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Classroom management. Wherever you are in your teaching career, whether it’s just starting out or you’ve been here a while, your classroom management strategies (along with your mindset) can make or break your teaching career. There are many components to it - it’s not just managing student behavior. But that’s what we’re going to start with. Because from the first day of school, you are "on." If you want to be able to teach the kids, have the kids behave, have your classroom not look like someone turned it upside down and shook it (well that might happen regardless), you have to have your classroom management strategies on lock. And it starts with how you teach rules, routines, and expectations. So, I’ve got a goody for you to take back to school with you in a few weeks, or next month, or in two months depending where you are in your summer break. I have created The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over . This is going to become a classic. You are going to get this out for years to come, and use it as a checklist of things to teach your students how to do life in your classroom. It is geared more for upper elementary (because that has been my world for the past two decades), but you may find it useful if you teach outside of that age range as well. Why are classroom management strategies so important? Rules? Routines? Shouldn’t we let them get to know each other, get started with some content…won’t the rules just come up naturally as we go? I mean, if they’re in upper elementary (and I consider that grades 3 and up), they’ve done this before right? Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. NO. They have not. Girl. Boy. Real talk time. They have had two months off. (If you are in the U.S., and maybe not, if you’re on a year round school schedule). But anyway, they have been off a school schedule, more than likely not on anyone’s schedule for a few weeks at least. They have reset. They are coming back from being wild and woolly, and that’s good, cause you know what? You probably needed to be wild and woolly after last last school year too! And unfortunately many of the home environments our students come from aren’t stable and lack structure. So they are coming back, and just assume when it comes to behavior, they remember nothing. You also have to take into account that your expectations may vary greatly from that of the last teacher your students have. What wasn’t a big deal last year, like noise levels or transitions, may be a big deal for you. Assume they know nothing. Treat it like a blank slate. So I’ve got the great 88 for you , but I also have some other guidance for you for how to establish classroom management strategies in the new school year. They all begin with P. Are you ready? You're about to learn about the important of presence , procedures , and practice . The first "P" that will impact your classroom management strategies is presence. That is, your demeanor. Your confidence. How you project your voice. It all matters. And when you’re just starting out or your coming back from a bad year or experience teaching, I know it’s hard to find your voice. But you’ve got to go in there from day one and establish you are the teacher. You are the boss. Now that doesn’t mean that you have to be mean. No. Not at all. We don’t want our students to associate use with that, they have enough of it from other surrounding forces in their lives. But you can be firm. And assert your boundaries . That’s what your students need, and it’s secretly what many of them crave. They want someone to be in charge and provide structure. It helps them feel safe to know that it’s you they can count on. But that means no wishy washy form you. You’ve got nothing to be afraid of. Well, maybe a little. But no. You’ve got to tell yourself “I am the adult. I am the teacher. These kids are looking to me. I set the tone.” The more sure you are of how you want things, want your students to do things and to behave, the stronger your presence will become. The next "P" that should influence your classroom management strategies is procedures. And this is all what The Great 88 is about . You have to teach them everything! If you want it, teach it. You may have heard that before, but it makes the difference between smooth sailing and…hitting an iceberg in October. You have to teach them everything you want them to do…and you’re going to need to do it consistently. Like…how to sit in your seat. Don’t want to see their feet on the chair? Gonna have to teach them that! Do you want certain supplies on their desk by the end of announcements every day. Better not just show them what supplies, but where you want the supplies on their desks. Sounds a little over the top, but as you’ll see with The Great 88 Checklist , you’ve got to leave nothing to chance. And…you won’t be able to teach them every rule, every procedure, on the first day. Or even the first week. You do need to let your class get to know each other, get to know you and have fun, but you also need to keep the focus on the long term goal - which is having your students ready to learn with as few behavior disruptions as possible . Seriously, going over how you expect the pencil sharpener to be used and when to to use it may seem excessive now, but it won’t in a few months when they know to sharpen their pencils first thing in the morning (notice I said pencil s not just a pencil) when it’s not interrupting your math lesson. Or teaching them how to clean it out and when so you don’t have pencil shavings strewn all over your floor. And the last "P" for classroom management strategies is practice. You will need to practice anything you want your students to do just like you will reading and math. They have to practice the procedures until they can do it…and if they forget (or try to push the envelope just to test you), you’ve got to reteach it until they get it. Practice may seen like it’s wasting class time, or being excessive, but it’s not. Not in the long run. Practicing also helps to establish your presence. They’re going to learn that you aren’t kidding! This is how things are going to be in your room. And you don’t need to be emotional about it. Don’t get angry when they need to practice. It’s not about the reaction. They’re kids, kid’s brains are developing, they’re going to forget stuff, especially at the beginning of the year. A lot of this practice will come from modeling the behavior or procedure that you want. Remember that “if you want it, teach it?” It’s also if you want it, show it. Show them what it looks like to stand in line keeping your hands to yourself. Show them how to walk from one center or station to the next without making a lot of noise and leaving a mess behind. Probably most important is showing them how you expect them to interact with one another. Especially if they don’t have a model of it outside of school, an adult who can model for kids how to have control of their emotions and work respectfully with others become that more important. So to review, the three P’s to establish classroom management this year: Presence - establishing your authority in the classroom. Authority isn’t a bad word or thing. Kids need authority figures. Leaders to show them the way. But you’ve got to act the part and believe in yourself and your power. Procedures - teach - all - the - things. Every little thing. They can handle it. If you want things a certain way, show them. How to talk softly. How to hang your coat. All of it. It will all make the difference and focus them to learn. And Practice. You won’t just show them once. You may have to show them all year. But what ever you want you will have to teach and to reinforce with practice. It’s not a bad thing or even a punishment. It’s learning how to be and how to do things in a way that will keep the calm and contribute to learning. We’re going to keep diving into classroom management in the lead up to back to school. Make sure you grab The Great 88 - Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over - I promise it’s something you can take back to school and use all year long. While it takes time and requires resolve, standing firm on your classroom management strategies will give you the foundation for a better school year - regardless of what comes your way. Grab it below!

I remember feeling crushed. Utterly disappointed. Everything was ruined before it ever began. My first year teaching was going to be nothing like I had imagined. With one course standing between me and a December graduation, my best hope for beginning my teaching career in 2003 was to get hired as a long term substitute for the upcoming school year. Five days before the first day of school, I got an offer to teach third grade. It was the only job they could offer me, and it was the only job I needed. I accepted the position sight unseen, without going to the school, meeting the principal, or having a clue what I was getting into. For the 45-minute drive to my first classroom, all was right in the world. Persistence had paid off, and I saw my first teaching position as a chance to finally live my purpose. I remember excitedly asking the secretary on the phone if there were any bulletin boards in the room. Of all things, I was envisioning how I was going to deck out my classroom to the nines with all the exciting things I was going to create…in the five days before school began. The uncertainty in her voice should have tipped me off that I was in for a not-so-great surprise, but I was too excited to pay attention. All that chutzpah evaporated after I climbed the four flights of creaky stairs to the dusty, tattered classroom that needed to be habitable in less than a week. Broken desks and towering, rusty filing cabinets outfitted the room. Jagged staples poking out of the walls like jagged teeth momentarily took my attention away from the dried flower arrangements hanging from the ceiling. A collection of California Raisins strewn around the room smiled blankly at me, almost like they were daring me to ask them if this was all a bad joke. A quick scan of the other third grade classrooms - bright, clean, and cheerful with matching name tags and carefully curated libraries - was enough to topple any remaining hope I had of quickly remedying this situation. I was so far behind where I needed to be, and didn’t know where to start. I paced my classroom, my inherited mess, in the dark, dust particles clinging to the air. I had no books. I had no resources. I had no teacher friends. …and, after prying the warped drawer of the desk that was to be mine open with a ruler, I realized I didn’t even have a stapler. Just another giant, dusty California Raisin that sang “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” when you threw him against the wall (squeezing his middle would have worked, too, but wouldn’t have had the same affect on releasing my frustration). This was not what I had studied and prayed for. In my 21-year-old mind, it was a disappointment of epic proportions. What I envisioned would be an exciting start of a promising career instead consisted of doing triage on a scattered assortment of student chairs and piecing together a set of teacher manuals. It wasn’t what I expected. Chances are, if this is your first year teaching, how this school year may begin isn’t what you were planning on either. Whether it’s teaching virtually or face-to-face with major restrictions, this era of masks, social distancing, and online classrooms is more than anyone bargained for as we prepare for back-to-school. We all share some sense of disappointment regarding the experiences and expectations we had for this year. Although the sadness and grief stemming from these losses is valid, there is good and purpose to be mined from all of them. Here are three things I have found to be true from experiencing disappointment - in the classroom and beyond. 1: With the right mindset, disappointment makes you focus on what you can control - and what you can control is usually the most important thing. There was no way I was going to have the classroom environment I envisioned my first year of teaching. I was lucky to be able to clean the room and doctor the furniture enough to have it be presentable on back-to-school night. What I quickly realized, with every meeting and handout I shoved into a growing three-ring binder, was I was going to need to teach these kids regardless of what I lacked. They were coming Monday morning, and above all, they needed me to put as much energy as I could into teaching them the best I knew how. You can read more about choosing to focus on what you can control when you download my free ebook The Thrive Guide . The same is true this year. You may not be able to structure your classroom the way you always intended, and there will be many things you do or don’t do this year that go against everything you believe about teaching. However, you can control more than you think. How you teach your students, in the classroom or through the internet, is up to you. How you choose to use your voice and ability to connect to your students, making them feel important and cared for, is your decision. Your attitude and response to the safety measures will determine in part how your students view them, and will serve as an example of how to deal with unpleasant circumstances in the future. Most importantly, you are in control of your own thoughts and attitude. How will you use this moment in time to form the beginning of your teaching career? Focus on teaching and reaching the kids - the rest will either fall in to place or fall by the wayside. 2: Unexpected circumstances are often a chance to rebuild and create something better. Many things in the education system are broken, and the crisis teaching situation that arose from the pandemic revealed even more inadequacies with access and equality. Despite the shortcomings, technology has been the uniting force allowing any semblance of normalcy and connection to continue with teaching. The flexibility and personalization possible with online or hybrid instruction is just being realized. In another blog post, I’ll go into detail about the things that changed in my classroom when I had to implement distance learning. Just as important is the review of the role and necessity of standardized testing . This crisis effectively moved assessments and their associated test prep to irrelevance. As one who has always seen the emotional and intellectual danger standardized testing has on student progress, the possibility we will have a chance to reimagine the role assessment has on determining achievement and effectiveness makes me hopeful. Much is going to change in education regarding the delivery of instruction and the creation of content . You will get to be a part of this change from the start of your career. While many teachers are adjusting to the shift in the role of technology, you will start your career out as part of the change. Aside from the grave seriousness of the events of the world, I see great potential for us all to be a part of what teaching and learning will look like when we come out of this on the other side. 3: Your experiences will help someone else someday. The mess I walked into almost 18 years ago this August? It made me able to empathize with many teachers who were dealt issues and circumstances that felt unfair and unconquerable. It prepared me for far greater disappointments I have encountered during my career that made finding order in a disordered classroom look like a snow day. I learned I could be resourceful, persevere, and overcome things that seemed destined to destroy my resolve. Most importantly, I have come to realize that everyone is seeking someone who relates to them, to feel validated by seeing themselves in someone else’s story. None of this makes sense now, but someday, be it 8 or 18 years, the wisdom you gain in this season of your career will form the message that other teachers grasp as a lifetime in their own storms. When they do, you’ll know - and it will suddenly all make sense. We’re all navigating this new normal and all the emotions it brings together. It’s one chapter of our lives we’ll look back at as pivotal in our lives and careers. Instead of letting the circumstances of this year’s back-to-school break you, let them make you into the person and teacher you have the potential to be. Be different, but more importantly, be the difference - and I’ll see you in the next chapter. Together, I know we’re going to make it - I heard it through the grapevine.

