Sustainable Teacher Podcast

Latest Episodes:

65. Do You Need a Teacher Desk Revamp? Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

One year I got a wild hair and reduced my teacher desk to the size of a cafe table. You know, like the ones you stand next to at a wedding reception or have a coffee over at the local coffee shop. Yes, about a two-foot space. I sure was up on my high horse that year thinking, “I don’t need a big space because my classroom is student-centered”, mmmmhmm.

It was cute and all, but I didn’t have any space to relax, which is what my teacher-desk was used for briefly during my planning period or other break times during the day, yes, even during class when I had a minute.

In fact, that was my space’s main purpose. To be a small, but mighty space for me to be able to just sit and take care of a few things when I had a moment. But I didn't know that until the space was gone. So I quickly switched back to a regular table sized desk, but made sure that the space served it’s main purpose - allowed me to get work done and to relax a bit amidst the chaos of daily teaching.

So, teacher-friend, in this episode we’ll be talking over ways you can give your desk a little revamp, know if it’s needed in the first place, and then make sure that your space is what you need it to be.

If you love this episode or any of our recent episodes on the show, we would so appreciate it if you would click the share button where you’re listening and send it to a teacher-friend, helping us reach more teachers with the message that their sustainability is our top priority.

Let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/do-you-need-a-teacher-desk-revamp

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FULL FOCUS PLANNER: https://www.teachonamission.com/planner

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Mandy and the Sustainable Teacher." <-- If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more teachers -- just like you -- move toward the sustainable work-teacher-life balance that they desire. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!

64. Overcoming the Struggles of Teacher-Mom Life Mar 15, 2022

Show notes

You know the age old tale of what it’s like to be a first, second or even third year teacher and all the hustle and grind that it is. You get to work before 6 AM and you leave sometime after five or 6 PM and probably still have more papers to grade or lessons to plan once you get home and a lot to do on the weekends. And that’s just to keep your head above water.

As if those first years of teaching aren’t bad enough it’s as if the universe looked at me and said just wait. At the start of my fourth year of teaching I became a mother and everything changed.

Suddenly what had been my absolute top priority, which was teaching even above my marriage, sad to say it but true because I’m such a workhorse and so professionally focused, but motherhood shook the bedrock, if you will, of my priorities. And I had no clue how to deal with that when my identity had been so wrapped up in who I was as a teacher.

And that is where this episode comes into play. Really that is what has inspired this episode and a lot of my thinking around the subject of being both a teacher and a parent.

In fact, after listening to this episode you will be encouraged as a teacher mom or teacher dad, feeling heard and seen knowing the impact of the two amazing roles you play on this earth.

Now you may be someone who is not a parent yet or doesn’t plan to be but I do hope that this episode gives you a glimpse into the struggles of what it is to be both a parent and a teacher because those are two very unique roles that an educator could play at some point in their lives.

It’s also important because, and here’s the truth, you’re essentially raising a lot of children not just your own and so to balance those, both with your time and in your mindset and how you are emotionally, is no easy task and so I hope that this episode can be an encouraging one for you but also a practical one in helping you take on both of these amazing roles.

Before we get started though if you know of a teacher who is also a parent I would so love it if you would share this episode with them. Click on the share button where you’re listening and you can send it to them via email or in a text message letting them know “hey this episode was made for you.” Plus I would so appreciate you helping us get into the ears of more teachers with our message of encouragement and sustainability in their daily teaching lives.

Let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/the-struggles-of-teacher-mom-life

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM STARTER KIT: https://www.teachonamission.com/starterkit

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

63. Student Reflection: How You Make It Happen Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to the Sustainable Teacher and what is part two of this series on student reflection. Last week we discussed the what and the when, so be sure to go back and give episode 62 a listen if you haven’t already, and today’s episode we’re focusing on the how of student reflection.

Now, if you’re anything like me and the hundreds of teachers I’ve worked with, you already are feeling a bit anxious about spending class time on student reflection rather than content, so it’s important to make sure the student reflection is efficient while remaining authentic. Last week I gave tips on how you can keep the reflection authentic, and today we’ll talk about how to keep it efficient and effective.

