This Teacher Life

My students won’t talk or get engaged in my lessons. My students have a wall up and are impossible to reach. I just need more ideas to add to my teacher tool belt. I wish I had fun, new strategies to try with kids. If you have found yourself thinking or feeling any of those things, this episode is for you! During this insanely dynamic episode you will hear 2 simple, but super powerful ideas...

Teachers take their salsa seriously. Teachers spend time in the classroom and time cooking. Teachers need motivation and that can often be found in Mexico. And there is one teacher who can help with all of those… Jen Jones! In this special episode Jen dives into some of her greatest experiences in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. You are going to be blown away by some of the tricks she shares and so...

Do you have negative co-workers in your school? Are you having a hard time figuring out what to do and say to make things better? Is the negativity becoming so toxic that it is starting to impact you and your students? Difficult co-workers exist everywhere, but the good news is there are 3 ways that we can make this better. In this episode we will explore the raw, real emotions that come with this...

What drives you? Making an impact on kids? Seeing students learn and grow? But what literally drives you? For me, it’s a silver Toyota Highlander drives me to school every day. Mr. Greg from the Kindergarten Smorgasboard sits down and tells awesome stories about what drives him in this episode. This isn’t about best practice and curriculum. This is what we all need right now, teachers...

Sometimes we simply don’t need permission to do great things for kids! But, teachers like us seek permission for lots of things. Can I do that? Better e-mail my principal. Am I allowed to use that? Better ask another teacher. Is that a good idea? Better see if teachers on Instagram do it. In this episode I give you the permission, that you don’t need, to do 3 things. And these 3 things...

What do wine, target, and temper tantrums have in common? They are all part of being a teacher and they are also part of being a mom. In this transparent, authentic episode Caitlin and Jessica talk about parent fails, mom vacations, and the joys and hardships of having kids. If you are a parent, this episode is for you. If you are a teacher, this episode is for you.   Episode Notes:  Join the...

Super sad that summer is over? If you said yes, I get it. Super excited that the school year is starting? If you said yes, I get that too. But somewhere in between those 2 emotions, why do we start to question everything? If for every one milli-second you are not feeling confident in your lesson plans, connections with kids, impact on education, or any other part of teaching, this episode is for y...

Here we are getting ready to start another year of awesome education for students. But this year still feels so stinkin’ different right? The good news is our entire profession is totally crushing it right now with our flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm for trying to make things work. Dive into this episode to get ideas, motivation and love for this upcoming school year! Episode Notes:  In an...

We all want to be terrific teachers. We all strive to be exceptional educators. But sometimes it feels like we get stuck and think, “I don’t know what to do from here!?” The answer is CRUSH! Not sure what that means? I’ve got you! In this episode we tackle the U in CRUSH which stands for Utilize! I promise the 3 ideas and reflections shared here will help you be the best freaking teacher you can b...

YOU have made the This Teacher Life podcast a HUGE success by creating the momentum for 100 episodes to be released. Now it is time to throw a party and give away over $100 worth of swag to awesome listeners like you! Check out this short and sweet episode to find out how you can get books, t-shirts, or resources sent directly to you! And thanks for being here and making this podcast a true repres...

Every single teacher who walks in (or logs in) to their classroom deserves to LOVE that experience. The big question is, do you right now? If you aren’t able to answer “yes” don’t feel bad. If you are able to answer “yes” don’t feel guilty. We are all continuing to be on an emotional roller coaster when it comes to this love/hate relationship we have with education at time. But this episode will g...

Erducators get excited about this interview with the Gerry Brooks! In this episode we dive into what “normal” now means for education. This is an exclusive opportunity to hear Gerry getting real, while still using his amazing humor. I promise you are not going to want to miss these truth bombs. Suuuriously. Episode Notes:  In an effort to make ALL YEAR AWESOME, I’ve actually created something supe...