I didn’t realize how tired I was from teaching this year until…everything stopped. The routine, the schedule, the countdown to Winter Break. Once I put on the brakes - crash! Until the “car” or life stops moving as its usual pace, you don’t realize how fast you're going. Sound familiar? Just wanted to let you know that if you’re starting into a haze (or the television) and it seems like a monumental task to remember what day it is or to turn on the dishwasher, you aren’t alone. The end of the semester for schools usually signals the start of a break from school for teachers and students - but that doesn't mean the stress from the classroom and stress from the holidays have you feeling full of cheer. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. The holidays bring as much good tidings as they do great stress. This time of the year is not joyous for a lot of people. And when you are in a school all day managing the emotions of very hyped-for-the-holidays children as well as your own, it just compounds the the sad. You can lose yourself in the holiday hoopla at school and even let it drown out your own feelings for a bit…but all those emotions, all of the things you carry around with you personally that you have to shove down all day (along with your lunch)…they don’t go away. And they’re there staring you in the face after the 25th (or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year). As I’ve mentioned before, our identities are very intertwined with our jobs as teachers because so much of what we do is emotional - and many elements of teacherhood spill into life after students go home for the day. And then…we get what we’ve been waiting for. A week, maybe even two, off and away from it all. Except now, you’re going to navigate the family stuff, the personal stuff, the social stuff that not just comes with the holidays but from being a human being. Getting through the holiday teacher stress can feel like a monumental task when your body and soul is begging for a break. Personally, I’m relieved when the 25th has passed. Christmas, and the holiday season, brings up a lot of sad, stressful memories. Once it’s over, I can put the year that’s coming to an end into perspective and use the remaining days of the year to adult - not that I don’t adult any other time. But adulting without the attention that I give to teaching and students is different, more focused…and, do I dare say, more difficult? Just certain things that normally run in the background are now front and center, for one week only - except for still feeling in recoil from finishing the first semester. All that to say…this week, holiday break, winter break, Christmas Break, whatever you call it, is not about to do lists. It’s a time to heal and feel. Because whatever you struggle with during the holidays -  grief, depression, angst from your family situation - it’s like a wound that gets opened every December. And it takes some time, away from the hoopla, to recover from it. And…no one can tell you how to grieve, how to recover. This is a week to focus on your health, your family, and you. But that’s not to forget that we’ve got to go back to school in a week or so. And there’s no denying that school, teaching and all it entails has contributed to that numb and fried feeling that you have as you try to motivate yourself to be productive (reminder: resting can be productive). To stay motivated and keep afloat through the stress during the holiday season and as a teacher, I focus on two things. First, it helps me to think of the school year in halves. So when we return in January, it’s part two. New year, new half of a school year. With the rush as the first part of the year over, part two can be a chance to review and rethink things that aren’t working. Also, thinking of it as a fresh start of sorts helps as we enter the winter months when the days are short, dark, and cold (as least where I live it’s cold). Seasonal Affective Disorder is for real and the motivation to improve and try new things personally helps me get to spring. Even if you aren’t religious, now is a good time to think about the Serenity Prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr as we go into a new calendar year and a new semester of school. It reads, “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I’m going to go for the elephant in the room and say that there are many teachers in this current era of education wondering how long they can continue to stay in the classroom. Right before a break, student behaviors are off the charts. In addition to being kids excited for the holidays, what ever trauma and emotions they are processing is showing itself in full force - and dealing with that, in addition to your own life, in addition to all the demands placed on teachers to begin with - I believe you if you feel you have blown a fuse or two. It’s difficult to love something that causes you insurmountable stress. The holidays amplify that. Back to that Serenity Prayer. Accept the things I cannot change. There are things we have little control over other than to speak out and voice our perspective (I won’t call it opinion because that to me is solution less statement). Chances are, there’s a student or two (or many more) that will still be or will be entering your classroom trying your patience. I bet there’s going to be at least one more thing you have to document - if not, those same things will be waiting for you when you return. I mean, report cards have to come out sometime soon. The rocks in the road will be there, but you don’t have to trip on them. We’ll talk more about this in season four. Courage to change the things I can. There are things we can all do better. There are things we can do differently. Coming back in January for a new semester gives us the opportunity to start fresh, reteach routines, and try another approach. I’m not just talking about the classroom. There are things we can work on in our lives outside of teaching that won’t just help us during the school day, but will help us be healthier and happier. Here are some resources to help you get through the stress of the holiday season and the stress you encounter as a teacher: First is this blog post on Setting Goals and Boundaries for the New Year. There are resources and links in this episode that you can use over your break to think about what you want to do differently in the new year. The second is a project I worked on with TeacherVision last December (I’m a little late to the party with sharing it). TeacherVision is a website with webinars for teachers on a range of topics, and last year I was a part of helping to create a free series on teacher self care. You can watch the webinar or read the accompanying article at the link in the show notes. And the last part of the Serenity Prayer, “The wisdom to know the difference.” You are wiser and more capable than you realize. Sometimes, what we know isn’t what we want to act upon, because acting on what we can change or making choices based on what’s not going to go away is more than our mental load can bear. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled. Only you know what that means for you. If you are feeling drained by this season in life and teaching, I wish for you to have the wisdom and the courage to make the choices that will bring you peace. We all have something valuable to contribute to this world. It’s next to impossible to bring our best to the classroom and to life when we’re living in a state of distress and disarray. With the time you have away from school this week, I encourage you to let yourself heal and recover from the past year - so you have the energy and wisdom for the decisions you’ll have to make in the year ahead. The start of a new year is a great time to review and establish routines and expectations. Did you get your FREE copy of  The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over? It's a free checklist of ALL the classroom management things you need for back to school season, during and after the holidays or any time your classroom needs a reset. Get your copy below!

Nothing will sink your battleship and enthusiasm for teaching more than having to deal with student behavior. I'm not talking about the day-to-day small corrections - I'm talking about noise that makes your eardrums feel like they're about to blow, student interactions that make you feel more like a referee than a teacher, and feeling like you would accomplish more talking to a brick wall than telling that one (or ten) students to complete their work/ not to touch each other/ speak respectfully/ etc. I'm writing this in November, well past the honeymoon phase at the beginning of the year and entering holiday season. And if you haven’t noticed already - who am I kidding - the not-so-great behaviors in your room are ramping up. Just let me say this now - you are not a bad teacher, or incompetent, or unfit for the classroom if your head was about to explode from the insanity that ensued prior to Thanksgiving Break. Or the week of Halloween. Or anytime there is a full moon. Or the currently loading December, jingle all the way to the end of the semester. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. It’s not you. Once the kids are more comfortable with you, with each other, they will not only test you but let loose with everything they carry around emotionally each day - and that usually presents itself in many undesired, impulsive behaviors. If you need more resources on dealing with student behaviors, make sure to read these posts on statements and phrases to manage student behavior and establishing the structure behind any behavior management in the classroom - although its geared for back to school, there’s a lot you can implement at any time during the year, especially after you come back from a school break. You can reestablish control and structure - or, if you feel like you didn’t get off on the best start with behavior in your classroom, it’s not too late to get back on track. It takes a lot of resolve, but you can do it. Whatever you do, don’t give up on teaching your students how you expect things to be in your room and how you expect them to treat you and one another. It’s a long haul until May or June (or maybe for some of you even July), so now is NOT the time to throw up your hands. I decided to end the year on how to handle disruptive behavior in the classroom because how you approach it is something you can control - maybe you can’t control how many assessments you’ll have to give your class at the end of the semester, but you can master how your classroom will run and what behaviors you won’t tolerate. Also, I know that an unruly class chock full of chaos can damper your joy for teaching. You can be the captain of the ship - no mutiny, my friends! It takes persistence, but if you want to be a teacher and DON’T want your class to make you feel like walking the plank, keep reading! So let’s get to it. I want to give you three things you can take action on as soon as your finished listening to this podcast that you can take back to your classroom when you return from your break. Problem #1 - your class is loud. Really loud. This is one disruptive behavior in the classroom that I personally have to handle ASAP - because I need (as do my students) a calm learning environment. When I say a loud classroom, this is as in the volume button on the remote is stuck on up. And they're not loudly discussing how much they love writing or multiplication facts - the conversations get more off topic and the amount of work getting completed is dwindling with every passing minute. My solution to this has been Voice Levels. This is something you have to teach your class, but it’s worth it. It goes like this: it’s basically a volume control remote that you hold (and no one can hide or lose). Voice level 0 - no talking. Voice Level 1 - whisper. Voice Level 2 - six inch voice in groups. You can decide the parameters, and you can decide what classroom activities should be what voice level - and you can change you mind at any time! You do need to teach your kids what each Voice Level sounds like, when they use them, how they transition to one voice level to another - but this is you taking command of the loud. And it’s worth it. When your ears aren’t pulsating from the noise, you’ll wish you did it sooner. If you want slides and posters to teach and reinforce Voice Levels in your classroom, I have them available in my TpT store, ready to go! Problem #2 - You kids’ interactions with each other are OFF. THE. WALL. The disruptive classroom behaviors are taking your (and their) attention off of learning and putting the bulk of the energy on resolving peer-to-peer contact. We’re talking impulsive. We’re talking demonstrating feelings in ways that are very distracting to the learning environment. We’re talking not giving a fluff about those Voice Levels you taught them and going off the chain with the noise volume - AGAIN. This is were you teach kids to STOP. You shut it down, make them think, removed from whatever they were doing, and they come back to what they were suppose to be doing - after they take a moment to STOP. This gives the kids that are affected by the behaviors a break (and a chance to work without distractions) and makes the offender(s) take a minute or two think about what they are doing and how it impacts their peers. The best way to STOP a student is silently. They’ve taken enough  of the time and energy that should be going into learning - it’s time to shut it down without drawing anymore attention to the issue at hand. This can be with a hand signal or code word you teach your class, or it can be with handing the kid something physical, like a stop sign card. I’ve created color coded stop sign cards and slides - the code matches the issue, such as talking, off task actions... you’ll have to check it out! They’re color-coded as opposed to a traditional red stop sign so you don’t have to worry about the text on the card - just associate the color with what you want the student to stop. Again, you’ll have to teach and reinforce how the stop signs work - the goal is to turn off the undesired behaviors as quickly as possible so your class can refocus on learning. Problem #3 - By this point in the year, you have repeat student offenders disrupting your classroom, and if you haven’t already, you need a means of documenting how you are handling the issues in your classroom and communicating it with home. If you haven’t already, it’s never too late to start. Documenting, having students reflect, and sending communications home about behavior can end many unnecessary behaviors - it’s almost like once their cover is blown as to their behavior in the classroom, a lot of the minor things that students have been doing that make it more difficult to teach will cease. How do you get this paper trail going? Student reflections - it doesn’t have to be very long, just long enough that they write down what they did, what happened, and how they plan to correct the behavior. Weekly reflections - again, no need to be long, just enough to check yes or no to statements and think about actions. For longstanding issues, a communication log that travels between home and school to give a quick, daily snapshot of what occurred that day. There are many ways to quickly capture the essence of what needs to be addressed without adding a lot to your already overflowing workload (student reflections put the work mainly on them). If you are looking for some easy to implement forms that you can you for documenting and communicating going into the holidays, here are my simple, no nonsense forms for behavior management that you can start using tomorrow to set your students on a better path to making better choices in your classroom. That’s all for part one on student behaviors - next time I’m going to deep dive into group work and ways to get your students to work cooperatively without chaos. Until then, remember this: even when things are out of control, you are still in charge. It’s your classroom, your rules, your presence that sets the stage for how things are going to be and how students can expect things to go. No event or season can take that fact away from you. With guidance and reinforcement, you can maintain a classroom that, while not perfect, runs on high exceptions so that focus is on learning. It's never too late to create structure and order in your classroom environment. Get your FREE copy of  The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over? It's a free checklist of ALL the classroom management things you need for back to school season, during and after the holidays or any time your classroom needs a reset. Get your copy below!

