Next Chapter for Teachers Podcast

This school year may be an even more difficult one for you than the previous year. While it may feel as if the most emotional and physically safe thing to do for your well being is to quit, often that is not an immediate option. Over the past nearly two decades, I have had to shift and adjust my beliefs and practices to stay in the classroom. In this podcast episode, you'll learn five of the...

For the last episode of Season 1, we are going to talk about if the events of this year are enough to leave teaching. Is it time to quit teaching. - or do you need to go into recovery mode from teaching in a pandemic (or both)? Find out the questions you need to be asking yourself this summer in this episode. Join the  Monday Message community and receive helping resources and encouragement over t...

Has this school year left you feeling anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed by the constant changes and unreasonable demands? May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In this episode I interview Wilson Harvey, a high school social emotional learning specialist. You'll learn about  the difference between mental health and mental illness, what you should do this summer for your emotional well-being,...

One of the most important things you can do to set boundaries is say "no" to the things that are causing you overwhelm and preventing you from taking care of yourself and your family after school. In this episode, you'll learn why it's important to stop being a yes machine, the big three factors that cause teacher guilt, and what to expect when you start setting boundaries by n...

After a year of ups and downs, you and your students deserve to finish the school year on a high note - with as little chaos as possible. What tips can teachers follow to reduce stress a the end of the school year? You'll learn three tips in this episode that you can apply immediately that will make you feel less overwhelmed and happier at school in these last few months before summer break....

Learn more about how teachers can write grants that get funded so you can provide the resources and learning environment you want for your students. Make sure you listen to episode ten to learn about tips one through six! You can read about tips 7-9 here and tips 10-12 here. Join  the Monday Message community for weekly inspiration, resources, and teaching tips delivered to your inbox. Are you a n...

Are you a teacher looking ways to fund resources and projects for your classroom, without having it come out of your paycheck? Writing grants is a skill that will help you provide projects for impactful learning experiences - as well as meet the basic learning needs of your students. In this episode, you'll learn six grant writing tips for creating proposals that get funded and develop school...

Self care is more than taking the night off when you're on the brink of burn out. The idea of self care needs to be redefined for teachers if the profession is to thrive. In this episode, you will learn about the Inverted Pyramid of Self Care Redefined. Looking at how you care for yourself in a sea of overwhelming demands is the first step in improving and protecting your well-being and healt...

Teaching online - either full-time or in a hybrid model - has left many teachers feeling drained, anxious, and isolated. Zoom fatigue, also known as online fatigue, is for real. What are some strategies for overcoming online fatigue so you can feel less overwhelmed and reduce your screen time? Megan Brown, teacher and host of the podcast "So You Want to Teach with Technology" shares how...

Does communicating to parents about student expectations leave you stressed and overwhelmed? After listening to this episode, you'll understand how to improve your parent teacher communication through setting boundaries, protecting yourself emotionally, and using a framework for effective responses to classroom issues. Don't miss this important episode! Want a dose of encouragement and s...

Teachers  are indeed affected by the insanity of this year and last, but we’re wired at this stage of our lives to respond and recover from it. A child who’s physically and psychologically growing and processing the unrest in this world right now -  that’s a different story. Their ability to make sense of the trauma - the impact of distressing, dangerous events - requires a greater level of concer...

In the previous episode, I discussed the disillusionment stage of teaching, where many of you are finding yourselves right now - completely taken aback by how this year is unfolding. And I shared a strategy - the 5S strategy - for surviving disillusionment. In this episode  we’re going to jump into how to strategize so you can set goals or boundaries for the new year - even if the future is uncert...

The disillusionment phase of teaching is when reality sets in and the stress, fatigue, and expectations threaten to throw you off course. We cycle through it every year as teachers, especially in your first years of teaching. It usually hits right around the holiday season, when the newness of the school year is long gone, student attention is diverted to the excitement and festivities of the seas...

 We’re talking about social media and how it impacts your life and practice as a teacher. There is a lot to gain from the ideas and connections we form online through social media. The technologies, apps, and programs that we have at our fingertips today are making this season of life much more doable than had it occurred 10, 15 years ago. Social media is not only our place to connect, but where w...

Today’s topic, boundaries, is extremely important considering the mounting stress teachers are under as the school year resumes in the midst of a global pandemic. Whether you’re teaching face-to-face, remotely, or in a hybrid model, the demands are unlike anything I have experienced. The expectations and uncertainty of what the future holds for this school year have not only caused disruptions to...

This school year is starting unlike anything you could have anticipated. If you're a new teacher, perhaps you didn't even get to have your graduation to mark the milestone of completing your degree, or are still saddened by not getting to properly wrap up the year with last year's class. Months of isolation may be in stark contrast to the daily routines, favorite activities, and int...