Teaching to the TOP

101. Time Saving Classroom Activities for Winter

This time of the year flies by in the blink of an eye! But really, this time of the year always feels so hectic, and students are beyond excited with all the festivities. So how can we be efficient without wearing ourselves to the ground? How can we tap into the energy of our students without having to plan exhaustive lessons? 
In today’s episode we are doing something we have never done before! We are sharing 6 Time Saving Activities that will require minimal materials, and little to no thought or preparation on your part. So start enjoying the holidays and lessen your stress by integrating these easy time saving activities in your classroom this winter!
In this episode you will learn:
How to incorporate a snowball fight for any subject
How dot art can give you some quiet time and lovely art to hang in your classroom
How to make independent work calm and warm with a fire in your classroom
How spinoff Boggle can engage and challenge your kids
How this classroom management tool can help keep your sanity
How this quiet game can save your sanity
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

100. OUR 100TH EPISODE!

This is a very special episode for us! This episode marks our 100th episode, and we wanted to share this moment with all of you!
First, thank you for your love and support  these last 100 episodes. We are so very grateful for this community and this podcast would not be anything if it was not for all of you! Your shares, reviews, and weekly downloads is proof that we are not alone on this wild journey. 
We hope that you all enjoy this chatty episode as we share funny stories, the good and challenges during this past year and a half. 
 
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

099. How to MAXIMIZE Your Digital Planning Experience

When we first started jumping into digital planning and maximizing our productivity through the use of technology, it was not easy. In fact, we had to build new habits, learn the technology, and there were moments when we wanted to quit and go back to what we always had done. The thing is, it is easy to quit something that we find challenging. It is easy to stick to what we have always done, but be honest with yourself, will it make you better? The short answer is no. 
Let’s start with some tough love. Transitioning to a digital planner takes work. You cannot purchase a planner and think it will make all your problems go away. You have to make the effort in developing a new habit so that you are getting the most out of your planning.  So go into digital planning knowing that you will find it challenging. 
In this episode you will learn:
Develop a routine to using the planner consistently
Create a planning routine for the month that will help to set you for success in reaching various goals.
Define your planning style and own it! No need to plan like everyone else.
Utilize templates to help your productivity and make the planning process easier
Pictures can help guide you and minimize paper clutter in the classroom.
We are also very excited to announce that our January 2022 - December 2022 Digital planners will be available on Friday, November 26th. We will be offering these planners with a 20% discount until December 12th. You can find that and another fabulous surprise in our store on Black Friday!
Be sure to visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store
 
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

098. 4 Steps to Choose the PERFECT Digital Planner

Nothing is more frustrating than making a purchase online only to realize that it doesn’t work for your needs. This can be clothes that don’t fit right, a product not living up to what you believed, or a digital product that isn’t quite right. In recent years, we’ve looked to others we know personally or people we follow online to help us make decisions on what we purchase. 
So when you are curious about jumping into digital planning, we know how challenging it can be to get started with picking the perfect digital planner. That’s why, today, we are dedicating an entire episode to helping you choose. 
In this episode we share:
How knowing your platform first can help weed through the half the options!
Understanding when and where you will be using your planner can help define your platform.
Identifying the orientation options that are available. 
Learn more about how some planners offer greater versatility than others. 
Choosing a style that is timeless and professional
We are also very excited to announce that our January 2022 - December 2022 Digital planners will be available on Friday, November 26th. We will be offering these planners with a 20% discount until December 12th. You can find that and another fabulous surprise in our store on Black Friday!
Be sure to visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store
 
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

097. 7 Reasons You Should Start Digital Planning TODAY

Teachers are known for their iconic bags. You know the ones we are talking about. The Thirty-One bag is filled with graded papers, every Flair Pen you can imagine, and of course the teacher planner (and maybe even a planner for your personal life). However, many of us dread filling and unloading our bags every day. The bag is a burden of the list of to-dos that awaits us every moment. 
But what if we told you that there was a better way. That you couldn’t lighten the physical load of your bag while also lightening your stress. In this episode we are sharing 7 reasons for why you should start digital planning today!
In this episode you will:
Understand how iCloud and Google Drive allows you to plan from anywhere
Create templates and systems in order to be more efficient
Allow flexibility by having the ability to easily move your lessons
How using the search and find function can save you time 
Why you should be using your plans from previous years
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

096. 10 Ways to Avoid Teacher Burnout

Over this last month we’ve done a deep dive into understanding teacher burnout. We looked at our own personal journeys, the sliding scale of burnout and identified the root causes for why we experience teacher burnout. Today we want to give your specific strategies to help you avoid teacher burnout and feel successful and happy in your profession. 
In this episode we share:
Creating a morning and afternoon routine to help you establish an efficient workflow
How habits can build an effective routine and ensures you don’t miss anything
How to build a schedule to help you define a work-life separation
Conduct a social media audit! No bad vibes here!
Track your emotions and learn specific emotional response cues
Focus more on what we do have control of!
Be sure to check out the last two episodes on Teacher Burnout:
093. Our Teacher Burnout Journeys
094. The Teacher Burnout Sliding Scale
095. The Truth About Teacher Burnout
Helpful episodes to check out!
002. 5 Things That Should Be a Part of EVERY Teacher’s Morning Routine
003. Teacher Evening Routines to Destress
001. How to Create New Habits for a Successful School Year
070: How to Set Boundaries (and Stick to Them!)
Other Mentions:
Freebie: Habit Tracker
Freebie: Steps to Create a Successful Morning Routine
 
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

095. The Truth About Teacher Burnout

We’ve got to share some tough love and drop a whole lot of truth in this episode.
Over the last couple of episodes we’ve been diving deep into understanding teacher burnout. Our goal is to determine the causes and learn strategies for helping to avoid burnout. In this episode we need to share what so many might need to hear and that is…
“Self care is NOT the solution for teacher burnout”
We see so many posts, discussions, and even receive PD all about self care. This idea that all we need is to take care of ourselves or take time for yourself will not solve the problems that are causing you to feel burnout. To really feel a difference, we have to get at the root of the problem. So we share 5 categories of stressors that may be causing you to feel exhausted and burnout. 
In this episode we share:
Organization can lead to you feeling frazzled and lost when trying to clear your head space for the day. 
A lack of work-life separation is not sustainable and can lead to an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. 
Developing unrealistic expectations can lead to self-doubt and disappointment. 
Identifying our emotions can help us in understanding how we react to situations. 
While we may not be in control of everything around us, we can still speak out and have our voices be heard. 
Be sure to check out the last two episodes on Teacher Burnout:
093. Our Teacher Burnout Journeys
094. The Teacher Burnout Sliding Scale
 
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

094. The Teacher Burnout Sliding Scale

Defining everything with a hard line can be challenging. This is because so much of life is on a sliding scale. How much money we make, the happiness we feel, how tired we are… so if we think of life (of everything really) as this sliding scale, then what is stopping us from recognizing that we might have all experienced burnout to some degree?
In episode 089. Does Balance Really Exist? We discussed how balance is really a sliding scale and this is constantly changing depending on the events happening in your life. So in other words, you have to adjust as you go in order to maintain that sense of balance. 
In this episode we share:
What causes teacher burnout
How our seasons in life can cause burnout 
Burnout can come in waves
Burnout is going to look different for everyone
Be sure to check out our previous episode 093. Our Teacher Burnout Journeys
 
SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!
We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!
Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!