I’m going to revisit a topic that I have discussed before, but from a different angle. And that topic is…being a people pleaser. I haven’t directly written on this, but some post that will be referenced and are worth reading if you haven’t yet done so are on setting boundaries, boundaries but from the perspective of making goals for the new year (you could also think of it as setting goals for the new school year), and saying "no." Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. So…people pleasing. Please disease. Do you feel like you need to go with the flow and agree to everything everyone asks or wants of you? Now, I realize many things that are asked of you as a teacher, you may not have much of a choice because it’s required of your job as a teacher. I’m referring to the things that are not so much requirements, but more in the favor category. Fulfilling someone else’s needs and wants (not a student, this is more adult-to-adult). Are you afraid to not give someone what they want or expect of you, because you don’t want to make them mad or come across as difficult? Do you go above and beyond, straining yourself and your resources, feeling the need to prove yourself, because you want to be in someone’s good graces (or are worried about not being in them)? When you can't say yes or are able to help, do you feel you have to go into great detail as to why to justify your stance? That’s all people pleasing, and we’ve all been there at some point during our time in the classroom, and just in our lives in general. You know that feeling when you’re put on the spot, and you know this isn’t what you need right now…but you don’t want to disappoint someone - or make them angry? It’s the fear, isn’t it? We fear what will happen if we say how we really feel and express if that doesn’t work for us, isn’t what we need right now. That ask feels more like a command that you have to comply with, when you really do have a choice in the matter…you just fear the outcome of it. …and that fear is heightened as a teacher, because it’s also covered in guilt. Wouldn’t a “good teacher” take on an extra duty, stay late, let someone use their classroom or supplies, be on another committee, fill in at the last minute, go above and WAY beyond…it makes my head feel on the verge of exploding just saying all that! And it’s all the more reason why you need to stop being a people pleaser. I went through a people pleasing season as a teacher. Then, I ran out of steam. Then, I burnt out. When the spark got reignited, I not only had to set some boundaries, I had to learn to say “no” and commit to the things that lit me up - and turn down the things that created more work than I needed - or just sucked all the joy out of me. So why do we do it - this people pleasing nonsense? I mean, we aren’t kids - we teach the kids! Shouldn’t we be on the other side of this already?!?! We teachers tend to be nice people who want to do good things for kids and for others. Teaching tends to attract these kind of people, thankfully! Along with that comes wanting to do the best we can for kids. Being a people pleaser seems like it should be a part of the job. We want to be “good” - and going against someone’s wants when it will help them or someone else out just feels “bad!” Maybe you were made to feel shame when you were a kid about not agreeing with others or saying “no” - so people pleasing just feels like the right thing to do because you fear the same response as an adult. Or, perhaps that one time you expressed your needs and weren’t in alignment with someone else’s requests it all blew up in your face - and you don’t want to feel that distress again. That’s a normal, natural response. But you can recognize the feeling without letting yourself remain in people pleaser-ville for life. This is why people pleasing is bad: Resentment. You can agree to all the things, do all the things, be the ultimate yes man/woman…but it’s going to eat away at you. It's the number one reason for a teacher to stop being a people pleaser ASAP. Even if you don’t vocalize it, the resentment of feeling dumped on leads to resentment and being even more displeased with your job as a teacher (or if you aren’t displeased…it will make you displeased). Resentment affects your relationships with everyone, whether it’s students, parents, your colleagues. It will catch up with you. Everyone is happy when you’re a people pleaser…but you. Usually, the person who is a people pleasure isn’t someone who asks others for a lot. Chances are you’re a little more on the ultra independent side (goes along with being shamed for having needs or saying “no” in the past…not that I would know or anything). So not only are you not getting your own cup filled, you’re attempting to fill everyone else’s with the few drops in your cup that you have. And that is a guaranteed recipe for teacher burnout. You can give and give and yes and yes, but the truth is that it won’t make you a good teacher. It will honestly make you less effective because you have fewer resources. It won’t make you better liked or respected, because the people who tend to drain your cup - not always, but often - are often those who don’t respect boundaries or really care about you to begin with. It may seem harsh, but not everyone has the same emotional quotient or level of empathy as you. When you have nothing left to give, feeling bad about not meeting the needs of others will be the least of your worries - because you won’t have anything left to function effectively and joyfully in your classroom. I used to be a people pleaser. Now, I am not. The pandemic and my new role as an art teacher was a reawakening for me. I had to start doing and approaching things differently if I wanted to hold to my newfound joy and pursue the things in education that were my strengths and interests. That doesn’t mean I don’t help others out and care about others. I do, deeply. But I can now be objective and sort out in my brain the gives and the give-nots. The heck yes’s and the heck no’s. If you are a people pleaser, this isn’t going to be easy. It won’t feel nice, right, or good. But it may save you from feeling unhappy and put upon all the time - and maybe even from quitting your teaching job. Here’s what to do instead: If you are a teacher who needs to stop being a people pleaser, you need boundaries STAT. This requires deep work on yourself. What are your times, quotas, and priorities? You’ve got to check episode #2 on boundaries. You are a person, too - what pleases you? What do you need from people. People pleasers tend to be very caught up in what others need while ignoring the things that light them up. But this is your chance to rewrite the script. You have to define where your own stop signs are so you can devote your energy fairly between the classroom and your personal life. Start using “don’t” instead of “can’t” once you’ve set those boundaries to make the stop of your people pleasing ways stick. When you say “can’t” it can seem wishy washy, like you could be persuaded otherwise if you could be psyched up a bit. Don’t is a brick wall that can’t be scaled. Be upfront about your “don’ts,” especially if this end of people pleasing is going to be a huge about-face for you. If you are the go-to person for certain things, sometimes it’s better to have a conversation about changes you are making to your life. You don’t have to over explain to justify why you feel the way you feel! There is no need to defend yourself as you stop people pleasing. To be blunt, it weakens your position and makes you look like you feel guilty or ashamed for not pleasing them (and even if you do…sometimes you’ve got to assume the character of a non-people pleaser until it becomes you). You have to start saying “no” and stop saying "yes" to a lot of things to realign your compass and get out of the people pleaser forest. Once you have your boundaries and goals (see episode 5), this is where you have to look your fear of not being liked or making people upset in the face. You’ve got to tell the truth. If you don’t want to do it, if it’s going to create more work for you that you can’t take on, if it disrupts your family life or your goals, if you don’t feel comfortable with the person who’s requesting this of you - it’s a big, juicy NO. If you aren’t sure about how you feel about something, you can think about it. Just because you are on a mission to stop your people pleaser ways doesn’t mean you can’t give things you aren’t sure about your consideration. Some things don’t require a right away answer and deserve your thought. There are times when I’m not having a good day and am sensory overloaded that I say “can I get back with you?” That’s because I can recognize in myself when my emotions are starting to strangle my actions and I can feel myself…loosing my footing. Needing a break from decision making. Maybe the ask really isn’t that big, but everything in that moment feels big. I stop back. But also, thinking about it can also allow you to stick to your guns and not feel so bad about turning down a people pleasing request. Give yourself time to revisit what you need and want. It’s only fair to point out that some people will not be happy when you quit your people pleasing ways. It’s not pretty. Your greatest fears about upsetting and disappointing people will be realized. You will probably have an argument or a not-so-pleasant exchange of words. Those that respect you and truly care about your wellbeing might be surprised at first, but they won’t think less of you. They may even respect you more. I’ve experienced all of this. You often see people’s true colors when you start having more self respect. The people that expect people pleasers to please are either not people pleasers themselves, or feel that that yes mindset makes you a good teacher or person. It’s a tough chain to break, but once you free yourself, it’s truly like lifting a weight off yourself. We want our students to lead productive, happy lives where they don’t feel they have to be less or give every last drop in order to be who they are meant to be. We have to as teachers be models of that mindset. Being a teacher doesn’t mean you have to live with please disease. You can have a servant heart without letting yourself be treated as a servant. It’s a lot of self work, but stopping your people pleasing ways will allow you to be a more present teacher and a happier human being. You know what else will give you peace? Classroom management that covers ALL the bases. Where's your copy of The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over? It's a free checklist of ALL the classroom management things you need for back to school season! Get your copy below!

