Welcome to the podcast for elementary teachers who often feel burnt out and overwhelmed! In this episode, we are going to discuss the number one way to get more done during your prep time. As teachers, we are experts at planning every moment of our students' day, but we often forget to plan our own plan time. Instead of creating endless to-do lists that can make us feel busy instead of productive, we will be using a calendar and a 6 step process to help us prioritize our tasks and accomplish...

Welcome to the Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast, where we empower and inspire elementary school teachers to love teaching again! In this episode, we’re going to discuss how to define success as a teacher and work smarter, not harder. If you’re tired of feeling like you’re never doing enough, working too many hours, and sacrificing your personal life for your job, then this episode is for you. So, grab your coffee, take a seat, and let’s get started. Segment 1: What Does It Mean to Be a Good...

Are you tired of spending hours upon hours lesson planning each week? In this episode, we're sharing 5 time-saving hacks that can help you cut the time it takes to lesson plan in half. From batching your lesson plans to using routines, year-long bundles, lesson plan templates, and pacing guides, we've got you covered with strategies that can make lesson planning faster and easier. Plus, don’t forget to check out my new book, How to Love Teaching Again, which is packed with hands-on...

Welcome to this episode of our podcast for burnt out and overworked elementary school teachers. Today, we'll be discussing the importance of celebrating your wins each week and how this can be a catalyst for continued success in the classroom. As teachers, it's easy for us to celebrate others but much tougher to celebrate ourselves. At the end of the day, we often find ourselves focusing on the negative - the unfinished to-do list, a student's poor assessment, or a rude email from a parent....

