The Teaching Toolbox - A Podcast for Middle School Teachers Brittany Naujok & Ellie Nixon, Podcast for Middle School Teachers

Classroom seating charts are an art form. Balancing IEP inclusions, student personalities, and the unique group dynamics from one class to the next can present some tricky puzzles. Let's chat about some fresh ideas for middle school seating arrangements in today's episode.
Topics Discussed
Survey results about what's working in other middle school classrooms right nowHow to measure if a seating arrangement is workingWhat to consider when creating a new seating arrangementHow often to change seats
Resources
https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/2014/08/classroom-seating-chart-strategy.html
Edutopia article for L-shaped seating: https://www.edutopia.org/article/flexible-classroom-seating-design
Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.
Let’s Connect
To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.
Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.
Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.
Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Mentioned in this episode:
Looking for support with Classroom Management?
Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Then take a look at these classroom management resources to see what is a good fit for your students: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Colorado-Classroom/Category/999965039-CLASSROOM-MANAGEMENT-999965039-1263189


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We can learn so much about people and time periods by studying photographs. What a powerful tool to incorporate into social studies units. If you're craving a way to shake things up in your classroom, this episode is for you.
Topics Discussed
Using primary sourcesHow to use artwork from a historical time periodActivities that feature old photographs
Resources
Take a look at the French Revolution activity discussed in today's episode:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/9798611?utm_source=TCCBN-POD&utm_campaign=French%20Revolution%20-%20People%20Places%20and%20Time%20through%20Primary%20Sources9798611-ARTPHOTOEP30
Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.
Let’s Connect
To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.
Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.
Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.
Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Mentioned in this episode:
Shop For Hands On Social Studies Activities
If you are anything like me, teaching names and dates in social studies class just didn’t cut it. I couldn’t remember them all, let alone make 11-to 15-year-olds do it as well. There had to be a better way.

Making social studies hands-on for students helps it to become more memorable and relevant instead of some distant date in the past. And when you don’t have time to think of all the ways to stand a lesson on its head, that’s where I step in.

Hi, I’m Brittany, from The Colorado Classroom, and I have comprehensive lessons that make learning interactive. With folding crafts, note-taking devices, graphic organizers, and coloring to...

Whether you love or hate geography, we all have to know how to get from point A to point B, how to read a map, how to understand others' perceptions, and to value each other's cultures. Geography is important so let's make learning FUN.
Topics Discussed
The benefits of making geography funWhy you'll want to incorporate unusual, weird factsOur tried and true fun activities for learning geography
Related Episodes
Episode 16 about beach ballsEpisode 27 about integrating social studies and literature
Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.
Let’s Connect
To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.
Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.
Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.
Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Mentioned in this episode:
Shop For Hands On Social Studies Activities
If you are anything like me, teaching names and dates in social studies class just didn’t cut it. I couldn’t remember them all, let alone make 11-to 15-year-olds do it as well. There had to be a better way.

Making social studies hands-on for students helps it to become more memorable and relevant instead of some distant date in the past. And when you don’t have time to think of all the ways to stand a lesson on its head, that’s where I step in.

Hi, I’m Brittany, from The Colorado Classroom, and I have comprehensive lessons that make learning interactive. With folding crafts, note-taking devices, graphic organizers, and coloring to collaborative research, projects, demonstrations, and simulations; whether you’re looking for world, American, ancient, or state history, geography, and more, I have you covered with lessons that will make your students excited to learn. Check them out at The Colorado Classroom on TPT....

If you want students to remember your classroom for many years, hands-on learning is the way to go. Today we're sharing social studies activities that will help make learning memorable and long lasting.
Topics Discussed
Why bother teaching with a hands-on approach?Our tried and true hands-on activities for social studies
Resources
Interactive Notebooks:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Colorado-Classroom/Category/12821300-WORLD-HISTORY128508-409115
Interactive notebook guide:
https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/free-interactive-notebook-guide
Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.
Let’s Connect
To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.
Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.
Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.
Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Mentioned in this episode:
Shop For Hands On Social Studies Activities
If you are anything like me, teaching names and dates in social studies class just didn’t cut it. I couldn’t remember them all, let alone make 11-to 15-year-olds do it as well. There had to be a better way.

Making social studies hands-on for students helps it to become more memorable and relevant instead of some distant date in the past. And when you don’t have time to think of all the ways to stand a lesson on its head, that’s where I step in.

Hi, I’m Brittany, from The Colorado Classroom, and I have comprehensive lessons that make learning interactive. With folding crafts, note-taking devices, graphic...

If you'd like to make the most of your instructional minutes while also helping students understand how different subjects connect in real life, then you'll love this episode about blending history and literature in the middle school classroom.
Topics Discussed
Why you might want to integrate subjectsHow to pair language arts and social studies topicsSome of our favorite books that lined up with the history curriculum
Resources
Take a closer look at Brittany's History Minutes here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Colorado-Classroom/Category/128216HISTORY-MINUTES-409113
Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.
Let’s Connect
To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.
Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.
Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.
Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Mentioned in this episode:
Shop For Hands On Social Studies Activities
If you are anything like me, teaching names and dates in social studies class just didn’t cut it. I couldn’t remember them all, let alone make 11-to 15-year-olds do it as well. There had to be a better way.

Making social studies hands-on for students helps it to become more memorable and relevant instead of some distant date in the past. And when you don’t have time to think of all the ways to stand a lesson on its head, that’s where I step in.

Hi, I’m Brittany, from The Colorado Classroom, and I have comprehensive lessons that make learning interactive. With folding crafts, note-taking devices, graphic organizers, and coloring to collaborative research, projects, demonstrations, and simulations; whether you’re looking for world, American, ancient, or state history, geography, and...

The home stretch is here! Whether you're seeing a lack of engagement or behavior challenges are on the rise, this episode is packed full of quick tips to make the end of your year a little bit smoother.
Check out Ellie's class expectation wheels here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Expectations-and-Class-Rules-Wheel-and-Template-for-Back-to-School-3886499
Check out Brittany's class expectations and rules resource here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Rules-and-Regulations-Lesson-Plan-Print-and-Digital-1331085
You might also enjoy Episode 4 about behavior and discipline and Episode 12 about classroom economy systems.
Please subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. Whether it’s Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or some other listening app, we encourage you to take a moment to subscribe to The Teaching Toolbox. And if you feel so inclined, we would love a review at Apple or Spotify to help other listeners find us just like you did.

Let’s Connect
To stay up to date with episodes, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram.
Join Brittany’s 6th Grade Teacher Success group on Facebook.
Join Ellie’s Middle School Math Chats group on Facebook.
Brittany’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Ellie’s resources can be found on her website or on TPT.
Mentioned in this episode:
Looking for support with Classroom Management?
Grab a digital mental health check-in for free and receive classroom management support from The Colorado Classroom: https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/product/mental-health-digital-check-in-form

Then take a look at these classroom management resources to see what is a good fit for your students: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Colorado-Classroom/Category/999965039-CLASSROOM-MANAGEMENT-999965039-1263189


This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable -...