Teacher Take The Lead

Have you seen an area that could improve at your school, your team, or in your department you didn’t feel like you had the credibility to speak up about it or share?

In this episode I want to talk to you about how you have more influence than you might think and how to share ideas and lead others even if you don’t have a title.

Tell me if this sounds like something you’ve thought to yourself before:

• I don’t think anyone would listen to me. Why should they?

If any of these thoughts have crossed your mind before this episode is for you.

Why teachers tend to hold back from sharing - and how to overcome those hurdles (2:43).

Strategies that can help you gain influence and be influential - some of these might surprise you (7:28).

A freebie and some book recommendations to help you hone in on these skills

You could be a classroom teacher, a paraprofessional, or a school principal, these strategies apply to all of us!

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Teacher Self Care Planner

Episode 4: How to Confront Imposter Syndrome (and use it to your advantage)

Give and Take - Book by Adam Grant

Crucial Conversations  - Book by Kerry Patterson

Let's Connect:

Instagram @gracemariegriffith

Facebook.com/gracemariegriffith

Twitter @gracemgriffith

Have you ever questioned your skill or credibility when you have evidence of your accomplishments?

If you have, you might have dealt with imposter syndrome.

But let me let you in on a little secret…. Imposter syndrome isn’t always a bad thing.

In this podcast episode, we’ll dive into 

• what imposter syndrome is

At the end of this episode, you’ll have some strategies to confront it on your own, some encouragement that you’re not alone, and hopefully a new perspective on how to look at it!

One of the things that I talk about is excavating the evidence of our accomplishments in order to confront imposter syndrome. I created a cheat sheet freebie of these questions to help you reflect on some of your previous accomplishments that can lend themselves to evidence of your character, capacity and credibility. You can download that freebie here.

These are great questions to refer back to when you need to muster some confidence before starting something new.

Episode #3: How to Connect with Other Teachers in Your School Community

“Think Again” by Adam Grant. (Affiliate link)

Excavate the Evidence Cheat Sheet - Reflection questions to cultivate your confidence

Teacher Take the Lead Facebook Group

Let's Connect:

Instagram @gracemariegriffith

Facebook.com/gracemariegriffith

Twitter @gracemgriffith

Real talk: Teaching can feel SOOOO lonely. 

The physical isolation of teaching from separate classrooms and scattered schedules (not to mention the covid 19 social distancing measures) means that there is little to no time for friendly small talk much less any other time to exchange ideas, give encouragement or vent about the frustrations.

This week on the podcast, I talked to my dear friend, Natalie Roefer, and she gave us some practical and creative tips for how to connect with other teachers- especially during pandemic times.

Natalie has taught in two different countries, several schools, and in several different positions, so she is very familiar with finding creative ways to meet new friends and connect with others.

At the end of this podcast, you’ll walk away with some practical strategies and ideas to reach out to other teachers on your campus and beyond.

Let's Connect:

Instagram @gracemariegriffith

Facebook.com/gracemariegriffith

Twitter @gracemgriffith

Systems can be a game changer when it comes to efficiency and today on the podcast I’m sharing five systems that will shave off some of the time and energy that you may be used to putting into some of your weekly tasks.

After you listen to this episode, you’ll walk away with some practical strategies you can apply immediately.

(2:12) System 1: Build a Feedback Bank - This a tool that you use to store frequently used comments for grading. When you’re grading, you can pull up this document and literally copy and paste them into your online platform. 

(7:47) System 2: Create a Strategy Bank - This is a running list of strategies for your lesson elements that have been effective. To create this tool, Set a timer for 5 minutes and brainstorm all of the strategies that you have used over a period of time. Then when you’re lesson planning, refer to this document to easily retrieve those strategies.

(9:03) System 3: Create FAQ Email Folder - As you answer parents emails with frequently asked questions, save them in a folder so you can retrieve your carefully thought out wording and not reinvent the wheel next time you receive an email with that question.

(15:22) System 4: Track your Time -  Keep a journal or a note about how much time you are spending on specific tasks. If you know where your time has gone, you can have more intention about where your time goes.

(18:36) System 5: Schedule Everything Out - Make a list of every single task that you do in a week. Put it on your calendar within a time boundary so that you can be realistic about your tasks. This will equip you to make decisions about your time and set boundaries around it in the future.

Links that were mentioned in this episode:

The Teacher’s Productivity Guide:

The Teacher Self Care Planner:

Let's Connect:

Instagram @gracemariegriffith

Facebook.com/gracemariegriffith

Twitter @gracemgriffith

Do you find yourself lesson planning on the weekends?

• backstory about how I decided that I would only work contract hours,

Links that were mentioned in this episode:

The Teacher’s Productivity Guide:

My Favorite Productivity Books for Teachers

The Teacher Self Care Planner

Let's Connect:

Instagram @gracemariegriffith

Facebook.com/gracemariegriffith

Twitter @gracemgriffith

How do I manage my workload in a way that gives me space to focus on what matters? How do I use my influence to advocate for my students, myself, and the future of education? How do I lead when I don’t have a title? 

Welcome to the Teacher Take the Lead Podcast where we answer those questions and provide you with some of the best productivity strategies, mindset hacks, leadership tips, inspirational stories, and so much more.

Find out more at

https://gracemariegriffith.com

Instagram @gracemariegriffith

facebook.com/gracemariegriffith

Twitter @gracemgriffith