Two veteran teachers share how tiny wins — shorter weeks, homecoming fun, a simple STEM night, and presenting at TCEA — bring joy during a chilly January.

They also reflect on students facing hardship during school closures, the importance of community and caring adults, and encourage educators to look for one small joyful moment each day.

Message us at: hello@thejoyousclassroom

Learn More About Us & Work with Us: The Joyous Classroom Website

A bonus solo episode celebrating "Joy in January" with short, heartwarming classroom moments including poetry debates, an audiobook read-aloud of Harry Potter, math games (scoot and dice multiplication), and a hands-on cardboard robot engineering project that practices area and perimeter.

We invite you to a FREE evening Zoom every Monday from January 19th - April 6th as we kick-off The Joyous Journey course — a faith-centered class on finding more joy, gratitude, and healthier habits for this year. Rewrite your year with us in a supportive community where we share our lives, our goals, encourage & support each other, and celebrate the small wins along the way.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ANczvoTds/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Joyous Journey fb group: (links to the zoom will be posted there)

https://fb.me/g/3MjWajXyX/k2QqIvDo

Reach us at: [email protected] 

Website: https://thejoyousclassroom.com/

In this episode, veteran teachers Angela & Brandy reframe January as a month of permission to begin again, not pressure. They discuss slowing down to reconnect with students, reteaching routines, and using small, intentional steps to build momentum for the rest of the year.

Practical ideas include community-building activities, goal-setting with students, and simple classroom projects. The hosts also invite listeners to join a 12-week Joyous Journey Bootcamp focused on mindset, gratitude, achievable goals, and supportive community.

The Joyous Journey Bootcamp Link

Join veteran teachers Angela and Brandy as they unpack insights from Kristina Smekens on the power of read-alouds, think-alouds, and scaffolded writing. Learn practical, classroom-ready strategies—start small, model thinking voices, use pictures and cross-modal experiences, and teach students to choose the best text evidence.

This episode shows how making thinking visible turns readers into confident writers and offers simple steps teachers can implement tomorrow to create a more joyous classroom.

Smekens Reading Comprehension: https://www.smekenseducation.com/reading-comprehension-strategies/

Smekens Free Resources: https://www.smekenseducation.com/free-resources/

Angela and Brandy discuss practical, and quick ways teachers can reset their classrooms at the end of the first grading period. From visiting other rooms for fresh ideas to re-establishing routines, positive behavior incentives, and small organizational systems that save time, you’ll be set to make the most out the next part of your year. 

The episode emphasizes starting small, prioritizing high-impact changes, balancing expectations with relationships, and sharing tips to renew teacher energy and classroom culture.

Random Name Picker: Claw Machine & More: https://www.online-stopwatch.com/random-name-pickers/crane-machine-name-picker/full-screen/

Hosts Brandy and Angela open with light Halloween jokes before welcoming Nikki Jordan, an alt-certified teacher turned entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, consultant, personal business coach, and founder of Confidence at Any Size.

Nikki shares her journey into education, her belief in building authentic relationships with students and colleagues, and practical social-emotional strategies—like greeting students at the door and 60-second intentional moments—that improve classroom culture, behavior, and learning.

She also describes her workshops (Art of Teaching, Art of Mentoring, From Vision to Victory) and where listeners can connect with her on social media.

Connect with Nikki: 

Fb: https://www.facebook.com/share/16UtwGjfgP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

IG: https://www.instagram.com/confidenceatanysize?igsh=YWxiN3gzejRlbHYx

LN:@nikkiordan or @nikki-jordan-dfw

Veteran teachers Angela and Brandy share joyful, research-backed strategies to make writing less scary and more effective—especially for Texas ECRs.

Learn quick creative writing routines like Color Your Sentence, Spoken Word, Figurative Language Friday, and the Because–So–Which Means expansion technique for depth, PLUS organization ideas like storyboard planning to build voice, clarity, and stamina in student writing. See how building classroom community with peer “WOW” cards and leaning into spotlighting student work can lead to joy as a pathway to rigor, increased participation, and better student writing. 

Leave us a note, or join our fb group and share how these ideas helped your classroom sparkle at writing!

We'd love to have you join us at The Joyous Classroom on fb

Join veteran teachers Angela and Brandy on The Joyous Classroom as they share playful, practical strategies to get kids excited about reading.

Great tried & true reading engagement & Interest-building ideas are shared on this episodes. Everything from Mystery Bags to build inference skills, running a digital 'Elite Eight' book bracket to inspire school wide reading engagement, and ideas like Read Around the School, Reading Under the Stars, and hands-on book activities.

Book Challenge Article with Timelines: 

https://blog.tcea.org/digital-book-challenge-2025/

Veteran teachers and community thespians pull back the curtain on the surprising connections between teaching and live theater — presence, improvisation, empathy, and collaboration — sharing stories from rehearsals, moments of hilarity & flexibility from live productions, and the importance of listening and collaboration.

Hear practical tips, joyful anecdotes, and how bringing performance, storytelling, and teamwork into the classroom can deepen student engagement, build empathy, and create positive classroom communities. 

Our guests today include TaKisha Kegler, Elise Kimball, and Penny Tatum, fellow castmates, educators, and friends. 

In this episode of The Joyous Classroom, veteran teachers Angela and Brandy explain how intentional positive communication with families can transform your school year. They emphasize starting early to build trust so parents are more receptive when challenges arise.

It's short and to the point, because they are in the midst of practicing for their community play which opens in just two weeks. They are both starring in The Savannah Sipping Society and right now they are in the final weeks of long days and evenings with extra and much longer practice times.

Practical tips include quick positive phone calls in the first two weeks, weekly emails or texts, photo updates, positive postcards, and a simple post‑it note routine to celebrate small wins. Start small, be consistent, and enjoy the partnerships you build with parents that lesson the stresses that might arise later.