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240. 7 Quick Teacher Approved Tips for a Better January · Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies

0:01
Heidi: This is episode 240 of Teacher Approved.
0:04
You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping
0:08
educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm
0:12
Heidi.
0:12
Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
0:16
Window, where we give research based and teacher approved
0:19
strategies that make teaching less stressful and more
0:21
effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from
0:25
each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
0:27
Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
0:30
the show.
0:35
Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's
0:38
episode, we are sharing some teacher approved tips from seven
0:42
fantastic educators that will help you make this your best
0:46
January yet.
0:48
Heidi: But first, let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we
0:51
share a quick win that you can try in your classroom right
0:53
away. So Emily, what is our suggestion this week?
0:57
Emily: This week plan something to look forward to. Coming back
1:01
after a long break can really feel rough, so you can make it a
1:04
little easier by giving yourself a boost. This could be something
1:08
fun that you're going to do with your students, or something just
1:11
for you. Maybe pack a yummy treat for after school, or grab
1:15
your favorite takeout for dinner, or plan a girls night
1:18
out for Saturday, or something you want to do with your
1:22
students that you love doing.
1:23
Heidi: Or if you are thinking longer term, how about you think
1:26
about some spring break plans? I know it feels far away, but it's
1:29
closer than you think. Maybe print a picture that reminds you
1:33
of what you have to look forward to. You know, even if that's
1:35
just a cover of a book you want to read, print that picture and
1:38
tuck it into your plan book, and then you can peek at it when
1:41
you're on your third inside recess of the week, and
1:43
everything feels just a little bit too much.
1:47
Emily: If you like this idea or anything else we share here on
1:49
the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star
1:52
rating and review in your podcast listening app?
1:56
Heidi: Now we are so glad you're here today, because we've got
1:58
something fun planned, and we think you're really going to
2:01
love it.
2:02
Emily: Since most of you are heading back today or tomorrow,
2:04
we wanted to help you transition from cozy couch mode to busy
2:08
classroom mode.
2:10
Heidi: Yeah, if you are feeling that post holiday slump and
2:13
maybe if your routines have gotten a little wobbly, or if
2:16
you're just ready for a reset heading into the second half of
2:19
the year, this episode is for you.
2:21
Emily: In a couple weeks, we are hosting the teacher winter talks
2:26
event. It is a free audio summit designed to help you start the
2:31
new year strong. And today, we're giving you a sneak peek.
2:35
Seven of our amazing event speakers are here to share
2:38
quick, actionable tips that you can use right now.
2:41
Heidi: So think of this as the appetizer before the full meal.
2:46
Each of these speakers has a complete session waiting for you
2:48
at the summit, but what you're about to hear now is just a
2:51
little taste.
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Emily: So if something resonates with you, and I have a feeling
2:55
several of these will, you can sign up for your free ticket at
2:59
the link in our show notes, or at
3:01
secondstorywindow.net/teacherwintertalks.
3:03
Heidi: All right, let's kick things off with a tip that made
3:06
me say, Why have I never thought of this? Have you ever
3:10
considered that your student shirts could teach you? Kirsten
3:13
Hammond from The Southern Teach has and it's kind of brilliant.
3:16
So here's Kirsten.
3:17
Kirsten Hammond: Hi everyone. I'm Kirsten from The Southern
3:21
Teach, and I'm so excited to share a quick and easy strategy
3:24
that you can use right away to build real world events into
3:28
your social studies time. A little bit about me, I help
3:31
other elementary educators make social studies engaging,
3:35
meaningful and doable, even when time is tight. And one of my
3:39
favorite things to teach is how to connect what's happening in
3:43
the world right now to the skills we're already building
3:47
with our students.