After listening to this episode, you’ll have a clear picture of how you can implement effective and time efficient student reflection strategies in your classroom so that your students are empowered in their learning and investing more in the learning process that will ultimately impact their confidence and their scores in your class.

So let’s get right to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/student-reflection-how-you-make-it-happen

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

CAMTASIA: https://www.teachonamission.com/camtasia

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

62. Student Reflection: What It Could Look Like Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

Here at Teach On A Mission and the Sustainable Teacher, we believe that building a sustainable classroom includes a very important player… which is, your students. Empowering your students as learners is one of the most sustaining strategies you can implement in your classroom.

And that is what today’s episode is all about, empowering students in the reflection process, showing you exactly what student reflection can look like, giving you practical strategies to get your students doing some meaningful reflection tomorrow.

Because you know the value of hard work in the learning process, you understand the connection between effortful processing and performance on assessments, you understand the value in engaging in your classroom.

Students don’t always see that, you know this. You also know that telling them the value in all of these things isn’t going to do it for many of them.

Enter stage left, reflection that helps students make the effort-to-performance connection. Now it’s not going to solve world hunger or all the issues in your classroom. But it will certainly serve many of your students in ways that help them own their learning and take initiative to engage and work hard in the learning process you lay out for them.

And that is my hope for you in today’s episode, teacher friend.

I should mention that this episode is part one in a two part series. In this episode, we’ll focus on the when and what of student reflection, what it looks like to actually empower your students through reflection. And next week, we’ll talk about the how - what it actually looks like to get students reflecting and how it can serve and empower them.

So let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/student-reflection-what-it-could-look-like

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

CAMTASIA: https://www.teachonamission.com/camtasia

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

61. The Year of Enough Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

Never before has there been a time where more teachers have had enough, and I'm betting it's because they don't feel that they are enough - ever.

Enough is my one-word for 2022.

Not enough, in that I’ve had enough, and am at my wit’s end - although maybe I am with certain things - but, no, it’s more about my mindset and accepting that I am doing enough, I have enough, and it is a glorious and beautiful thing.

Although we spend most of the air time on this podcast on sustainability in the classroom, we also want to speak to your lifestyle and personal lives in the name of talking to the whole you. And in that light, this episode will be dedicated to the personal side of things, and less about teaching.

In today’s episode, I am going to talk about the idea of seeing the world and our teaching lives through the lens that what we have is enough, it is just what we need, and that what we are doing is enough.

After listening to this episode, my hope is that you will feel restful and content in knowing that what you are doing is enough and that you don’t have to exhaust yourself physically and mentally in order to feel as though you are valuable or making an impact with your students.

So if you’re ready for a pick me up that is simultaneously a calm the heck down kind of episode, then you are in the right place.

Now, if you find yourself nodding your head right now, ready for this message, you might know another teacher who would feel the same way. So if you haven’t yet, or even if you have, please share this podcast. Share it with your colleagues and other teacher-friends as we attempt to spread our message of sustainability to teachers, helping them know they are enough as well.

Ok, let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/the-year-of-enough

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM WEBINAR: https://www.teachonamission.com/camtasia

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

60. Binder, Interactive Notebook, Digital Notebook, OH MY! Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

In last week’s episode, where I talked about streamlining your content in order to have the time to actually put relationships first, the main recommendation was to put your content delivery into video. There are many reasons why, and if you haven’t yet, be sure to go back and listen to those suggestions, but this week’s episode on creating one space for your students is in the same vein as streamlining your content.

Are we going to talk about Binders, Interactive Notebooks, and Digital Notebooks, oh my? You betcha.

But this episode is more about streamlining your classroom, especially the aspects of it that are student facing, so you can use more of your time focusing on what matters - connecting with your students.

So what we’re going to streamline today is what, rather where, exactly our students house all of their materials and necessities for our class, and go over the purposes of this one spot for your students.

As chaotic as things have felt in the recent years, it’s very clear that having so many places and so many spots for turning in work, housing work, or just keeping items for reference is a stressor for kiddos, but also for us as their teachers, especially when it comes to grading that work.

