Teacher Talk with Chrissy Nichols

Mary Powers has been teaching for over two decades but started her professional journey as a child therapist before becoming a powerful English teacher. Mary, who graduated from Harvard University, says her goal is to create safety as she cultivates that kind of intellectual play with her students where no idea is off limits. In this conversation, Mary explains how teaching has been politicized wi...

In Episode 41 The Power of Ritual Part 2, you'll learn how to stick to your daily ritual using compassion, not perfectionism. I share my concept of B-/C+ work to show you that you don't need to be perfect to create small and powerful habits. This ritual work is about connecting you to you: it's about learning to trust yourself again. Resources: Episode 41, The Power of Ritual Part 1 Follow Chrissy...

In The Power of Ritual Part 1, I share the daily ritual that keeps me sane each day. I also share why having a realistic ritual helps me trust myself. In this episode, you'll hear how the power of having a non-negotiable ritual serves you to create more connection with yourself. Resources: Follow Chrissy on Instagram @chrissyconcept. Sign up for a FREE 30 minute coaching call. More About Teacher T...

What is ethical education anyway? And are schools educating the whole child or simply turning out "highly educated useless people"? Ryan Hoglund returns to the podcast to talk about the nuts and bolts of social emotional learning as he uses mindfulness. Ryan's approach is integrative as he helps students tackle big questions like "As a teenager, how do I show up authentically? How do I feel deeply...

In Episode 38, I share the second part of my series called "Ask A Coach" in which I share real issues that clients bring inside the membership group at Wife Teacher Mommy . You'll hear how a teacher is doubting her decision to change schools as well as how another teacher wants to feel her feelings more deeply. I share the coaching wisdom here that I give to all of my clients. Resources: Follow Ch...

This episode and next episode highlight my collaboration with Wife Teacher Mommy. Wife Teacher Mommy can be found at www.wifeteachermommy.com and offers elementary teachers not only resources but also life coaching...so if you’re a teacher and you’ve been interested in seeing what I do as I coach and how I do it, it’s a very affordable way to check me out. In these next two episodes I bring real p...

I am back in conversation with veteran teacher Jill Colaw who shares her best tips about time abundant thinking and some tools about how to get some balance in your life as you head back to school. Jill is a master elementary school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio and loves to talk about teaching with other teachers. This is a great episode if you are starting to dread going back to the classroom! R...

Many of you are thinking about back to school season. Some of you may already be in your classrooms. You might be excited for the year ahead, or you might be feeling completely burnt out and panicking that your summer has already come and gone. However you’re feeling, this episode will help you feel in control of your thoughts as you think about time. Tune in to hear the two words you should never...

What is your flow? Where are you truly present with yourself? Where or what helps you connect yourself back to you? In this episode I share how spending time in nature helps connect me back into my flow. Flow for me is about presence as time slows down and bends. It is the place of creativity and innovation. Where is it for you? In This Episode I share: Why it’s important to find your flow and con...

Tanya Morsell grew up in Washington DC. She currently teaches kindergarten in Maryland and her superpower is creating a fun and enjoyable kindergarten experience for her students. She loves learning and laughing, all things Peloton, and cherishes spending time alone and with friends. She is married and has a 20 year old daughter at college. In this episode we discuss all of the benefits that Tanya...

Why hire a coach? Hiring a coach is the fastest way to achieve anything that you want for yourself. Hiring a coach is the most effective way to look inside your brain and ask, ‘Are these thoughts helping me or not?” A coach helps you reconnect with yourself to remind you that you have everything inside of you that you need. Hiring a coach is the best way to see blind spots that are difficult to se...

In this episode, I share how my own personal thoughts about weight, body image, and fitting into a dress can create drama in my own brain. Listen to see why everyone needs a coach (yep, even the coach!) and why it’s so valuable to question our thoughts and ask, “Thought/Brain, is that true?” This episode is for all of us to remember that our brains are simply trying to keep us safe and the old ada...

