The Spring can be one of the most difficult times of the year to be a teacher. The energy and excitement from the beginning of the school year may be waining, testing looms, behavior problems are high, and Summer Break is still a ways off. Many teachers hit the Spring Wall this time of year. 

In this episode, we talk about concrete ways to make it past the Spring Wall and have a successful season in the classroom.

True personalized learning is often unconventional. One-size-fits-all doesn't work for every student, and so teachers sometimes have to adapt their practices to meet their needs, and this often means breaking the norm.

In this episode, we talk about the need to be unconventional to meet student-needs, what this can look like on teacher evaluations, and why my high school English teacher let me take a month off of school.

Of course I think parents can be overbearing sometimes. I’ve seen my fair share of helicopter and lawnmower parents, and have even seen an uptick in this behavior the last 10 years. However, I think dismissing them with a label misses out on a huge opportunity. The fact is, parents can be overbearing because they want what’s best for their kids and don’t always believe teachers share this same sentiment.

When parents can see that teachers have the best intentions for their kids, they can become allies like no one else.

According to a survey conducted by entrepreneur.com, lacking confidence is one of the key reasons young people get fired from their jobs. Not having the courage to make firm decisions and take concrete action leads to a lack of productivity.

Building confidence and assurance in oneself starts at a young age, and there is something every educator can do to help their students grow this vital characteristic. That's what we talk about in this week's episode.

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There's a common proverb that says a teacher "Should not smile until Christmas." Essentially, if a teacher is too friendly or fun with their students, students will take advantage and walk all over them. 

Is this true? Is it possible to have fun with your students but also have a well-managed and respectful classroom?

This is what we talk about in episode 6 of The Epic Classroom Podcast: how to set firm expectations, being consistent, and still finding joy with students.

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Scripted or boxed curriculum might be convenient and maybe even safer sometimes, but it can restrain teacher creativity and limit student engagement. Not to mention, what message does it send to teachers that they cannot be trusted to have a say in what and how they teach?

However, it's also a reality for many educators, so let's talk about how to still be creative and work within the constraints of a scripted curriculum.

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Ask anyone why they hate group projects and you'll likely hear the same response: either hogs or logs.

Hogs are those group members who take over the bulk of an assignment or project, not allowing other group members to participate. They hog the projects.

Logs are the opposite, one's who ride on coattails, doing nothing and yet reaping the benefits. They just sit there, still and stagnant, like logs.

Let's talk about how to teach students to hold each other accountable and actually thrive during classroom collaboration.

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I once had a guest speaker share his success story with my class. A student afterwards asked where he went to college, and the speaker said he didn't go to college.

That student, who struggle academically up to that point, was inspired that there might actually be a career path for him.

My principal on the other-hand, was not happy that there was any kind of messaging in my class that was not college-focused.

But that student's fire was already lit, and he now had a concrete goal to aim for. This episode is about that, and the power of teaching students how to set goals and how having goals can inspire unbelievable effort in the classroom. 

We also talk about what setting goals can do for us in our own lives as well.

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A boring classroom does not inherently mean a disengaging one.

When I was a young teacher, I did everything in my power to NOT let my class be boring. Boredom was the enemy. But what if boredom does not mean lack of engagement? What if we could rethink what student engagement actually means?

What if boredom isn't the enemy?

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https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-gift-of-boredom

There's a common misconception (mostly from outside of education) that teachers are merely 'deliverers of content,' and even worse, 'babysitters.'

This episode takes those notions apart, and explores why teachers and all educators are actually creatives.

The work of a successful teacher takes immense creativity. Designing engaging work for students, having the ability to constantly improvise, overcoming obstacles and barriers, and crafting a space or setting for others to flourish are among the many daily tasks of a teacher.

In the first episode ever of The Epic Classroom podcast, we define the creativity of teachers and explore how to adopt that mindset in your work.

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