Teaching to the TOP

085. We Watched The Home Edit... Here are Our Thoughts!

Are you a Home Edit fan? The clear bins, rainbow colors, and perfectly organized drawers have us drooling over this series. To make things fun we decided to watch the Home Edit and give you our honest thoughts. 
We all know that inspiration comes from so many locations. We can get inspired to engage through games we play at family dinners, inspiration for decor by incorporating our interests and inspiration on how we organize and maintain systems is no different. We wanted to look at how the girls from the Home Edit use actionable tips to help them structure and organize various locations. 
In this episode we share:
The structure of how The Home Edit organizes a space
How we can take specific elements to incorporate into the classroom
The importance of fitting for the space
How to stay in the zone…. What to do with overflow?
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084. TOP 5 Organizational Mistakes to Avoid This School Year

As we head back into the classroom this fall, many of us are looking to reorganize and start the year fresh. After all, having a neat and organized classroom will ensure that you maintain it, right? Well, that’s only if you are able to find the right organizational method that works for both you and your classroom.
Finding a streamline organizational setup can definitely increase your productivity and help you maintain some sanity this school year. But finding the right organizational system can be difficult. We’ve all experienced it in some form from buying containers that don’t fit to thinking too grand and having to restart part way through the year. 
In this episode we share the TOP 5 organizational mistakes that you should avoid this school year. Hopefully, by listening to the things we have done, you will be able to learn from them and make this year run a little more smoothly. 
In this episode you will learn:
Why purchasing bins on the whim can cause you bigger headaches
How to effectively plan and prepare for purchasing bins
How to store the items and materials in your classroom
The value of creating zones
How to create a habit for maintaining your new system!
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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!

083.Google Keep: The What, Why, and How for Teachers

Beginning of the school year means getting yourself into new routines. With new schedules, new procedures and the difficulty it can be with getting ready and heading back into the classroom, having a good routine can help make completing all the tasks in a day completed. This episode is going to give you the best digital tool that will hold your routines so that you can ease back into the classroom.
Each month we have shared a deep dive into the 5 digital organization tools you need to be using. After completing the 5 tools mentioned in episode 055. Top 5 Organizational Tools You Need to be Using This Year that we decided to continue sharing more of our favorite digital applications. You all know how much we love using Google applications. We’ve covered so many great benefits of Google Drive and today we are taking a deep dive into Google tasks. 
In this episode we share:
How Google Keep can act as your digital sticky notes
Ways to use Google Keep for the classroom
Adding in images, voice notes and more
How to easily uncheck your items to reuse your lists
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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!

082. Bridget Answers Rapid Fire Productivity Questions

Have you ever seen the Vogue 73 Question Videos on YouTube? Basically, someone behind the camera follows a famous person around and asks 73 rapid fire questions. You get to hear their responses but also get a little peek into their life and how they live. Well, we love to watch these videos and to make things fun this summer, we’ve decided to create our own form of rapid fire questions!
In today’s episode Michelle has crafted 25 questions all around time management, organization, and productivity to ask Bridget. Keep in mind that Bridget has no idea what questions Michelle is going to ask. So join us as Bridget Spackman, aka The Lettered Classroom, answers 25 Rapid Fire Productivity Questions. 
In this episode Bridget shares: 
What her time sucking hurdle is this summer…. You might be surprised by her response!
What her best productivity tip is for a new teacher
What her morning routine looks like this summer
What boundary she is working to set up this coming school year
A new habit that she is working to build
How she gets herself out of a rut and back to being productive
If you’ve missed where Michelle answers 25 Rapid Fire Questions, you can check it out using the link below!
 
LINKS:
Vogue 73 Questions
079. Michelle Answers 25 Rapid Fire Productivity Questions
 
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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!

081. Michelle's Week in the Life - Summer Edition

Michelle Emerson has had a busy summer! With her recent move to Austin, TX and purchasing a home she shares home renovations, unpacking and managing a business. Join Michelle as she shares her week in the life, summer edition. 
In this episode Michelle shares: 
Projects for updating and organizing her home
A battle with her internet provider
Getting her home ready for her parents to come for a visit
Maintaining and planning for upcoming conferences presentations this summer
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!

080. Bridget's Week in the Life - Summer Edition

Week in the life is back! This week Bridget is taking you behind the scenes as she organizes tackling her to-do list and spending time with her family. Join her as she walks you through organizing her week, accomplishing tasks, sharing personal stories and most importantly, enjoying her family and summer!
In this episode Bridget shares:
Her general schedule for working with kids at home
How she tackles planning out her week to create a balance between work and family
Her battle with Hashimoto’s and getting back in shape
How she balances work with family and enjoying the summer
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!

079. Michelle Answers Rapid Fire Productivity Questions

Have you ever seen the Vogue 73 Question Videos on YouTube? Basically, someone behind the camera follows a famous person around and asks 73 rapid fire questions. You get to hear their responses but also get a little peek into their life and how they live. Well, we love to watch these videos and to make things fun this summer, we’ve decided to create our own form of rapid fire questions!
In today’s episode Bridget has crafted 25 questions all around time management, organization, and productivity to ask Michelle. Keep in mind that Michelle has no idea what questions Bridget is going to ask. So join us as Michelle Emerson, aka Pocketful of Primary, answers 25 Rapid Fire Productivity Questions. 
In this episode Michelle shares: 
Her best tip for achieving a work-life balance
How she creates a space that is productive
How she battles overwhelm and feeling unmotivated to work
Her news goal after moving and getting married
What she plans to organize first in her new home
LINKS:
Vogue 73 Questions
082. Bridget Answers 25 Rapid Fire Productivity Questions COMING SOON!!
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!

078. Email Folders: The What, Why and How for Teachers

Is there really anyone who actually enjoys managing their email accounts? We can say that this is one area that we do not particularly enjoy but that doesn’t mean we can simply let it go like Ana in the movie Frozen. Email communication is essential and if not managed correctly then you are at risk of missing important notices, forgetting important dates and misreading information that requires your attention. 
In our next installment of The What, Why, and How for Teachers we are digging deep into how to utilize email folders to help you stay on top of your to-dos, deadlines and reference materials in your email inbox. By implementing our tips, you will feel more in control of your inbox and experience the golden “inbox zero” more often. 
In this episode we share:
How viewing email folders like your Google Drive can organize your inbox
How to process your emails and sort them correctly. This means finding a specific time during the day dedicated to processing and working to inbox zero.
How email folders will help you in finding information more quickly
Our structures for creating email folders
How to sort and store emails at the end of the year. 
Don’t forget to check out our planner on our website. We have all the tools you need to plan out your summer, be proactive for the fall, and outline big projects this summer!
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!