The EDVERYTHING Podcast: For Everything Education

Latest Episodes:

Episode 28: 7 Things I Did As a New Teacher That I Wouldn't Do Now Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

This week, Danielle and Nicole reflect on what it was like to be new to the classroom, and the habits and decisions they made as new and eager teachers. Danielle and Nicole have different levels of teaching experience and roads that led them to the classroom, but, they have one thing in common: the many decisions they made as first year teachers that they simply wouldn’t do again. Having recently made a transition to a new school, Nicole is speaks about the many emotions and challenges associated with being new to a school setting, and how this change has prompted her to revisit what it was like as a first year teacher.

In this episode you’ll hear:

When and why it’s ok to say “no”

The importance of teacher socialization and community

First year teacher habits to avoid

How to utilize your voice and point of view no matter your experience level

Links mentioned:

Episode 15: The How and Why of Building Meaningful Student Connections with Janelle Everetts

https://anchor.fm/nicole-clark/episodes/Episode-15-The-How-and-Why-of-Building-Meaningful-Student-Connections-with-Janelle-Everetts-e2sb31

Episode 22: Time, Tasks, & Trauma: Troubleshooting Common Teacher Stressors with Amanda Murtaugh, LMHP

https://anchor.fm/nicole-clark/episodes/Episode-22-Time--Tasks---Trauma-Troubleshooting-Common-Teacher-Stressors-with-Amanda-Murtaugh--LMHP-e38ur9

Episode 23: From Attending to Presenting: Getting the Most from Education Conferences with Ashlyn Ellsworth

https://anchor.fm/nicole-clark/episodes/Episode-23-From-Attending-to-Presenting-Getting-the-Most-from-Education-Conferences-with-Ashlyn-Ellsworth-e3b325

PS - When we asked our listeners to best define their first year of teaching in only a few words, one of our favorite responses was “tomorrow is a new day!”

Episode 27: Busting Boredom: Creating Choice Boards That Leaves Students Wanting More with Kristin Yann Mar 28, 2019

Show notes

We hear so much about personalized learning, but how do we actually achieve this and make that learning visible? Kristin Yann of @Schoolandthecity has figured out how to do just that—in a way that leaves fellow teachers impressed and students begging for more!

In this week’s episode, Danielle and Nicole talk to Kristin, a 3rd grade teacher who has drawn upon her background training with gifted students to address the needs of all learners in her elementary ed classroom. What started as a way to augment the social studies and science resources that were lacking in her own school evolved into an entire year long method of assessment that students loved: choice boards. Since successfully developing choice boards for her own students, Kristin has gone on to create choice boards for other teachers and grade levels. Kristin has become an expert on crafting robust, relevant, and student-centered choice boards that engage all learners and allow students to showcase their own unique talents. She explains how this type of project can empower students, giving them flexibility while allowing teachers the chance to challenge students to reach their own potential. Kristin shares tips for helping us make our own choice boards so we, too, can watch our students thrive, eager to display the work that they have created.

Kristin has generously put together a checklist to help other teachers design choice boards that work for their own classrooms. Kristin shares her system for putting together effective choice boards, and with this handy checklist, you can start making these tools for your own students immediately. Score yours here.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

The biggest misconception and mistakes teachers make when it comes to choice boards
How to make choices that are interdisciplinary and engaging
How to address multiple intelligences and utilize Bloom’s taxonomy (and how your students can benefit from recognizing Bloom’s, too)
Why students and teachers both benefit from choice boards

Links:

Kristin's Choice Board Blog Post

http://schoolandthecityblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/3-reasons-to-use-choice-boards-in-your.html

Kristin’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/schoolandthecity/

Kristin’s website

http://schoolandthecityblog.blogspot.com

Episode 26: Leaving Your Classroom In Good Hands: Setting Your Class Up for Success with a Long Term Sub Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

For most educators, being a classroom teacher is vital to our identity to the extent that it may even seem impossible to imagine our classrooms without us. However, circumstances may arise when you need to step away from the classroom. While most teachers have had to use the occasional personal day or sick day, for those dealing with a longer term health situation, like a planned surgery, or stepping into a new life stage, like becoming a parent, you may find yourself coming to terms with the fact that you may be spending weeks or months away from your students and your school.

