As we wrap up 2024, we’re bringing back our top two most popular episodes—fan favorites that truly resonated with our listeners. First up, we’re revisiting an episode packed with strategies to boost student engagement through active participation!

When designing lessons and activities, our goal is always to make them engaging and encourage active participation. But true engagement goes beyond academics. For students to be fully engaged, they need to be involved behaviorally, emotionally, and mentally, actively contributing in every aspect of the classroom. So, in this episode, we’re sharing ways to increase student engagement with 3 types of active participation strategies.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/active-participation

Resources:

• Jargon Journal Book Units
• Salt Lamp Nightlight
• Podcast: The Dream
• 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 38, How to Survive December in the Classroom: 3 Creative Teaching Tips
• Episode 35, 5 Ways to Increase Student Engagement - Our Secret Weapon for Teachers

Mentioned in this episode:

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

If there’s one thing we’re passionate about, it’s procedures and routines! Earlier this year, we had the chance to chat about this topic on the Rainbow Skies for New Teachers podcast. We found the discussion so valuable—especially for this time of year—that we had to share it with you, too. In today’s episode, we’re diving into why it’s never too late to introduce (or revisit) procedures and routines in your classroom.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/procedures-and-routines

Resources:

• Free Hallway Procedures Guide
• The Rainbow Skies Podcast, Episode 24
• 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 154, 5 Steps for Classroom Procedure Success
• Episode 150, Perfect Your Classroom Procedures with the Help of Our Guiding Questions
• Episode 120, Supporting New Teachers with Ashleigh from Rainbow Skies for New Teachers
• Episode 98, 5 Reasons Your Attention Signal Isn’t Working and How to Improve It

Mentioned in this episode:

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

Along with January being the start of a new calendar year, it also allows teachers a new beginning to the school year. Both bring the opportunity for fresh starts and a new perspective on how to handle the upcoming year. But in order to achieve that, it’s best to plan ahead and treat the first day back from winter break like the second first day of school. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to maximize the week after winter break and set yourself up for success!

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/week-after-winter-break

Resources:

• Procedures and Routines Editable Review Slides
• Procedures and Routines Editable Teaching Slides
• Guided Discovery
• Free Goal Setting Sheets
• Spiral Review Morning Work
• Spiral Review Homework
• Snowed In by Catherine Walsh
• Luminette Light Therapy Glasses
• 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 169, Our Best Teacher Tips for Finding Pockets of Prep Time to Get Ahead for January
• Episode 154, 5 Steps for Classroom Procedure Success
• Episode 146, Never Pick up Another Stray Crayon: Why We Love Guided Discovery
• Episode 73, 4 Reasons Why Affirming Students Is The Most Important Goal for Back to School
• Episode 19, Your Back to School Goals

Mentioned in this episode:

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Teaching during the month of December can be a magical time for both you and your students, but it can also be challenging! With so many interruptions to your regular routine like holiday assemblies and class parties, your energy can be drained quickly. So in order to fill your cup back up, we’re sharing some of our tried and true December teaching tips.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/tried-and-true-december-teaching-tips/

Resources:

• December Teacher Survival Kit
• Christmas Brain Breaks
• Christmas Festive Breaks
• Holiday Behavior Helps
• December Teaching Podcast Playlist: listen on Spotify!
• December Teaching Podcast Playlist: listen on your web browser!
• Holiday Rom-Com Book List
• The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
• Tis the Season Lift the Flap
• 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 170, How to Be a Fun Teacher Without Losing Control of Your Class
• Episode 169, Our Best Teacher Tips for Finding Pockets of Prep Time to Get Ahead for January
• Episode 168, How Teachers Can Get a Jumpstart on a Stress-Free Winter Break
• Episode 107, Get Ahead For January Now With 4 Easy Steps
• Episode 106, The December Survival Kit: 3 Essential Tips to Help Teachers Thrive
• Episode 105, Festive Fun in December: Engaging Holiday Activities to Do With Your Class
• Episode 104, From Chaos to Calm: 5 Techniques for Managing Classroom Behavior in December
• Episode 103, When to Use Rewards to Boost Your Behavior Management - And When Not To
• Episode 38, How to Survive December in the Classroom: 3 Creative Teaching Tips
• Episode 37, Holiday Behavior Management Tips to Help You Survive Until Winter Break!
• Episode 36, How Teachers Can Plan Lessons The Week Before a Holiday Break

Mentioned in this episode:

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

With the holiday season in full gear, we can imagine how bombarded you are with how to make everything in your classroom feel festive. And if that’s your jam, by all means, you go for it! But for most of us, we worry that too many holiday festivities will derail our classroom management or get us behind in the curriculum. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing three ways to be the fun teacher in December without losing control of your class.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/the-fun-teacher

Resources:

• December Teacher Survival Kit
• Christmas Brain Breaks
• Seasonal Morning Messages
• Christmas Fluency in a Flash
• Christmas Vocabulary Activities Bundle
• Christmas Vocabulary Bundle Set 2
• Christmas Festive Breaks
• Holiday Behavior Helps
• Christmas Activities Mega Bundle
• Holiday Rom-Com Book List
• Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh
• I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You by Miranda Hart
• 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 169, Our Best Teacher Tips for Finding Pockets of Prep Time to Get Ahead for January
• Episode 104, From Chaos to Calm: 5 Techniques for Managing Classroom Behavior in December
• Episode 37, Holiday Behavior Management Tips to Help You Survive Until Winter Break!

