Tales of Teaching Podcast

Trigger warning: I discuss losing my mom to cancer and how that affected my PPD.

In this episode, I share the story of my journey to becoming a mom. I am going to admit it is a pretty raw and emotional episode.  I share my struggles, triumphs and discuss all the things I feel no one talks about when becoming a mom for the first time.

In this episode I cover what I am going to teach the first week of school, the structure of day our district decided on, and my focuses for the first few weeks of school!

In this episode I break down how I like to spend my summer and prepare for the upcoming school year! It is all about preparing yourself to be fresh and ready to go, and I discuss exactly how I accomplish that. I also talk a little bit about the anxieties of what next year will entail, and how to overcome it.

In this episode I discuss some things I want to see left behind in 2019, and what I want to see more of in 2020! I also take a dive into my thought process was for last year and where it put me.  I give advice on what to do about things that scare you, and where I hope to be next year! I hope this episode inspires you to think about 2020, and enter the year with intention!

Let's face it, during this time of year we're exhausted and the kids are over it.  However, you want to make sure you end this time of year with a good note.  In this episode I dive into ways I enjoy this time with my students, while amping up my classroom management. At the end I also discuss my favorite activities to do, that roll with the Holidays. 

I get asked this question so much, that I decided to make an episode out of it.  In this episode I explain how I got where I am, and how that might've come with some failures.  I cover example questions, and how to better prepare for each interview. 

We've all been there.  The moment before you're about to teach your first year.  Typically it is nothing but excitement, however there are a few things that pop into your head that might make you feel worried for your first year.  In this episode, I address common insecurities and topics that can sometimes scare you before you start your first year.

Ever wanted to know how to run student led conferences successfully? Well in this episode I dive into how I set my students up for success and the perks I have found come out of them running their conference.  

In this quick little minisode, I dive into how I try to keep everything as balanced as I can. I talk about tips and strategies that work for me, as well as mindsets you need to have. Minisodes are simply smaller episodes for those that want something quick and fast to listen at work or on the go!

As i'm sure we all know, teaching can sometimes get tough.  Often times it can be difficult to stay positive, especially when you're stressed or feel like you're surrounded with so much negativity. In this episode I talk about keeping a positive environment in your classroom, how to stay positive and how to boost positivity in the workplace.

One of the biggest questions I get is how I teach vocabulary!  This can often be a boring, monotonous or repetitive process however in this episode I talk about how I make it anything but.  Join me as I talk about how I make this process engaging and meaningful and hit multiple intelligences to make sure I am really helping my students practice these words in many ways. 

Have you ever felt that because you teach from a teacher's edition book that you can't make lessons engaging and creative? Well, I am here to tell ya that you're in luck.  I teach from a TE, yet still find ways to make lessons engaging and full of rigor.  Yes, not every lesson is fun and games, but there are definitely strategies to breaking up the monotony for your students!

As i'm sure you know, Back to school Night can feel intimidating and scary! I for one always feel so nervous! In this episode I will be sharing how I prepare for the big night, and how it always runs very smoothly for me.  BTSN can be tough, but why make it harder than it has to?

In this episode I dig into how to communicate with parents in the best ways possible.  You will also find tips, and advice as to how to set parameters and be as direct with them as possible.  Dealing with parents can be a little scary if you don't so it right, so I am here to make sure that you do! 

Figuring out what to do on the first day of school, especially when it's your first year, can seem tough! In part 2 of what to do on the first day of school, I break down some of my favorite activities to do with your students for the whole week! These for the most part are easy, affordable yet very powerful. I hope by the end of the episode you have a whole bunch of ideas to get you started and feeling comfortable and ready to go!

One of the things I was the most anxious about as a first year teacher was the first day of school! I had so much information to cover that I turned this into a 2 part episode! In part 1 I cover how to set expectations, what expectations you should set and how to organize this information so that it is right for you.  I also go in depth as to why I chose the expectations I chose, and why they are important for your students. 

If you have been wanting to know the in's and out's of all Google Apps then this episode is the place for you.  I touch on how I use sheets, slides, docs, forms,sites and google classroom in my room. All of these tools are so user friendly and easy to use for whatever you need them for.  While some of the ways to use these are self-explanatory, I also cover some unconventional ways they can be used to make your students' learning experience that much more engaging.