A positive classroom climate is critical to student success. This episode takes a deep dive into the elements that go into creating such a climate. Here I share information from scholarly literature, as well as my own active research, on how to create a postive climate in your own classroom. You don't want to miss this!

0:00 Intro

4:33 Classroom Climate as a passion

6:50 Education as a way to make a difference

8:00 Our impact on students

10:55 Backstory on how I became interested in establishing a positive classroom climate

14:06 Positive Classroom Climate defined

15:00 Curricula separate from Climate

18:12 Why Classroom Climate Matters

18:49 Mutual respect

21:40 Academic efficacy

23:15 A higher sense of class belonging

24:00 Building relationships

28:44 Refrain from engaging in arguments

30:06 Encourage students

31:24 Sorry, my dog Basil starts barking in the background here

31:39 Deliberate, trusting relationships

38:36 Perception of teacher as supportive as predictor of decreased disruptive behavior

41:12 Conclusion

41:30 outro

References

My presentation (full details)

Contact: Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/ Facebook Groups: Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/ Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast): https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/ My blog: Notes From A First Grade Classroom: https://notesinfirstgrade.blogspot.mx/

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8

With the beginning of the school year, we are busy setting up systems that help us manage students and behavior. In this episode, I grapple with wanting to walk away from the stoplight system I have always used in favor of building relationships and focusing on natural and logical consequences instead. What does one do when students are at stake, but multiple factors go into making these kinds of decisions? In this episode, I will explore the humiliating system I have used for years (not with the intention to humiliate), and explore better alternatives. These are alternatives I have used in conjunction with the stoplight system, and that get to the core of a student's behavior. Listen to learn how visual behavior systems can feel humiliating to students, and the alternatives that better serve the student, the class, and the teacher.

0:00 Intro

3:46 My personal crossroads in classroom management

14:20 Stoplight, visual systems and how I attempt to put a positive spin on it

14:47 Examples of logical consequences

24:48 Star Bucks as a classroom economy

35:38 Classroom management at the secondary level

43:50 Teaching Compassion

45:32 Concluding points and wrap up

Resources

Want to read more material on respectful behavior management?

Responsive Classroom

Public Discipline Systems

Beyond The Stoplight

Time Out: Early, Often, and for Everyone.

Contact: Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/ Facebook Groups: Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/ Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast): https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/ My blog: Notes From A First Grade Classroom: https://notesinfirstgrade.blogspot.mx/

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8

Building classroom community is less about the activities you do with your class than the relationships you build in those first weeks of school. Don't give up all those wonderful activities you're doing, but do keep in mind what's at the heat of those activities. Listen to find out the key components involved in effective classroom community building.

0:00 Introduction 6:00 Remembering the big idea behind classroom community building 8:00 Building relationships with students 9:00 Scholastic article that gets to the heart of classroom community 10:56 Nurturing, secure and safe environment 12:26 Building community through identity 14:30 Building community through familiarity 18:54 Using warmth and beauty 22:08 Trust 25:50 The story of when I lost my highschool student's trust...forever 31:30 Classroom meetings 33:36 Predictability 37:05 Getting the family involved 43:00 Recap of key components 44:00 Outro

Resources:

Scholastic article on Classroom Community

Contact: Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/

Facebook Groups: Facebook Group: Teachers For Effective Curriculum Teachers Who Podcast: a group for educators who also podcast: Teachers Who Podcast

My blog: Notes From a First Grade Classroom

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kbqmEJTr3nU

Meet Aimee. She's an instructional math coach who has opened the door to homework changes in our elementary school section. Finding herself at a crossroads when her students grew frustrated and anxious around their math homework (all while losing valuable play and family time), Aimee began to ponder the value of traditional homework. She started to read a growing body of research that disproved the idea that homework has academic benefits in the early grades. Join us in a provocative conversation about the trials and tribulations of homework, and alternative activities to do instead that promote growth and learning.