Perrine Voisin grew up near Chamonix, in France. She has lived in the US since 2008 and has taught Dual French Immersion at the elementary level for 5 years in Park City, Utah.  She was a professional skier, competed internationally and has an academic background in international business and education. Perrine's superpower is connecting with her students by sharing her French background and...

In Episode 29, we look at the final component of the Model: Results. Results are the effects of our actions. We may think results are circumstances that have been handed to us and they are beyond our control. The truth is, we are entirely responsible for our results because they come from our actions and are the result of our thoughts.  In this episode, I tell you why this is the best news of...

Episode 28 returns to the five components of the Thought Model: Circumstance, Thought, Feelings, Action and Results. In this episode, we look at Actions and uncover why you may be taking action (or not) and what to do about it. I define the difference between clean and dirty fuel and why this matters when you decide to take action.  In This Episode I share:   How actions are most effecti...

Padmashree grew up in India, and then moved to Singapore where she earned a PhD in molecular biology. After a 15 year career in cancer research, Rida just spent first year teaching at a high school. In this wide-ranging conversation, we will talk about her experiences, what brought her to teaching, what challenges she (and other educators like her) are facing, and Rida’s view of the importance of...

I love pausing for poetry and we do it today in episode 26 as we think about our feelings as guests that can come into our lives and stay a while. This episode features 13th century Persian poet Rumi’s “The Guest House” as I tell you why it’s wise to greet and allow our emotions and feelings into our body houses. If you have a hard time feeling your feelings, this is a must-listen episode.  I...

In this episode of Teacher Talk, I tell you why I believe feelings are SO important. As someone who tried to avoid her feelings for years, I’ve seen the negative impact of not feeling and have found so much more usefulness in listening to and processing my feelings. As we continue to look at the five components of the thought model, I show you why feelings are so important.  In This Episode I...

Tanya Hale is a middle school teacher who loves working to help her 8 th grade students become better readers.  After being a stay-at-home mom for over 15 years, she began her teaching career. Tanya is also a certified life coach who specializes in coaching middle-aged women on relationships and is the host of the podcast Intentional Living with Tanya Hale . In this episode,Tanya and I talk a...

In “Thoughts on Thoughts” I describe an idea I call “thought layering.” Thought layering is very common with those who are new to the Coaching Model and may use the Model against themselves. In this episode, I describe how one thought can overlay another thought until it’s hard to figure out the original thought. In This Episode I share: How Thought layering can hold you back How curiosity and won...

Episode 22 dives more thoroughly into the Coaching Model as I describe the difference between a Circumstance and a Thought. You won’t want to miss the nuance of this episode where I show you that all problems are simply thought problems. When we practice becoming aware of our thoughts and “catching them,” finding our thoughts becomes easier.  In This Episode I share: How to see what you are t...

Episode 21 “My Coaching Model” is a must-listen. In this episode I describe how I learned the Model from my coach, Brooke Castillo, and how I use it in my own life. I describe how the 5 components work together. I describe how curiosity and compassion are the keys to becoming the watcher of your own mind.  In This Episode I share:   How I learned the coaching model and how I apply it; Ho...

Episode 20 “Planning Power Kaboom” is all about putting your plan in place to make your future self proud. When you decide to do something BIG, a goal that stretches you, doubt and fear will come up. In this episode, I show you how to soothe those emotions, how to create a list of actions and obstacles to get it done. I’ll also talk about my steps of how to follow through so that my future self is...

In this episode, we continue our series about how to create the summer that is just right for you. In this episode, I give you three easy steps to use to create whatever goal you have in mind and I show you that you are always your own best guide. By using your future self as a mentor, a teacher, and guide, you can always seek his/her advice. This episode is a great reminder to stop looking “out t...

Do not miss this episode as veteran elementary teacher Jill Colaw gives us all of her best advice for new teachers or anyone changing schools. Jill Colaw, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, is a master teacher with over 35 years of elementary teaching experience. Jill’s superpower is creating a classroom of safety, structure, and connection. In this conversation, Jill offers thoughts  on the impor...