Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Why I Took Grammar Out of Writing Workshop Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Do you teach grammar during your writing workshop time? If I were to ask you what you are teaching in writing this week, would it be a list of grammar skills such as capitalization, punctuation, and parts of speech?

Grammar and writing go hand in hand, right?

And that is why you are wondering why I decided to stop teaching grammar during my writing workshop time.

I can honestly say that having a dedicated grammar lesson and a dedicated writing lesson helped my students to improve in both areas.

In this episode, I share three reasons why I removed most grammar lessons from my writing workshop time.

1. Students need dedicated grammar lessons. 2. There is more to writing than grammar. 3. I want to grow a love for writing.

Resources Free Writing Lesson Guide: www.bit.ly/NotSoWimpyGuide

My Grammar Routine: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2017/08/my-ela-block-teaching-grammar-and.html

Managing the Stress and Overwhelm of Teacher Life Oct 21, 2019

Show notes

Teaching is tough work. You just can't argue with that. It's easy to get stressed out, overwhelmed and burn out.

My guest, Dawn Pensack, was a middle school math teacher. She actually got so stressed out as a teacher that she physically got sick. Dawn learned from her experience and she now focuses on helping adults to manage their stress, improve their overall emotional wellness, and find more happiness in their lives.

Dawn shared five simple ways that busy teachers can manage their stress and overwhelm so that they can enjoy teaching more.

Mindful Breathing Balance Poses to Focus the Brain Bright Spots How do you work best? Tapping All of these tips are super simple and they don't add extra things to your to-do list!

You can learn more from Dawn by heading to her website: www.dawnpensack.com

Communicating with Challenging Parents Oct 14, 2019

Show notes

If you have been teaching for long, you have probably had an uncomfortable incident with a parent or two. It's almost inevitable. Even the greatest teachers out there will have an angry parent from time to time. You certainly are not alone.

There are a few things that we can do to help to make it easier to handle these tough situations with parents.

In this episode, I share tips about the following:

changing your mindset
setting boundaries
emailing parents
calling parents
choosing positivity

The most important thing is to remember that we always want to do what is best for our students!

Tips for Spiral Review Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

I am just going to come right out and say it...

I HATE worksheets.

I don't just dislike them. I literally hate them.

I didn't always have a choice. I was required to use certain worksheets. And in the past, I would give more worksheets than I should have. I used to print a spiral review worksheet for my kids to work on as morning work every day.

But I have learned and grown as an educator. I am going to challenge you to ditch those spiral review worksheets.

Why ditch the spiral review worksheets?

-They are boring and do not keep our learners engaged. -They almost never match your pacing guide. -They can be a huge time sucker.

How should I spiral then?

-Build spiral review into your small group time. -Give students review activities that are more engaging than a worksheet. I love to use centers and menus. -Keep the task cards handy. -Look for natural times to review during lessons. Use https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-1bTt76B52oY25VRDZEaWlHRkk/view?usp=sharing

What do you think? Are you up for the challenge of eliminating those spiral review worksheets?

Tips for Teaching Students to Round Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

Do you start the year with a math unit about place value and rounding?

Rounding seems like it would be a simple skill to teach, but those of you who have done it before know that it is anything but simple!

In this episode, I am excited to share several strategies and tips that will make your rounding lessons more effective.

1. Ditch the Rhymes 2. Start with Place Value 3. Number Lines 4. Circle and Underline 5. Hundred Chart 6. Real Life Stories

Would you like some FREE rounding interactive notebook activities?

Click Here-> http://bit.ly/NotSoWimpyRounding

Save Time Lesson Planning With Batching Sep 10, 2019

Show notes

There is no time! There is never any time!

Do you ever feel this way when you are looking at you long to do list?

You're not alone!

Years ago I learned the skill of batching and it completely changed the way that I work on tasks.

Batching is when you work on one specific task for a long chunk of time until it is complete rather than doing a little of everything with your time.

Batching your lesson plans has many benefits. 1. Reduces your start up time. 2. Simplifies your daily to do list. 3. It improves your focus and flow time. 4. Gives you time to prep your necessary materials that go along with your lesson plans. 5. Gives you time to find activities to fill the holes.

I used batching so that I could get four weeks of lesson plans done ahead of time. If you haven't been batching, then the original start up will take some time. But it is SO worth it!

Week One: Plan four weeks of math and one week of reading, writing, science and social studies. (This is the toughest week!)

Week Two: Plan four weeks of reading and one week of writing, science and social studies.

Week Three: Plan four weeks of writing and one week of science and social studies.

Week Four: Plan four weeks of science and social studies.

Week Five: Plan four weeks of math.

Week Six: Plan four weeks of reading.

Week Seven: Plan four weeks of writing.

Week Eight: Plan four weeks of science and social studies.

And just continue this pattern so that you are always four weeks ahead on your planning and never having to plan for all subjects on a Sunday night.

Teaching Paragraph Writing Aug 12, 2019

Show notes

Do you start the year with a unit on how to write a paragraph?

It's pretty standard.

But I don't do it. I am kind of a rule breaker!

Let me tell you the two reasons that I don't start the year with paragraph writing and what I do instead.

Want more info about teaching writing? How about joining my online writing professional development course, Not So Wimpy Writing Masterclass? Get more info: www.notsowimpymasterclass.com Questions? Email me at Jamie@notsowimpyteacher.com

Practicing Classroom Procedures Jul 29, 2019

Show notes

Can you believe that we are already getting ready for back to school?!

The beginning of the school year is tough. We have so many procedures to teach and that can get boring. I have some fun ways to practice routines and expectations that your kiddos will love!

1. Model What NOT to Do 2. Students Do the Teaching 3. Procedure Board Games 4. Find Someone who

Free Printable Resources: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2017/07/fun-ways-to-practice-classroom.html (At the end of the post)

Tips for Setting Up Your Classroom Library Jul 22, 2019

Show notes

Having a classroom library is a MUST, but it takes time to collect the right books and get them organized. In this episode I share: -my favorite places to buy inexpensive books -my favorite book series -tips for organizing your books -back to school books

Grab FREE book basket labels and check out a list of my favorite books: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/tips-for-setting-up-your-classroom.html

10 Tips for New Teachers Jul 15, 2019

Show notes

Are you a brand new teacher? Or are you a newish teacher who still feels brand new? I have some tips to help you to have a fantastic first year!

More Info: What to do when you get hired: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/i-just-got-teaching-job-now-what.html

What to buy for your classroom: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/i-just-got-teaching-job-now-what-should.html

Teacher Facebook Groups: https://www.facebook.com/pg/NotSoWimpyTeacher/groups/?ref=page_internal

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