3:48
One of the simplest ways to do that is a routine that I'm going
3:51
to call what's on their shirts. Every day, students are walking
3:55
in wearing shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts that tell you
3:59
exactly what's happening in their world—sports teams,
4:02
holidays, races, community events, and using that as a
4:07
conversation starter is one of the quickest ways to bring real
4:10
world events into the classroom. All you have to do is ask this
4:14
question: Is anything you're wearing today connected to a
4:17
real world event? This works anywhere, and I'm going to share
4:21
with you an example from my own community.
4:23
So over the football season this school year, we've seen a big
4:27
mix of Texas teams in the hallways, as always, because
4:30
football is a really big deal in the state. There's Texas Tech
4:33
fans, Texas A and M fans, Longhorn fans, and this year has
4:38
been especially exciting because both Texas Tech and Texas A and
4:42
M are making their very first college football playoff debut.
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It's been a historic moment for both programs and our students
4:49
have felt that energy. As a former Aggie, of course I am
4:53
always cheering for A and M, but honestly, I would love to see
4:57
either team make a strong run, because it's such a big point of
5:00
pride for our kids and families. So hopefully, as you're
5:03
listening to this, when this airs, maybe one of those teams
5:07
will still be in the playoffs.
5:09
When a student walks in wearing a college football hoodie or
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some type of jersey or tshirt from their favorite NFL team,
5:20
this is a perfect opening for a quick and meaningful connection.
5:24
You can talk about how sports bring communities together, why
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the playoff season matters for both college football and for
5:33
NFL football, and even local high school football, and also
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thinking about how events can impact local traditions or
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economies all without planning a full lesson. Maybe there's a
5:46
nearby stadium that a lot of teams play at, or maybe your
5:51
city is hosting a college bowl game. There's all kinds of
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things you can insert in, and you don't have to do a ton of
5:59
research to do it.
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If a student isn't wearing anything event related, they can
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always share something happening in their neighborhood or
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something they heard at home. It takes a couple minutes, requires
6:10
little to no prep, and it helps students see social studies
6:14
unfolding around them every day.
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If you like strategies like this, I can't wait to share more
6:19
during my summit session, real world events without the heavy
6:23
lifting. I'll walk you through how to choose the right real
6:26
world events, how to keep discussions neutral, and ways to
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weave those moments into your day in a way that builds student
6:33
confidence without adding more to your plate. I'm excited to
6:36
connect with you all, and you can find me on Instagram, Tik
6:39
Tok and YouTube at The Southern Teach.
6:43
Heidi: Okay, I love that, because this is one of those
6:45
ideas that is hiding in plain sight.
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Emily: And it is a great reminder that social studies
6:50
doesn't always need a lesson plan to work.
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Heidi: And I love how adaptable this is. Even first graders can
6:56
participate in this kind of discussion, and this is just a
6:59
great way to re establish some connection with your students
7:02
post winter break.
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Emily: And what you didn't hear is how she structures these
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conversations so they stay inclusive and productive.
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Heidi: And that's what she breaks down on her full teacher
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winter talk session, along with ways to make this sustainable
7:15
all year long.
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Emily: Okay, our next tip is for anyone who's ever looked at
7:19
their lesson plans and thought, Wait, did three different people
7:22
write these? You know what I mean, your reading block has one
7:25
thing going on, and your writing block is doing something totally
7:28
unrelated, and grammar is just off in its own little world.
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Heidi: Oh, yeah, been there. But Jessica Ivey, from Ideas by
7:35
Jivey, has a simple fix. So here she is.
7:39
Jessica Ivey: Hey, Teacher Approved listeners. It's
7:41
Jessica, also known as Jivey, from Ideas by Jivey, and I love
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helping teachers simplify their ELA block using mentor texts and
7:52
routines that actually make your life easier. Today, I want to
7:57
share a quick mid-year win with you, something you can do this
8:01
week that won't add anything to your plate, but will make your
8:06
lessons feel more connected.