In this week’s episode, Danielle and Nicole discuss what goes into setting your classroom up for success during a long term, planned teacher absence. With an upcoming maternity leave planned, Danielle shares what her experience has been like as she prepares to leave her classroom in someone else’s hands. Danielle explains how she and her sub worked together to ensure a smooth transition for her students, and she shares the 7 questions that you should ask yourself so the change occurs as seamlessly as possible for your students, your sub, and yourself.

If you loved the 7 questions we’ve outlined in the episode and you want a copy as you prepared for your own leave, get yours for free in our resource library!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

-Considerations about how to break the news to your students-- and how Danielle did it

-How to signal that you and the sub are on the same team, sending signals of trust to your students

-What information/documents to share with the sub to make the transition smoother

-7 questions to ask yourself to help set yourself, your students, and your sub up for success

Links mentioned in this episode:

Episode 17: How To Make A Solid Sub Plan In 20 Minutes Or Less With Nicki Dingraudo

https://www.edverything.com/podcast/2019/sub-plans-in-20-min-or-less

Episode 25: Successfully Skipping a Grade: When To Move To a New Grade Level— and How To Do It Well with Heather Planchon Mar 14, 2019

Show notes

Are you itching for a change? If one of the reasons you were initially drawn to education as a profession was that you thrive off of being in an atmosphere that is different every day, just a few short years in, you may start to feel doubt regarding your career choice. While some educators love honing their craft in one grade level and relish the opportunity to iterate year after year, others, like Heather Planchon of The Primary Party find this draining and find themselves questioning what to do next.

In this week’s episode, Danielle and Nicole interview Heather regarding how she successfully made the transition from teaching kindergarten to teaching 4th graders. Heather shares candidly about the struggle she had coming to terms with a lack of satisfaction at a job she was really good at (and one she had known she had wanted for a long time). She talks about the self doubt she experienced making such a big leap in grade level, the support systems that helped her throughout, and why in the end, she feels like it was the best decision for her. Heather’s story reminds us not to settle just because something is comfortable and illustrates that by being honest with ourselves and articulating our goals to the right people, we can find ourselves in the places and grades where we feel we belong.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

-Why you shouldn’t ignore your gut feeling

-How transitioning into a new grade can bring up many of those same “first year teacher” feelings all over again

-The pros and cons of making a big grade level switch

-5 steps to make even the biggest transitions as seamless as possible

Links:

Heather's Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/stories/theprimaryparty/

Heather's TpT store:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Primary-Party-Heather-Planchon

Heather's Blog:

https://theprimaryparty.com/

Episode 24: Sources Of And Solutions For Student Stress: An Interview with Amanda Murtaugh, LMHP Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

Whether intentionally or inadvertently, students can be a large cause of teacher stress. But what causes student stress? While many teachers might immediately assume homework, friends, and tests— the things that students complain about most— this does not encompass the full scope of the most common stressors that students may be dealing with. As teachers, we want what is best for our students and to provide them with the tools they need to be successful. In order to do that, we need to investigate the top sources of student stress and find solutions to troubleshoot each.

In this week’s episode, Danielle and Nicole bring back friend of the show Amanda Murtaugh, M.A., LMHP to discuss what is really weighing heavily on the minds of our students. As a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner who has worked with many students as clients, Amanda explains what she sees as the 4 main sources of student stress. She provides tons of detail and examples to show how everything from extra responsibilities at home to parental attitudes towards academics to social media addiction and everything in between can play a big role in terms of potential obstacles to student success.

