Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers

There are two words that can quickly turn any teacher's day upside down. Indoor recess. 😳 If you know, you know!   Indoor recess often comes with a lot of noise, chaos, and stress. It's in these moments that you realize the importance of having some tips and tricks up your sleeve that you can pull out when indoor recess has to happen. It requires some upfront work, but it will pay off big time. T...

When we see a student struggling, we often feel like it's our fault and that we need to have all the answers, but I want to encourage you to lean on the staff at your school to help. When it comes to speech and language, there are so many elements to consider, and your school's SLP has the skill set required to determine if a student needs their services. Our guest today, Hallie Sherman, is here t...

Today marks episode three in our three-part series on  how Walt Disney would manage your classroom . In  part one , we talked about creating a legendary layout in your classroom. In  part two , we looked at how you can establish energizing expectations, rules, and routines for you and your students. Be sure to listen to those episodes before tuning into this one! To wrap up this fun series, we're...

Inside episode #224, we kicked off our Walt Disney classroom management series by talking about the foundational elements included in thinking through a legendary layout for your classroom. If you missed that episode, you can check it out  here . Today, in part two of this series, we're going to imagine what Walt Disney would say about how to manage our classrooms. We'll consider the importance of...

There's just something about being at Disney World that is completely magical. ✨ 🏰 The world feels brighter, and even as an adult, it brings back the best memories. Now, I don't want to take the magic away, but what you might not realize is that theme parks like Disney World are carefully and meticulously designed to create that magical experience for you.   Here's the really cool thing, though....

As teachers, we wear so many hats every single day. We are organizers, facilitators, cheerleaders, coaches, nurses, janitors, and so much more. Often, you may even feel like you're expected to fit the role of "classroom therapist". But here's the thing - you aren't a therapist, and you shouldn't be expected to put that hat on. I know how exhausting it can be to manage some of the personalities tha...

Let's talk about a very underrated classroom management tool…timers. Specifically, using timers in your PowerPoint slides. This is one of my favorite ways to streamline and improve classroom management. So much so that I'm shocked I've managed to create over 200 podcast episodes without talking about it! I am giving you 15 ways that you can use timers to streamline your classroom management in tod...

"My child hates school."  Ouch. Have you ever had a parent say this to you before? If not, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's most likely coming at one point or another - and oh my goodness, it does not feel good. Hearing "my child hates school" is one of those things that cuts deep and instantly messes with our mindset. We begin to doubt our competence as a teacher. It can be especiall...

Have you heard of the term 'digital native'?  Our guest, Rachael Parlett, explains that 'digital native' is a phrase that describes our students in today's world, meaning that children speak the language of technology and absorb information through technology. It's what they've known their whole lives, and in many cases, it's how they connect with people. Because of the huge role that technology p...

The fall and winter months come with lots of sick children, and in turn, absent students from your class. You know what that means - extra work for you! When your students miss school, that means they need to catch up on missing work (among other things) when they get back. With everything that you are already responsible for as a teacher, managing missed work due to absences can become very overw...

Can teachers really get all of their lesson planning done during their contract hours? This is probably the holy grail of teacher questions. Is it actually possible? The answer is yes, it is absolutely possible.  Today I'm joined by my close friend, Sara Marye, and we're tackling this hot topic. Sara is sharing five great tips for lesson planning so that you can take back your nights and weekends...

Have you ever received an email from your school's secretary letting you know that you're getting a new student? Getting this news can sometimes cause a bit of panic as you run through the list of everything you need to do to get ready for them to join your class.  From the student's perspective, it can be really difficult to start at a new school, especially mid-year. They're often walking into y...

Are you struggling with classroom management, or something else that is holding you back from becoming the teacher you've always dreamed of being? If so, it's time to ask for support from admin, and I'll show you how. I have four key ways that you can ask for help from your admin, as well as what to do if you aren't feeling supported by your admin. Show Notes: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/blog/su...

How many times have you spent your entire weekend working and then resented having to go into work on Monday morning? When you show up, you're completely exhausted and would give just about anything to crawl back into bed and sleep for just a few more hours. If it sounds like I know a little bit too much about this, it's because I've been there. I've made the mistake of spending my weekends deep i...

Spooky season is here and as teachers, we know what that comes with, right? 🎃 Lots of Halloween energy!  🎃  Inside this episode, I'm going to give you several ideas that you can use to make a Halloween class party really fun. These ideas will allow your students to funnel their energy into something that will be enjoyable for everybody. I have 22 class party game ideas, and have divided them int...

Have you ever been sick, but still showed up to teach anyway? Teachers do this so often, and it's usually for one of two reasons. They feel like it's easier to go in than it is to try and put together sub plans (even when they're feeling awful!) or they feel guilty for calling in sick…especially with the current sub shortage.   Our guest today, Kelsey Sorenson, is here to encourage you to change y...

Do you feel genuinely happy in your day to day life, both in and out of the classroom? Happiness is something that we all long for, and I think it's one of the most important topics that we can talk about on this podcast.  The older I get, the more I realize that what really matters, and how much we actually enjoy our lives, is determined by how happy we are. So the big question is, if you aren't...

Raise your hand if you've ever experienced the struggle of running small groups. 🙋🏻‍♀️ You spend so much time planning and prepping for your groups, only to be distracted the majority of the time by all the disruptions from the rest of your class.   How are you supposed to keep your class on task so that you can run effective small groups? So many of you, myself included when I first started tea...

Over the past couple of weeks on the podcast, we've been talking about a couple of different topics. One of them was how to set up your teacher planning binder. And the other one was how to manage all of that student data .  As I was recording those episodes, it really got me thinking about how classroom management is a much broader topic than what we traditionally think about classroom management...

I don't know about you, but when I first started teaching elementary school, "student data" was the one term that struck fear in my heart. The phrase made me uncomfortable. I didn't feel prepared to be able to collect and organize data on my students. I didn't learn about it in University, and I've never been a math person, so it just felt like something that was going to be a real challenge for m...

Do your eyes light up when you walk through the office supply aisle at Target? As teachers, the colorful flair pens, sticky notes, and art supplies are basically our love language. So, when someone puts a really pretty planner in front of us, that just makes our whole day, right? The problem is that a lot of the planners out there expect that you have taught for at least a few years, and even incl...

There's always so much to do at the beginning of a new school year. The busyness comes with stress, overwhelm, and way too little sleep! Then there's the panic that sets in when you get your curriculum for the year…especially as a new teacher. Before you freak out, just know that you are not alone. There are so many other teachers who are feeling the exact same way. To address this stress you're e...

Imagine you've spent all summer preparing to teach second grade. It's the position you were hired to teach, and you're ready to start in a week and a half. Then, you get a call from your principal letting you know that you'll actually be teaching fourth grade.  Your mind instantly goes into freak out mode. What are you going to do? You aren't prepared!   For those of you who may be in this situati...

One of the best ways that you can create a sense of community in your classroom from the very beginning is by being intentional about the activities you choose, especially during that first week of school. It's important to be strategic about these activities not only to build that community, but also to teach routines inside your classroom. I know you've got more than enough on your plate right n...

Do you take your school work home every weekend? Do you check work emails on the weekend? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you may think it's not even possible to stop doing these things. You may also find it challenging to get any real planning done during contracted hours. As teachers, the lines behind work time and personal time can get very blurry very quickly…even after the back-...