Joyful in Primary Podcast

Let's bring some joy to your classroom management! Simplicity is king when it comes to teaching. It's so easy to get caught up in the frilly, enticing things, but they complicate our lives and take our teaching time. Let's simplify your classroom management. We're going to talk about class rules, how to make homework work for you, the wonderful world of hand signals, the easier...

Sweet teacher, today's episode is very special. I was able to contribute to Hal Bowman's Dear Teacher project, and I'm going to read you my letter to primary teachers. Not gonna lie, I get a little emotional. So please look over that, but just know it's because primary teachers mean so much to me. If you need a teacher pick-me-up to get ready for this coming school year, I hope...

Now that we've got our mindset right and are ready to assess all the knowledge our students are going to gain, let's talk about how to get that knowledge in their heads! Being the smartest teacher isn't enough for your students to achieve their learning goals. That's because if students aren't engaged with your lessons, they won't learn! I strongly believe that engage...

Hey there, teacher! Welcome to Part 2 of our series on teaching the alphabet. If you missed last week's episode, I'd encourage you to start there to help establish the most effective mindset for this content. If you're ready for today's episode, we're going to dive into assessment. Believe it or not, assessment doesn't have to be a bad word! Hang in there with me when...

Teacher, do you ever get frustrated when teaching the alphabet? I have in the past when students just couldn't grasp the letters. This episode begins a three part series that will make teaching the alphabet easier and more fun. The alphabet is one of my favorite things to teach now, and I can help you enjoy it more and be more effective. Let me show you how a mindset shift can improve you alp...

Well, hey there, teacher! I'm back after a two week break, refreshed, energized, and ready to talk school! Today, I am excited to bring you the ultimate guide to simple class rules. This is something I have used year after year I believe fully in it. And that is why I want to share it with you right now, when we are totally not even thinking about school. Well, actually I am thinking about sc...

Teacher, we've made it! It's the summer after the craziest school year ever. You've earned rest, and I want you to have it! Here's the thing: let's make sure we're intentional about it so it doesn't just slip right through our fingers. Don't panic, because I'm not saying you can't still binge watch your favorite TV show. If we do a little planning...

Teacher, I see you here volunteering your precious time to get more information, motivation, and encouragement for what you do. That is amazing. Today, let's talk about the beliefs that make up your teacher core. This isn't a lesson on beliefs you should try to create in yourself. What we're going to do today is recognize them so that you can use them to refuel your teacher spirit....

Teacher, we have reflected on what our pain points are, focused on things we can eliminate to maximize our time, and planned ahead for the next year. Now, it's time to use everything we've learned to fuel yourself for next year. Summer's coming folks, and it's a great time to invest in yourself! Professional development doesn't have to be boring, I promise! Our approach wi...

Teacher, are you ready to translate your stress into solutions that will set you up for a joyful school year? We all have pain points, or stressors, in this career. Today, I'm going to walk you through how to examine those and design actionable steps to prepare you for your most joyful year yet. We can choose joy, but it isn't enough to show up to our classrooms one day and decide that t...

Teacher friend, your time is PRECIOUS. You can make a big impact in your classroom, but if you're trying to do all the things, you won't be able to focus on any one area with the attention it deserves. If you feel like your to do list is getting the better of you, but you aren't sure how to take back control, I can help! Today, let me explain exactly why it's so important to fo...

Can you believe that we are actually in the end of the year season of this historical and absolutely crazy year? We did it, we're almost there almost to the finish line. That doesn't mean we are not still stressed and overwhelmed with all of the things that are on our plate. But what if we could finish with more joy, a brighter spirit and ensure that our upcoming year will have a fresh,...

I really believe that relationships in the workplace have a big impact on our joy. And definitely, definitely having great relationships with the people who care for our students at home can aid us in being more effective teachers. So today, we're going to talk all about how to make parents love you. Having the support of parents is very important to me. I spend a lot of time working on it an...

Sometimes, small things have big magic. Like my daughter's toy penguin. It's not fancy, and it doesn't even have pupils anymore! I'll tell you all about that too. But for some reason, that tired penguin is magic to my daughter. Just like that penguin, word families may seem insignificant, but they hold magic for our little learners who are trying so hard to become readers. In t...

Teacher, do you feel like you are running out of steam as this year winds down? It's been one strange, difficult year. In the few weeks that are left in this school year, we still have a chance to make a positive impact on our little learners. We can still instill in them the joy that learning can bring. That can last their entire lives and motivate them to continue to build their lives into...

Teacher, do you notice students rushing through their work and not really taking pride in what they're doing? It's a trend I've noticed in my classroom, and we need to nip that in the bud! The good news is, because primary students are so awesome, there are some simple ways we can manage this behavior. It is possible to help students take pride in their work and let their true abili...

Ready to up your phonological awareness game? Get ready to spread this secret sauce all over your teaching! More and more people are recognizing the importance of phonological awareness. It's vital to our little learners achieving their literacy goals. Maybe your experience with phonological awareness so far is like my initial experience with avocado. I thought it was a disgusting waste of 98...

Do you have primary students who are struggling to blend words? Maybe most of the class has mastered this skill. Your activities and instruction have gotten many students over this big finish line! But what about the rest? Some students are behind in this skill, and it is vital to literacy. If your high quality instruction, which was effective with most of the class, didn't work for everyone,...

Teacher, are you ready for SPRING? The birds are singing, the sun is warmer, and it's a perfect time to do a little cleanup. Today I'm going to show you how to get that fun, fresh feeling your house has after a good tidy up and bring it to your classroom management game. I've said it before, I'll say it now, and I'll say it again in the future: classroom management can mak...

Teacher, have you debated whether teaching is still the right profession for you? Maybe you have another goal you're considering chasing and leaving teaching behind. Today, I'm going to share three signs you should definitely quit teaching. If any of these apply to you, leave your highlighter collection behind and just run for the door! But here's a warning. If you're looking f...

This school year is moving right along! Maybe you're starting to feel the pressure of crunch time as some students are achieving their learning goals while others may not be. If some of your students are struggling with their sight word lists, know that you're not alone! Many years at about this time, I take a hard look at where my students are and realize that some of them are not reach...

One of the areas of our careers as primary teachers that can be difficult is maintaining relationships with our students' parents and families. Especially when we have to deliver bad news. Knowing this is coming may give you anxiety. It may keep you up at night. It's never going to be easy, but I'm going to share five tips I've learned with experience that will help make it les...

Classroom management is a make or break aspect of being a teacher. I believe so strongly that to be a joyful, and effective, teacher we must have good classroom management. Directly related to classroom management is student engagement. An engaged classroom is an easy (easier) to manage classroom. So today, I'm going to share three easy sound hacks you can use to up your classroom management...

Ask any teacher if they love their students, and I'm willing to bet they say yes. Of course we do! It's why we do what we do. But what about those students that are a little more difficult? The ones who are talkative, disruptive, or never have their supplies? You know, the ones that are a little more hard-to-love. Every student deserves the best chance for an education that we can give t...

Here comes the holiday! Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and our kiddos can't wait. They love holidays, and we can hack the holiday to boost engagement in our primary classrooms. This doesn't mean fancy, detailed activities that take hours to prepare and leave our classroom management running for cover. Today, I'm going to give you three no-prep Valentine's Day l...