If you loved the Tips for Teacher mentioned in today’s episode, we’ve designed a free template of the questions for you to use with your own students! Just print and go, already sized for a standard 5 x 3 index card. Get yours for free in our resource library

What You’ll Hear:

-Popular misconceptions about student stressors

-The top 4 sources of student stress

-How to access what resources students can access and truly need

-How (and when) to use “Tips for Teacher” or other self-advocacy tools that can empower students

-How invitational language and believing what you are told can have a powerful, long-term healing impact

-How to incorporate appropriate online etiquette, technology usage, and the 5 C’s of Positive Youth Development in your classroom

Links mentioned:

Amanda's LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-murtaugh-b665837a/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0044118X17697850?journalCode=yasa

https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/consumer/family-safety/6-tips-to-help-protect-and-improve-your-childs-online-reputation/

Melissa Diebel

Episode 23: From Attending to Presenting: Getting the Most from Education Conferences with Ashlyn Ellsworth Feb 28, 2019

Show notes

As teachers, we are always looking to improve our classrooms and our lessons. While our fellow colleagues at school, images on Pinterest, and suggestions from social media are all a great place to start, there is nothing quite like in-person, live conferences to foster genuine connections and to hear about pioneering practices that can be applied in our school districts. But attending a conference, let alone presenting your own ideas at one, may seem so intimidating that too many of us don’t give this invaluable professional development experience a chance.

In this week’s episode, Danielle and Nicole interview Ashlyn Ellsworth of @TheCreativeClassroom, a teacher, social media influencer, and top-tier conference presenter. Ashlyn explains how she naturally fell into the world of teaching-- as well as her impromptu journey into the realm of being a teacherpreneur. From starting a TpT store and helping design t-shirts to fearlessly attending a conference on her own to being recruited to speak at the prominent (and growing) Teach Your Heart Out conference, Ashlyn demonstrates how connection and networking have changed the shape of her career-- and, as a result of her presentations, classrooms around the world. Ashlyn gives us the roadmap for how to get involved at conferences, from mindset shifts to the logistics of funding a trip to a conference, so new and veteran teachers alike can reap all the benefits that in-person conferences have to offer.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

-Who is the right type of person to attend/present at a conference

-Exactly what to look for when selecting which conferences to attend

-Ways to get involved (even if you don’t want to present) at the conference that suits you

-How to fund your way to the conference you have your eye on

-The importance of networking, both online and in person

People and links mentioned:

Ashlyn's instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thecreativeclassroom/

Ashlyn's linkinprofile:

https://linkinprofile.com/thecreativeclassroom

The Wright Stuff Chics instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thewrightstuffchics/

Apples and ABCs instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/applesandabcs/

https://www.donorschoose.org

https://www.teachyourheartoutcon.com

Episode 22: Time, Tasks, & Trauma: Troubleshooting Common Teacher Stressors with Amanda Murtaugh, LMHP Feb 21, 2019

Show notes

Teaching can be an incredibly stressful profession. Balancing work/home life, consistently and fairly managing your classroom, and creating engaging lesson plans only scratch the surface of the multitude of stressful situations that teachers must navigate daily. Teachers are problem solvers, and as a result, many of us have devised some coping mechanisms to help us deal with the stress that we regularly encounter. Getting the insight of a mental health professional, however, can help us.

Danielle’s long-time friend Amanda Murtaugh is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner specializing in the intersection of psychology and education. Amanda has worked with both the K-12 population as well as in high ed, assisting both students and faculty handle sources of strain and pressure. In today’s episode, Amanda outlines the most common sources of stress for teachers that she has observed from working with clients. For each of the top 3, Amanda provides several different techniques for how to tackle the issues at hand, giving teachers an invaluable set of tools to draw upon for when stress inevitably pops up in our lives and classrooms.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

-How a lack of boundaries causes burdens on our time and emotions

-How the sheer number of voices from students with diverse identities and beliefs can lead to uncomfortable classroom situations

-How those in helping fields are susceptible to vicarious trauma

-Action steps for creating appropriate boundaries (even in small spaces)

-Tips for making classrooms that are inclusive and reflective spaces

-Evaluations to assess yourself and the resources you may not even know are at your disposal

Links mentioned:

https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/content/dam/socialwork/home/self-care-kit/self-care-assessment.pdf

Episode 21: Curriculum That Motivates (And Reignites Your Passion For Teaching!) with Emily Aierstok Feb 14, 2019

Show notes

How can you set not only your students but also yourself up for long term success in the classroom? How do you create a classroom that you look forward to walking into day after day and year after year?