A few notes: We were recording on site at our school, and, as luck would have it, there was construction going on. So, you might hear a little bit of background sounds from time to time because hey, that's what happens when you record at a school!

Also, Around 36 minutes into the interview the AC kicked on by itself. Sorry.

Show Notes:

0:00 Introduction 0:55 Meeting Aimee 6:29 Aimee explains the backstory to her opening up the conversation on homework with our elementary section. 25:31 The research behind no homework 28:57 TIIMS study findings 35:52 Some of the different kinds of homework teachers at our school are given, and some of the difficulties we have encountered. 39:45 Parent feedback about the new homework practices at our school 44:46 Activities parents can do at home with their children instead of traditional homework. 46:52 Bonding through TV 51:30 Knitting and the math mind 56:37 Aimee's advice to teachers looking to revamp the homework they give

Resources

The Case Against Homework: Sarah Bennett and Nancy Kalish http://www.thecaseagainsthomework.com/

Tiims (International Data): Research study (international ratings). They went into math classrooms and studied students in math for 45 minutes and those in class for an hour and a half. Tiims found that the amount of on-task time (or engagement) in the math classroom, the more students achieved. Therefore, the amount of time we have is not as important as the time students spent engaged in math (as opposed to teacher "teaching", or lecture time; more teaching time did not increase student learning).

Planning Period Podcast: Podcast show that I interviewed on.

Happier with Gretchin. Podcast episode 128.

Contact: Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/ Facebook Groups: Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/ Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast): https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/ My blog: Notes From A First Grade Classroom: https://notesinfirstgrade.blogspot.mx/

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kbqmEJTr3nU

The beginning of the school year is such a special time of year. Teachers excitedly get their classrooms set up, organized, and decorated. There is a buzz of excitement and energy around school. Expectations are high, and hope lingers in the air like a cool breeze on a hot day. Simply put, there is a special kind of feeling that ensues during this time of year, and it's the kind of feeling one would like to bottle up and enjoy at a later time (you know, for when we're exhausted and in need of a "pick-me-up"). In this episode, I explore 6 key ideas to keep in mind as you start the new school year. These ideas will help us not only begin the school year positively, but to maintain that positivity during the school year. Are you ready to be a positive force at your school?

Resources

Brad Shreffler's Podcast" Planning Period"

Contact:

Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/ Facebook Groups: Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/ Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast): https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music

Silly, sassy, and never short on sarcasm, Tiffany Pollari is one parent who has a lot to say about homework. She's got a complicated relationship with it; she neither loves it nor hates it, but she's got a few words for it. In this interview full of humor and wit, Tiffany shares some of her ups and downs with the "h" word that is better known as "homework".

0:00 Introduction 4:40 Introducing Tiffany Pollari. Qualified mother, sister, and accountant manager. 7:40 Tiffany makes a prediction as to whether we agree on homework practices or not. 9:55 Tiffany's thoughts on homework. 13:45 Discussion on what happens when parents have to teach themselves their child's homework before they can help.

14:57 Tiffany explaines the kind of homework that is onerous to parents and why. 15:50 Tiffany discusses why she thinks homework can be a good thing and why students should continue to have homework. 16:38 Tiffany shares how she thinks homework can be implemented in a healthy way. 21:15 Tiffany tells us her beliefs on whether or not her own children's homework are helping them academically. 24:35 Tiffany makes a prediction as to what she thinks my views on homework are. 25:24 Tami explains her own thoughts and beliefs on homework. 29:25 Tami talks about reading at home. 35:25 Tami discusses why she is against traditional homework. 43:30 Tami reveals the kind of math homework her grade level gives to their students. 48:00 Potential obstacles to teachers revamping their homework. 53:05 Tiffany explains PTO (our conversation on homework ends here and Tiffany, the accountant, becomes overly interested in how summer pay looks on a teacher's pay stub). 56:35 Conclusion 58:48 Outro

Example of the kind of homework my grade level gives out.