In this episode we’ll talk about declaring one spot for your students and what that one spot could be because having ONE spot to go to is better than many when it comes to managing your students' work in a virtual or in-person classroom.

After listening to this episode you’ll feel empowered to simplify what we call the student experience of your classroom by creating one central spot for your students so that it can create a more sustainable work flow for them and for you.

Let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/binder-interactive-notebook-digital-notebook-oh-my

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM WEBINAR: https://www.teachonamission.com/register

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

59. What It Looks Like to Really Put Relationships First Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

When asking a group of teachers what has the most impact on their students’ performance in their classroom, the resounding answer I’ve heard in my career is without a doubt relationships - building relationships with our students that lets them know we are rooting for them, guiding them, and that allows them to trust us and invest in the course and what we’re asking them to do.

As much as we recognize that relationships have the most powerful impact on moving the needle with our students, all the other aspects of teaching that pile up in a day take precedence over taking the time to build relationships.

In today’s episode, I have a proposal on what it could look like to actually make relationship building a top priority. And if there were a calendar of how you spent time in your classroom, this proposal I have for you would allow you to spend more time working one-on-one with your students, and ultimately building relationships than any other item on your docket.

After listening to this episode you’ll know the best way to streamline the content delivery of your course, what ultimately takes up the most time, am I right?, so that focusing on students and not feeling guilty spending time building relationships with each of them is a real thing that happens in your classroom on a regular basis.

Because here’s the thing. As the teacher in the room, you want to know your students. You’ve felt the pressure of doing everything else other than just getting to know your students, and it’s time that you actually have time to focus on building relationships without feeling like you’re wasting time doing it - without feeling like you’re missing out on pressure time spent on the content.

I can’t wait to let you in on this strategy. Let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/what-it-looks-like-to-put-relationships-first

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM WEBINAR: https://www.teachonamission.com/register

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

58. My Goals, Planner & Calendar System Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

You’ve heard the saying out-of-sight-out-of-mind, which in most contexts refers to distraction tactics of an infant or toddler. But I’m here to burst everyone’s bubble and say that out-of-sight-out-of-mind is a very real occurrence for adults, especially when it comes to our goals, but not in a good way like it is for toddlers.

Instead of being able to use it to our advantage, though, the out-of-sight-out-of-mind concept robs us of accomplishing our goals each year if they aren’t something that has to do with our daily lives or we’re otherwise trying to get outside our comfort zone.

For instance, it’s easier for someone to accomplish a goal of working out everyday if they work at a gym. They have the constant reminder and opportunity. But for a teacher, especially when it comes to their personal goals, we are so focused on what we do as educators everyday and then don’t have much mental space leftover to focus on our goals at the end of each day or week.

What this means is that we may do a great job at the beginning of the calendar year or school year making goals for ourselves or our careers, but then the daily grind of teaching hits, and we are too exhausted to focus any more time or effort on what really is very important to us.

In this episode I want to provide some steps you can take to change that. To help you take those goals you make in January or at the beginning of the school year, and plan them out so that they are NOT out-of-sight-out-of-mind, but instead you’re using your planner and calendar system to visit your goals regularly.

After listening to this episode you’ll go from feeling defeated in accomplishing your goals (whether personal or professional) to knowing you’ve got it in the bag when it comes to concrete steps I provide for you to keep those goals in your sights and in your mind throughout the year no matter the daily teacher hustle.

Before we get to today’s episode, I have a favor to ask of you. If you are enjoying the content of this podcast and feel that it provides value to your teaching or personal life, I would so appreciate it if you helped us reach other teacher who might find value in our message as well. You can do that in a few simple steps.

First, you can subscribe to and rate this podcast.

Second, you can click to share this episode or any episode you’ve enjoyed, and email or text it to your teacher-friends. We are but a small group of current and former teachers working to support teachers in building sustainable classrooms so they can live the life they want WHILE remaining in the classroom, and you helping us reach more teachers who want that means so much to us.