As the saying goes, there's tired…and then there's teacher tired. I mean, I am teacher tired as I write this over Labor Day weekend! I’ve been back for three weeks now, one week without students prepping for the year, and two with students - and I feel like I’ve crash landed into three days of bliss. It’s been great going back to school - I’m very glad to see the kids, see colleagues, have the energy of being on a schedule and in a new year - but there really is no tired like teacher tired, especially back to school teacher tired. Yes, I know that other people in demanding professions deal with extreme fatigue as well, but this blog is about teachers and helping them navigate our unique circumstances. Other professions are going to have to get their own spokesperson, because I’m yours. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. I used to think there was something wrong with me because of the teacher exhaustion I would feel at the start of the school year - and honestly, throughout the year. Teacher tired may be extreme those first couple of weeks back, but it really continues throughout the year to varying degrees. I thought that maybe this was proof that I was in the wrong profession, that I couldn’t handle the demands of teaching. Being teacher tired doesn’t mean that you aren’t a good teacher or that teaching isn’t for you, because there are things about teaching that aren’t good for anyone and need to change or be viewed through a different perspective. Teacher exhaustion doesn’t do anyone - teachers, students, or schools - any good. It’s just a recipe for more teachers facing burnout and more teachers feeling they have lost their purpose or desire to teach. There are demands you shouldn’t be able to handle because they are outrageous. I said what I said. But back to teacher tired and how it’s different from just everyday “Yawn, I think I need a nap.” Being a teacher is exhausting - you are NOT imaging things. This is how I feel when I’m teacher tired, and you probably can relate: Fuzzy. I feel fuzzy, and not like Berkeley the Bear cuddly fuzzy. I guess a better word may be static like - I just can’t clearly focus on anything, verbal or visual. Everything just starts to run together. My reaction time is down. Way down. I drop stuff, don’t pay as close attention, and start making careless mistakes. My reaction time is down, but I am WAY more reactive - meaning that little things are more likely to upset me, I’m more likely to explode (yeah, I’m a real person, I get mad sometimes) or cry or get upset in general. It’s like everything I’ve learned about managing emotions and regulation from living on this earth for 41 years goes OUT the nearest window. (And I don’t mean yelling at students, although I’ll admit I am less tolerant of certain behaviors when I’m teacher tired and I use my big teacher voice. I’m more reactive in my personal life when I’m off duty, and I release how I’m feeling onto someone else). I’ve already touched on this with feeling fuzzy, but it’s worth repeating that I can’t focus - not even on simple household tasks. It’s like my motherboard is completely overloaded. I get very anxious and things that I normally wouldn’t be bothered about suddenly seem huge. An impending sense of doom kicks in. And perhaps worst of all, when I’m teacher tired…I have trouble falling asleep! I can’t turn off to let my body rest and repair because I’m so caught up in how I’m feeling and if it’s really teacher tired or if it’s time to hit up WebMD for a diagnosis. Which leads to the most unfortunate things about when I’m in teacher tired mode…I can count on catching some kind of sniffle, cold, or other revolting virus because my body can’t repair itself or fight it off. Does this sound like you??? I hope not, but I am sure that if you have taught for a week or more, you know these feelings all too well. Teacher tired tends to have similar symptoms regardless of grade or subject you teach. So let’s talk about why - besides the obvious - teaching is so exhausting. Teaching is its own brand of decision fatigue. Standing, talking, listening, teaching, correcting, writing, creating, disciplining…you’re a one-woman or one-man circus act. It’s very little time to yourself to process or recoil during the day - and after eight hours of that, day after day, it quickly takes its toll. Also - this is especially true at the start of the year - you possibly (if you aren’t on a year round schedule, but even then…) are coming off of an extended break where you weren’t on a strict schedule, didn’t have 20-30 kids in your personal space at once, and could pee whenever you liked. It was almost…adult like, for a few weeks or months. Then suddenly - BOOM! Back in action - no easing in to it, you’re back full force in the school zone (and kiss that free pass to the bathroom goodbye). Even if you did work this summer in some capacity, school setting or not, it probably wasn’t at this intensity. That jolt to your body and soul would make the most hardcore business CEO run and hide on the last seat of a school bus. All that to say - teacher tired is for real, you aren’t less of a teacher for feeling it, and it’s understandable if you feel like the melting emoji right now. So what do we do about teacher tired? Because living in a state of exhaustion and extreme fatigue is no way to teach and certainly isn’t going to make students learn better. There are LOTS of things that need to happen to make teaching more sustainable, but we’ve got to do something in the meantime if you want to have a healthy, happy existence. Your health matters. You are NOT a martyr - please check out this post on boundaries and the martyr mentality, because the mindset that you have to accept feeling poorly and being brain fried is just a one way ticket to burnout. When you don’t get enough rest and you operate in a state of perpetual teacher tired, your immune system is weakened and you WILL get sick. Sick teachers, sad teachers, and unhappy teachers aren’t what is best for you OR your students. Okay, how do I avoid teacher tired? Maybe it’s not about avoiding it, but how to contend and prepare for it. This is how I have come to deal with teacher tired over the years, so I can still love teaching and keep myself well: Accept that teacher tired WILL happen. It’s not a reflection of your abilities when you have extreme fatigue. It’s the nature of the beast that is teaching everyday with the demands it brings. You are not a superhero (you can also learn more about superhero syndrome in this podcast episode). Those feelings you have of being unable to concentrate, crying, stuck on the couch and not willing to get back up…that’s a normal response to the amount of stress you’re under. Normal, but unacceptable. Like I said, things need to change in teaching - we’re just going to work together to get through it in this moment. Anticipate how teacher tired is going to make you feel. It’s a bit like preparing for an inclement weather event. I think of it as emotional preparedness. This involves taking action and doing some things preemptively so when the teacher tired hits, I’m not without my emergency kit, so to speak. So that means: Talk to your spouse or partner (if you have one) about what you need in order to get through the teacher tired. No one knows what it’s like to live in your body but you. If you are both teachers…well, then you’re both going to need to talk about what is best to sustain each other through an exhausting period. I know that it’s difficult to make a non-educator understand what it’s like to feel the way you do, but you do need to (calmly) explain what you go through when school starts and the help that you need in order to stay present and healthy for your relationship and for yourself. Think about what meals will be easy to have on hand when you're too teacher tired to eat and prepare those first weeks back to school (or when it’s time for report cards, or the holidays…). I also think about what I want to bring with me to eat during the day to keep my energy up (NOT junk - I am actively working on bringing healthy food to school to eat and not emotional foods with no nutrition). While I’m not the MVP of healthy eating, I do try to stock up on produce and decently, acceptably healthy frozen foods to have on hand for when I know I will be too tired to fed myself well. Plan what you're going to wear and have it ready when you feel teacher tired coming on - because that usually means you won't even be able to match socks at some point. Hey, it’s one less thing to think about. I make sure I’ve got what I need clean for that two week stretch (or whatever stretch it may be during the year) so I don’t need to do an emergency load of clothes. (And maybe the lack of sock matching skills is just an area where I'm lacking...) I go into why I don’t bring work home anymore in this post on what kept me from quitting teaching, but when you're operating in extreme teacher tired mode, be even more firm about not doing school work outside of when it’s required. Otherwise, my brain would never repair itself and I would just run myself into the ground until I was unreasonably emotional, depressed, and resented what teaching was doing to me (when it was partly me doing it to myself). This also includes not thinking about teaching. No laying in bed ruminating about what I need to do tomorrow, or thinking of new things, or, or,…no. I actually will tell myself “no” when I’m in bed and start doing that. Otherwise, my brain won’t turn off and I’ll finally go back to sleep…thirty minutes before my alarm is going to go off. I seriously say (to myself) “Shh, go to sleep.” Schedule fewer personal commitments and activities when you're combating teacher tired. I know that is more difficult to do when you have children of your own who have activities (but…I think kids are way over scheduled as it is). Back to school is hard on everyone, including kids who are getting back into being on a schedule. Free time to play and be and just relax is just as if not more important than keeping anyone - young or older - with a full activity calendar. Quality beats quantity every time. And the last thing thing to combat teacher tired is to stay active. Which seems to contradict having less to do, but this is more about moving my body than keeping busy. Over the summer, I tend to be more consistent with exercising and being outside - I’m not on a school schedule, the weather is nice (hot but nice), and I have more time to focus on my personal needs. I love to walk in the evenings - it grounds me, improves my mood, and keeps me moving even when I’m not feeling so great. So even when I’m teacher tired, when I don’t even want to walk upstairs to get in the shower, I’m willing to slink like a snake off the couch if it means I don’t have to take another step…I go for a walk. Sometimes, it’s a short walk, especially when the sun starts going down earlier and it gets colder. But I have noticed when I make myself move, even when teacher tired is running rampant, I will feel better. I’m less irritable, because it stabilizes my mood. I’m proud of myself for doing something healthy and good for myself. And, it helps wear out my physical self to match my mental self so my body is equally tired when it’s time to go to be and I stay asleep! YAY! So to review, this is how I tango with teacher tired. I’m still tired, but I’m doing things to keep the fatigue from sinking my battleship: Above all, communicate to your spouse, significant other, or partner about what you go through when you are in the throes of teacher tired. They may not understand perfectly, but there's no way they will know what you need (and why you're crying) if you don't have an honest discussion about how you feel. I accept that teacher tired is a thing, but it doesn’t mean I’m lazy or incompetent. I’m just dealing with crazy on a minute by minute basis. I anticipate how teacher tired will impact my life and take action to keep from being a sobbing, cranky, miserable mess. And you’re sitting on your ivory chair over there saying that you never feel that way as a teacher…well, good for you for having anything ivory because I would NEVER keep that clean. And yes you do, too, feel that way way so get off your ivory chair and come sit on the dirty carpet with me. Think about what you need to have on hand to eat to get through the next few weeks of fogginess. Simple, healthy-ish foods that can be unthawed or are preprepared in some way. Have your clothing ready and clean. Back up outfits wouldn’t hurt. Turn off from school and be even more firm about your boundaries when you are teacher tired. Overloading yourself will not make you a better teacher or help you power through teacher tired. It’s just going to make you crash harder. Schedule fewer things when you are teacher tired fog fatigue. Having a simple evening routine is very underrated. Kids benefit from having time with you at home just as much as a full social and sports schedule - and it can help everyone get adjusted to back to school. …and move your body. Walk. Do yoga. Lift weights if that’s your thing. It doesn’t have to be overly strenuous, but physical activity gets the brain chemicals that make you feel good circulating and helps prepare your body to want to power down and hopefully get a good night’s sleep. And just in case you need to hear it…Rest is not earned or deserved. Rest is a right. Teacher tired is for real and will really wear you out. If we want kids to learn, we need teachers in front of them who are healthy, happy, and whole. While there are things that need to happen in education to relieve teachers of the mental load that leads to exhaustion, addressing the impact of teacher tired is an inside job. Sometimes change doesn’t start with the source of the problem. Sometimes it starts with us. One thing you don't need draining your teacher battery is classroom management at the start of the school year. Did you get your copy of The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over? It's a free checklist of ALL the classroom management things you need for back to school season! Get your copy below!

