We’re taking a little summer break, but we’re kicking off our July replay series with one of our top episodes from last year—Episode 41, all about prepping your classroom for a new school year. Whether it’s your bulletin boards or your brain that needs organizing, this one’s full of ideas. Ellie and I will be back in August with fresh back to school content!

Related Episodes

Check out episode 31 on classroom seating

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Ready for a lightning round of games, creativity, and laughter? This episode is packed with ideas to add some FUN back into your classroom.

Topics Discussed

• Low-Prep, High-Fun Classroom Games
• Let’s Build Something!
• Digital Fun That Feels Like Play
• Bring the Joy, Every Day
• Speed Ideas

Resources

• https://cognitivecardiomath.com/digital-math-activities/

Related Episodes

• Episode 16: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/fun-review-activities-beach-balls-and-wheels/

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Reading isn't enough. We want our students to truly understand the material, right? Today's guest, Tina, is sharing some fantastic strategies that work well with middle school students.

Connect with today's guest

Website - www.teachwithtina.com

TPT Store - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/tina-kolley-teach-with-tina

Facebook - Teach-With-Tina - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089466229377

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/teach.with.tina/

Resources Mentioned

Reading Strategies Landing Page - https://teachwithtina.myflodesk.com/xgepdto9v7

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Is your teaching assignment moving to middle school for the first time? Don't panic! Today we're talking about what you need, like mental tools, physical tools, and all the in-between to not just survive but thrive during this season of transition.

Topics Discussed

• Mindset Shifts – “You’re Not Starting Over”
• The Practical Toolbox
• Emotional & Social Tools
• Expect Chaos... and Embrace It

Ellie’s blog posts about routine:

Routines during 1st week: https://cognitivecardiomath.com/cognitive-cardio-blog/teaching-classroom-routines-the-first-week-of-school/

Beginning of class routines: https://cognitivecardiomath.com/cognitive-cardio-blog/middle-school-classroom-routines-to-begin-class/

End of class routines: https://cognitivecardiomath.com/cognitive-cardio-blog/middle-school-classroom-routines-to-end-class/

Related Episodes

Episode 10: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/classroom-transition-ideas/

Episode 12: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/classroom-economy-systems/

Episode 14: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/effective-morning-routines-and-classroom-greetings/

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

We're bringing back a favorite guest, Leah Cleary, to share her tips on preparing students to transition to high school smoothly. This conversation includes everything from critical thinking, writing, scaffolding, organization, mindset, and collaboration. Stuff your teaching toolbox with fresh ideas from Leah, today.

Connect with today's guest

Teach students to annotate standards. It’s the first step toward teaching them how to focus their attention, guiding them toward independent learning.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Social-Studies-Literacy-Templates-for-Independent-Learning-Standard-Annotation-11886528

How to teach students effective note-taking skills using standards as a basis.

https://leahcleary.com/teach-effective-note-taking/

Teach students a consistent paragraph frame. It’s expandable into multiple types of writing.

https://leahcleary.com/mastering-cer-paragraphs/

Option for giving students consequences for late work without making them dire.

https://leahcleary.com/solving-the-late-work-problem/

The latest blog post, Teaching the Power of Context: https://leahcleary.com/context-getting-to-know-you/

Related Episodes

You might also enjoy Leah's episode 2 conversation about scaffolding: https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/show-notes/scaffolding-learning-in-various-subjects/

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

In this episode, we have Andrea here from History Gal to talk about the transition to high school. 

Andrea had the opportunity to work in a freshman academy which gave students a year to prepare for transitioning to high school. Today she'll share some tips on how we can support middle school students during their transition to high school.

Connect with today's guest:

• Andrea's blog: https://www.musingsofahistorygal.com/
• Andrea's TPT shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/history-gal

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

The transition to middle school can be challenging so today we have a guest who has experience teaching both elementary and middle school. Let's talk transitions with Martina from The Hungry Teacher.

Connect with today's guest

Hub ELA teacher membership waitlist: Free Middle School ELA Teacher Toolkit 

https://thehungryteachercollective.mykajabi.com/hungryteacherhubwaitlist 

Free Middle School ELA Teacher Writing Toolkit: https://thehungryteachercollective.mykajabi.com/middle-school-writing-toolkit 

Free Middle School ELA Grammar Toolkit: https://thehungryteachercollective.mykajabi.com/grammartoolkit 

Free Middle School ELA Independent Reading Playbook: https://thehungryteachercollective.mykajabi.com/independent-reading-playbook-for-middle-school-ela 

Related Episodes

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Rather than carrying all that clutter in your mind—or worse, accidentally letting great ideas slip through the cracks—what if you had a simple, effective way to get it all out, organize it, and come back fresh next year?

Well, spoiler alert… you do! That’s what brain dumps are all about. In today’s episode, we’re breaking down what they are, how they work, the science behind why they’re so powerful, and some great tools to make the process painless and even—dare I say—fun.

Topics Discussed

• What is a brain dump?
• Tools for brain dumps
• Why brain dumps work
• Categorizing & using your brain dumps productively

Resources

https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/reflection-materials

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Grab Your End Of Year Certificates Today

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-colorado-classroom/category-awards-amp-certificates-427833?utm_source=PodcastMayAd&utm_campaign=PCSTMAYAD

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Just because the school year’s wrapping up doesn’t mean our work is done. In fact, this is PRIME TIME for something super important… giving your students the kind of feedback that doesn’t just slap a period at the end of their year—but leaves them feeling seen, motivated, and ready to crush whatever’s next.

Report card comments, one-on-one chats, end-of-year conferences today, we’re digging into how to give constructive feedback that’s honest, uplifting, and rooted in growth. We’ve got research, we’ve got real talk, we’ve got tips—basically, we’ve got your back.

Topics Discussed

• Why end of year feedback matters
• How to give honest, growth-focused feedback
• One on one conferences - why they're worth it
• Writing report card comments that actually mean something
• Building students up
• Practical takeaways

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Grab Your End Of Year Certificates Today

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-colorado-classroom/category-awards-amp-certificates-427833?utm_source=PodcastMayAd&utm_campaign=PCSTMAYAD

Today, we're exploring a topic that's close to our hearts: the power of read-alouds in the classroom.

Topics Discussed

• Research about the value of read alouds
• Balancing read alouds with independent reading
• How to use them in the classroom
• A list of our favorite books for middle school read alouds

Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

This episode may contain affiliate links.

Amazon links are affiliate links from Brittany Naujok and The Colorado Classroom, LLC®. I earn a small amount from your clicks on these links.

Let’s Connect

To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.

Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.

Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.

Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.

Reach out to share your ideas for future episodes on our podcast website.

https://teachingtoolboxpodcast.com/contact/

Mentioned in this episode:

Looking for support with Classroom Management?

Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form