8:09
Instead of planning each subject separately, I want you to choose
8:14
one picture book and use it in two different parts of your day,
8:19
not the whole day, just two places. You know, by January, I
8:25
usually hear from teachers that they feel like their reading,
8:28
writing and grammar plans were created by three different
8:32
people who've never met. Everything feels disconnected
8:36
and it's exhausting to keep switching gears, for you and for
8:41
the students.
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So I want you to grab a picture book that you already love. Now
8:47
don't overthink this. Just look on your shelf. Pick something
8:51
that you enjoy reading aloud, and then I want you to use that
8:56
book for a reading mini lesson and one other part of your day.
9:01
Now that could be a grammar warm up, a quick writing prompt, or
9:06
even discussing vocabulary words within the text. You're not
9:11
planning a whole week around the book yet. Save that for my full
9:17
session in the teacher winter talks. I want you to just focus
9:21
on reconnecting two pieces of your day.
9:24
So let's say you read your book and you spot one meaningful
9:29
reading moment and one sentence with great craft or structure.
9:36
Use the reading moment in your comprehension lesson, and then
9:39
pull that sentence later for a quick grammar or writing
9:43
conversation. Boom, you have two lessons that are connected with
9:48
zero extra prep. Our goal here is for students to see how
9:53
reading, writing and grammar actually live together, and to
9:59
give your brain a little break because you're not juggling five
10:03
different books in one day.
10:05
Now, in my teacher winter talk session called Mid Year Mentor
10:10
Text Makeover, I'm going to show you how to turn that simple idea
10:16
into a full planning routine that you can reuse with any
10:21
book. It's honestly the biggest sanity saver I teach. Now, if
10:27
you want to hang out with me before the session, you can come
10:31
find me on Instagram @ideasbyjivey. I can't wait to
10:36
share more with you soon.
10:37
Emily: What I love about this is how doable it feels. You don't
10:41
need a whole new curriculum to make things feel cohesive.
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Heidi: Right. It's one small decision that reduces cognitive
10:47
load for you, and helps students see how ELA actually fits
10:51
together. And what she impacts on her full session is how to
10:54
turn this into a repeatable planning habit, so it's not just
10:58
a one time fix.
11:00
Emily: Okay, our next step is for anyone who's watched
11:02
students freeze on word problems, even when you know
11:06
that they can do the math.
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Heidi: Ah, this is such a common problem, but Mona Iehl has a
11:11
simple shift that changes how students enter the problem. So
11:14
here's Mona.
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Mona: Hi Teacher Approved listeners, I'm so glad to be
11:18
here with you. My name is Mona Iehl and I help kindergarten
11:22
through fifth grade teachers turn their math block into a
11:25
place where students feel safe to think and talk and problem
11:30
solve, even when the word problems get tricky.
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So today's quick tip is one that you can use the very first day
11:40
back after winter break, or on any day here this winter or in
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the future. It's honestly a game changer for students who
11:48
struggle with word problems. Here it is. Launch the problem
11:53
the same way that you launch a read aloud. I want you to use
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the literacy comprehension strategies that you use every
12:02
day to help your students make sense of the situation before
12:08
they ever solve anything, because one of the biggest
12:12
hurdles for students with word problems isn't the math, it's
12:16
the reading. So if they don't understand the story, then they
12:22
can't make sense of the math.
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So instead of handing your students a problem and hoping
12:28
for the best, I want you to try this. Tell them the story out
12:32
loud. Ask them to close their eyes and make a movie in their
12:38
mind. For example, here's what it might sound like. Okay, guys,
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there's three fourths of a birthday cake left in the pan
12:47
after my dad's birthday party. My brother and I want to split
12:52
the remaining cake with our other brother. So I'm trying to
12:55
figure out how much of that cake I actually am going to get to
12:59
eat. And as you tell it, I want you to ask your students to
13:03
visualize. We want them picturing the pan, seeing the
13:07
cake cut into fourths, and imagining that there's only
13:12
three of those equal pieces left, and that then they're
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going to be shared among three people. Then they're going to be
13:21
able to start to reason about the size of those pieces before
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they ever touch a pencil.