I know you’ve got to get your mind focused on those kids that are about to walk through your door, but first, let's talk about how you're doing, teacher. Sometimes, that week before the kids get back - when you’re just preparing for the year with your colleagues - can be just as stressful if not more than that first day or week back with your students. The uncertainty. The endless materials to get together and prepare. Not having enough desks or chairs. Schedule changes. I could go on. But I won’t, because you get it. You’re living it. I’m living it. It’s easy to be in your overwhelmed teacher era before the school year even begins. And that’s not a healthy place to be. Teacher overwhelm doesn’t do anyone any good. Now, this beginning of the year season will pass, we’ll get into a routine, and the school year with all its ups and downs will chug along. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. But what if this year could be a little bit - just a little bit - different? What if you didn't have to live your life as an overwhelmed teacher? Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, maybe your year is going to be way different that last year for other reasons and no advice is going to prevent you from being a teacher who is overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious. But please give me a chance. I’m talking about how you feel. How you respond to your stressors. What you prioritize. I’m usually not into doing a "word of the year." But this year, I have one, because teachers are quitting left and right. The stress and overwhelm of teaching has pushed many to their breaking point - and they aren’t wrong for their choices. We all have to choose what is best for our lives and for the people in our lives, the people we’re accountable to and for after the last bus pulls out of the parking lot. I will never shame any teacher who makes that choice. But there’s got to be a better way to do things. Where it doesn’t get to that point where teachers are so overloaded that they can’t continue go on. You deserve to live a purposeful, productive life you want to wake up to each morning. So my word of the year is…sustainable. (Aren’t you glad it’s not grit or rigor?) The meaning of sustainable is “able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.” A synonym is bearable. You see, nothing gets better if we keep accepting the same old, same old. Staying after school until 6:00 (or later). Grading papers every last waking moment until you fall asleep. Documenting, communicating, planning. There has to be a better way, because the current way isn’t drawing people to the teaching profession. If we want to attract better, feel better, DO better - the word of the year needs to be sustainable. You can’t do things until you break. Oh, you can. Trust me. I have. And I broke. I am a card carrying teachaholic in recovery. It was a long downward spiral to the bottom and a not so fun climb back to the top. But I’m in a place now where I can say “that’s enough for today.” Or, “Wow, this is too much. Time to back off.” A teaching practice that’s sustainable looks like this (or at least this is how I envision it): It starts with realistic expectations as a teacher. What can you take on that won’t strain you, stress you, and make you resentful of your choices? That means - how do you manage your time as a teacher to do the things you need to do each week? Having a “theme” day, so to speak, where you plan, grade, enter grades, etc.? That means - setting time limits. Even if certain things appear to take forever to do, amazingly when you have a limited time to get something accomplished, you tend to work more efficiently! That means - saying no. You know yourself, your limits, and how you need to divide your time between your professional and personal life. Having boundaries does NOT make you the bad girl or guy. We are all made of different stuff. Better to be upfront and temporarily uncomfortable disappointing someone than taking on tasks and responsibilities you can’t sustain. You see, sustainability builds stamina in an overwhelmed teacher. I don’t mean that to sound like you should just increase your work load as much as your body and soul permits it, but…let’s be real. Teaching is an endurance sport! And by October, you’re going to be a little bit tired and disillusioned. Come the doldrums of winter, you’re really going to be dragging your tail…if you don’t make sustainability the name of your game. If you start now at the beginning of the year with the mindset “this is the way it needs to be,” you’re allowing yourself to preserve the energy and resources you’ll need for when the going gets tough (and it will) later on in the year. And you know who wins the most by taking this advice to stop living life in a perpetual state of overwhelm? Besides the teacher - the students. They need the best version of you - and the ONLY way that is going to happen is if you are happy, healthy, and whole. No other way. You have to admit - you do a better job teaching and maintaining the everyday classroom craziness when you aren’t feeling like you’ve been fried to a crisp. The magic ingredient, the solution to some - not all - of the issues that surround teacher retention and attracting teachers is modeling and creating a sustainable practice. And when we can build up and maintain a teaching force that can recognize and act on their needs as teacher and as human beings, the kids benefit. So that is my word and my challenge to you. Let’s build a sustainable practice. One that lets us balance the responsibilities of our job with the demands of being a real life, flawed but well meaning parent, spouse, and friend. One that allows you to be committed and passionate about helping kids learn about the world and themselves, while being equally investing in your goals and plans for the future. One that focuses on what matters most and appropriately prioritizes or eliminates everything else. It’s a process, but this is the way to a better future in the teaching profession. This is the way if you want to love you job and love yourself. As we part for today, just know that I care about you. Whoever you are, wherever you are - your wellbeing means something to me. The work of loving and teaching our students starts with loving and teaching each other within our profession. There are no easy answers to how we do this very important job better, but there are lots of ideas. Better doesn’t always look like more - sometimes, it looks like less. It’s more efficient, better balanced, and much more realistic. I invite you to try some of these with me, and remember - you are loved. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by classroom management at the start of the school year. Have you seen The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over? It's a free checklist of ALL the classroom management things you need for back to school season! Get your copy below!

It's almost time for Meet the Teacher night, Open House, orientation, Welcome Back to School Night - whatever you call it where you are. If you have not had the pleasure of partaking in this ritual this is traditionally when students and their families come to the school to find out who their new teacher is for the year, where their classroom is located, who’s in their class, and maybe tour the school if they are completely new to the building. It’s your first introduction to the kids and families that attend, and first impressions are important. They set the tone for sure. But this is the problem with Open House Night, Back to School, Meet the Teacher Night…it’s held the first few days that teachers are back in the building. As in... when you are required to report back and have to be in the building, because chances are, you have made a trip or two out to your classroom to start setting up before you had to - we're going to go more into that in a sec. I’ll be real with you, I’ve been out twice - once for two hours, then yesterday for about a hour and a half, just to start setting things up, wiping things down. Make sure, by the way you check out last week’s podcast, where I went into the essentials of classroom set up. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. So, what is the problem? The problem is that you more than likely have to work outside of your contract hours to get ready for back to school and to get ready for Open House. Or, at least you feel like you need to, because chances are your first hours back in the building when you have to report are going to be filled with meetings...which is unfortunate. So, this is my big, grand piece of advice for Meet the Teacher Night…it doesn’t have to be perfect. Let go of that idea now. ...Or completely ready - your classroom, that is. Especially if you are in the very cruddy situation where your Open House is scheduled the first night you go back! I know that’s possible. But…and this veers away from back to school…there’s got to be a better way. We have to stop expecting and accepting that teachers are going to work for free. Now, if you have reached a point in your teaching career where you DON’T go in before you have to, that’s great! And I know when you’re new, there’s isn’t a lot of room around it, but that can be said for anything new you take on in life (you should be getting paid for it though). And here I go cracking on InstraCrud again, but social media paints a false narrative of what back to school night is all about. Bright colors! Picture perfect classrooms! All the cute, amazing, perfectly charming stations. NO! It’s not! Let me tell you what it’s about and what needs to be your endgame. Meet the Teacher night is about kids getting to find out who their teacher is for the new year and who is in their class. That is what they care about. That is why they are there. Parents want to see who there kid’s teacher will be, take child to classroom, meet the teacher and introduce themselves (although sometimes they don’t choose to, which is fine. They may just want to see where their child’s classroom is and get the necessities for back to school). I say this to caution you that it is not necessary to over stimulate parents with bells and whistles for back to school night. Your good first impression will not come from how perfectly coordinated your rooms is. In fact, I think it’s good for parents to see things that still need to be done, so they can see that there is no magic wand, that setting up for a new school year is hard work! Also, put it in perspective. Your students are coming back from a summer of different experiences - some good, some not so great. So are your students’ parents. Back to School time is stressful for a lot of families. You want them to learn about you, your classroom, and what they need to know and complete to get started in your grade or subject for the year. You’ve got all year to wow them with your teaching - and, there’s a lot of teaching to be done. Save your energy and pace yourself - keep the main thing the main thing for Open House. So the things that I would steer away from, or maybe NOT rank in high importance for Meet the Teacher… A word of caution if you plan to give your students a treat or present as a Meet the Teacher Night gift…please think twice before you make it food related. I know - I see it everywhere, the cute bags of crackers that say “You’re o-FISH-ially in my class or “Do-NUT worry, it’s going to be a great year!” The intentions are good, but…allergies. You don’t know your class yet more than likely, and you don’t know who can have certain foods, who can’t be in a room with particular food items…and I don’t just mean peanuts. There’s gluten, food coloring, dairy…to me, the food treat could backfire in so many ways that you innocently wouldn’t think of. I would stick to giving them a pencil, an eraser, if you want to give them something tangible. I would not do food. You also don’t want to have your first interactions with parents be them disgruntled about a food item that causes their child to be allergic. You also can just not do a gift. It’s totally not necessary. I had years where I did it, and I had year where they just got a letter from last year’s fifth grader talking about what my classroom was like. They were more excited about the letter. (It’s a little late to have last year’s class write this year’s a letter, but I will discuss that at a latter date.) Another thing that’s very popular now is having stations or scavenger hunts as part of your Open House, and I get the scavenger hunt for students who are new to the school, but as stated previously, back to school is stressful for many families. They want to meet you, they want to know what they need, what they need to fill out, and maybe fill you in on somethings about their child. They’ve got some more summering to do before the kids go back on the first day. It doesn’t have to be a big production or be complicated. Like I said, you’ve got all year to wow them with your creativity. So...what does matter? Here are some Meet the Teacher Night ideas that I consider essential and necessary for having a productive and positive experience that set things in motion for the rest of the school year. Of all the ideas I could give you, the simplest is this - Have a place for your students to sit by Meet the Teacher night. As mentioned last week, get their desks or seats at tables situated alphabetically- you can change it up in a week when they have revealed their true selves! Have a place for them to sit, and have extra seats ready in case you get a student placed in your room during Open House - stranger things have happened! What should be at that seat? If you want to do a treat, that’s great. But what you really need... You want to have a Meet the Teacher Letter, geared for the students, to introduce yourself. You may choose to have two letters, one for the students, and then one for parents that goes more in-depth. Another alternative is to have a brochure, with basically the same information, just a little more condensed (it’s also an option to send something out ahead of time in a brochure to your students, if you have their addresses and if your school if paying the postage). These are both products I have in my TPT store - both the newsletter and the brochure for Open House Night… But that’s not all! Go ahead - the forms are going to be coming in left and right - and get parents to fill out or take home and fill out as much paperwork as you can. You want to get this part out of the way as soon as possible because it takes a lot of organizing, you might as well do it on Open House. Some teachers like to set up stations around the room where parents go and fill out the form and turn it in a tray at that station. And that’s fine, because the forms are then kind of organized for you. But some information parents may not have on them at the moment, or they don’t feel comfortable filling it out in front of others…or they aren’t good with following directions around the room to go to all the stations. I put the forms on my students desks, kept adding to the stack on each desk if we got things from the office, then right before Open House, I’d tuck the forms into the file folder that I had one their desk. That way when students came in with their parents, there was the folder at their desk with everything they needed in it. They could fill it out there and give it back to me, take it with them, whatever worked for them. It also was convenient to have it in a folder for when I got a new student - just give them or their parent/guardian the folder with everything they needed to complete. What forms should be in this folder? Some of that will be determined by your school/district, but (not a form) I did have a student information sheet, separate from an emergency card that I could have on hand to know about who was in my class and any issues I should know about right away. Other forms were transportation, allergies, volunteering, supply list was on my parent letter, transportation… In fact, I have taken all the essential forms that you need for back to school Open House Night and have created the Back to School Forms and Letters Kit. It is everything you need that your school and district doesn’t give you that you need to get the info you need at the beginning of the year - and beyond. There are also class rosters in this kit, checklists, pre-made letters for conferences and field trips - it is meant to make your entire year run smoothly, not just back to school night. At some point, you want to have a presentation that is either automatically going through the slides or that you personally share with parents - depending on how your Meet the Teacher night is organized. I’ve also go a resource for that - its a Back to School Presentation with 60 different slide options. You don’t need 60 slides - I just gave you as many options as I could think of for your teaching situation - but the best thing is you just need to choose the slides you need, enter the info…and boom, you’re ready. In fact, I would keep your presentation just to the things that are most important. Just what you want them to remember right now - because going into everything you teach or do for the entire year, when they’ve got things to do between now and the first day, they aren’t gong to remember it. Stick to things that are most important for the first days of school. And...if you are looking for an all in one, all the things you need to get through Open House night and beyond - I have packaged all of my resources in a Back to School Editable Bundle - everything for Meet the Teacher Night, all the essentials, again, these are linked in the show notes and available through my store Next Chapter Press on TPT. Another thing to consider...if your school or district provides parents with a recommended supply list prior to Meet the Teacher Night and you anticipate students bringing supplies with them, think about where you want them to put these supplies - especially the ones that are intended to be communal. For example - disinfecting wipes, tissues, notebook paper - have boxes or designated area where these supplies if brought in can be placed. At some point on Open House night, you will be interacting with the kids, your new class, and their families. That’s what it’s all about, getting to know each other, with no bells and whistles, just talking to each other as human beings. It’s a chance, maybe your only chance, for parents to see you as a human being - a person whose on the other end of the phone, email, note home. The only thing you can do is be your authentic self. If you are naturally more reserved, you don’t have to act out of character just to feel like you’re impressing them. If you are louder and more extroverted, do you, boo - don’t hide who you really are! We ALL have to learn get on with people who are different than us - and there’s nothing wrong with who you are. Or who they are, for that matter. You do want to at least make an attempt to greet and speak to everyone who wants to be spoken to. (Some people are going to get in, get out - that’s okay. Don’t take it personal, because it’s not). There is going to be someone who Just. Won’t. Stop. Talking. While there are kids that need to have the 411 before they are in your room and I’m as you are too appreciative of the parents that come forward and provide that information instead of SURPRISE - you can’t have your time monopolized when you there to meet everyone. So this is an easy parent communication fix. Let someone finish their sentence. And say, “I’m sorry, could you repeat your name?” After they do so, Use their name and say “Mrs. Smith (if it’s that) thank you. This really helps me and I can tell there is more that we could discuss. Could you (choose what you prefer - phone call, meeting, email) me some more information so that we can discuss this more confidentially?” Emphasis on the confidential, because some parents loose sight of this, that there are other kids are parents (and therefore ears) at Meet the Teacher night that can hear what they are saying. Get that information, or show where in your meet the teacher letter where your contact info is, and thank them profusely. Then move on to your next parent. Let's review, because this was long but important: You don’t have to your entire room ready or perfect for Open House. Don’t exhaust yourself before the year begins. Seriously. Keep it Simple. You don’t need goodies. Or food. Or a super cool find-a-thon. Do provide them with the necessary info about your room. A meet the teacher letter to students and to parents that they can take with them. All the forms so you can begin collecting all the info needed to liftoff on this new year. Keep your presentation to the essentials - the things they need to remember and know about your room (rules, arrival/dismissal, schedules - you get all the slide choices). You will interact and speak with your students and families for the first time - be yourself. More around the room. Make eye contact and be proud of you. Listen sincerely. But don’t let your time be monopolized, because some info can be shared confidentially at another time. Meet the Teacher night is just the first of many memorable moments you’ll have this school year. There will be hiccups. It won’t be InstaPerfect. But you are capable, and you can find joy in this profession and school year. Stay focused on the organization and establishing how your classroom is going to run, and things will fall into place. Have you grabbed your copy of The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over? It's a free checklist of ALL the classroom management things you need for back to school season! Grab your copy below!

