Teaching Unfiltered

Day 8 of the 21-Day Teacher Challenge - Chaos to Clarity is here, and today’s all about planning for success ! Whether you’re a digital dynamo or a hardcopy fan, setting up your 2025 planner now will make your year smoother and more productive. Here’s what we covered in the podcast: Why Plan? Teachers thrive on structure, and planners help you take control, stay consistent, and reduce stress. A Po...

Hey, teacher bestie! Ready to feel less frazzled and more fabulous this term? In this episode, we chat about how to kickstart your school term on the right foot with the 21-Day Clear the Chaos Organisation Challenge.  It’s like a detox for your teacher life and your sanity! Here's what we’ll discuss about: In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why planning ahead is your ultimate superpower No mor...

Chaos to Clarity Challenge: Day 2 Today, we’re diving into Day 2, and it’s all about clearing the physical chaos to create mental clarity. In This Episode: 🔥 Why small daily actions, like sorting through those pesky paper piles, create big wins for your mindset and productivity. Day 2 Challenge: 📚 Sort the Papers : 🛍️ Tackle the stack in your teacher bag. 📃 Handle the pile behind your desk. 📜...

Today's episode is Day 3️⃣ in the Teacher Challenge: Chaos to Clarity !🎯  ✨ Main Points We’ll Cover: The Big Dump : Emptying your bag to reveal the chaos and hidden treasures inside. Sort and Purge : Ruthlessly tossing dried-up pens, mystery jellybeans, and sticky post-it notes. Organise with Purpose : Simple hacks to compartmentalize and keep only what serves you. Weekly Rituals : A quick...

Welcome to Day 4 of the Chaos to Clarity Challenge! Today, we’re diving into the top drawer of doom, a task every teacher knows all too well.  Now, onto today’s challenge: Clearing out the clutter. Clutter isn’t just physical, it’s mental. An organised space fosters calmness, fresh energy, and creativity. Decluttering brings a sense of control and refreshes your teaching environment, so let’s make...

Welcome to Day 5 of the Chaos to Clarity Teacher Challenge! Today, we’re diving into a topic that hits close to home: digital clutter. Specifically, how ADHD (or just the chaos of teaching life) can turn your computer desktop into a scene straight out of "Desktop Doomsday." Confession: My desktop often looks like my ADHD brain on a Monday morning—chaotic, cluttered, and full of half-fini...

Day 6️⃣: Your Garage Called… It Wants Its Space Back! It’s Day 6 of the 21-Day Challenge: From Chaos to Clarity! Today, we’re tackling those cluttered resource boxes (or maybe that messy freezer drawer at home 🙃). Pick one box - just one. Purge it: Keep, giveaway, or toss. Organise what’s left, and feel the weight lift off your shoulders! Decluttering clears more than just space - - - it clears y...

Can you believe how close we are to the new school year? It’s that bittersweet time where the beach days start winding down, and our teacher brains start switching back to school mode . But here’s the thing I know so many of us get wrong every single year—we wait. We tell ourselves we’ll organise the bookshelves, declutter the resources, and sort out the chaos once we’re back at school . Spoiler a...

In this episode, I open up about my personal journey of being a teacher with ADHD.  The challenges and triumphs I face daily, from hyper-focusing to managing distractions, and how ADHD can be harnessed as a unique asset in the teaching profession.  I touch on the importance of mindset, adaptability, and the power of community, offering strategies for teachers to thrive with their personal diagnosi...

In this episode, we explore the importance of consistency in teaching children, and how the research supports this technique as THE way forward. I discuss the need for modern, engaging educational resources and the struggles of introducing new materials in an industry dominated by traditional methods.  In this episode, you will come away with 10 essential strategies for creating effective and enga...

In this episode of the Teaching Unfiltered podcast, I explore the importance of goal setting for teachers and provide real life scenarios to inspire you to achieve personal and professional goals.  I share openly about my own ADHD diagnosis and aim to normalise conversations around ADHD and other diagnoses, framing them as they should be, as superpowers.  I discuss money methods, that I have drawn...

In this episode of the Teaching Unfiltered podcast, I delve into the Law of Attraction, providing six strategies to help teachers find joy and achieve their desires both inside and outside the classroom.  I share my personal anecdotes and actionable steps such as setting clear intentions, practising visualisation, maintaining gratitude, staying positive, taking inspired action, and trusting the pr...

In this episode, I dive into strategies for managing teacher overload, a challenge that many educators face. From planning ahead to setting realistic goals, I will provide you with actionable steps to help you find balance and reduce stress. For many of my teaching years, I allowed myself to be in a constant state of overwhelm, feeling like I was chasing my tail while it seemed every other teacher...

In this episode, we dive into the heart of why teachers stay in a profession that can be incredibly demanding. From the deep love for teaching and the powerful connections with students to the joy of being part of a vibrant school community, we explore eight compelling reasons that keep educators coming back, despite the tough days.  Join me as we uncover the reasons behind the dedication and pass...

Welcome to Teaching Unfiltered, where we peel back the layers of doubt and rediscover the power within you as an educator. In this episode, I'll take you on a journey through my own struggles and triumphs in the teaching world. Like many, I once gave my power away to external forces, believing I needed to conform to others' ideas of success. But here's the truth: the path to success...

Welcome to the Teaching Unfiltered podcast. I'm your host, Cindy Holmberg-Smith. Think of me as that teacher bestie navigating together the magical moments and messiness of teacher life. I am a passionate teacher, author, educational publisher, and mindset coach. If you are looking to upgrade your teacher or personal life, then you are in the right place. Think of this podcast show as your do...