacher Trick to Start the School Year Calm and Ready
• Episode 211, The 3 Questions Every Student Needs Answered in the First 3 Days of School
• Episode 215, Here’s EXACTLY What to Do in the First 20 Minutes on the First Day of School

The first day of school doesn’t have to leave you frazzled and running on fumes! In this can’t-miss classic, we’re sharing our simple plug-and-play framework to help you plan a calm, confident start to the year. We’ll walk you through setting ATTABOY goals (affirming, training, teaching, and assessing), then plugging activities into your schedule around fixed events like lunch and recess. You’ll also get our best tips for hinge events, time-filler activities, and balancing procedures with fun so your first day flows smoothly and sets the tone for a great year!

Prefer to read? Grab the original episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/first-day-of-school-plans/

Resources:

• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 78, Teacher Approved Tips: The Best First Day Arrival Activity and Pre-Writing Assessments
• Episode 77, 3 Reasons Why a First Day of School Script Will Save Your Sanity
• Episode 73, 4 Reasons Why Affirming Students Is The Most Important Goal for Back-to-School
• Episode 68, Teacher Approved Tips: Making a Time Filler Kit and Building Sentence Writing Skills
• Episode 22, 3 First Day Truths

We want you to think of your back-to-school experience as a sandwich (stick with us here!). That first day with students is the flavorful filling, but the real secret to a successful start is what happens before and after. In this episode, we’re sharing our Back to School Sandwich framework filled with first day of school teacher tips to help you prepare emotionally and logistically, protect your energy, and recover with intention!

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/first-day-of-school-tips/

Resources:

• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Freebie: Cheers and Chat Invitation
• Guided Discovery of School Tools 
• Back to School Readiness Checklists
• The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Teacher Approved Facebook group.
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 144, How to Plug-and-Play Your First Day of School Plans
• Episode 145, Our Best Tools for First-Day Planning
• Episode 146, Never Pick Up Another Stray Crayon: Why We Love Guided Discovery
• Episode 211, The 3 Questions Every Student Needs Answered in the First 3 Days of School
• Episode 213, 6 Simple Goals to Make Open House or Back-to-School Night a Success
• Episode 215, Here’s EXACTLY What to Do in the First 20 Minutes on the First Day of School

The first day of school can feel like a whirlwind, so in this can't-miss classic episode, we’re walking you through our three first-day “truths” to help you feel grounded and prepared. We’re sharing how to script out your entire day (yes, script, not just plan!) so you know what’s happening minute by minute, you’re over-prepared without panicking, and you’re not talking yourself hoarse by 10 a.m. If you’re staring down your calendar wondering how you’ll pull it all off, take a deep breath. We’ve got your back with practical tips, sample timelines, and a free resource to help you cover every tiny detail. Let’s make this first day a calm and confident one—together.

Prefer to read? Grab the original episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/3-first-day-truths/

Resources:

• Procedures Planning Guide Freebie
• First Day of School Blog Post
• First Day of School Script
• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 21, Guided Discovery
• Episode 20, Mastering Morning Routines
• Episode 18, Procedures for Success!

Just like a football coach scripts the first few plays of a game, you can script the first 20 minutes of your classroom, and in this episode, we’re walking you through exactly how to do that. We’re sharing our top first day of school teacher tips, including five essential goals to guide your opening moments: how to greet students, which procedure to teach first (hint: not your attention signal!), and how to keep students calm and engaged while you handle behind-the-scenes tasks. These practical strategies will help you kick off the year with confidence, clarity, and a classroom that feels warm and welcoming from the start!

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/first-day-of-school-teacher-tips/

Resources:

• Pattern Block Activity Mats
• Lego Activity Mats
• First Day of School Lesson Plan Guide
• Back to School Brain Breaks
• Laurel Denise Portrait Week + Month planner
• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 98, 5 Reasons Your Attention Signal Isn’t Working and How to Improve It
• Episode 209, The Most Important Back-to-School Prep No One Talks About
• Episode 211, The 3 Questions Every Student Needs Answered in the First 3 Days of School
• Episode 213, 6 Simple Goals to Make Open House or Back-to-School Night a Success

If your brain is spinning with classroom setup and first week plans, this can’t-miss classic is the perfect episode to bring some calm to the chaos. In it, we walk you through our simple 3-list approach to planning an intentional and impactful first week of school. From scheduling fixed and hinge events, to using the ATTABOY framework to align your goals, to prepping time fillers and writing a flexible script, you’ll walk away with a clear path forward and the confidence to start strong!

Prefer to read? Grab the original episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/plan-your-first-week-of-school/

Resources:

• Back to School Readiness Checklists
• First Day of School Planning Guide and Lesson Plan
• First Day of School Pattern Block Activity Mats
• First Day of School Lego Activity Mats
• Guided Discovery: Introducing School Tools
• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 148, How to Build Positive Relationships with Your Students at Back-to-School
• Episode 145, Our Best Tools for First-Day Planning
• Episode 140, 8 Steps to Craft a Perfect Daily Schedule for Your Elementary Classroom
• Episode 73, 4 Reasons Why Affirming Students Is The Most Important Goal for Back to School

Back-to-school season is here, and that means it’s time to tackle one of the most nerve-wracking events of the year: open house! In this episode, we’re sharing a strategic, stress-free approach to help you skip the Pinterest overwhelm and focus on what really matters. You’ll learn six essential goals for a successful open house, how to use simple stations to create a welcoming and engaging environment, and why this event is more about connection than perfection. Let’s turn open house into a moment of belonging for students, families, and you.

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/open-house/

Resources:

• Open House/Back-to-School Night Resource
• First Day Wishing Star Kit
• Cluedle
• Oh Happy Dani Classroom Posters
• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 205, Use This One-Hour Teacher Trick to Start the School Year Calm and Ready
• Episode 207, No Class List? No Problem - Here’s What to Prep While You Wait
• Episode 209, The Most Important Back-to-School Prep No One Talks About
• Episode 211, The 3 Questions Every Student Needs Answered in the First 3 Days of School

We’re bringing back a listener favorite that’s just as relevant now as when we first aired it! In this classic episode, we’re diving into the why behind your first week of school plans with a simple yet powerful framework called ATTABOY—affirming, training, teaching, and assessing. Instead of getting caught up in flashy Pinterest activities, we’ll help you focus on what truly sets your classroom up for success.

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/back-to-school-goals/

Resources:

• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 18, Procedures for Success!
• Episode 16, Easy Summer PD
• Episode 10, What You Can Do Now For Next Year

Your first 3 days of school activities do so much more than check boxes. They set the tone for the entire year! In this episode, we’re talking about how to use those first few days to answer the three big questions every student is asking: Am I safe? Am I seen? Am I needed? We’ll walk you through how to build your classroom culture from day one, share our favorite ways to teach procedures, and sprinkle in some stories, book recs, and tips you can try tomorrow.

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/first-3-days-of-school-activities/

Resources:

• First Day of School Lesson Plan Guide
• Tell, Try, Tally, Talk Google Slides
• DeleteMe
• Our Favorite Back to School Books: First Day Jitters, When You Go to Dragon School, A Letter From Your Teacher on the First Day of School 
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Teacher Approved Facebook group.
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 75, Classroom Procedures and Expectations: How They Differ and How to Teach Them
• Episode 205, Use This One-Hour Teacher Trick to Start the School Year Calm and Ready
• Episode 207, No Class List? No Problem - Here’s What to Prep While You Wait
• Episode 209, The Most Important Back-to-School Prep No One Talks About