We all—educators and students— worker harder and smarter when we can identify the bigger picture of our work. That's what we dive into in this episode.

Let's talk about the importance of holding high expectations for students and some strategies to do it well.

Pre-order the New Teacher Mindset: https://www.amazon.com/New-Teacher-Mindset-Innovative-Strategies/dp/1394210086/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ETFBNFNCOW6W&keywords=new+teacher+mindset+muir&qid=1706209905&sprefix=new+teacher+mindset+muir%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-1

Why caregivers can be an invaluable resource to your classroom.

"Good Things" is a calculated way for students to get the most out of every class period. Like many teaching approaches, while not always obvious, there is a method to the madness. It is a routine to help establish classroom culture, a shared set of values that unify the group and create a sense of cohesion. These collective values form the foundation for all of the learning that happens in the classroom.

Link to New Teacher Mindset

Contact Trevor: [email protected]

I live here in Michigan, And we've had a whole string of snow days lately. And for my kids it's been like an endless recess. sledding and snow forts and snowball fights, and getting together with the neighbor kids and playing for hours and hours outside. It’s felt like the good old days, before video games and tablets. It's been cold, but for an eight and a 9-year-old, there's nothing quite like a snow day.

And it reminds me how much children need to play. they need to move. I see this seemingly endless energy they have out here in the snow, and I think about how so much of their days at school are spent sitting inside. Now my kids have amazing teachers who get them up and moving, but the typical structure of a school day just doesn't require this type of physical activity, this expenditure of energy, and it's energy they clearly have to expend. Sometimes I'm not so sure two 15 minute recesses is enough. Sometimes I wonder if behavioral problems in the classroom are largely a result of making children with this much energy, sit at a desk for hours on end.

This is why I'm a fan of Outdoor Learning, class gardens, outdoor classrooms. It's why I'm a huge fan of PE, and think it's a travesty when programs like that get cut. kids need to move at school. It’s developmental; it’s human. And I'll tell you, after days of moving and playing for hours, they sleep a lot better at night.

When I was a new teacher, I cared so much about earning the label of "Highly Effective" following my teacher evaluation. I've since learned the joy of labels wears off quickly, and the real joy comes from recognizing my own growth. 

In this episode, we talk about this and how to spot growth in the new year.

Is the school week before the Holiday Break a big waste of time? Holiday parties, watching Christmas movies, not doing a lot of academic work—well, from the outside looking in, it might look like that, but I don't think it is. Celebrations, relaxing, having fun—these are some of the best parts of being human. I know I need fun in my work life, and so do kids. This is culture-building. When we take the time to play, laugh, and eat, we create cohesion within our classrooms. This cohesion leads to easier classroom management, better student behavior, more engagement, higher attendance—students who want to be in school more. It’s about having fun with intention. Plus, you get to eat candy.

For many students, the holidays are a time of joy and anticipation. However, that often isn't the case for every student. The reality is, for some students, no school for 2 weeks means no regular meals for 2 weeks, no daily contact with teachers who love and care about them, and if you live where I live, often no warm air for 2 weeks. This is why you may notice certain kids act-out as a reaction to the anxiety they are experiencing right now, or seem to shrink when the class is asked what they're excited about during the Holiday Break. Let's talk about it.

We've all been there. You pour your heart and soul into your work, only to have a student declare dislike- maybe even hate- for you as their teacher. That's what we talk about in this episode. 

I graduated from college with a 2.75 GPA. Not great. Then I received a 4.0 in my masters program. Did I all of a sudden become smarter in those two years? Did my brain grow exponentially after I earned my bachelor's degree? Or is GPA actually reflective of something else. Let's get into it.

PBL ChatGPT Prompt Guide