Alright, now let’s get to the episode.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/my-goals-planner-calendar

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM STARTER KIT: https://www.teachonamission.com/starterkit

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

57. Using Tests to Your Advantage Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

A great sports quote I saw recently asked “Which player are you?” and then said “Bad players don’t take much seriously. Average players take games seriously. Good players take practice & games seriously. Great players take academics, nutrition, warm-ups, individual work, weight room, conditioning, film, practice & games seriously.”

I love this quote because it flies in the face of what is part of the demise of recent generations and the age old saying “kids these days” who need instant gratification for any action they take. When we see all the greats in sports, or any performance-oriented task, we only see their greatness. Sure, we hear the cool stories of perseverance like how Michael Jordan was cut from the high school basketball team and went on to be the best player who ever played, but we don’t see the thousands of hours they put in to get to their greatness.

And even if someone does take on this mindset in sports, that to be great you have to care about all aspects of what will make you great, it seems even less common for someone to take on this mindset about succeeding in school, and ultimately doing well on tests.

Now, I’m not saying that in your one classroom you should focus on teaching students about taking care of themselves down to the final detail of nutrition and sleep. Sure, it can be something to address and promote with students, afterall, we are teaching the whole student. But what I am saying is that there is a way to help you students make the connection between what they do in your classroom and their tests. Better put, there’s a way to help students see the effort to performance ratio. In that, the more effective effort they put in to your class, the more their performance indicators (tests and grades) will show that.

It’s the same as saying to a player, the more you focus on working hard at practice and taking care of yourself, the better you will be in games… where it really matters.

So, in the spirit of the title of this episode, how about we use tests to our (and our students') advantage, much like athletes use the game (what is ultimately their test) to their advantage?

In this episode I’ve got three ways for you to use tests to your advantage in order to help shift the mindset of your students to clearly understand the connection between their hard work of learning and their performance on tests, ultimately giving you more accountable and empowered students so you can focus on building those connections and relationships.

So let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/using-tests-to-your-advantage

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM STARTER KIT: https://www.teachonamission.com/starterkit

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

56. Top 5 Attributes of a Sustainable Classroom Culture Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Welcome back to the Sustainable Teacher Podcast for episode 56, the Top 5 Attributes of a Sustainable Classroom Culture, and here’s the very first thing I want to say.

I think there should be an entire college course on classroom culture. I don’t say that about many things. I teach Intro to Educational Technology, and I think a course on classroom culture should come first. And here’s why… because it’s one of the top, if not THE top factor that will determine your sustainability and impact in your career.

It’s this awesome mix of knowing what you believe as an educator and making sure you always act from that space, helping you to recognize that your impact is greater than any mastered standard or test score.

So, I’ve got five of them for you today, and they each have a message of sorts that you could be sending to your students. And they are a part of a sustainable classroom culture because they compromise the messages, systems, beliefs and actions of your classroom that determine how your students will leave it feeling.

What these attributes look like in your classroom is what is unique about the culture you develop. This episode will give you the attributes and the resounding messages, but how those live out and present themselves in your classroom is up to you. And that’s a really cool part of what we do… that is, teacher autonomy… one of my favorite things about what we do as educators.

The attributes are in no particular order, nor is any one of them dependent upon or more significant than any other.

But here’s my goal for you… that after listening to this episode you’ll feel a certain level of teacher-bad-ass :). Truly. I want you to feel gung-ho and confident in your influence and impact with students through each of these messages you send through your classroom culture, all knowing that these messages are ones that will last the longest, longer than any amount of content.

Before we get started, if you have been listening to this podcast for some time now or have found an episode or two that you love (and hopefully this will be one of them), I would so appreciate you taking a brief moment to share this podcast with your teacher friends. Click the three dots in the upper right corner (sometimes it’s the side arrow share button) in the app where you’re listening and text or email any episode to your teacher-friend across the hall, your lunch table friend, or even that awesome educator you’ve connected with on Instagram. It really would mean the world to me and all of the teachers here at Teach On A Mission.

Alright, let’s get to it.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES: https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/top-5-attributes-of-my-classroom-culture

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher

FLIPPED CLASSROOM STARTER KIT: https://www.teachonamission.com/starterkit

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts