The feeling when you’ve just finished school and are officially on summer break is a feeling unlike any other. You’re sitting by the pool with no alarm clocks going off or papers to grade, and the start of another school year seems so far away that you can’t even see it. However, you know that feeling fades, and other feelings start to creep in and disrupt your relaxing summer break. We call these the stages of summer. So in today’s episode, we’re breaking down the different teacher summer break stages that you go through and how you can thrive in each of them.

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

Resources:

• End of Year Road Map Freebie
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as today. 

This week's tips are:

[02:39]: Tip #1 - Ideas for organizing your Pinterest boards.

[06:19]: Tip #2 - 5 tips for finding quality teaching resources online.

To hear more about these tips, head to the show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/pinterest-for-teachers

Resources:

• Pinning and Planning: Five Tips for Using Pinterest to Teach Science Article
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

We have such a fun episode for you today! We’ve collaborated with our friend, Kelsey Sorenson, from The Educate & Rejuvenate Podcast, to do an episode swap. On our podcast, we love sharing practical tips and strategies that you can use in your classrooms, but Kelsey specializes in learning how to manage your mental health while having it all. In this episode swap, Kelsey shares a teacher mindset hack that will help you overcome your mental hurdles and reach your goals.

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

Resources:

• Register for Kelsey’s Educate & Rejuvenate Event
• Listen to Kelsey’s Podcast, Educate & Rejuvenate
• Preorder Kelsey’s book
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

We’ve been discussing lately how to have a well-balanced summer as a teacher. There needs to be equal parts relaxing and preparing for the next school year. But if you’re anything like us, your summer to-do list is so long and scrambled that you don’t even know which tasks to start with to make the biggest impact. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing some practical steps to help you prioritize your teacher tasks this summer. 

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

Resources:

• Be on our Back to School Audio Course waitlist
• End-of-Year Road Map
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Summer is just so close; you can feel it! This got us thinking there are two types of teachers in the summer. You either don’t think about school and don’t do any prep over the summer, OR you jump right into planning and creating for the next school year to avoid the stress and overwhelm in the fall. And while most teachers fall into either type, neither approach is effective nor helpful for you. So, in today’s episode, we’re sharing how to effectively plan your teacher summer so that you’re ready for school and have a true break.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes:

https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-summer

Resources:

• Be on our Back-to-School Audio Course waitlist
• End-of-Year Road Map
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

As teachers, we're always trying to find different ways to improve our instruction, activities, lessons, and classroom management to better benefit our students and their learning. We also love gifting our future selves, so why not combine the two? Taking some time to reflect at the end of a school year can be extremely beneficial in order to have a better year in the fall. So, in today's episode, we're sharing some end-of-year teacher reflection questions to ask yourself in preparation for next year.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes:

https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/end-of-year-teacher-reflection

Resources:

• Be on our Back to School Audio Course waitlist
• End-of-Year Road Map
• Guided Discovery Back to School Bundle Pack
• Free Guided Discovery of Pencils
• Back to School Pattern Block Mats for the First Day of School
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

With the end of the school year quickly coming to an end, you’re probably thinking, Yes, I’m finally done and don’t have to worry about school anymore! However, you know how much we love giving gifts to our future selves, which is why it might be time to start thinking about next year before this year is finished. To help you have a better back-to-school start, in today’s episode, we’re sharing three things you can do now to prep for next school year.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes:

https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/prep-for-next-school-year

Resources:

• Be on our Back to School Audio Course waitlist
• End-of-Year Lists & Reflection
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

At this time of the school year, we all can feel it happening in our classrooms: our students are doing sloppy work, having decreased participation, showing minimal effort, avoiding assignments, and many more unfortunate behaviors. With the temperatures rising and summer just beyond their reach, student’s lack of attention is at an all-time high. So, to combat these behaviors, we’re sharing 10 teacher-approved tips for increasing end-of-year student motivation.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes:

https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/end-of-year-student-motivation

Resources:

• Destination Imagination
• Looking Back Bulletin Board
• Label Scraper Tool
• Heat Gun
• Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

We love hearing from all of you, especially when it comes to ways we can help give you a teacher-approved solution to a teaching headache or struggle that you’re going through. So, if you think you’re the only one dealing with an issue in the classroom, trust us, you’re not! After hearing from our community, in today’s episode, we’re answering a few of your questions on ways to retain learning for students, how to keep student supplies organized, vocabulary instruction, and more!

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes:

https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/retaining-learning

Resources:

• Spiral Review Homework Bundle
• Jargon Journal
• Morning Work Bundle
• Hydrojug Traveler
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

With the combination of end-of-year testing being over and the thought of summer break being just around the corner, it’s hard to engage your students in meaningful activities for the rest of the year. Even as teachers, we see the end in sight and are over the amount of planning since we’ve been doing it all year long. But don’t worry, we’ve got a solution to solve both problems! In today’s episode, we’re sharing why incorporating end-of-year theme days into your schedule will be a success and effective for your students.

For all the resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes:

https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/end-of-year-theme-days

Resources:

• DLITE Days - Camping
• DLITE Days - Space 
• Theme Day Planning Guide
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!