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Okay, but here's a first grade example. You might tell this
13:30
story to your students. There are 38 kids out on the
13:34
playground, you guys. They're all playing, they're on the
13:36
monkey bars, some are going down the slide. There's a few other
13:39
kids on that spinny thing, you know, the one where you like,
13:41
hold on and it spins you around real fast. Okay, there's 38
13:44
kids. Can you see them? Okay, but here's what happens next. A
13:50
whole class comes outside to the playground. They come busting
13:54
through the doors, their teachers being like, wait, wait,
13:57
wait, wait for me. But all these kids are running out onto the
14:00
playground. And now there are 53 kids on the playground. What I
14:06
want you to figure out is how many students came out to play.
14:10
Now, your students can imagine the playground, right? They're
14:14
there every day. They can start to see, okay, that first group
14:17
of kids is on the, all the equipment, and then more come
14:21
running through the doors. They're building a story, a
14:24
meaning before they solve. Now this tiny shift helps learners
14:31
access the problem, especially those who rely heavily on
14:37
strategies like visualizing and retelling and making mental
14:42
models in literacy, this is a great way to transfer those
14:46
skills. And it sets our students up to engage with math because
14:52
they understand the situation.
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If this idea is resonating with you, I would love for you to
14:59
join my session at teacher winter talks, where I'm sharing
15:04
a simple daily routine called word problem workshop that helps
15:08
students take risks, to talk about their thinking and truly
15:12
become problem solvers, even in the middle of the year. I can't
15:17
wait to connect with you at the summit and share with you this
15:20
simple routine that can really shift everything, even in
15:24
January. See you there.
15:28
Heidi: That line, launch the problem like a read aloud,
15:31
changes the whole entry point.
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Emily: And it's a great reminder that when students feel oriented
15:36
and confident, the math thinking follow.
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Heidi: In her full teacher winter talk session, Mona turns
15:41
this shift into a daily routine that builds confidence and
15:45
mathematical talk over time.
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Emily: If word problems are a sticking point in your room,
15:49
this one is worth your time. And staying in math for a minute,
15:53
our next speaker brings a reflection strategy rooted in
15:56
thinking classrooms research.
15:58
Heidi: Cassie Tabrizi helps elementary teachers make math
16:01
time more meaningful, and today, she has a simple twist to get
16:04
students really thinking about their learning.
16:07
Cassie: Hey, teacher approved listeners. My name is Cassie
16:10
Tabrizi and I support elementary teachers who want math time to
16:14
feel more meaningful for them and for their students. Today,
16:18
I've got a simple mindset shift that can lead to deeper thinking
16:21
and stronger retention in your math block. It's called writing
16:24
notes to your future forgetful self. The idea comes from Dr.
16:28
Peter Liljedahl's book Building Thinking Classrooms in
16:31
Mathematics.
16:32
At the end of a unit or even just a lesson, students take a
16:35
few minutes to reflect and jot down the most important ideas in
16:39
their own words. But here's the twist, instead of writing for
16:43
their teacher, they're writing for their future forgetful self.
16:47
That shift in audience makes a huge difference. The pressure's
16:52
off. The goal isn't perfection. It's about making connections.
16:56
What do they need to remember later? What would actually help
17:00
when they forget?
17:01
For learners, it gives some light structure. Think like
17:05
guided math journal pages with questions that focus their
17:08
thinking. Things like, what did you figure out today? What was
17:11
tricky at first, but makes more sense now? What do you want to
17:15
remember the next time this comes up? These journals become
17:19
a personal toolkit, something students can revisit in a few
17:22
weeks when they're spiraling back to old concepts or they're
17:25
preparing for a checkpoint like an assessment or a test.