Mentioned in this episode:

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

With winter break just around the corner, we want to do everything we can as teachers to be prepared and enjoy our break from school. In last week’s episode, we walked you through how to plan your end of December and start of January lessons in advance. However, finding the time to actually plan is the tricky part. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing our best teacher prep for January tips and tricks.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-prep-for-january

Resources:

• December Teacher Survival Kit
• Christmas Festive Breaks
• Athena Razor
• 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 168, How Teachers Can Get a Jumpstart on a Stress-Free Winter Break
• Episode 107, Get Ahead For January Now With 4 Easy Steps
• Episode 40, 2 Easy Things All Teachers Should Do Before Winter Break
• Episode 36, How Teachers Can Plan Lessons The Week Before a Holiday Break

Mentioned in this episode:

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

When December hits, it seems like a long road until you’re on winter break. So when break finally arrives all you want to do is relax, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy doing things you love! Then as break nears the end, you get stressed and overwhelmed with all the work you still need to do when school resumes in January. In order to resolve that feeling, in today’s episode, we’re sharing a system for teacher winter break prep that will leave you prepared and planned for the new year before going on break.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-winter-break-prep

Resources:

• December Teacher Survival Kit
• Procedure Review Slides
• Tell, Try, Tally, Talk Procedure Slides
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
• Teacher Created Resources Germ Tracker
• e.l.f. Makeup Brush
• 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 107, Get Ahead For January Now With 4 Easy Steps
• Episode 104, From Chaos to Calm: 5 Techniques for Managing Classroom Behavior in December
• Episode 103, When to Use Rewards to Boost Your Behavior Management - And When Not To
• Episode 40, 2 Easy Things All Teachers Should Do Before Winter Break
• The Holiday Headstart, Episode 4, How to Craft Your Holiday Values For a More Meaningful Christmas Season

Mentioned in this episode:

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

On Sunday afternoon and evening, do you ever feel anxious about the upcoming week? This recurring feeling that you’re experiencing is actually called the Sunday scaries. Since many people have this feeling, it’s important to learn what’s happening to your mind and body and strategies to move past it. To give us a better understanding of it all, guest Kelsey Sorenson is sharing ways to overcome the teacher Sunday scaries.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-sunday-scaries

Resources:

• Listen to Kelsey’s Podcast, Educate & Rejuvenate
• Educate and Rejuvenate by Kelsey Sorenson
• 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 132, An Easy Mindset Hack for Teachers with Kelsey of Educate and Rejuvenate
• Episode 112, 5 Podcasts for Elementary Teachers That We Know You’ll Love!
• Episode 15, Own Your Teacher Wins with Kelsey Sorenson from Wife Teacher Mommy

Mentioned in this episode:

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

In order for a classroom to run smoothly, sometimes it takes more than just the teacher to make it happen. Getting students involved provides them with responsibility and ownership of the classroom and building its community. One of the best ways to achieve this is by incorporating classroom jobs. But like with everything, class jobs have their own set of headaches. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to troubleshoot your classroom job system and ways to make them work for you.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/classroom-jobs

Resources:

• Classroom Procedures and Routines Planning Guide and Checklist
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty 
• Hampton Forge Knives
• 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 123, 2nd Anniversary: Our Best Teacher Approved Tips, Ideas, and Favorites
• Episode 75, Classroom Procedures and Expectations: How they Differ and How to Teach Them
• Episode 52, 10 Teacher Approved Tips for Elementary Teachers That We Think You’ll Love
• Episode 18, Procedures for Success!

Mentioned in this episode:

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Did you know that just like there are four seasons in a year, there are seven seasons in a school year? And just like there are positives and negatives to each environmental season, the same applies to the seasons of school. But one thing that stays consistent is the need to engage your students. So in today’s episode, we’re sharing tips for keeping students engaged all year, despite the seasonal changes.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/keeping-students-engaged-all-year

Resources:

• Editable Classroom Seating Chart Tool
• Christmas Festive Breaks
• Holiday Classroom Behavior Management Plans
• December Teacher Survival Kit
• Procedure and Routine Editable Teaching Slides
• Procedure and Routine Editable Review Slides 
• The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon
• GroupMe App
• 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 158, Back-to-School Classroom Management: Are You Working Smarter or Harder?
• Episode 156, Starting the School Year with Surprise and Delight: 5 Easy Ideas
• Episode 124, Spring Fever: 3 Tips to Help Your Spring Classroom Management
• Episode 104, From Chaos to Calm: 5 Techniques for Managing Classroom Behavior in December
• Episode 91, Start Your Day Strong: Top Tips for Maximizing Your Morning Work
• Episode 35, 5 Ways to Increase Student Engagement - Our Secret Weapon for Teachers

Mentioned in this episode:

Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook at https://theholidayheadstart.com/playbook

Do you have a question or concern that could use a teacher-approved solution? We'd love to answer your question on the podcast! Submit your question to [email protected] and put "podcast question" in your subject line.