Teacher Talk with Chrissy Nichols

What do you value in life and at school? As teachers, we spend A LOT of our lives at school. In Episode 91, "The Value of a Coach for Teachers," I tell you more about what I do and what I don't do. In this episode I talk about: -the difference between therapy and coaching; -the VALUE of looking inside your mind; -how coaching helps with challenges at school and at home; -how coaching is the opport...

Calling all School Counselors! In Episode 90, I talk to Rachel Davis, owner and founder of Bright Futures Counseling, an online membership community designed just for school counselors with   resources to help school counselors in public and private schools. In this fascinating conversation, Rachel and I talk about the challenges of student case loads, the feeling of isolation, and...

Want 5 ways to improve your relationship with yourself and everyone around you? Just in time for Valentine's Day, these steps will help you give yourself a break while still creating discipline and creating the life you want at school. Just the act of noticing your feelings and realizing why and how this feeling makes sense will change you in the classroom. Resources: Follow Chrissy on Instagram @...

I used to be VERY mean to myself but I called it self-discipline. Discipline does not mean speaking to yourself meanly or giving yourself the beat down. There is another way to get your grading done, stay on time, and thrive at school without beating yourself up. In this episode you will learn how to:  1. Chunk and chew your goal down into bite-size chunks; 2. D ecide the smallest amount of t...

Want to forgive someone at school? (This podcast will also help you with any person in your life.) If you're like me, your idea of what it means to forgive may need a little clarifying. In Episode 87, I turn to Oprah for her definition of forgiveness. It turns out, forgiving is not forgetting. It's actually ALL about freedom. Forgiveness is letting go of the past so that it does not have power ove...

What is the "it" for you that you would love to let go? Is it an emotion?  Is it an aspect of teaching or family life that you wish would simply melt away? Is it letting go about releasing control in some area in your life? In Episode 86, I share my own personal journey of how letting go can be incredibly helpful and has made me feel more free. What can you let go of in your life right now? R...

Want to improve your classroom management ? In Episode 85, we rewire, innovate and manage our brains in order to connect before we correct. In this episode, you'll learn how these three statements will change engagement, focus, and student attitudes: "I belong here." "I matter." "This is fun." How would you be as a teacher if you repeated these three statements each day? How would it be for your s...

Are you in a toxic relationship with your school? Are you getting the message that you're not a team player or you should really LOVE doing more without getting paid? No! No! No! In this Episode, I do a deep dive into all the ways toxic schools can be like bad relationships and show you that IT IS 100% OK TO WANT WHAT YOU WANT! No, you are not crazy for wanting to have a decent wage and retirement...

In Episode 83, I share my two passions: teaching and skiing.  How is skiing like teaching? Skiing, like teaching, is incredibly difficult. Even if you use a lift, skiing can make you so sore that you feel muscles you didn’t even know you had the next day.   Teaching challenges us to use all sorts of emotional and pedagogical muscles that you never knew we had. We may not even know we nee...

In Episode 81, I gave you the first part of how to self-coach yourself in any challenging relationship and that first part is to   take responsibility for your thoughts and feelings about this person.   (Do not underestimate this step, my friends! Responsibility means getting out of victim mentality and it is HUGE!) Step 2 is to INTENTIONALLY decide to be in a relationship with this pers...

Teachers, are you celebrating YOU? This bonus episode is not your typical gratitude episode. In this episode, I remind all teachers to celebrate what is going right-what can you celebrate about you? What makes you, well, YOU?  I am so grateful for this mind thought work and I celebrate YOU. I celebrate your wins and losses, the tough moments, and yep, the fails. But please be sure you are cel...

In this episode, we are going to look at WHY a relationship at school is tough and how you can identify if you have certain thoughts about a person at your school or in your life that no longer serve you. You'll learn: • How to identify your thoughts; • The one action we all do to help identify if you have thoughts about a colleague; • What taking responsibility  for your thoug...

In Episode 80, I describe some real life scenarios that I have experienced or seen in classes and ask you, "Do you have a Thought Plan for this?" Scenario: A student pulls out his/her phone without permission. Scenario: A student refuses to sit in his seat and says "This f****ing class is BS," and leaves class without permission. Sound familiar? The point is you can prepare for that. You can creat...

Episode 79 starts with one simple question: Would you date yourself right now? Would you? If you are a teacher who is looking for a partner who is kind, are you speaking to yourself with kindness? If you want a partner who is FUN, ask yourself, "Am I fun? How do I know that I am fun? Do I have fun with myself?" If the answer is "yes," great. But if the answer is "no," keep listening to this episod...

Why did Teddy Anderson leave teaching? In this episode, you'll find out how this inspired teacher of math and physics felt the kind of fatigue that left her, well, exhausted. But, the silver lining? Teddy reminds us we all have power. We are not powerless. Enjoy this conversation about burnout, fatigue, and why teachers need to use our power. Resources: Follow Chrissy on Instagram @chrissyconcept....

In Episode 77 "How to Slow Down & Shut Up" I show you why it is ESSENTIAL to listen to the words you are using. The easiest way to do this? The trick is PAYING ATTENTION TO   our thoughts and changing our words to SERVE us is to notice them. This episode reminds you that your thoughts are the super-highways to anything you want. And language, our WORDS, make up our thoughts.   Rememb...

Rejection Therapy? What is that? In this episode, I talk about my own journey to fall more in love with my own sense of rejection and fear as I apply the tools I am learning from actively seeking rejection in my own life and in my business. My inspiration comes from Jason Comely and Jia Jiang who shared his own powerful journey with rejection in a TedX that you can watch h...

Every wonder what our principals are actually thinking about? In Episode 75, I am in conversation with high school principal Ingrid Gustavson. In this episode we discuss the highs and lows of her job, the way she models and cultivates balance in her work, and the pitfalls of trying to "do it all" as either administration or faculty.   Ingrid describes the importance of teacher time and "worki...

Want more trust, a greater class culture and a better vibe? It is possible to create it NOW, even when the year is underway. In this episode, I lean on the amazing Brene Brown and her work on vulnerability for teachers.   I describe my "a-ha" moments from two of Brene's talks: her keynote address at South by Southwest for Educators ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVD8YRgA-ck ) and in an int...

Hard days at school actually do not exist without your mind. It's true! The hard or bad is not made by the day.   The hard or bad is made by our thoughts about the day. A day at school is neither hard nor easy without your thoughts making it so!   In episode 73 you will learn: -how coaching your mind helps you to get to the cause -how to have a more neutral stance about your day -how to...

Gary Mackelprang is a writer, seeker, reader and my favorite traveling partner. Gary is not only the love of my life but my favorite bibliophile as he added 5,000 books to our home when we merged households. Gary is the proud father of four amazing daughters and loves ideas, cozy naps, and a good cigar.   In this episode, my husband and I discuss how coaching has changed me and his experience...

Want a better relationship with yourself? Want to set your future self up for success? In Episode 71, I teach you a tool that I use to help my teacher clients (and myself!) grow into the future that they want for themselves.   In this episode, you'll learn: * Questions to ask your future self so that you can live a more rich present moment * How to create the future that you want for yourself...

Want to make Sundays calmer, more peaceful and less stressful? This episode will help you feel more in charge of your week as I share: * Three ways to make your thoughts less scary on Sundays * Mindset shifts to help you look forward to your week * Ways to think about "finishing" at school * A strategy you can do on Friday to make Monday feel MUCH more peaceful Tune into Episode 71 to take these f...

Do you ever wonder what happens on a coaching call? Or how is life coaching different than therapy? Tune to Episode 69 where my client Kate Murphy explains what her experience is like.   In this call, Kate, who had never done any kind of coaching: * describes her experience as a client * explains some of the tools she has learned * describes how coaching has already transformed her life. &nbs...

In Part 2, I give teachers my best, most helpful tips about how to handle Parent-Teacher Conferences.   In this episode, you'll learn:   * Why having a plan and being proactive will SAVE you time and energy   * How communicating with parents can actually help you in the long run;   * How not to create welcoming energy that will also serve you; Announcing "Weight Loss for Busy T...