This Teacher Life

  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 a...

  Literally, literacy is important for every single teacher! If you aren’t sure how to work it into your class or you are looking for ways in enhance literacy practice, you are in the right spot! This episodes features Jacob Chastain, a dynamic literacy coach who is passionate about reading. Check out this insightful interview where he dishes out two quick tips that focus on inspiring a...

Oreos are stuffed with sweet frosting and this episode is stuffed with a fun and simple strategy that both you and your students are going to love. Our inboxes are blowing up with so many e-mails everyday. But what if there was a way to help kids compose awesome e-mails while also helping us a teachers? Find out in the next 19 minutes. You are going to love this episode more than cookies!   E...

Teachers get insanely passionate about school supplies. I mean right? That is why I have invited my friend Michelle Griffo to this episode. She  is passionate about some really “cutting edge” teacher products that will make you laugh and also make you rush to the Amazon. Not just anyone can make cutting paper this much fun… Episode Notes: If you love books as much as you love laminators, you will...

  There are a lot of things that are totally over emphasized in this profession, but in this episode we are diving into 4 things that are NOT overrated. These ideas are all things that are easy to do and make a huge difference in our classrooms, regardless of whether you are virtual or in-person. Basically, you need this episode in your life!   Episode Notes: Looking for some engaging, d...

Feeling stressed about how to include diversity in your classroom? Check out Megan’s awesome ideas as she dishes out how the 4-E’s can help us as create unique learning opportunities for our kids. Megan Forbes is a teacher who truly understands the important of multi-cultural education and I’m confident you will love this episode! Episode Notes: Check out some downloadable resources th...

Teachers have about a million questions running through our heads right now. In this episode we tackle 3 that are really important during this crazy time. From juggling multiple modes of teaching to trying maintain our stamina and sanity, we tackle these tough questions while giving practical solutions. If you need some help and ideas for this school year, this episode is your answer.   Last...

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 so...

Here we are getting ready to start another year of awesome education for students. But this year feels so stinkin’ different right? We are throwing out words like “hybrid education” like that is normal. But straight up, it’s not. 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 ep...

What we hang on our walls makes a difference. What we post in our classroom impacts kids. But sometimes we get so caught up in our “decorating” that we can forget the purpose behind the postings. During this episode we will talk about ideas that are fun, but super different, but oh so meaningful! I can promise you that those are  three decorations that definitely leave an impact on our students! ...

Trauma and tragedy unfortunately happen in schools all the time. How do we deal with these experiences? What do we say? What do we do? Whether we are talking about ACES, Adverse Childhood Experiences, or something that happens in our own personal life, it can be difficult to handle stress or loss, when trying to still be an amazing teacher. In this episode we will go through some simple, but strat...

When your community truly has school spirit, when your town truly has the spirit of enthusiasm that says we love our kids, we love our schools, we love our students, something special happens! I don’t know what your jam is when it comes to school spirit, but I think that we as teachers have to get excited about what our kids are excited about. And this episode is going to give you some ideas on ho...

Every number is a student. Every student has a story. And every story matters in a school! This exciting episode is all about how we can use stories to make sure that our schools are the best they can be! What’s yours? Looking for the best school-wide book study of your life? Visit www.monicagenta.com/books 

How often do we SELF-reflect on our teaching? How often do let STUDENTS reflect on our teaching? I’m SO thankful for the moments where I take time to do both. In this special episode we explore thankfulness, reflection, and what can happen when we combine the two to create best practice! Get ready to laugh, learn, think, and be thankful during this 15 minutes of awesome Want awesome tip, tricks, i...

What is something that we can do to consistently bring our teaching game to a new level? The answer may not be what you would expect… It is not a teaching strategy. It is not a behavior management idea. It is not a communication idea for parents. The thing that can bring our teaching game to another level is… Check out this episode to find out more! Looking for teacher books to bring this teacher...

Do you feel like you are constantly grabbing your hair and saying, “HELP!” Maybe questions like these are on your mind…. What are we supposed to do when kids refuse to ENGAGE? Any ideas for when other teachers don’t share the same PASSION as me? How do you deal with SO much grading? All of these questions are AWESOME! And all of these questions were submitted by amazing teachers like YOU! In this...

A Bosco stick is a pizza breadstick that literally fell from the heavens. And although you will hear more about that in this episode. This really isn’t about Bosco Sticks. It’s about moving from rows in a classroom into circles in a school community. Because when we change our environment, we change attitudes. Check out the best teacher book about relationships, The Rooted Classroom: https://monic...

You know who deserves some gifts this summer? YOU! In this super fun episode we explore 5 gifts that you should totally give yourself! They won’t break the bank and they will add some much laughter and love to your summer. To find out more about Monica’s books visit: http://monicagenta.com/books

Hi. I’m Monica. I’m a Teacher. And I’m a hot mess sometimes. And you are a hot mess teacher sometimes too. And that’s ok! In this episode we explore what to do when everything we are doing seems to be going wrong. I’m confident the stories told here and the motivational message at the end will be just the boost you need to not feel like a total hot mess express in your classroom. Want to check out...

  June and July are really special months for educators. That is why I’ve created a short and sweet list to make sure these next 2 months are magical. Here are 3 things every educator MUST do this summer. I promise they will make you a better teacher, a better person, a better parent… This is a don’t skip episode, teacher friends! PS- LAST CALL on the Awesome Conference for...

  There are memories in the messy so shake it like a salt shaker… Distance Learning is messy. Classrooms are messy. Education is messy. But we teachers embrace that mess! In this 2 quick tips episode we talk to Bri, an educator who is excited to let kids be kids and make a mess sometimes. Get ready to smile as this episode fills you with love! Show Notes: Shake it up this summer by being a pa...

Your summer deserves to be awesome. Your August deserves to be awesome! So let’s make both happen! In this episode Monica breaks down 4 simple, but significant ideas on how you can find a beautiful balance between learning and loving all summer long. Get ready to be hit with some truth bombs and amazing reminders that all educators need to hear right now. To Find Out More About the Awesome C...

Get ready for a whole lotta fun and singing…. yes, singing! This 2 quick tips episode features Jed Dearybury, an educator who is enthusiastic about incorporating the arts in all classrooms. I promise you will have ideas (and songs) stuck in your head for the rest of the day (and you won’t even be mad about it) Needing some help with science integration during e-learning? Check out Monica&#82...

Ideas do not have to be big to be beautiful! Classroom transformation. Field Trips. Tons of Tech. These are all things that we see on social media and maybe hope for in our own classrooms, but we don’t have to have these to be game changers for kids. In this episode we explore how small shifts can be super significant when it comes to how we roll in schools. I’m confident this episode...

Your jaw is going to drop and your heart is going to smile in this 2 Quick Tips episode with the amazing Nancy Chung! She is a a classroom teacher who has transformed her learning space to look and feel like home! Check out Nancy’s awesome ideas as she talk about how we can use decor to our advantage and make our classrooms more like living rooms. PLUS, get bonus content at the end from me on how...