Send us a textLet me help you get ready to have the best parent-teacher conference season ever! 📝 While it can cause a lot of teacher stress, conferences are an important chance to connect with families. With some preparation, you can make conferences productive and positive! In this episode I do do a deep dive into these top 5 strategies to help everything run smoothly.🔑 First, leverage technology to take yourself out of the scheduling drama! It will also help you meet the needs of pare...

Send us a textIn this empowering mini-episode, Grace examines how to deal with the aftermath of this week's election results. What if it didn't go the way you hoped? How do we rise above no matter what and find things that unite us with others, not divide us? How do we create a classroom community where everyone feels valued, safe, and included?❤️ Her advice? "Be the source." Lead with love, not fear.Take a quick time out to maybe have a mindset shift and a virtual hug to make you feel better...

Send us a textBeating the Sunday Scaries: 5 Game-Changing Tips for TeachersThat pit in your stomach on Sunday afternoon? You're not alone. As educators, we've ALL felt that weekend-ruining anxiety creeping in. But here's the truth: you don't have to live with the Sunday Scaries forever. In this episode, I'm sharing my battle-tested strategies that helped me transform my weekends from dread-filled to rejuvenating.🎯 In This Episode You'll Discover:💡 Why it's NOT "just teaching" - the surprising...

Send us a textTeachers, want to boost your daily happiness and teacher resilience?In this mini-episode, Grace shares a simple, transformative strategy that requires no time, no money, and very little effort—but has the potential to completely change how you feel and show up each day in your classroom and your life. It's all about noticing the "lovely" moments in your day and giving them just a little extra focus to turn everyday encounters into a source of joy. Dive in to learn how a “lovely ...

Send us a text🎙️ Lunchbox Love Note Bonus Mini-Episode: Just like those little love notes slipped into your lunchbox, this episode is here to brighten your day with a virtual smile and a hug. I hope you enjoy this jolt of inspiration and empowerment for teachers! And if you appreciate my content, I humbly invite you to "pay it forward" and share this episode with a colleague. Everyone wins 💛This one is all about the mindset of "enough." I promise you, you are enough, you do enough.&...

Send us a text🎓 Breaking Down Dyslexia: What Every Teacher Needs to Know (But Was Never Taught!)Did you know that 1 in 5 students in your classroom may have dyslexia? Yet most of us learned about it in just "two paragraphs" during our teacher training! In this eye-opening episode, we chat with Lisa Parnello, a full-time dyslexia coach who's transforming how we understand and support students with dyslexia.Key Takeaways: 📚 Dyslexia isn't about seeing letters backward - it's about how the brain...

Send us a textMany of us know that we need to do a better job expressing our needs, wants, desires, and preferences, but we don't know how to start the conversation or do it in a productive, positive way. If, like me, you suffer from being a chronic -people pleaser, this episode is for you!I dive deep into the art of setting healthy boundaries – a game-changer for teachers who want to avoid burnout and rediscover their work-life balance. 🏋️‍♀️💪Why Boundaries Matter for TeachersSetting bo...

Send us a text🚀 3 Simple Ways to Help Your Students Thrive (By Doing Less!)In this episode, I reflect on an "Open Letter to Parents from Your Child's Teacher" that I wrote for ThriveGlobal.com back in 2019. I take another look into three game-changing habits that can transform your classroom dynamics and help your students develop crucial life skills.📌 Key Takeaways:🎭 Let natural consequences be the teacher🧠 Foster persistence in problem-solving🤝 Empower students to navigate social inte...

Send us a textAre you a stressed-out teacher looking for inspiration? 🌟 This episode of the Balance Your Teacher Life podcast takes an unexpected turn, diving into graduation speeches that will make you laugh, think, and maybe even roll your eyes. But most importantly, it'll remind you why you became an educator in the first place.🎙️ Episode Highlights:The viral "Bill Gates" graduation speech that wasn't 🤯11 brutally honest rules for life that every student (and teacher) should hear 📝The trut...

Send us a text🚫 Do You Overshare at School? Top Tips for Protect Your Teaching Career! 🛡️As educators, we want to connect with our colleagues and build a positive work environment. But oversharing can put your career at risk! 😱 In this eye-opening episode, we tackle the delicate balance between being friendly and maintaining professional boundaries.Key takeaways:Social media pitfalls for teachers 📱Setting boundaries with colleagues 🚧Recognizing potential "snakes in the grass" 🐍Strategies for ...

Send us a textIn this special anniversary episode, host Grace Stevens reflects on a year of empowering educators to reclaim their work-life balance.🌟 Highlights:Top 3 guest interviews that sparked important conversationsMost downloaded episodes that resonated with listenersPractical strategies for avoiding burnout and setting boundariesThe surprising truth about "restorative justice" in schoolsWhy progressive discipline still matters (backed by research!)🎧 Featured Guests:Ryan Steuer on proje...

Send us a text🎉 Celebrating 1 Year of Teacher Empowerment: The ECHO Framework Revealed! 🚀Are you a teacher feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and ready to reclaim your passion for education? 🙋‍♀️ This episode is your lifeline! Join me as I celebrate my podcast's first anniversary and unveil the game-changing ECHO Framework for Educator Empowerment. 🔑 Key Takeaways:Discover why your energy matters more than your lesson plans 🌟Learn to control what you can (and let go of what you can't) 🎯...