If you haven’t already, you soon will be back in your classroom getting things ready for the new school year. A lot goes on before you even see a single student. Unless you are a teacher, you are unaware (sure you may know, but you just don’t know) how much work goes into setting up a classroom when it’s ALL been packed away for a few months. In fact, that is the wake-up call that summer break is nearing its end - when you walk in that empty-ish room and it hits you that YOU will be putting it all back together. If this is your first year of teaching and you’re setting up your classroom for the first time, you’ve got a blank slate. Which can be nice, but also like being stranded on a desert island and all you want is a stapler. Or maybe that was just me. I just wanted a stapler. But I couldn’t get to it because the desk drawer it was in was swollen shut - yes, it was a very old wooden desk. It’s a very long story that I don’t know if I’ve shared on here (yet) but it involves at least five filing cabinets and the California Raisins. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. But that’s for another time, because before you can feel ready to teach, you have to have your space ready for the kids. I know that social media has given you lots of ideas for what you “need” - and I use need loosely because, let’s face it, social media is trying to get you to buy, buy, buy. And feel, feel, feel - unfortunately, it can start to make you feel like you can’t compete with all the colors and organization. I’ve felt that way, too. What initially began with Pinterest (how old am I that I remember when Pinterest came out - amazingly, my first years of teaching we survived without it) sharing ideas and learning new things has become marketing mania. You are being sold to, just like ads in a magazine. Before we get started, I feel I’ve got to emphasize this because classroom set up - effective classroom set up - has NOTHING to do with looks. Yes, you need to have your students feel welcomed and stimulated to learn and feel like you are just as "extra" as the teacher down the hall. But fast forward a month from now, when the kids are in front of you and you’ve got papers to grade and things to teach - the aesthetics will not matter as much - if at all. It’s going to be "trench time," down in the trenches teaching. And all the color coordinating in the world can’t save you if you don’t have a functional space. So that’s what I’m going to talk about with you today - what you need to do in your classroom set up to make it functional and support learning. You can make it pretty AFTER you make it functional. These are the things that matter most with classroom set up for back to school. Number one - do this if you can when you set up your classroom. For the first few days or first week of school, plan to sit the kids alphabetically. WHAT?! NO - blasphemy! How dare I suggest such a thing. This is why though - you don’t know your class yet. (Back up. - maybe you don’t have desks, maybe they’re at tables in your room - still ABC it. I’m coming from upper elementary land.) Anyway - like I said, you don’t know your class and who works well with who yet. You probably would also like to avoid the disgruntled parent who tells you “Oh, my child can’t sit beside that child” on meet the teacher night. At least now, you have an out. “Thank you for letting me know, I just arranged seats alphabetically to hand out materials…” Because that is why we do it alphabetically. You are going to have to distribute materials to each student and it will probably come to you by student last name. You save time if you have them sitting alphabetically at first so you can pass things out. They don’t have to stay this way. You will learn who is who and who can and can’t be with who fast. And if they are in rows, however that may be, it will be easy to put them into groups if that’s your end game. But start them out ABC - it works. The next thing goes RIGHT along with setting kids alphabetically, because you are going to number everything in your room when you do your classroom set up. Yes. Each kid is getting a number based on their last name. You can wait to assign numbers until you have a finalized class list, but this is another classroom management hack that will save you time and frustration. That number is going to save you from having to write or type out labels with names. If you number things like cubbies or plastic boxes, you can reuse them year after year (I mean, wipe them out, clean them up first). Every kid has a number, every number has a space, like for their chrome books, or iPads, or their clips for lunch count. Numbers also work well if you need to call roll quickly - start at zero, and then have the kids call out their numbers in order. So far, we've got ABC, 123. To go along with that, you need a crate. Like a plastic crate, and you may want more than one depending on how many classes you have. This is a fast and relatively cheap way to have a system for collecting work or storing assignments and papers. You are going to put hanging files in this crate, and each hanging file is going to have a number that belongs to a student. And that is where they will put their work, assignments, packets, whatever you choose to use it for. These crates need to be in locations in your room where the students can easily access them without having to ask you “where do I put this?” So now we’ve got ABC, 123, crates that they can easily access. Speaking about easy access…that’s next. When you begin your classroom set up, you’ve got to decide what you want them to have access to and what you DON”T. Because you don’t want to always have to stop drop and get them a tissue. A band aid. A pencil. Notebook paper. A hall pass. Decide where you are going to position your “self serve” items. And when you go over rules, routines, and expectations - which, if you haven’t already, download the Great 88 - the classroom management checklist of your dreams! 88 things to go over and over! You are going to point out where these self serve items are, how you use them, when they can go get them. As I mentioned you also have the things you DON’T want them to get into. Maybe…it’s scissors if they won’t need those everyday. Maybe it’s tape, or the books you use for mentor texts. The things you don’t want them into need to be out of sight and mind so they don’t get into them by accident and you have control over when and how they are used. I know it looks nice to display things, but if you’re not using it daily or you don’t want them to be a distraction, put them away. Next, You need to see all the kids at all times. That was blunt. But boom. Super important. When you are setting up your room, you need to ensure that you will always have your students in your sight. That may seem silly to think about I mean if they are in your room why wouldn’t you see them. Your eyes stop a lot of things. And there is going to be a lot going on in your room, and you need to be able to catch and correct before it escalates. Student desks and tables should be able to be seen by you wherever you are in the room, whether if it’s in the front teaching a lesson or working with kids in a small group. This will be something you’ll need to keep in mind all year. Like if they are working on the floor - can you see them if you’re at a table? If they are in the class library, can you see everyone - think twice - I know it’s cute, but those teepees and reading nooks - the intentions to create a fun space to read are there, but you don’t want to create situation where you didn’t see an incident go down because of the spaces you created. You need to see them at all times. And lastly, flow. Think about the pathways and flow of your room. How are they entering/exiting? Can they do that without running into a bookcase or having a table in the way? If you do groups, can you get between the aisles? For rotations or doing small groups, how will they move from one station to the next without a traffic jam that causes you to lose time getting kids situated? It’s hard to envision this without your class there - but walking through it yourself, thinking about the number of kids that need to be in each area at a time, helps you when setting up classroom furniture and items so you spend less time doing crowd control and more time teaching. Let recap - the most important things you need for classroom set up: Set up students desks/table areas alphabetically at first until you know them and have distributed materials. It’s not a permanent arrangement. Give every student a number - you can wait for a final roll - and number all the things students will use or have distributed to them… Speaking of which, a crate with hanging files that are numbered is an effective, inexpensive way to have students organize their work or materials. Decide what things in your room need to be easy access and what things need to be distributed by you on a case by case or lesson by lesson basis. They need to have access to things that will lessen classroom disruptions. They do not need access to all the things all the time. You do need to see the kids. All the time. Everywhere. No cool hidden nooks or corners. That’s not cool at all when kids start pointing fingers. And to end with - flow. Pathways and flow. Think about how the kids will move around your classroom. We want it functional and flowing. See, this is the stuff that matters. You don’t have to have all the things that were #backtoschoolcool on social media. These are the things that will make your year run better. These are the things that will matter in October when the kids are eyeing that Halloween candy like a gold medal in the Olympics. Your flow, your routines, your organization will keep the ship upright. For more things that will help you keep you classroom moving along, grab your free checklist of The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over below. It’s made just for you to help you start the school year with confidence and peace.

Ever had a student throw you off your teaching game with their actions or attitude? If so, then this post on behavior management is for you. In my last post in the back to school series I talked about the basis of classroom management and introduced The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over. It’s your free checklist of all the things you need to teach your students in upper elementary -all the behaviors that is - to have a smoothly running classroom. We’re going to switch gears slightly today and directly address student behaviors. You can still grab your free copy here or below. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. I cringe even bringing this up right now on summer break, because you may still be recoiling from last year and that one kid - or, keeping it real, more than one kid - that was difficult to deal with and caused disruptions to your classroom. If student behaviors have become the number one stressor for you and have made you even consider quitting teaching, you are not alone. Even the teachers that act like they don’t have behaviors issues with their students, they’re bluffing. That doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to keep from turning in your keys and giving up on your teaching career. Students are people - younger people, less experienced people, but nonetheless, people. They have feelings and developing brains, and they aren’t going to think or process life like an adult (and to be honest there are a lot of adults that don’t process life like adults). In the aftermath of the pandemic, you might be noticing even less self regulation from students, more impulsive tendencies, and even more immaturity. They don’t appear to be where they should be academically or behaviorally, and it’s disheartening and frustrating. It becomes hard not to take it personally and feel like you aren’t effective as a teacher. While I can’t address every nuance and unique situation in your room, after two decades in upper elementary I have found some things that work when managing student behaviors and redirecting behavior specifically to minimize disruptions, time off task - and as a way to preserve my energy and sanity. I am not perfect - I don’t always say the right thing, and I get tired of having to repeat myself. And after fifteen years in 5th grade, boy was I sick of the drama. But as I talked about in my last post about the three things you have to have for effective classroom management - having a strong presence - asserting yourself, having confidence, teaching all the things, practicing and reteaching until they are ingrained - all help build the classroom environment that you want and need for learning to take place and for the kids to not hang from the ceiling. But what do you say when it’s time to redirect behaviors? When they test you, push the envelope, or just plain forget, get caught up in their feelings? I’m going to give you three things you can add to your behavior management plan now and start to practice saying when you need to redirect student behaviors to get them back on track, help them self regulate, and teach the behavior that you want to see from them. This is also going to be how to model the language and actions you want to see from your students. You want have to raise you voice, get your blood pressure up - add these phrases to your "teacher speak" so you can quickly get back to teaching. The first statement to add to your behavior management plan to redirect student behaviors is “We don’t do that here.” Let’s say there’s a student in your room who wants to hold something, is getting tired of waiting their turn, and they try to grab it from someone’s hand. You say, “We don’t do that here.” Maybe at home, that’s acceptable, that’s how they deal with things because they aren’t taught differently. But they are in your room, so it’s your rules. Now, you say, “We don’t do that here,” but don’t leave them hanging. You’ve got to tell them what you do instead. So, you would say “We wait our turn or ask if we can touch/hold etc.” You may even want to model how to ask with the student who was having things grabbed from them. You’re addressing the behavior as unacceptable, even if that’s how they are allowed to interact elsewhere. You can’t control elsewhere. And you’re demonstrating what you do do in that situation. The second phrase to add to your behavior management playlist is “Make another choice.” For this example, let’s say you have a student who doesn’t like that they have to redo a math paper. This student stomps their feet back to their desk and proceeds to try to pull everything out of their desk. You can front load this with “We don’t do that here,” but you can also go right into “I see that you are upset but this isn’t okay. Make another choice.” You’re allowing the student to feel, because no one likes to redo a paper, but you aren’t allowing them to tear up their desk and make a scene because they’re big mad. “Make another choice.” They get to choose - emphasis, they get to choose, you’re giving them the power with this statement to self regulate - another way to express their feelings. You might have to provide them with some choices. What do you do when you’re upset - but can’t rip up your desk or stomp your feet? Maybe they can take deep breaths, go to a corner of the room to cool down, count to ten, ask to get a drink of water. Give choices. They can choose. But they can’t choose to act out and disrupt the class. They have to “Make another choice.” And one more statement to redirect student behavior is “I don’t like that. Please stop.” And as an aside, you can tell them what behavior they need to be doing. For this example, let’s say a student keeps bouncing their pencil eraser over and over, boing-boing, on their desk while you're teaching. Yes, you can stare them down, or shake your head - you don’t have to say anything. But sometimes kids don’t get the hint. So, walk near them, and say assertively “I don’t like that. Please stop.” You’re telling them how it makes you feel. You’re telling them you don’t want them to continue the behavior. In less than three seconds, you’ve addressed what needs to happen. Yes, you can tell them what behavior they should be doing, but this works well for just when you need to nip something in the bud, fast. But what you’re also doing with this statement is modeling for this student and others how to deal with things that are bothering them. When someone is doing something you don’t like, that bothers or distracts you, just say, “I don’t like that. Please stop.” No yelling, touching, tattling. It’s a statement and a directive. It also shows kids that you’re a person too, and we all have things that are quirks or peeves that we don’t like. I personally hate repetitive noises. But I model for them with that phrase how I deal with something that’s bothering me in a respectful manner. To review, here are the three phrases to make a part of managing student behaviors in your classroom: “We don’t do that here.” Let them know this isn't acceptable behavior - and what they can do instead. “Make another choice.” Allow them space to have their feelings, but redirect them to choosing a more acceptable, less disruptive way to express their emotions. “I don’t like that, please stop.” Stop distracting behaviors quickly and politely, while modeling for the class how to handle interactions with their peers. As a disclaimer, I know these three phrases won’t fix every behavior issue, and students who don’t allow you to teach or keep their peers from learning need to be addressed accordingly. There are absolutely instances when students who make the learning environment a difficult place to learn or who threaten the safety of others (not just physically) need to be removed. But your words and demeanor, your presence are the anchor of the ship. Your students are looking to you for guidance even when you don’t realize it, or think they are paying attention. You teach them more about how to interact than you realize, and it often starts with how you address conflict. We’ll continue more with our classroom management and back to school series next time - make sure you download The Great 88. It’s a checklist of Rules Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over at the start of the school year so you are prepared to set the foundation for a successful school year. Get your free copy below!

I’m not sure where you’re at in your summer break (if you are reading this during the summer), but for me, at the time of this posting, there is exactly one month left of summer break. Time flies. Maybe you’ve already started thinking about it, or planning for the new year. Maybe you’re like "shhhhh don’t say anything, I can’t hear you!" I’m not ready to start thinking about it in earnest either, and I’m not too jazzed by the Target and Walmart displays of school supplies already up either. I know a lot of people focus on what you need to start the school year and there are a lot of things, too many to put in one podcast. So what I’m going to focus on are the things you DON’T need for back to school as you begin setting up your classroom for back to school. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. Now I need to clarify some things. This is coming from the perspective of someone who has taught upper elementary for going on 21 years. Wow, this year I’m starting what could be my final decade in the classroom. I feel like the giant eyed emoji saying that. So this is directed to my elementary, upper elementary readers. It’s also more for you who, perhaps are a newly hired teacher, and while you feel excited, perhaps you’re getting a little overwhelmed at all there is to do and acquire before the start of the year. Or, maybe you’re heading back into the classroom after being on an extended break in your career. Or…maybe you haven’t recuperated from last year yet and you’re feeling a little or a lot burnt out still from that. OR…perhaps you know going into this school year that it’s going to be a little more difficult due to circumstances out fo your control, not necessarily classroom related, but things going on in your personal life. I have been in all of those situations at the start of the year at some point, and it’s not a great feeling. I felt inadequate and dismayed that there was an ever growing list of things to do or get just to keep my head above water, not to mention try to keep up with everyone else. Before I begin my list of things you don’t need for back to school, I’ll tell you what matters most: that you teach the kids and help them realize their purpose in this world. Being a good teacher has nothing to do with all the hooey you’ve seen on Tik Tok and Instagram reels this summer while your mindlessly scrolling through your phone. (and…if that is a habit you need to break, check out episode 3 on Social Media and Teachers to see if what you are consuming online is making you WELL or SICK). Your students need you and what you have to share with them from your mind and your heart, not what caught your eye at the Target Dollar Spot. Also, being a teacher is an expense in itself. There are ultimately going to be things you’ll be purchasing for your classroom either what I call passion purchases or things out need - so not going for broke - literally - at the beginning of the year to set up your room is important in the long run. ...And one more thing - if any of the things I’m about to tell you is something that you love, something gets your serotonin going and pumps you up to go back to school, by all means, carry on. Get it girl (or boy). That’s great. This is for the people that feel they must fill their shopping cart with all the things because that one account you follow on social media told you to. So let’s go unshopping, or deinfluencing I like that word even better. What do you NOT need to set up your classroom to start the school year? #1: Teachers don’t need matchy-matchy color coordinated supplies or even a theme when setting up their classroom for back to school. I said what I said. Yes it’s very pretty. It’s even prettier with an Instagram filter. But you can have a functional, pleasing to the eye classroom without having shiplap bulletin board paper, or mint green everything, or all the groovy 70s goodness (these kids don’t even know what the 70s were, its you that thinks the peace signs and VW buses are cute). Theme and colors won’t matter two weeks into the school year when you need to reteach how to line up and have a strategy for how you’re going to pre assess all your students for their literacy inventory. I think the first thing practically that you can cross off your mental load is coming up with a theme or color scheme for the year. If you love that and have the time for it, carry on. But if it stresses you out and doesn’t light your fire, move on. #2 - Teachers don’t need to do the large calendars that have to be changed out and renumbered throughout the year in their classrooms. This kind of goes back to why you don’t need a theme. But let me explain further. I’m talking about those big, color coordinated calendars that have the months and the days you change out. They look nice. The idea of them is nice. You know what’s not nice? When you have to change them out. Every month. And then, come October, when disillusionment hits (see episode 4), that calendar is going to stay parked at September. For months. And then one day in the middle of January you’re going to look up during a math lesson at that giant albatross of a calendar you gave up on that’s still at September and feel like a failure. Why do we put a calendar up anyway? So you know the date. You know what is easier to maintain and takes up less space? Write the date on the board. Use a regular size, flip through calendar and hang it on the board or somewhere your students frequent like above the pencil sharpener or by the door so they can see important dates. Or…if you have access to technology, they very well may have a calendar already on their device. Or you can airdrop it to them. But torturing yourself with the giant, calendar baby that need changing- no don’t do it to yourself. You don’t need it and neither do your kids. That also goes for any large display in your classroom that will need changed over time. Keep those at a minimum because you will have more than enough to occupy your time when the school year gets going. Set it to forget it. #3: Teachers don’t need classroom jobs to start the school year. Let’s get away from the physical things you don’t need although this does touch on classroom displays. And someone is not going to agree with me, but that’s good. We need different view points. But you’re listening to me and you’re about to hear mine. Yes, classroom jobs are a great way to have your students take responsibility and ownership over the classroom. They need to be accountable for cleaning up their space and using materials correctly. And…you can establish that and expect that from them without classroom jobs. That comes from you - the expectation, and the modeling of how they are all responsible and need to learn how to be mindful of their space and yours. You don’t need classroom jobs that have to be changed out or remembered on a daily basis. You don’t. If you have established a system for doing this in your room and you’ve got it on lock, that’s great. If you are feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve got to get classroom jobs set up while you’re putting together how you’re going to teach spelling each week - choose spelling! It’s one of the things you can eliminate. Now an alternate is to have a helper of the week. Keep it simple. You pick one or two students and a back up/substitute, and those kids help you - errands to the office, passing out materials, sweeping at the end of the day - that’s it. No jobs to change out, no display to change up each week, and nobody argues over who did what job last because you don’t need that in your life. #4: Teachers don’t need to buy the giant student desk name tags for back to school. Let me explain so you have a visual. There are these desk helper name tags if you will, that have everything but the kitchen sink on them.They’ve got the alphabet, number lines, fractions, be kind reminders…oh they are very pretty. And it sounds like a great idea - give your students this lovely desk helper -name tag to start off the year. Real talk time. First, I’ve seen things on these super name tags that I’d rather my kids not have access to in the event of a quiz or test. Not that it would matter, because, what goes on the desk? Books. iPad. Worksheets. They aren’t going to see the fancy pants name tag once you start teaching because… you will be teaching and you will be giving them things that have the resources on them anyway. Also more real talk. You can glue it, you can tape it, you can contact paper that name tag to the top of that desk. You can even get those fancy plastic sleeves you put the name tags in and stick them on there. And it will not matter…because that name tag WILL end up peeling off the desk at some point. Oh go ahead. Make some incentive and consequence if the kid peels it off. Either on purpose or just from wear and tear, that name tag is going to have seen better days by March (if not before). So what do you do so you can learn their names and the kids can find out where they sit? Go to the Dollar Tree and get a couple packs of simple name tags - probably for a fraction of the cost of the name tag-zillas. I liked to put their name tags on the front, not the top of the desk, so I could see and learn their names quickly (and so the kids couldn’t peel them off). You could also put their names on the sides if you start them out in groups, I wanted a few days to put them in groups but that’s for our classroom management episode. If they sit at tables and not desks, you can do name tents instead of sticking them on the desks, some of the ones I’ve seen at dollar tree have that option anyway. You can also just write their name on the desk or table with a Sharpie or Dry Erase marker. It will some off with hand sanitizer or a wiper over time so you’re not damaging anything. I know, clutch the pearls. Oh wait, we're teachers, we don't have pearls. Clutch the lanyards then. But you don’t need to invest the time and energy that is so very limited at the start of the school year into name tags. End rant. #5: You don’t need to get pillows and rugs and fancy squishy chairs for your classroom for back to school. Yes. I said what I said. And Instagram told you differently. Instagram told you that those things make a classroom environment more inviting, friendly, calming. Instagram didn’t tell you how dirty those things are going to get - fast. It won’t take long, especially rugs. For time and sanitary purposes, you need to have things in your room that you can wipe down and disinfect quickly. You can’t do that with fabric surfaces. If someone throws up or has an itchy head…you know what I mean…that rug and those pillows are going to lose their appeal fast. I understand the need to make your space inviting and fun, but my workspace at home looks a lot different than my living room. Do I work in my living room sometimes - yes. But…I’m at home. Off duty. This is not going to be everyone’s popular opinion, but there is a difference between a classroom and a bedroom or other living space. There are ways to make your classroom space inviting without going all HGTV on it. Yeah, I’m afraid to say theme or coordinating colors, because I told you already you don’t need that for back to school, but the best way to have your classroom be inviting is have your students create it. Put their work and creations up. Have out books that may interest them or bring in pictures that are important to you or were important to you at their age. That builds connection and community more than the see through blow up chairs from five below that are going to get punctured by a speeding pencil point. So to review, 5 things you don’t need for back to school this year - especially if your body, soul, and wallet are operating on a shoestring budget: Matching supplies or a theme Giant Wall Calendars that have to be changed monthly - or bulletin boards that need to be changed period Classroom jobs - just do helpers of the week. The giant all knowing name tags desk toppers space suckers Pillows, rugs, furniture that takes up more space than you have All of that to say the most important thing that’s ready to go on the first day of school is you. Not your stuff. Having a plan for how you will teach behaviors and content will always supersede the little things that seen to take up a lot of space before the kids show up on the first day. You know what you DO need for back to school? A fast and effective way to create resources, meet your student needs, and get some assistance planning out your year. Give ChatGPT a try with this FREE Guide and sample prompts to get you started - you might even find yourself referring. to it all year long! Grab it below!