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   I have a really special treat for you today. If you are teaching students online, whether it’s virtual or hybrid, this is the episode for you.   Today’s guest, Jennifer Serravallo, is a literacy consultant and speaker and has three New York Times best selling books! Her latest book is called “Connecting with Students Online: Strategies for Remote Teaching and Learning.”   I asked Jen to join me today to talk through the idea of...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Word problems... Yuck! They can be such a struggle.    Today, we are going to be chatting about math word problems and I am going to give you a fantastic strategy to use with your students.  This strategy will become a routine in your classroom that I think will help your students resolve more problems with any operation.    I used this routine in my classroom and it made a huge difference and that’s exactly why I want to share it with...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Today we are talking all about how to give students feedback about their writing.    You know how much I love to talk about writing, but did you know that when I was a new teacher, I actually dreaded teaching writing? I just didn't know how to help my students be better writers. No one taught me that in college.   My lessons were too broad, and I really struggled to give good feedback to my writers that would help them grow and make...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Are you excited for Valentine’s Day this year?    If you told me a year ago that I'd be doing a Valentine's episode about socially distant Valentine's Day activities, I probably would have laughed at you. Now it is totally normal though and something we have to talk about!   Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Whether you’re teaching online or in-person this year, it’s going to look a little different. Just because we're...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Are you looking for a new way to keep your students engaged and motivated?    Today we’re going to be talking about how to use project-based learning in the classroom.    I fell in love with project-based learning when I first started teaching. As a student, I would always ask my teachers these questions: “when would I use this, and why do I need to know it?”   Does this sound familiar?    I know those questions can be super...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   You asked for an Inauguration Day resource, so I’m delivering.    Today on the podcast, I am walking you through a resource for you to use with your second, third, fourth, or fifth graders on Inauguration Day.   Talking about anything political can seem uncomfortable, but when it comes to the inauguration, you don't have to be political. This is a historical event!   The idea behind teaching isn't to tell students what to believe but...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Do your students forget everything over winter break? I think that’s pretty normal for all of us.    You’re likely going to need to review classroom routines and procedures with them anyway, so there is no better time to refresh your writing instruction with them as well.   I want to chat about starting your writing instruction fresh in the New Year. A fresh start is exactly what I want this year. Does that sound good to you too?   ...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Do you think of centers as time-wasters?    Today we’re talking about centers and why I’ve loved them ever since my first year of teaching.    I love an activity that stretches my students’ learning, but they also think it is fun, and centers do that for me. I’m going to teach you how to improve the quality of student work in your centers so that you don’t have to worry about them wasting precious classroom time.    By the end of...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   I have a special gift for you today.    I have 60 free writing prompts for you in two different formats. A printable PDF or Google slides that you can use in the classroom.    Now, I know what you’re thinking.   “Jamie, you HATE writing prompts!”   It’s true. I’ve spent years teaching you why I don’t use prompts in my writing workshops. However, I recognize that there is a time and place for them, especially in a year like this.  ...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Are you a teacher who spends a little too much time at school or even a little too much time working at home? Then this is the episode for you.   I want to challenge the idea that the only way that you can be a good teacher is if you work really long hours, and that only the teachers who work really long hours are doing a great job.    News flash: your value is not tied to the number of hours you work. Your value is what you do with...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Do you have students with ADHD in your classroom that you wish you could support better? Well wishes come true.    Today’s guest, Jillian Starr, is a struggling student turned passionate educator. Her dyslexia, ADHD, and sensory/auditory processing issues went undiagnosed for most of her educational career. Now she uses her own experiences to help students in her classroom, as well as help educators have a bigger impact.    She is the...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Today we are talking about one of my very favorite topics: writing.    I know that writing isn't everyone's favorite subject to teach, but it is my favorite topic to help teachers with. Whenever I go on social media and ask what your least favorite subject to teach is, writing always wins out.   I'm here to make teaching your least favorite subject so much easier.    I know what it feels like to hate it. I used to hate it too. But I...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Do you love teaching reading? Whether your answer is yes or no, I know you will find so much value in this episode!   I invited a good friend of mine, Sara Marye, to join us on the podcast today. Sara is a former teacher and administrator and she has a huge love for teaching reading. More specifically, she really wants to help her students find their love for reading and has so many great strategies to share!    Today we are...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Do you find teaching grammar kind of a nightmare? Are you scouring the internet for new fun grammar activities every week?   Yeah, I was you once too.    Until I found a much easier way to teach grammar that saved me time and made learning easier for my students. So that’s what I want to share with you today.    This episode is for you if you teach grammar in grades 2, 3, 4, or 5. And be sure to stay tuned until the end, when I’ll be...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Are you feeling a bit exhausted from perpetually being told what to do as a teacher lately?   Don’t worry, you’re not alone and you deserve a break! That’s why, in this episode, I’m going to be sharing a handful of things that you probably have been doing in the classroom but really don’t need to be doing. Did you just take a sigh of relief?   We’re going to discuss how to decrease your prep and planning time every week, which...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Is teaching math kind of a struggle sometimes?    I have just the girl for you.    Today we are joined by Brittany Hege from Mix and Math. Brittany has a Master’s in Elementary Mathematics Education and she is incredibly passionate about teaching students math, as well as inspiring other math teachers to be more confident in the classroom.    In this episode she is sharing her best tips for helping students with their word...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Are you struggling to get your students excited about reading?   Today, I am going to be sharing some of my very favorite ways to make reading lessons more engaging for your students.   Deciding what to talk about on the podcast has been a little tricky lately because school just looks so different for everyone! Some of you are teaching in your classrooms, some of you are teaching virtually, and some are combining the two.    So...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Today we’re going to talk about the election. Did you groan? If you did, I don’t blame you. I get it. But I want this to be exciting for you to talk about, because it is for me!    We’re going to explore how to talk to your students about the election without getting political, the importance of having an unbiased lesson about it, and how you can help your students understand the importance and privilege of having elections.    I know...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   Do you miss book clubs with your kids since going virtual? Maybe you’ve never done book clubs before at all but want to start?   Well, I heard you guys asking, so I’m here to bring some answers. Today on the podcast, we are going to chat all about how to run book clubs in a virtual classroom.   In case you didn’t already know, I am a very proud bookworm. I love to read, and I truly believe that it’s because I had teachers who were...

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!   So…….. virtual teaching. How are you feeling? A little overwhelmed? Yeah, I see you.   I know that you feel like you’re drowning with all the new technology, new strategies, and new concerns that come with teaching virtually. I have heard it over and over. Teachers feel like they are drowning, and I don't want anyone drowning on my watch! I'm not a very good swimmer, so I can’t be a good lifeguard, but I got together with my team and we...