Contact: Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/ Facebook Groups: Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/ Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast): https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/ My blog: Notesfromafirstgradeclassroom: https://notesinfirstgrade.blogspot.mx/

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kbqmEJTr3nU

In general, we humans spend a lot of mental energy worrying about things. We worry about anything and everything. We worry when it's appropriate to worry and when it isn't. So much worrying can make focusing on immediate tasks difficult, and impede our sleep. This can negatively affect our personal lives as well as our professional lives. Teaching is a big job, so it's important to feel mentally and emotionally well, as much as possible. Wellness positively affects our performance as educators. Listen to find out how to conduct a designated worry time so your overall time spent on worries decreases, while increasing your overall wellness.

0:00 Introduction 1:35 Introducing the idea of designating a specific time to worry 3:50 Article "Create Worry Time" 4:30 Steps involved in designating a worry time 8:12 Managing Your Worry time 12:40 How this works 16:09 Implementation 25:40 3 Ways to conduct Worry time 35:35 Summary 39:00 Conclusion

References:

Article: "What to Do During Obsessing"

View article here

Contact: Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/ Facebook Groups: Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/ Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast): https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/

My blog: Notesfromafirstgradeclassroom

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kbqmEJTr3nU

In this episode, I discuss digital tools that I am loving. These are tools that enhance teaching and student learning, and are tools you might want to add to your toolbox as well. Try them out this summer and you'll be ready for the fall with a few new digital tools.

0:00 Introduction 2:28 Getepic for read alouds 13:49 imgur 21:51 Canva 26:34 Padlet 32:23 Google Drive 43:44 Story Jumper

Contact: Twitter: @TamiJ123 Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/ Facebook Groups: Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/ Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast): https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/ Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kbqmEJTr3nU

In this episode, we explore all other digital matters and concerns not discussed in episode 7. The beginning of the school year is one of the busiest times of the school year. This makes summer the perfect time to take care of your digital tasks, resulting in a lightened work load come fall. Listen to find out what digital tasks you should tend to now in order to begin the new school year with a lightened load.

0:00 Introduction

1:52 Lesson Planning

6:37 Emergency Sub plans

8:08 Policies and Procedures

16:26 Learn a New Digital Tool for Productivity

25:37 Social Media

28:16 Online Courses

31:18 Educational podcasts

36:36 Conclusion

Resources

My first-week plans

Podcast I am loving: Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

Online courses: Coursera

All about podcasts

Google tools I love

Google Calendar

Google Keep

Padlet

Contact:

Twitter: @TamiJ123

Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com

Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/

Facebook Groups:

Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/

Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/

Music Credits:

Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kbqmEJTr3nU

Just as with a physical mess, digital messes have a negative impact on productivity. Both kinds of clutter are distracting and overwhelming. In this episode, listen to find out what digital items you should work on this summer, including strategies to help you clean up digitally. Spending time this summer to clean up digital items will allow you to start fresh in the fall. Happy cleaning

0:00 Introduction

3:28 Pacing Guide

8:11 Tiffany's map story

13:36 Unit Map

22:37 Digital files

28:05 Email

30:00 Class website

31:43 Digital forms of communication

33:56 Handouts

38:07 Conclusion

38:22 Bloopers

Resources

Unit 1 Document (actual document)

UbD Blank Templates

Class Newsletter (serves as homepage on my website)

Contact:

Twitter: @TamiJ123

Podcast show notes & listen online: www.timetoteach.libsyn.com

Facebook page: Time to Teach https://www.facebook.com/Time-to-Teach-293173721126201/

Facebook Groups:

Teachers for Effective Curriculum www.facebook.com/groups/teachersforeffectivecurriculum/

Teachers Who Podcast (a group for educators who also podcast):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/465498167130417/

Music Credits: Adventures by A Himitsu @a-himitsu Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music released by Argofox youtu.be/8BXNwnxaVQE Music provided by Audio Library youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8 PACIFIC SUN by Nicolai Heidlas Music https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kbqmEJTr3nU