Next Chapter for Teachers Podcast

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...

When students back-talk the teacher or engage in other disrespectful behavior that disrupts the classroom, it can leave you feeling even more overwhelmed and exhausted, especially as student behavior issues increase right before Spring Break. What should you do when students do or say things that hurt your heart and throw the class off task? In this 50th episode, you'll learn why kids back-ta...

Do you have time to be creative as a teacher? You may be more creative than you think! In this interview with Tim Bogatz, host of Art of Ed Radio, we discuss how teachers are creative every day and how they can honor their need to create amid the demands of the classroom. If you're looking for permission to create or need, or have ever felt that you're losing yourself to the demands of t...

You need your students to complete their work and submit assignments so you can grade them. But how are you supposed to assess their progress when...they don't turn in their work? In this episode, you'll learn what matters most about grading and assessing student progress, and what to keep at the forefront when dealing with students who don't do their work.  Catch last week's e...

Our classrooms are diverse learning environments with many types of learners. How do we meet the needs of our neurodivergent students in an ever-changing classroom landscape ? In this episode, I interview Dr. Jessica Werner, founder of Northshore Learning, about understanding neurodivergent student needs, working with parents to address classroom behaviors, and creating classroom systems that help...

The winter months of teaching can leave us questioning our purpose and feeling exceptionally drained by classroom demands. It's easy as a teacher to let guilt creep in when the weight of expectations and overwhelm leads us to the brink of burnout. In this bonus episode, I share my interview with Elizabeth Peterson on her Enjoy Teaching Again Podcast about why teacher burnout isn't your f...

Getting students to work together through group work and collaborative learning experiences can add a lot of engagement and joy to your classroom environment. However, that doesn't mean you won't have to clear some hurdles regarding behavior, noise levels, and participation first. In this episode, you will learn why cooperative learning experiences are essential to learning and how to ov...

There's a lot going on in the world that is making our most vulnerable students fear for their safety. They see things on the news, on social media, or even down the street where they live (maybe even at their front door) that are scary and violent. It's a lot for an adult to process, much less a child. This is a short episode about what to keep at the forefront in your classroom during...

It's no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) has changed how we can access information and perform tasks. While you may find the benefits and risks of using AI debatable, its ability to make the completion of work more efficient, for better or worse, is hard to deny. But what if you are a teacher who wants your students to learn how to write, and they use AI tools to complete their assign...

Going back to school after a winter break and getting back into a routine isn't easy for teachers or students. The second semester is a chance to make changes and to start fresh for the second half of the school year. Listen to this episode to learn what to prioritize when your students walk back through your classroom door in January so that you can establish routines and rapport on the seco...