Emily Aierstok is an educator with an impressive resume that demonstrates that she is both an expert in her subject matter as well as authority on all matters in the classroom. In a field with a reputation for burnout, Emily stands out. She has worked at the same school, teaching 7th grade ELA for seventeen years and her passion for it is evident to this day. Emily is a self-proclaimed “curriculum junkie” and she uses this interest to plan engaging, meaningful lessons that keep challenging her students and to see what they are capable of.

In this episode, you’ll hear

-how to adapt to curriculum changes

-how to plan lessons that are both fun and keep students on their toes

-why making something relevant to students doesn’t mean compromising standards or expectations

Links mentioned:

Emily's Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/readitwriteitlearnit/

Emily's Blog

https://www.readitwriteitlearnit.com/

Emily's TpT Store

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Read-It-Write-It-Learn-It

Episode 20: 5 Ways Your Students Are Cheating Right Now Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

Cheating in schools is nothing new, but the who and how of cheating seems to be changing.

In today's episode, Danielle and Nicole discuss some staggering statistics as awareness is the first step of addressing this widespread problem before delving into some strategies students are using to get away with academic dishonesty.

When it comes to cheating, technology can be a double edged sword. While we have more resources to help us detect or prevent cheating, students also have more access to tools that make cheating easier than ever. In this episode, we discuss 5 ways students are cheating right now based on information provided in testimonials given by students and colleagues. For each modern day cheating technique, we feature tips for detecting or preventing this issue before it enters your classroom.

In this episode, you’ll hear

How rampant cheating is, where it may start, and what types of students are now most likely to be involved (and their justification)
What types of work are most susceptible to having answer keys found online
What items students absolutely should not have on their desks
How to prevent students from changing answers after assessments have been handed back
How air dropping photos and AirPods in particular can be used for cheating

Links mentioned

http://www.glass-castle.com/clients/www-nocheating-org/adcouncil/research/cheatingfactsheet.html

https://www.plagiarism.org/article/plagiarism-facts-and-stats

https://www.instagram.com/missconnellsclassroom/

https://www.instagram.com/edverythingeducation

bitl.y/edverythinglibrary

Episode 19: Why You Should Be on TpT— and How To Get Started Today with Yari Aguilu Jan 31, 2019

Show notes

You’ve heard of TeachersPayTeachers. You may have even purchased products from there or downloaded a free piece of content from someone else’s store. Maybe you’ve even flirted with the idea of opening your own—but something has always prevented you from taking that leap. This episode is exactly what you need to hear and gives you the exact steps to take so you can finally start selling your teaching resources on this lucrative platform.

Yari Aguilu makes a strong case for why selling on TpT can be a rewarding experience, both financially and personally. With a promotion having removed her from the day to day interactions with students in the classroom, Yari still finds fulfillment when seeing her resources being used by teachers and students around the world. Yari has been a successful seller on the platform for years now. She explains how her process and her skills have evolved and draws upon her own experience to give pointers and confidence to those of us ready to begin our own journey on TpT.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

-Concerns you have about selling on TpT that are holding you back—and why they are totally unwarranted

-What makes someone a good candidate for opening a store? What kind of person should consider selling on TpT?

-How to pick a name, an account type, and a freebie to get you started

-Why branding matters (and how to make yours cohesive)

-Why growing your social media presence is an essential part of becoming a success on TpT

Links mentioned:

Yari's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sweettoothteaching/

Yari's TpT store:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sweet-Tooth-Teaching

Yari's Blog:

http://www.sweettoothteaching.com/2018/11/getting-started-on-teachers-pay-teachers.html