Joyful in Primary Podcast

Teacher, are you feeling discouraged and unsupported? Do you secretly wonder why you're doing this when it's so hard? We chose a tough profession, and not everyone appreciates it. So that's why it's so important to find the people who do! We hear, from other people and from ourselves, that we aren't good enough way too often. Let's surround ourselves with people who c...

Whether you're conscious of it or not, you use pacing in every one of your lessons and transitions. It impacts engagement, classroom management, and your joy as a teacher. So how's your pacing? If your students are bored by a pace that is too slow or overwhelmed by a speed that can't keep up with, then their learning and the overall dynamic of your classroom will suffer. The good ne...

Do you have students who are struggling to read? Maybe you've tried strategy after strategy and all the activities you can find, but those students are still not meeting their goals. I've tried finding the next great activity and latest greatest tools, but that's not the answer. Let me share the approach that worked for me after years of trial and error. It's not one specific a...

If you're ready to grow this year but already have plenty of goals, here are three bad habits to BUST! These three teacher bad habits will steal your joy. Trust me, I know, because I have had to break them. That's why I know you can too! Let me explain why they are so toxic. Then I'm going to give you strategies to bust them to pieces and get them out of your lives. Links mentioned...

Tune in for this fun and surprising episode as Toni interviews Mr. Teacher Toni about his life as the husband of a Teacher. She throws some tough questions his way about the role he plays and the sacrifices he’s learned to appreciate. What you'll learn from listening is… although there is much at stake when your spouse is a Teacher… it is all worth it.    Stick around to hear just how it feel...

Hey there, teacher friend! Are you ready for Part 2 of making your morning meetings EPIC? If you missed Part 1, jump over there and catch it from the top. I'll be here. :) Today we're going to talk about the last two of five components to make your morning meeting engaging and memorable. With these two tips related to incorporating content and ensuring your students are successful, morni...

Could your morning classroom routine use a little pizzazz? Join me as I interview Susan Matthews, who is an absolute master at morning meetings. If you haven't tried morning meetings yet, give us a chance to explain why they're so important and beneficial. Besides being engaging, if you craft them thoughtfully, they give students a chance to be successful that will boost their confidence...

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Christmas break! While I'm looking forward to some rest, TV, and time with my family, I'm also planning ahead for January. This is a perfect time to reflect back on the first half of the school year and push the reset button for the start of the second half. These three goals will get you set for a successful beginning in January. Links...

Did you know there's one word all your students want to hear? It's connected to their identity. It's a powerful way to make them feel connected and valued. Plus, it barely takes extra time and very little effort to make sure you say this word once you know what it is. Ready to find out? Let me show you what it is and how to implement it! Links mentioned in today's episode:  Tod...

Need some motivation to keep teaching content during the holidays? Today, Toni shares why these three weeks are so important. She also gives three tips to make sure you're continuing vital learning without being accused of being a grinch. Our primary kiddos don't need a bunch of holiday movies to enjoy the holiday spirit. With a little planning, our lessons can be both content rich and f...

Teacher, do you feel like no one sees or cares about the hard work you're putting in? Let me assure you that I do. Our world needs a lot more gratitude going around. Today I'm going to explain why gratitude is healthy and how we can show it to others and ourselves. You might be the person someone needs to hear from today, and your encouragement could be the very thing they need to keep g...

Today's episode brings you an interview packed with energy and ideas from best-selling author of Teach Like A PIRATE, Dave Burgess. Come along as Toni talks with Dave about bringing the PIRATE spirit to the classroom.  They explore student engagement and how using hooks is an investment of time rather than a waste of time. That's because if you make content an experience it becomes memor...

Sweet Teacher, I know your heart and spirit are exhausted and ready to give in. I know that you have too much to do and too little time to do it. I know that our current situation has added a deeper, more violent layer of stress to an already overwhelming career. I also know that all of your hard work and sacrifices go highly unnoticed and unappreciated. More than any of that, I also know that the...

Feeling worn down, discouraged, or burned out? Join Toni and special guest, Barbara Gruener, to learn what self-care REALLY is (it's doesn't only mean a spa) and why you should absolutely be practicing it. We'll talk about self-talk, saying no, and how to avoid feeling guilty for giving your best self to the world. Links mentioned in today's episode:  Blog post with Self-Care B...

If you're a Primary Teacher, you know that teaching a student how to write a sentence correctly isn't an easy task, especially considering we normally have 20+ of the little critters to split our teaching between.  If you've felt the frustration of walking around the room, struggling to give each child the instruction they need to form a sentence correctly (with capitalization, spac...

Teacher, is there something missing in your classroom? Maybe some JOY? Many teachers face the joy stealer of classroom management. Behavior can make a day great or ruin it, and managing that is enough to drain the enthusiasm right out of your heart. Today, Toni is going to share three common classroom management mistakes and how to fix them. She knows this works, because she's learned these s...

Is virtual teaching taking the excitement (at least the good kind) out of your year? It doesn't have to! Today, Toni shares three reasons you can love virtual teaching. So if you feel like your year is kind of miserable, you're in exactly the right place. Is virtual teaching hard? Yes. Is it discouraging sometimes? Yes! Is it rewarding? Yes!!! Here's how you can keep your joy throug...

Is your classroom missing some magic? It could be you! Even in a virtual classroom, students need to be engaged with the content and with you! If you're looking for ways to get your students excited about sight words, here are 10 quick, easy, and super fun activities that will boost their learning. Links mentioned in today's episode: Today's blog post:  https://teachertoni.com/virtu...

Content doesn't matter without engagement! In today's episode, I'm going to make a big topic like engagement concrete and actionable for you. We'll talk about what engagement is and how you can tell if your primary students are engaged. Then I'm going to share five strategies with examples that you can start using today in YOUR classroom to increase engagement! Links menti...

Looking for a way to engage your students in reading? Want to make practicing literacy more interactive? Missing a sense of community in your classroom? Try the morning message! This routine will engage students, lets you practice or introduce any reading skill, and allows easy differentiation so you can adjust to the overall ability of your class and to each student. Links mentioned: Contact Mrs....

There is no greater career than that held by Primary Educators. Whether you are considering the field or are a current teacher in need of a great reminder: Primary Education is where the MAGIC happens. Join me as I give you 10 awesome reasons to love what you do.  Links mentioned in today's episode:  Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfri...

Even if you use classroom cheers, you may not be aware of the incredible benefits that you (yes, you the Teacher) and your students can reap from using them effectively. In today’s episode I’ll give you all the benefits and tell you how (with a set of 54 Cheer Cards) to get this routine going in your classroom so that you can begin engaging, motivating and energizing your students as soon as today...

Are you a brand-new virtual classroom (or distance learning) teacher in Pre-K, Kindergarten, First or Second Grade? This advice is for you! Learn six simple strategies you can utilize to help engage your little learners with your video lessons, whether you are teaching LIVE through Google Meet, Zoom, etc. OR are sending pre-recorded lessons for you students to see. Don't miss the printable ve...

Primary grade students count on us for content and for emotional support. Today, Barbara Gruener and I are going to share 3 strategies for social emotional learning that you can start using in your classroom now, whether you are in person or meeting virtually for distance learning. These strategies are actually routines that, with a little practice, can be completed quickly every day in your class...

Whether you teach Pre-K & Kindergarten OR you have struggling First & Second Graders, this key concept of Letter & Sound Fluency could be the barrier that is holding them back from becoming a fluent, proficient reader. In today's episode, I will share with you my super-simple strategy for improving letter & sound recognition and fluency among students. I have used it consisten...