17:29
In fact, Dr Liljedahl suggests letting students use their notes
17:32
on an assessment later on. This is not about letting them take a
17:35
shortcut. It's a powerful way to reinforce and retrieve what
17:39
they've learned. This retrieval practice really helps move
17:43
information from working memory to long term memory, so we can
17:47
battle the forgetting curve and really achieve deep
17:50
understanding. And one more thing as a side note, these
17:54
notes aren't graded. That's part of what makes them feel safe and
17:57
real.
17:57
So if you're curious about more steps that you can take to
18:00
master your math instruction, come join me in my winter summit
18:03
session. We'll dive into practical ways to create
18:06
clarity, increase motivation, and move information from
18:09
working memory to long term memory. Can't wait to see you
18:12
there.
18:13
Emily: Notes to your future forgetful self. I love how low
18:17
pressure that feels.
18:19
Heidi: Yeah, it's turning reflection into something
18:21
students actually want to come back to, not just something that
18:24
they're rushing through. In her full teacher winter talk
18:27
session, Cassie walks through how to build this kind of
18:29
reflection into your math routine in a way that's
18:31
sustainable.
18:33
Emily: Okay, we are halfway through our summit sneak peek.
18:37
How are you doing? Are you getting some ideas brewing?
18:40
Heidi: Oh, yeah, I'm already making a mental list of which
18:42
full sessions I want to catch first.
18:44
Emily: I love it. Our next tip comes from Meg Anderson at The
18:47
Teacher Studio. She spent over three decades in the classroom,
18:50
and she's got so many useful takeaways.
18:53
Heidi: So here is Meg.
18:55
Meg: Hi, I'm Meg from The Teacher Studio. I'm so glad
18:58
you're here and taking a few minutes for yourself today. I
19:02
spent over three decades in the classroom, mostly in upper
19:05
elementary, and one thing I learned the hard way is that
19:08
January is different. We come back from winter break ready to
19:14
reset, reestablish routines and jump back into learning, but our
19:19
students often need a little more time than we expect.
19:24
So here's a simple but powerful reminder, as you head back into
19:27
the second half of your year, slow down your wait time. After
19:33
winter break, students are often hesitant. They're out of
19:37
practice, sharing their thinking, unsure of expectations
19:41
and sometimes just a little rusty. When we ask a question
19:45
and jump in too quickly or call on the first raised hand, we
19:49
unintentionally send the message that speed matters more than
19:54
thinking. Intentional wait time changes that.
19:58
When you pause just a few extra seconds after asking a question,
20:03
you give students space to first, process what's being
20:08
asked. Second, organize their thinking, and finally, take a
20:14
risk without being rushed. Those quiet seconds communicate
20:20
safety. They tell students, your thinking matters here. This is
20:26
especially important in math and discussion based lessons where
20:30
we want reasoning, not just answers. Wait time helps build
20:35
confidence, encourages more voices to participate, and
20:40
supports productive struggle, something students really need
20:44
as they ease back into learning routines.
20:46
So if January ever feels quieter or slower than you expect,
20:52
that's not a problem to fix. It's an invitation to lean into
20:57
these intentional pauses. In my full summit section, I'll dig
21:02
much deeper into how strategies like wait time fit into a bigger
21:05
picture of productive struggle, what it really looks like, how
21:09
to support it without rescuing students too quickly, and how
21:13
small shifts can lead to deeper thinking and stronger student
21:17
engagement.
21:18
If this idea resonates with you, I'd love for you to join me
21:21
there. Thanks for listening, and remember, those quiet moments
21:25
you build into your lessons matter more than you think. I'd
21:29
love to keep in touch, and you can find me at
21:32
www.theteacherstudio.com, or on Instagram and Tiktok
21:38
@theteacherstudio.
21:40
Emily: I love how much permission there is in that
21:42
reminder.
21:43
Heidi: Yeah, you can tell she has spent a lot of time in the
21:46
classroom. Her tip reframes this January wobble not as a problem,
21:50
but as part of the learning process.
21:52
Emily: Meg's teacher winter talk session zooms out to show how
21:55
moments like this fit into a bigger picture of student
21:59
thinking and growth.
22:01
Heidi: And if your January feels heavy or slow this year, that
22:04
perspective is really grounding. And if you need another tip,
22:08
perfect for this time of year, keep listening, because you know
22:11
what else January brings? Sickness and sub plans.
22:15
Trina: Hey, Teacher Approved listeners. I'm Trina Deboree
22:19
from Trina Deboree Teaching and Learning and the podcast One
22:22
Tired Teacher. And I spent 27 years in the classroom, mainly
22:27
as a second grade teacher, but also as a media specialist, and
22:30
I was that teacher who used to come to school sick because
22:35
writing sub plans felt harder than actually teaching.
22:38
Here's the simplest shift I want to share today. Stop thinking of
22:44
sub plans as something you do when you're sick, and start
22:49
thinking of them as something you set up once to protect your
22:53
future self. Most teachers don't avoid sub plans because they're
22:58
lazy. They avoid them because they're exhausted, and when sub
23:02
plans live only in your emergency brain, they never get
23:06
done.
23:06
Instead, here's the easy win. Pick one calm afternoon, not a
23:12
sick day, a calm afternoon. Does it exist? Yes, I believe it
23:16
does. And create a basic, reusable sub binder, just your
23:21
schedule, your class list, a short note to the sub and a
23:25
couple of flexible activities that work any day of the week.
23:30
That's it. Not cute, not fancy. Just ready. That one small shift
23:35
turns sub plans from panic mode into a safety net.
23:40
In my winter teacher talk session, the sub survival
23:43
system, how to plan once and rest easy all year, I share the
23:47
full framework, including how to keep sub plans simple, stress
23:51
free and guilt free, even during the busiest seasons. If you've
23:56
ever dragged yourself to school because the thought of sub plans
23:59
felt overwhelming, this session is for you. I'm so excited to
24:04
connect with you during the summit. You can find me at
24:07
trinadeboreeteachingandlearning.com, and if you like real talk and
24:11
practical support for tired teachers, I'd love to have you
24:14
listen to my podcast, One Tired Teacher. Take care of yourself,
24:18
your future self will thank you.
24:22
Heidi: I love how much compassion there is in Trina's
24:24
reframe.
24:25
Emily: Yeah, this really does reframe sub plans as an act of
24:29
care for your future self, especially when that future self
24:31
might have strep throat.
24:34
Heidi: Yeah, the strep throat, that always took me down at
24:37
least once a year.
24:38
Emily: Oh, it's the worst.
24:39
Heidi: Trina's summit session, the sub survival system, will
24:42
show you how to build that safety net once, and then you
24:45
can stop carrying sub plan stress around all year.
24:48
Emily: And speaking of taking care of yourself, our last
24:51
summit speaker preview is someone we love collaborating
24:54
with. Our buddy Kelsey Sorenson from educate and rejuvenate has
24:57
hosted teacher conferences for five years. And she always
25:00
brings this grounded permission giving energy to our summit as
25:04
well.
25:05
Heidi: Her tip isn't a strategy or a hack, it's more of a
25:08
perspective shift, and honestly, it might be exactly what you
25:11
need to hear right now.
25:13
Kelsey Sorenson: Hey, Teacher Approved listeners. My name is
25:15
Kelsey Sorenson. I am a certified life coach, former
25:18
classroom teacher, current homeschooling mom of three, and
25:22
founder of educate and rejuvenate. You might know me
25:24
from the book, the podcast or Instagram, all of that same
25:27
name, educate and rejuvenate. We've also hosted a event for
25:32
teachers for the past five years. So if you've been to one
25:35
of our educate and rejuvenate conferences, hello, I'm so
25:38
excited to see you over at teacher winter talks as well.