The importance of relationships was still “up for debate” in some schools, even a year ago. But at this point, it is so very clear that the power of building strong connections with kids is huge! If you are looking for ways to crush it for kids, you are in the right spot! Not sure what that means? I’ve got you! In this episode we tackle the R in CRUSH which is all about relations...

Do you feel like it is nearly impossible to juggle everything going on in your teacher life right now? Creating lessons. Teaching in multiple different methods. A million E-Mails. Recording Videos. Communicating with Parents. Grading Work. The list is endless. What if I told you that by using 2 simple, but awesome ideas that time could be WAY easier to manage? That is what this episode is all abou...

Kids come to school to “learn” but that is a super generic word. What does learning even mean right now, in 2021, as we continue in a pandemic. Let’s get real. Let’s get raw. And let’s really dive into how everybody can actually learn something right now. Warning: this episode may not be what you think, which is exactly why you should have a listen. Looking for Ways to be a Game Changer for Kids a...

Does it feel like you have lost your educator energy? Do you feel deflated as a teacher? Did you actually know you are CRUSHing it! Not sure what that means? I’ve got you! In this episode we tackle the C in Crush which is all about celebrating education even when it feels like education is a train wreck right now. I promise you will walk away feeling so excited and full of ideas on how to celebrat...

I’ve got so many exciting things to share and I’m sharing them here first! Come celebrate with me in this episode that is full of big announcements! If you love the This Teacher Life Podcast this episode is going to be pump you up for sure! Episode Links:  Did you love season 2 of the This Teacher Life Podcast? Leave a quick review here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-teach...

Summer is here… or at least almost here for most teachers! And as educators we totally deserve to enjoy every single second of summer! I have created a list of 5 things that I think all of us should do and deserve to do over the next few months. This list is full of fun, but practical ideas that you are not going to want to miss! Seriously, this is one of my favorite episodes of the whole se...

It’s the final countdown! That last bell of the year is going to be ringing soon! And when it does I want us to feel SO good about the work that we have done this year. Ending each year of teaching on a good note is important, but this year it feels particularly hard. That is why in this episode I am hooking you up with 3 simple ideas that you can implement before we say our goodbyes. I prom...

Have you ever found somebody on social media and you secretly stalk them because they fill your teacher bucket? Ya… me too! Here are the 4 things I look for most when trying to find awesome educators to inspire me: teacher hacks, classroom tips, hilarious humor, and real motivation. If you are also into any of those 4 categories then you totally need to listen to this episode. Get ready to f...

Teachers need more time. And nothing is worse than being a part of something that was a total waste of time. Am I right? Unfortunately, there is an area of this teacher life that often totally sucks. But this episode will solve that! Listen in on 3 simple things my school just did that is going to make a huge impact. And your school can make it happen to! I promise you are going to walk away from...

Teacher Appreciation month happens in May, but this year, millions of teachers like us haven’t always felt appreciated. If you are looking for a reminder that you are doing an awesome job or want to feel some teacher love right now, you are in the right place. This episode features Danna from the Happy Teacher Revolution. Check out Danna’s awesome ideas as she dishes out two quick tips on ho...

Learning Loss: The buzz word that has infiltrated every single staff e-mail and faculty agenda in the past few months. But the big question is this… is it even real? Super excited to share a real and raw reflection on this viral term. This episode will get your attention and help you focus on what you do best… TEACH! I’d LOVE to work with your school next Year! Let’s get PD...

DEF. SEL. ACE. PLC. CPP. How many of those acronyms are your familiar with? Education LOVES an acornym. But the big question is, do you love a CPP? Not sure what that is? Don’t worry. You will find out here. This episode will have you laughing and learning as we unpack 3 things in education that need to be talked about. This may be one of my favorite episodes so far. Listen to find out if yo...

Teachers get fired up sometimes. And in this episode, I did. I got me going so hard that I had to rate this episode “explicit” You will find out why during this awesome audio.. But I’ll give you a hint… it starts with a D. Find out what is overrated, underrated, and properly rated on 3 hot topics in education And don’t worry, no F-bombs are dropped here. Want a Bulk D...