Shaping Little Minds

You probably are sick of hearing about reconnecting with your "WHY" but today's podcast episode will give you an inside look at how you can create your "WHY" and then continue to reconnect to it.  Reflection questions to help you: What happened today that made me consider leaving the classroom? What are my favorite parts of teaching? How can I work through the hardships so...

Do you feel like you need a reset inside your classroom? It's October, which means the kids are comfortable and behaviors are likely popping up if they haven't already. On today's podcast, we are diving into 5 ways you can hit the reset button inside your classroom. #1: changing bulletin boards and decor #2: Review routines and expectations #3: Take a day off, if you haven’t already...

I wanted to reflect back to you guys about my first month back in the classroom after being out of the classroom for three years. This month’s theme: Reset, Reflect, and Reconnect. I know how busy September can be and how much busier October can get. I want to make sure each and every one of you is able to reset, reflect, and reconnect.  Reflection #1:  the transition back into the classroom was N...

Have you ever heard of nerdy teaching? I was recently introduced to this new way of teaching. It's a way of teaching that focuses on connection with students. Chris explains it all! On today's podcast episode, I have Chris Longwell. He is an educator with over 15 years of experience as well as experience in coaching teachers and in camp. He’s taken his years of experiences in the classro...

Creating a work-life balance can feel pretty impossible, especially as a new teacher. There is so much to do with very little time to get the work done. Over the years, I've found that there are 3 key elements to having the ability to create the work-life balance you're looking for. Time management Prioritization Boundaries Find out how you can implement each of these elements to help yo...

If you're struggling to navigate stress and overwhelm during these first weeks of school, you've come to the right place! In today's podcast episode, I am pulling the curtain back and giving you a little taste into what it's like to be in my world. Transform Your Teaching was a free live event for teachers as they prepared for the first weeks of school. On the very first day, w...

Transitions can make or break a classroom routine. Transitioning from one activity to the next can pose as a stressful and overwhelming time in the classroom. The students don't know what to do or what's expected and you're also trying to figure it out. In this episode, I give you the one key ingredient that many new teachers tend to miss when teaching transitions. Follow: @coachfor...

September's theme is going to be "navigating the first weeks of school." In this series, we're going to be discussing various topics that relate to making sure those first weeks of school set you up for success inside your classroom. This is a time that can be extremely challenging to do on your own, especially if you don't have the mentorship or support. Today's epis...

The first year of teaching is not usually an easy one. It's a huge learning curve. In today's podcast, I speak to Christina about her experience as a first year teacher. Christina teaches in the New York City public school system.  We talk about: Struggles walking into the classroom as a new teacher Importance of support + community Advice for any teachers walking into the classroom for...

This is another episode of the teacher talks podcast series. Melly is a bi-lingual teacher and focuses on parental involvement in her classroom. She’s created a system to help bridge the gap between her classroom and home not only for her students but also for their families. She’s been teaching for eight years and is still passionate about everything she does. Connect with Melly - melissa.gonzale...

Welcome back to another episode of our Teacher Conversations series! I am SO excited to bring you a new guest on today's podcast episode. In this conversation, we dive into looking at students ABILITIES rather than their DISABILITIES and truly creating a safe space for each of your students. This was such an inspiring episode to record and I know Dr. Shani is going to do great things for both...

Transform Your Teaching is a brand NEW 3 day event I want you to be a part of!! And it's completely free! What you need to know: Transform Your Teaching is taking place on August 15th, 16th and 17th. Day 1 will focus on navigating the stress and overwhelm in those first weeks, day 2 will focus on coping with the hardships of teaching, and day 3 will dive into a brand new way for you to approa...

Welcome back to the new and improved Shaping Little Minds Podcast! For the duration of August, I am bringing you teachers from various walks of life who are here to discuss their passions, their tips and tricks, and their classroom experiences. In today's episode, Jon dives into the ins and outs of classroom management and shares his method in his classroom that has been super successful. I c...

I want to help you to radically shift the way you’re approaching teaching. It took me 5 years to shift the way I approached teaching and make room to love life outside of the classroom. There are shifts I made when I decided it was time to move from a burnout cycle and a teacher who worked around the clock to a teacher who maximized her time in school, trusted herself, was confident in her teachin...

I've been thinking about you! Summer vacation has either already begun or it's about to and you're already thinking about next school year. Your days are free, you aren't doing much so how can you not think about next year?  In today's episode, I want to help you take all the preventative measures so that you not only set yourself up for an incredible school year, you also...

Mindset is something that is critical to teaching inside the classroom, especially in the post-covid era. It has a huge positive impact on students; from building positive relationships, to believing in themselves, to higher student engagement in the classroom. In today's episode, we dive into the following: What is mindset; growth vs. fixed mindset Why is mindset important for you to underst...

Aditya is the author of Treating Mathematics Anxiety and is the founder of Elephant Learning, which produces mathematics education courses, software, and professional development that specializes in getting youth who are behind caught up to their grade level. On today's podcast episode I got to sit down with Aditya and talk about math anxiety, where it stems from, and how we as teachers can p...

It's every teachers' dream to have a thriving classroom. The question then becomes... how do we get there? How does one thrive during the busiest seasons? We are in one of those busy seasons right now and I want to dive into the first 3 steps that can truly make a world of a difference when you have the tools and strategies you need.  The Art of Lesson Planning. This is where you lesson...

This podcast topic came to me while listening to a podcast earlier this week. I'm sharing the raw truth behind the teacher struggles I've faced and how I overcame those struggles throughout my time inside the classroom.  Struggle 1:  Getting so overwhelmed that nothing would get done Struggle 2:  Feeling like I'm not good enough Struggle 3:  Behavior management All of these struggle...

We are diving into the 3 KEY elements of a managed classroom. A managed classroom can look all sorts of ways but there are elements you need to think about when approaching the classroom.   Key Element #1: Reacting vs. Responding Key Element #2: Navigating Stress + Overwhelm in the Classroom Key Element #3: Know Your Triggers My question to you is… what do you think of when you hear the words “man...

Play is a critical piece to learning inside the classroom. As teachers, we want our students to develop a love of learning... so why not making the learning process more fun?!  Today's guest, Amy from Sparks Joy with Amy, is on the podcast to talk to us all about play and more importantly, why it's such a critical piece in the way we teach our students.  We discuss: Why play plays such a...

I had the pleasure of doing a LIVE podcast event last weekend where I got to record this week's podcast episode. We are talking about the 3 things no one tells you about classroom management.  We discuss: managing YOUR emotions, as the teacher being able to take a step back before intervening the importance of repetition I truly think this will change the way you approach classroom management...

We  discuss the importance of art in the classroom, how to make art more developmentally appropriate, AND a new method of teaching art called TAB. I had the lovely and wonderful Faigie on the podcast and am excited for you to hear her passion for art through this episode.  I truly believe in the power of art. It can help young children develop in ways you never thought possible and can be truly em...

If you've heard about human design and you're not sure what it is... this is a great episode for you!  If you're wondering how human design can help you in the classroom as a teacher... this is the episode for you! Today, I am joined by Tiffini who is a veteran teacher and human design coach is on the podcast today! We covered:  What human design is and where it comes from The diffe...

If you are feeling like nothing you do is working for your classroom, this is an episode you're going to want to tune into. There are many reasons things in your classroom and today, I'm bringing to the forefront the three most common reasons nothing is progressing in your classroom. You're not consistent You're not willing to Zoom out in order to see what changes need to be ma...