Have you ever felt you needed a personal assistant (or an extra brain) to get through all th things that are expected of you as a teacher? If so, your ship may have (virtually) come in. Today we’re going to talk about ChatGPT, a form of artificial intelligence you have probably heard about over the past year. We’ll talk about what it is, what it means for classrooms, and how you can harness its abilities to assist with the things you do as a teacher. First, what exactly is ChatGPT? The GPT stands for generative pre-trained transformer. I did not know that, I had to look it up. If you’ve ever had the less than thrilling and more than likely a little frustrating experience of trying to communicate your needs via a Chat bot for customer service - either online or on the phone, where it asks you if that’s what you meant or spits out some topics from the help library that may or may not help you - ChatGPT is like it’s cousin. I say cousin, and not brother, sister, direct descendent, because it’s much, much smarter. It’s programed to respond to you and to write like a human. And it’s remarkably accurate. It’s history stops at 2021, so aside from asking it anything too recent, it can give you up-to-date ideas, responses, outlines, you name it. Want to listen to this message instead of read? You can hear the audio version in my podcast or click the Mp3 below. My first impressions of this form of AI were not positive The first time I heard about ChatGPT in passing is was about kids using it to cheat on assignments and using it to write their essays for them. So at first it sounded like one more of those things we needed to steer the kids away from - and I thought Snap Chat and Tik Tok were bad. At least they don’t do the kids homework for them! And there is the fear mongering, that we’re all going to be replaced by robots or AI, but I don’t buy into that. I thing AI can improve our lives - hey if your using your phones maps or GPS, you know how much better that is than Map Quest. And while there are jobs that may be replaced by people, someone will need to program the robots. But I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT, and while it’s good - very, very good - and it’s very fast. Everything I’m going to share with you that ChatGPT can do, it does it in a no more that a minute or less. But it’s not fail safe. It’s not 100% correct all the time, and most importantly, it doesn’t have a soul, It has no lived life experiences, no unique voice that sets it apart from everyone else. That’s on you. We all seek human connection, people that feel and think like us, or challenge us. ChatGPT has the potential to make life easier, but it won’t take the need to have people, especially teachers, connecting with students and providing their own unique talents to the world. Now, should the kids be using it to do their homework? No. Hard live in the sand there. No. Just like kids don’t belong on social media because they and many adults can’t emotionally and mentally process what they see. NO. There are age limits as to who can use ChatGPT, but we know know from Snap Chat, Tik Tok, they aren’t supposed to be on those and they are. I think it’s going to be our next big issue in education actually. Sure, if they could use it responsibly, it could act as a tutor when they get stuck or they could use it with parental supervision but come on. If you’ve been teaching any length of time you know that’s not how it’s going to roll. There are many other resources kids can access like online videos, Khan Academy, for when they need assistance and a robo-writer doesn’t need to be one of them. When you are fully developed in your voice and place in this world, sure. But kids aren’t. The maturity isn’t there. It’s a no or me. But that’s them, not you. Let talk about what ChatGPT could do for you as a teacher. And before you balk, stay with me. Because I’m not a slacker. But I do believe in efficiency and productivity. - and saving teachers time so they can focus on themselves and the things that matter most in the classroom. Teachers’ executive functioning is taxed to the max every day, always and in all ways. And as much as it’s needed, things aren’t getting easier and nothing is being taken away, just added. So what if…ChatGPT is what we’ve been waiting for? What if it can be like a personal teaching assistant - not doing your job for you, but alleviating some of the tasks and thinking so you can use your brain power for other things (or even fewer things). I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT just to see how it works. No, it’s not always correct. I don’t like every idea it has, or I feel that I need to edit some of its responses (see, that’s where your individual voice and preferences come in). But it has the potential to alleviate some of your “think load.” So here are seven of the ways teachers can use ChatGPT as a way to teach smarter, not harder. And if you like these or are curious for more information on getting started with ChatGPT in your classroom, I have created a guide to getting started with ChatGPT in 10 minutes or less that you can download here. #1: ChatGPT can be used by teachers when they need more information on a topic that they are teaching or creating resources for. Sure, you can Google it, but instead of having to click through a list of websites generated by a search engine, you’ll get a synopsis all at once, in one spot. You can even ask for step by step directions, and it will provide it for you. Or even give it a limit - tell it you need a paragraph. #2: Teachers can use ChatGPT to create extra practice learning resources for your students. Seriously, this thing is smart. Let’s say you need more multiplication with decimals word problems for your students for reinforcement. You can ask ChatGPT to create a certain number of multiplication with decimals word problems, and boom. It will spit it out - AND you can ask it to generate an answer key (now, check the answer key, because I’ve caught a couple answers that were’t correct). It gets even better though, because you can be really specific. For example. If you need reading passages on a certain grade level, or even Lexile level, it understands what that means! Tell it what topic, even include certain words or vocabulary you want in the passage - it will do it! So instead of hunting around for extra practice or even enrichment activities, you can save lots of time and provide your students with the resources they need - for free. Is this cheating? No, not for adults. Not for teachers. You know how to teach and how to do your job - this just gives you more time to do it. And you still have to be discerning. So, if you ask ChatGPT for 5 informative writing prompts on the environment, if you don’t like a certain prompt, don’t use it. Or any of them, for that matter. But it could give you some ideas to help you generate your own if you get stuck. #3: ChatGPT can create lists of books, websites, resources, or create unit outlines. If using ChatGPT to generate your own content just feels like too much, treating it like a search engine can’t hurt. If you need a list of websites on a topic, or a list of books, picture books that go along with a theme or unit, you can get them all at once in one place. Remember, you can be specific right down to the age and reading level. You can also use it to help you plan. If you are creating a unit and need a foundation of where to start, you can ask it to generate a sequence of study, vocabulary, subtopics to cover within the larger topics. That’s a big help! #4: ChatGPT can help teachers create test questions or study guides. If you need a variety of questions, or just want certain questions, like multiple choice, true or false, it can generate those for you Give it the data or information you want the questions based on- copy and paste it in there - the more clear and specific you are, the more likely you are to get the responses you want! And yes, you can ask for it to create an answer key. See how much time that would save? And yes, you can even ask it to create a rubric. It will do it. Like I said, details matter. But it will even put the rubric in a table format. All you have to do is copy and paste it into the document of your choice. #5: Teachers can use ChatGPT to provide communication when you need to respond to something - and you’re not sure how. In my last podcast episode and in Episode 7, I spoke about removing yourself emotionally - not jumping in the pool if your will - when it comes to responding to parents in heated situations, when there or your emotions are high. So in those times when you need to respond, or you want to create a playlist of sorts of responses, so you don’t have to be on the spot when these events arise - you can ask ChatGPT to help write those responses. Sure you can edit it, but think about the amount of pressure that could relieve you from in the moment. #6: Teachers can use Chat GPT for translate text for different classroom communications or resources. .Although there are already translation apps out there, you can use ChatGPT to translate a reading passage, a newsletter, or directions into another language. This would be very helpful if you have students or parents that don’t speak English and you need to communicate with them. It would also be helpful if you teach a foreign language and need to generate extra practice or resources for your students. #7: You can use ChatGPT as a teacher to get feedback on writing assignments or written work. You can plug in your students writing (you can do this for your own writing, too) and have ChatGPT give you feedback on a students use of transitions, sentence structure, focus on a main idea - it is truly remarkable. Now this goes into the gray area, the line in the sand over what is generated by you the teacher and what is generated from AI. But think of it this way. First of all you don’t have to give the student the feedback if you don’t like it. But if you create self checking, automated graded assignments in Schoology or another LMS that your school district uses, that in its own way is AI - I know that may feel like a stretch. But students can grown and learn faster when they can receive feedback in a timely manner, and if using ChatGPT allows us to do that, why not? So to recap, seven ways you can start using ChatGPT to lessen your teaching load: #1: When you need more information on a topic or need to learn about how to teach a topic to students. #2: Creating extra practice for your students - this can be writing prompts, math problems, reading passages, there really is no limit. #3: Making lists or outlines - this could be lists of books or resources to go along with a teaching unit, or even an outline of how to teach the topic itself. #4: Test questions, study guides, rubrics, answer keys - any type of assessment you may need. #5: Create communication such as email responses to parents. #6: Translating communication or resources for your students and their families. #7: Feedback on student writing - or even your own. You can get more information on how to get started with ChatGPT from my guide How Teachers Can Start Using ChatGPT in 10 minutes or Less - download it here. We are going to see more ChatGPT related apps available to use or included in educational products as time goes on - I truly see things headed that way. While you may feel this lessens your role or importance as an educator, I only think that it makes the human connection that only a teacher can provide as more important. Using AI such as ChatGPT lessens the mental load you bear as a teacher and lets you step into the next chapter of education where we use the tools around us to work more efficiently and productively, so you can focus on the things about teaching that brought you to this profession in the first place.