25:41
Heidi and Emily and I love collaborating on our events, so
25:45
so much fun.
25:45
I want to offer you something today, not a productivity hack,
25:49
not another classroom strategy. You'll be getting plenty of
25:51
those, but a perspective shift that has completely changed how
25:55
I move through the season. Because let's be real. Winter
25:59
can feel really heavy. The holidays are over, the to do
26:02
list doesn't disappear. It's darker, colder, quieter, and
26:06
it's easy to start thinking, Why do I feel like this? What's
26:09
wrong with me? And here's the truth, what if nothing is wrong
26:13
with you at all? You are just in winter.
26:16
Literally, winter is not a season of blooming, it's a
26:19
season of rest, of a slowness of quiet, unseen growth. So let's
26:25
pause and really sit with that. And see how we can sit with that
26:29
analogy as teachers, because we are conditioned to go, go, go,
26:34
to hold it all together every day, every season, we rarely let
26:37
ourselves let up until we hit a break, literally like winter
26:41
break or summer break, and we crash and we're already burned
26:44
out.
26:44
But what if we allowed for seasonality, even within the
26:47
school year? What if we could still have a time to pull back,
26:51
simplify and get intentional about what matters most? Think
26:55
about it. Trees aren't blooming right now, not because they're
26:58
broken, but because they're wise. They're conserving energy,
27:01
they're preparing, they're doing the invisible work that makes
27:04
spring possible. And you are allowed to do the same. You are
27:08
allowed to slow down, to simplify, to take things off
27:12
your plate. You're allowed to stop fighting winter and be
27:15
like, Oh, I'm feeling the winter blues, and start working with
27:18
it.
27:18
Maybe that means not changing the bulletin board this month,
27:21
or using AI to streamline your lesson planning, or finally,
27:24
signing up for that meal service so dinner doesn't drain you
27:27
after a long day. And that is the mindset shift that I want to
27:30
leave you with today, not to fix yourself, but to give yourself
27:34
permission.
27:35
And inside of my winter talk session, it's called five tiny
27:39
tweaks that help teachers survive winter burnout, I'll
27:42
walk you through some practical, doable ways to support your
27:45
energy, your nervous system and your time right now. And if you
27:49
grabbed the max pass, don't skip the bonus. I'm sharing my
27:52
burnout to balance audio series, my full coaching framework, plus
27:56
access to an AI coaching tool I built specifically for teachers.
28:00
But for now, take this with you. You are not behind. You're not
28:03
failing. You are in winter, and this is a season to simplify.
28:08
Emily: That is such a helpful tip. We all could use the
28:12
permission to be more gentle with ourselves in the winter.
28:15
Heidi: Yeah, if this season feels heavier than you expected,
28:18
you are definitely not alone. Kelsey's teacher winter talk
28:21
session offers small, supportive ways to care for your energy
28:24
during this season.
28:26
Emily: If winter burnout feels real right now, that session and
28:29
the bonus she's sharing are a beautiful place to start.
28:33
Heidi: So that is our sneak peek of the teacher winter talks,
28:37
seven speakers, seven tips you can start using this week.
28:41
Emily: But remember, these are just the teasers. Each of these
28:44
educators has a full session with so much more depth waiting
28:47
for you, plus we've got so many other speakers that you haven't
28:50
even heard from yet.
28:52
Heidi: Teacher winter talks is completely free to attend. Come
28:56
learn, low effort, big reward strategies to help you prevent
28:59
mid year burnout and reignite your teaching spark with
29:02
practical, bite sized audio tips you can listen to on the go and
29:06
use right away.
29:08
Emily: You can head to secondstorywindow.net/teacherwintertalks,
29:12
or head to the link in our show notes to grab your free ticket.
29:15
And if you want lifetime access plus bonus resources for each
29:19
speaker, you will want to upgrade to the max pass after
29:23
you sign up.
