Today I'm sharing 3 stories of time that building community, maintaining professionalism, and staying open won out over trying to control, manipulate, or "win" a situation. 

I have a story of a time that this worked in a team dynamic, a time it worked with a strained parent relationship, and a time it worked with a student.

As we enter a new school year, may we all have moments where we maintain control over our own emotions and reactions, so we can keep community strong in all parts of our teaching lives! 

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It's a new season of The Simple Classroom Podcast! 

And we're kicking things off with a good one. 😉

I have some personal stories to share with you (because there is nothing I know about routines/systems/rhythms without my husband), and the true path I took to giving myself the freedom and time to enjoy my job, and not survive it. 

There are all kinds of things you can be doing right now to set yourself up for a great school year. But if you miss this ONE thing, you will still feel like you're running on a hampster wheel. 

Listen along! 

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Welcome back to another episode of The Simple Classroom Podcast!

I'm talking all about the 'Let Them Theory' and teaching this week. I have four different areas I want to touch on where using this mindset shift can give you a sense of freedom, as long as you're applying it appropriately!

I'm digging into:

-Team Dynamics

-Parent Interactions

-Student Behaviors

-Mandates from Superiors 

How does the Let Them Theory work in each of these instances? When should we speak up, and when should we be quiet? When should we let go of control and when is it important to lean in? 

Listen in to hear my thoughts!

Be sure to leave a review if you enjoy the show, and share with your teacher friends!

Lesson planning is far from a cut-and-dry task. Even if your whole group lessons are paced out and scripted through a curriculum, we all often still have small groups, RTI, things to plan for our fast finishers, homework, morning work, centers, etc. to plan for. 

So, with this long (and ever-growing) list of assignments and lessons that we must plan and prepare for each week, let's make the process as fast as possible! 

I'm sharing 3 tools that I use to cut back on lesson planning time, but still pump out quality lessons that my students learn and thrive with!

Listen along to learn more about these 3 tools! 

Show Links:

AI Prompts for Lesson Planning

The Team Planning Dashboard

Lesson Plan Templates with Formulas 

Planning centers is ALWAYS one more thing to do after planning all of your instruction and small groups.

So, how can we make it faster?

In this episode, I am taking you through the exact mental checklist that I go through to plan my centers.

And when I say plan centers, I do not mean one week at a time.

I'm talking 4, 6, 8 weeks of centers AT ONCE. 

It's so simple, you'll wonder why you ever did it differently.  

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Spring Center Bundle (complete with a FREE plan)

Team planning can often feel like a balancing act, but it doesn’t have to be chaotic! In this episode, Stephanie shares her top strategies for making team planning as smooth and efficient as possible. Whether you’re planning with your grade-level team or across subjects, these practical tips will help you reduce stress, improve collaboration, and keep everything on track.

Tune in to learn:

• How to set clear expectations and roles from the start to maximize productivity
• The benefits of using a shared planning template for organized, collaborative meetings
• Why being flexible and focused can help your team stay aligned while adapting to changes
• How prioritizing communication and regular check-ins keeps everyone on the same page
• The importance of celebrating wins and reflecting together to foster a positive team culture

If you’re ready to take your team planning to the next level, this episode is packed with actionable tips that will save you time and energy while improving your planning process.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Team Planning Blog Post
• Team Planning Dashboard on TPT

Feeling overwhelmed by the clutter and chaos in your classroom? It’s time to take control and streamline your teaching routine! In this episode, I’m sharing the ultimate list of organization ideas that will help you reduce stress, stay on top of your to-do list, and create a more efficient classroom.

From organizing your materials to developing systems for lesson planning, these actionable tips will help you save time and energy, so you can focus on what really matters—teaching your students. Whether you're a new teacher or a seasoned educator looking for fresh ideas, this episode is packed with practical solutions for creating a more organized and less stressful teaching environment.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to organize your lesson plans, student work, and classroom materials
• Simple systems to keep your to-do list under control
• Tips for organizing your digital files and classroom tech
• Easy ways to reduce clutter and create an environment that supports productivity and focus

Tune in now and start getting your classroom organized today!

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Read the full blog post here
• Teacher Burnout Challenge

Have you ever tried the Decide Once method? If one of the things that burns you out in teaching is having to make one million decisions a day, this episode will help. 

You’ll learn:

• What is Decide Once?
• How to use this method to make teaching not just easier, but a thing you actually enjoy doing
• Where to go to learn more!

These strategies are simple, actionable, and can be adapted for any grade level. Whether you're a new teacher or a seasoned educator looking for fresh ideas, this episode will help you maximize your work time, and put decision fatigue on the back burner.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Read the full blog post here
• Join my Free Teacher Burnout Reset Challenge

Do you find yourself struggling with a chatty classroom? If constant talking and distractions are preventing your students from staying on task, this episode is for you! In today’s episode, I’m sharing three effective classroom management strategies to help you regain control of your classroom and create a focused, productive learning environment.

You’ll learn:

• The importance of setting clear expectations from day one
• How using structured routines can help minimize distractions
• 3 hacks to try for reinforcing positive behavior that encourages student engagement and reduces chatter

These strategies are simple, actionable, and can be adapted for any grade level. Whether you're a new teacher or a seasoned educator looking for fresh ideas, this episode will help you take your classroom management to the next level.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Read the full blog post here
• Join my Free Teacher Burnout Reset Challenge
• Classroom Management Plan and Strategies E-book

Are you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or disconnected from the joy of teaching? In this episode, we’re diving into practical strategies to help you overcome teacher burnout and reclaim balance in your life. I’ll share actionable tips to set boundaries, simplify your workload, and reignite your passion for the classroom.

Ready to dig deeper?
📖 Read the blog post here: Overcoming Teacher Burnout: Simple Strategies for Reclaiming Balance

🌟 Join the free Burnout Reset Challenge here: Burnout Reset Challenge

You deserve to thrive as a teacher—let’s make it happen! 🎙️ #TeacherWellness #BurnoutReset