This Teacher Life

Looking for some simple, strategic classroom and behavior management strategies? You are in the right place! On this week’s episode of This Teacher Life special guest, Jack Berckemeyer, shares some solutions that are so meaningful. The best part, all 3 of these ideas can be tried with students by the end of the podcast because they are no prep and no stress! I promise you will laugh and learn as y...

Do you get 100% attendance at your parent teacher conference? Do you get 100% of people engaged at the table during those conferences? I’ve got an idea that can make BOTH of those happen. And the best part these conferences will create LESS work and LESS stress in your teacher life. Sometimes in order to make parent-teacher conferences between, we just need to remix them with raisins! Because this...

Needing or wanting 3 extremely easy and practical solutions to solve today’s problems in schools? In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast, we tackle two of the biggest stressors teachers face—apathy and attendance—and how they’re affecting classrooms everywhere. From students who just don’t seem to care, to the endless challenges of getting them to show up, we’ll explore practical...

Getting staff AND students on the same page can be incredibly difficult these days. But what if there was a silly, simple way to increase the climate and culture of your school while also bringing people together? What if that same idea would INCREASE positive office referrals too? In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast we unpack the details of how a plastic golden cat when from b...

How are you currently feeling in your position in education? Do you feel like you are supported as staff? Do you feel like your kids are supported as students? Sometimes all our school needs is a little social-emotional support for everybody! But how do we do that? In this episode I dive into some ideas that I’m using as a K-12 SEL teacher. I’m confident they can easily be applied to your current...

When was the last time you were able to get your students super motivated with a paper plate? When was the last time you increased student engagement with a reverse card from Uno? When was the last time you handed out notecards and nobody refused to participate? Because after listening to this week’s episode of This Teacher Life podcast, you are going to be so excited to bust out paper products! A...

How is behavior managed in your school? Would you say it is more proactive or reactive? When it comes to school culture, nothing building positive climate better than parties over punishment. But how can we celebrate students in a way that gets kids motivated to make the right behavioral choices? In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast we tackle the word RESPECT and how that...

Do you struggle to get kids to turn in work? Do you wish students put forth more effort on the work they turn in? Do you feel like students are failing and they don’t care? If you answered YES to any (or all of those) questions then this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast is for you! We will dive into my #1 way to get students putting for their best effort on the first try and the ama...

Truth: Teachers want and need more joy in their life! Truth: It can come in some silly and significant ways if we are strategic about it! In the This Teacher Life season finale, we’re wrapping up with a special episode dedicated to helping educators rediscover the joy in their teaching journey on both a personal and professional level. Join us as we dive into six simple yet powerful strategies tha...

In this raw and heartfelt episode of the This Teacher Life, we’re diving into a BIG announcement that might just surprise you. After years of dedication to the traditional classroom, I’m packing up and walking away… or just across town — but not for the reasons you might think! This episode explores the personal and professional shifts that led to this decision, the challenges and triumphs o...

Special episode alert! In this week’s powerful recording of This Teacher Life, we dive into the heart of education with practical, yet impactful strategies that can transform not only schools but the lives of students and staff alike. We explore actionable ideas that can spark meaningful change in your school environment. From boosting student engagement to fostering a positive school cultur...

Teachers, would you rather have more sick days or more personal days? I’m sure you have LOTS of opinions and lots of conditional questions before you answer that controversial, difficult question. Well, what if we could use would you rather as an awesome way to equip kids with the skills they need in the future? In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life Podcast, we’re tackl...

Teacher Appreciation Week is the perfect time to show educators just how much they mean to our schools and communities. In this week’s episode of The This Teacher Life, we share six super simple yet meaningful ideas to celebrate and honor teachers during this special week. Whether you’re a parent, administrator, or fellow educator, you’ll find easy and thoughtful ways to spread g...

Students changing grade levels, changing teachers, and changing buildings can be hard. That is because change is hard! But, when we are proactive about putting plans into place change can be super exciting for kids. If you are looking for ideas on how to level-up your upcoming orientation or strategies’ on how to make your upcoming open-house less stressful, this episode is for you. This Tea...

To apply for the job opening or not to apply, that is the question at this point in the year and at this point in education. This is a tough question that nearly every educator faces at some point—do you stay rooted in the classroom, focusing solely on content delivery, or do you pursue leadership roles for broader impact? We’ll explore the pros and cons of both paths and challenge the assumptions...

Get ready to roll with laughter and learning in this fun-filled episode. This idea is shaking up the typical classroom routine with a Yahtzee dice challenge that’s sure to make your students take a chance on changing behaviors in a good way! Join us as we reveal how to set up a competitive game that not only scores big on fun but also encourages positive behaviors and cuts down on the stress for y...

What if you could throw a party in your classroom everyday? And this party wouldn’t be any work, it wouldn’t create chaos, and the party wouldn’t cost anything. Would you want to be a part of it? In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast I explain how all kids can be a part of a party, they just have to listen. This simple idea has caused 100% of students to l...

What if I told you Doritos could be so dynamic in your classroom and you wouldn’t even need to buy a bag!? In this week’s fun and unexpected episode of the The This Teacher life podcast , we dive into the power of humor, creativity, and dynamic discussion in the classroom! We explore how a simple bag of Doritos can unlock laughter and enhance student engagement in ways you’ve never ima...

What is the difference between an MVP and an MPP? Curious what this means and how it can create conversation in your classroom? I’ve got you covered! In this episode of the This Teacher Life podcast, we explore how one simple question can spark meaningful engagement and foster a positive, emotionally connected classroom environment. We’ll discuss how this strategy can be a game-changer for f...

In this episode we’re diving into two easy-to-implement, fun strategies that can transform the climate and culture of your school staff. If you’re looking for creative, low-cost ways to boost morale, strengthen relationships, and create a more connected team, this episode is for you! We’ll explore two practical activities that not only enhance communication and collaboration but also i...

What if a “really dumb” idea could not only bring fun to your classroom but also create lasting connections with your students AND boost attendance? Well, that’s exactly what this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast is all about! Tune in for a 3-step process that’s easy to implement, requires little to no prep, and can be done with any grade level. You’ll learn...

There is unexpected power in fake money to students of all ages !  If you are looking to motivate students to come to class prepared, actively engage, and maintain a positive mindset throughout the school year, you are in the right place! In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast, we dive into a creative and highly effective classroom strategy that has transformed student engag...

Do your students find everything “unfair” or “rigged” or constantly claim that somebody “cheated” creating conflict and chaos in your classroom? If you said yes, I hear you and I’ve got you covered! In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast, we dive into one powerful, yet incredibly simple idea that can transform: school’s culture enhan...

Needing or wanting 3 extremely easy and practical solutions to solve today’s problems in schools? In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life podcast, we tackle two of the biggest stressors teachers face—apathy and attendance—and how they’re affecting classrooms everywhere. From students who just don’t seem to care, to the endless challenges of getting them to show up, we’ll explor...

Teachers, are you looking for a common “cents” strategy that could make this quarter awesome for both you and your students? In this week’s episode of the This Teacher Life, we explore a simple yet powerful idea that will transform your school year. Learn how to kickstart a CENTsational quarter—one that brings positive change, boosts morale, and fosters a thriving school environm...