29:24
Heidi: We cannot wait to see you there. We are going to have so
29:26
much fun.
29:28
Emily: Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where
29:30
we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters
29:33
and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is
29:36
to design your seating for speed. I have a need for speed,
29:40
Heidi, tell us about this one.
29:43
Heidi: Well, one thing that Emily and I often recommend
29:45
doing mid year is adjusting your seating arrangement. However,
29:50
before you start figuring out where everyone is going to sit,
29:53
take time to figure out one important detail. How quickly
29:57
can you get to any desk? Proximity to the teacher is the
30:02
number one deterrent to off task behavior. So your goal with your
30:06
seating arrangement is to be able to reach any seat in the
30:09
fewest possible steps.
30:10
So that means designing for walkways, and probably not
30:14
perfect rows, because if you have to walk all the way around
30:17
the perimeter of your desks to reach that back corner where the
30:20
kids are talking, you're going to do it less often, and when
30:23
you're tired, that means you're just going to default to calling
30:26
out instead of walking over and actually dealing with the
30:29
problem.
30:29
Emily: Designing your seating like this might seem
30:32
unimportant, but clear paths help you circulate more and
30:35
manage behavior quietly, and the real bonus is it cuts down on
30:39
the amount of walking you have to do, and your feet will thank
30:42
you for that, for thinking of them.
30:44
Heidi: If you want to learn all about our strategy for using
30:46
your classroom seating arrangement for maximum impact,
30:50
you definitely want to sign up for the teacher winter talks. On
30:53
top of the 25 amazing sessions, Emily and I will be doing a
30:57
three day live challenge to help you create a seating chart that
31:01
works as one of your strongest classroom management tools. In
31:05
just a few minutes a day, during this challenge, you will walk
31:08
away with your own seating chart tailored to address your
31:11
specific classroom needs.
31:14
Emily: So head to secondstorywindow.net/teacherwintertalks
31:18
to grab your free ticket to join us on January 17 through 19th,
31:23
2026, and you can join us for the three day challenge too.
31:28
Heidi: To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're giving
31:31
extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra
31:35
credit?
31:35
Emily: My extra credit goes to K18 dry shampoo. So I have seen
31:38
this recommended all over the place, and I finally gave it a
31:41
try when I, like, found a Black Friday deal. The rumors are
31:44
true, guys. It's amazing. It's way better than any other kind
31:48
of dry shampoo that I've tried. And it isn't the cheapest, but I
31:52
do feel like a little goes a long way. So like, in the long
31:54
run, I don't feel like it's that expensive.
31:56
Heidi: Oh, that's good to know. I'm gonna have to be on the
31:59
lookout for that.
31:59
Emily: Yeah, for sure. What are you giving extra credit to?
32:01
Heidi: So my extra credit goes to some new pens that I just
32:04
got. They are the Tul (T-U-L) retractable gel pens. My
32:11
preferred pen is the muji 0.5, long time devotee of the Muji.
32:17
Emily: It's true.
32:18
Heidi: But those pens, I found they don't write well on post it
32:21
notes, and that is so frustrating. I've had to keep
32:24
other pens around, so I thought I would give these a try. And
32:26
these Tul pens are great. They write so smoothly. And now I'm
32:30
trying to decide if I need to get the pretty colored ones too.
32:32
Emily: I think you definitely do.
32:34
Heidi: Well I will put a link to the pens in the show notes in
32:37
case you also need some new office supplies to get you
32:39
through January.
32:41
Emily: That is it for today's episode. Make sure to sign up
32:44
for teacher winter talks, and there is a link to that in the
32:47
show notes. We would love for you to join us. We're going to
32:50
have so much fun.
32:54
Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm
32:57
Heidi.
32:57
Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
33:01
or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an
33:03
episode.
33:04
Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the
33:06
Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.
33:10
Bye for now.
33:11
Emily: Bye.