Next Chapter for Teachers Podcast

Are you exhausted from all the events and behaviors in your classroom this past month? November is a great time to slow down, focus on the essentials, and refocus your classroom. Doing this now will help your students reset after October's overstimulation and help keep teacher burnout at bay. Listen and learn three tips to recover, reset, and rest this month to make the rest of the semester (...

Have you heard any of these this semester: Remember your why. We're here for the kids. It could be worse. We're a family. Toxic positivity can be difficult to deal with when the realities of the classroom, right down to your own safety, seem to be staring you in the face. The end of October is also a stressful time for teachers trying to avoid burnout and take care of themselves despite...

It's October and Emotional Wellness Month. It's also the time of year when teacher burnout hits educators head-on amid report cards, conferences, and student behavior issues. In this episode, I revisit the impact my book Teachaholic had on changing mindsets about teaching in a system that continues to be in need of overhaul, and what we can focus on going forward to protect our mental he...

Do you feel buried under a mountain of ungraded assignments? Is grading stressing you out because it feels like it consumes every minute you aren't teaching? Giving grades and assessing student progress is a large part of classroom life, but it doesn't have to leave you overwhelmed. Let's shrink that giant bag of assignments you're carrying in your back seat. In this episode, y...

Lesson planning is an important part of being prepared to meet your students' needs… but how can you do it efficiently with everything else that is expected of you as a teacher? In this episode, I'll cover the key things to remember when you feel overwhelmed by the planning process, so you can be prepared for the week ahead without it taking extra time off the clock.  FAN MAIL: Have a qu...

Ever feel like you live at school? If you are used to being the last car in the parking lot, this episode is for you. Being a teacher shouldn't mean you forfeit your right to take care of your needs and have a life outside of school. It's one of the quickest ways to end up in teacher burnout. Leaving school on time gives you the chance to reboot and recoup for the next school day. In thi...

Are you tired from making decisions all day as a teacher? It can often feel like you're on a hamster wheel, dealing with things that require your input during the school day, only to come home...and have to make more decisions! Decision fatigue is real, and it can contribute to teacher burnout. In this episode, you'll learn an "idea" for how to approach decision-making in and o...

How do you write a book as a teacher? What do you need to do to become an author? A little more than ten years ago, I was asking myself these questions and desperately trying to find the answers. I felt pulled to put a children's book into the world, and then a book for teachers. If you are a teacher who has ever wanted more than just teaching in the traditional classroom to be a part of your...

What's it like to be the teacher of the year? This week, I'm looking back on my experience as a state Teacher of the Year and what it taught me about self-worth and making an impact in education. If you are someone who is going through the interview process for a teaching job or for an award, you'll want to listen to this episode on how the unexpected twists in life can lead you to...

What do you think of when you hear "school leadership?" Being an effective school leader goes beyond test scores and the management of behavior and staff. Although those are important elements, how you impact those around you in your words and actions accounts for the most important parts of school leadership - and you don't have to be an administrator to have an impact. In this bri...

My first two years of teaching were rough. While I was a great student in college, navigating being a new teacher and a young adult with an anxiety disorder left me in turmoil and wondering if I was meant to be a teacher. I look back on this time in my life and wish I had someone I could have confided in who would have told me I could turn things around. If you are a new teacher wondering if thing...

Why did you become a teacher? If you ever wanted to know more about how I got where I'm at in education, this summer is your chance to learn about me! In this "Walk with Me" summer series, I'm sharing all the (well, almost all :-) the things that have brought me to this point in my life, starting with how I chose to become a teacher in college. While I didn't come across a...

If the end of the school year has you feeling exhausted and unable to function, you aren't alone. The demands of the school year and the stress of closing out the year in your classroom can leave you feeling like you've been sucked of all your energy. I have five things I focus on as soon as the school year ends to help me recover and enjoy all that the break from going to school each da...

As the school year comes to an end in the United States, many of us are already thinking about what the next school year will bring. At some point, even if it's in August, you will be gearing up for back-to-school and the extra energy it will require of you. What if we took this summer to think about how we could approach the many tasks and asks of the school year so we could focus on what ma...

When most teachers hear the word ‘observation,’ it doesn’t exactly bring a sense of excitement or growth. It brings pressure and performance, and for many teachers, the feeling of being judged rather than supported. But what if observations could actually do what they were originally intended to do: help teachers grow, reflect, and feel more confident in their practice? In this conversation, I’m j...

Do you feel like you have too many tabs open right now as a teacher? Stressed out and overwhelmed from the noise, stuff accumulating in your classroom, and hearing your students say your name on repeat? It's easy to become overstimulated as a teacher, especially as the school year comes to a close or right before the holidays. How do you combat the sensory overload and avoid starting your sum...

Have you ever felt unappreciated as a teacher or discouraged by the current classroom conditions and expectations? Teaching can often feel like a thankless job, and many are leaving the classroom because the hours and demands of teaching have led them to choose another path. This episode, recorded during Teacher Appreciation Week, looks at what matters more than appreciation, because change and ap...

As the end of the school year approaches, student behavior can become more challenging, and the quality of work may decline. If this is making you stressed out and questioning your effectiveness as a teacher, don't lose hope. In this episode, we'll unpack why the end of the year gets crazy (even if you've done everything in your power to make your classroom run smoothly and foster g...

Do you feel like you don't have a voice as a teacher to share your perspective or initiate change? Ever wonder if speaking up will have consequences or will be pointless because you're "just a teacher?" If there is anything I have learned this school year, it is that having a voice is a choice. What matters is how you choose to use it. In this episode, I share my TEDx experienc...

Do you know what your non-negotiables are as a teacher? Also known as a deal breaker or a hard pass, these are the things that you know you are not willing to accept as part of your teaching environment. Knowing what your non-negotiables are can help you avoid burnout and be the teacher and person you want to be. In this episode, you will learn how non-negotiables are different than boundaries, wh...

If you've ever felt like you just have to keep on checking things off your to-do list right through Spring Break, this episode is for you. Whether your spring break is an entire week or just a few days, teachers look forward to a break from the classroom routine... only to fill their schedules with more work while they are off. While doing things that you've wanted to get accomplished is...

Have you ever felt a sick day coming on (ah-choo!), but powered through it because you felt you needed to cover material with your class? Ever felt guilty for taking a mental health day while your students are left with a substitute? Taking time off as a teacher can feel as stressful as just sticking it out and teaching through the sniffles, but you can't live your life just during the summer...

Have you been thinking about what else you can do with your education degree besides teaching in the traditional classroom? Do you know in your heart you're ready to quit teaching, but you'd like to still stay in education? These thoughts and needs can bring up a lot of emotions, because teaching becomes a part of your identity over time.  If you've been wondering how you can contin...

What do you do when you want to change grade levels for the next school year?  Is it a good idea to switch teaching positions if you're feeling burned out and want to try something new? You may be considering moving to a new grade level, content area, or programmatic level for the upcoming school year, and spring is usually when jobs for the new school year are posted. If you are second-guess...

When students don't use classroom materials correctly (or with care), it becomes harder to teach. Getting your class to "play nice" with the supplies you have in your room (many that you have bought with your own money) can feel like a game you can't win before the holidays or in the lead up to Spring Break. What do you do when your students misuse or destroy the supplies in yo...