Send us a textTeachers, ever feel like you’re stuck in a race you didn’t sign up for? In this episode, Grace explains why the only competition that truly matters is the one with yourself. Get ready to let go of the comparison trap and embrace a mindset that celebrates growth, collaboration, and grace—both for yourself and your students.🎙️ Lunchbox Love Note Bonus Mini-Episode: Just like those little love notes slipped into your lunchbox, this episode is here to brighten your day with a virtua...

Send us a textAre you a teacher or school administrator tired of energy vampires draining your enthusiasm at school? 🧛‍♂️ Discover how to shield yourself from negativity while maintaining compassion for your colleagues. This episode is your ultimate guide to creating a positive school campus environment, even when surrounded by Debbie Downers and Buzzkill Bobs!🎙️ Episode Highlights:Why avoiding toxic positivity in education is crucial for authentic growth 🌱The importance of protecting your pe...

Send us a textIn this bonus mini-episode, I'm sending a virtual hug and a little teacher inspiration for this weekend, and a gentle reminder:❤️ Your life is happening NOW. Don't put off being happier until you have better circumstances in your classroom and campus. As the meme says, "Tomorrow never comes." You CAN feel empowered to find joy in your classroom right now, with the students you have.I hope you enjoy this jolt of inspiration for teachers! And if you appreciate my content...

Send us a text5 Pieces of Hard-Earned Wisdom for New Teachers (And Why Every Teacher Should Listen!)This episode is part five of our special Back to School 2024-2025 series, designed to set you up for success with the best strategies, attitudes, and boundary-setting tips. Whether you’re a brand new teacher or a seasoned educator, today’s episode is packed with wisdom that’s taken a lifetime to earn. I reflect on my 20-year journey and share five powerful "do's." I wish I could go back and tel...

Send us a textIn this mini-podcast episode for teachers, I address the six things you will never regret doing as a teacher. While there is such a vast amount of teacher turnover and the teacher shortage is real, teaching can be a rewarding and sustainable career if we're smart about it. Examples of things I never regretted spending time on are:🍎 taking the high road🍎 leaning into curiosity over judgment🍎 embracing the "tangents" that lead to teachable moments🍎 opting out of the "I'll be happy...

Send us a textAttention ALL stressed educators! If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do list or guilty about not getting everything done, this episode is for you. We’re breaking down the myth of the perfect balance and giving you tools to prioritize effectively so you can lead a more fulfilled and empowered teaching life.In part four of our Back-to-School series, we’re diving into one of the most powerful metaphors to help you redefine what balance really means in your teach...

Send us a textAre you feeling anxious about controlling student behavior this year? Are you stressed at the thought that your classroom management plan that used to work in the past is no longer stringent enough for today's challenging classroom behaviors? If these feelings resonate, then this week's podcast episode for teachers is going to be perfect for you! In this empowering episode, I explore:🚀 Why classroom management is MORE important now than ever before🧠 The mindset shift you ne...

Send us a textIn this episode, I continue our "Back to School" series, focusing on the all-important aspect of building positive parent-teacher relationships. Drawing on 20 years of experience, I share my "secret sauce" to fostering a productive partnership with parents. Whether you're a new teacher or a seasoned educator, these insights will set you up for a successful school year.Key Takeaways for Teachers and Instructional Leaders:🔑 Mindset Shift: Adopt a partnership mentality with parents...

Send us a Text Message.❤️ A mini-episode in my Lunchbox Love Notes series - purely inspiration and motivation to support teachers. This one is for you if you have mixed feelings about going back to school. 🍎To thrive in teaching WITHOUT sacrificing your personal life, visit www.gracestevens.com/elevate Want to truly thrive in teaching without sacrificing your personal life? Check out the Elevated Teacher Experience hereCheck out the best-selling Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers book here...

Send us a Text Message.Back-to-school season can be a rollercoaster, whether you're thrilled to start lesson planning or dreading the endless professional development icebreakers. But nothing causes as many back-to-school jitters as (finally) getting your new class list. This is the first in a 5-part back-to-school 2024 series. I break down when to take that unbalanced list to administration and when not to, and the 5 top mindsets to adopt to ensure you don't derail your year before it's...

Attention teachers who are getting ready to go back to school - this is the ONE thing you MUST do before school starts to set yourself up for success. This isn't hype – it's a game-changer that will transform your teaching experience.🍎 In this episode, we dive into:The 6 crucial elements of a perfect boundary plan (you've probably only thought about #1!)Why setting up your classroom isn't enough to prepare for the year aheadThe secret to managing difficult parents, needy coworkers, and demand...

Discover how to use the summer break to reflect on your teaching practice, set empowering boundaries, and show up as your best self in the classroom. These thought-provoking prompts will help you avoid burnout and reignite your passion for education!Highlights:🌟 Summer Break: The Perfect Time for Teacher ReflectionWhy stepping off the "teaching treadmill" is crucial for growthHow reflection can lead to a happier, more balanced teaching life🤔 Powerful Reflection Prompts to Transform Your Teach...