Teaching to the TOP
Two teachers dedicated to helping you master your time, organization, and productivity!
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Episodes
Thursday Jun 03, 2021
Thursday Jun 03, 2021
Another year in the books and so much has happened and changed. As we come to the end of the 2020-2021 school year we want to have an honest reflection of the year with all of you. This includes the challenges we faced because of the pandemic, our initial feelings as we headed into the school year and some of the highlights that kept us going strong.
While we all had different situations for what our school year looked and sounded like, we hope that you can relate and also reflect on this past year. If anything, this year has hopefully taught us all that we can do hard things and that we are capable of making the best of difficult situations. Stay tuned to the end because we share our biggest takeaway from our 2020-2021 school year.
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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!
Thursday May 27, 2021
Thursday May 27, 2021
Digital planning has increased in popularity over the last year. As more and more teachers begin to see the value of handling all their lessons and maintaining digital files versus paper files, digital planning will only continue to increase. For those of you who have been watching the trend but haven't quite jumped into the digital planning world, this episode is for you. Or, if you have no idea what digital planning is, this episode is also for you!
We take a deep dive into digital planning and why you should start making the transition this summer. We feature our baby…. Yes, it’s a planner, and we share all the features that will help to make you more productive and organized for the upcoming school year.
Don’t forget that you can try our planners out for FREE by clicking HERE!
If you are already sold on jumping into the digital planning world, we offer Google Slides version and a tablet version HERE.
In this episode we share:
Features of digital planning that will increase your productivity and maintain organization
How digital planning allows you to access information from anywhere
Digital links makes navigating the planner easy
How digital planning can lighten the load of taking materials home and to work each day
How our digital planner stands out from the competition… THIS IS SO GOOD!
Digital planning makes customizing your planner easier than ever
LINKS:
TOP Digital Teacher Planner
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!
Thursday May 20, 2021
Thursday May 20, 2021
Let’s be honest, closing down our classrooms will look a little bit different this year. If you’re someone who has transitioned from virtual to in the classroom, there might be more things to consider as you’re prepping for your first beach getaway.
While we all might be hoping for a little more normalcy with the upcoming year, it would be a waste to simply throw everything we have done this year away. Instead, it’s important to consider how you start transitioning and using more digital resources in the upcoming years.
In this episode we break down three areas in which you need to organize: LMS, digital files and emails. We’ll give you actionable steps for processing the information, and storing it in a way that you can use it next year. Keep in mind that everyone has a different situation and may need to adapt and do a little research on how to implement the strategies we share.
In this episode we share:
How you can store assignments, discussions and materials you’ve created in your LMS to reuse next year
How to organize your resources from your LMS to easily locate and how to archive a course
How to build a list of assignments for next year. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Use what worked!
How to create a checklist of graded assignments to keep structure and consistency
Organize your digital files and delete unused files from the previous years.
Designate applications on your ipad or laptop for file types to make organizing and locating materials easier
How to close out your email with a zero inbox and what to do with all the emails in your folders
LINKS:
TOP Digital Teacher Planner
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!
Thursday May 13, 2021
Thursday May 13, 2021
Are there certain areas of your life where you are happy with exactly how it is? You feel this way because it’s become a habit but have you ever sat back and considered if what you are doing is actually helping your productivity.
Today we are chatting about 5 things that teachers no longer need! Yes, we will most likely touch on something that you are still doing but should start looking for alternative methods to help boost your productivity in and outside of the classroom.
So what are the 5 things teachers no longer need? Well, we go in depth about why you don’t need these five items and what you SHOULD be doing instead.
The Five Things Teachers No Longer Need:
Filing Cabinets/ Binders
Notebooks and papers
Center Materials
Forms
Paper Planner
In this episode we share:
How to transition from using binders and filing cabinets to a digital format
Why notebooks don’t help your professional development and how you can use digital note taking to start implementing your new learning
What to do with all those digital center materials you’ve accumulated over this past year and limit how much you are preparing for in-person centers next year
What forms can go digital to make processing, locating and maintaining records easier
Why a digital planner can make your life easier and planning less time consuming
LINKS:
TOP Digital Teacher Planner
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!
Thursday May 06, 2021
Thursday May 06, 2021
The end of the year can be an exhausting and challenging time for everyone. Not only are our bodies beginning to feel beat from the school year but we are experiencing more deadlines, to-dos, and constant battles with keeping our students engaged.
Using strategies that will help you be proactive are essential during these crazy times, and in today’s episode we have just the thing! As you might know, our 2021-2022 Digital Planners have launched and are available for purchase. You can find them HERE. Today we are going to share one of our favorite elements of our digital planner… checklists!
We give a peek into our End of the Year Checklist, the categories, tasks and examples of what you can already be considering as this year comes to a close.
In this episode we share:
How you can have your students start to help with tasks around the room
How to be proactive in completing the mounds of paper
Areas to clean, organize and purge in your classroom
How to keep track of materials and begin planning for the next year
What to do with all the technology (we even give some helpful tips!)
What to consider before you leave your classroom
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!
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
We all have to set boundaries in our lives. Whether you are like Bridget and drink too much diet coke or you are like Michelle and you can get engrossed in a project and commit every breath you can to getting it done. Boundaries are what helps to keep the balance in our life.
The problem with setting boundaries is not necessarily recognizing what needs to be done but how to maintain the boundary. A lot of what we recommend in our episodes is to build discipline but we’ve also figured out a few strategies that you can take in order to establish and stick to the boundary you’ve created.
In this episode we discuss:
The steps for establishing a boundary in your life
Explain ways for how to stick to boundaries
Give insight into our own personal boundaries and what we have done to stick to it over time
Identify roadblocks that are preventing you from maintaining your boundary
What it means to say NO more often
Be sure to check out our planner launch on May 1st!!! You can click HERE to grab it now.
You can also submit your TSH HERE to be featured on a future podcast episode.
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!
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
Join Bridget Spackman, creator of Bridging Literacy and face of the Lettered Classroom as she shares her week of navigating a busy to-do schedule and a life with two rambunctious boys, her golden-doodle, Walter, and husband.
Bridget shares how she structures her work work to ensure that she is moving forward in her business, as an educator, and spending time with family.
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!
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Thursday Apr 15, 2021
Are you still using a Flash Drive or External Hard Drive? Do you store all of your documents on your desktop? Is your organization system nonexistent? If you’ve said yes to any one of these questions, this podcast episode is for you.
So much of what we do as educators is now online. 2020 has thrusted our careers into the digital age and now is the time to begin embarrassing what technology can do for your productivity and for your teaching. However, new ways of going about every day can pose new problems. Today, we are giving you one really BIG solution to several problems.
The first is to STOP using a flash drive or external hard drive to store your documents. The risk of you forgetting, damaging or even losing these portable devices is not worth the hours and pain you might suffer. Google Drive is the solution for you. We know. You might be thinking but I’ve used it and I like having all my items on a flash drive. We get it. In fact, Bridget was echoing your thoughts not too long ago.
Google Drive is a free, online cloud-based storage solution through Google. This is a place to store all your documents and files. You receive 15GB for free but there are reasonable paid options for either a monthly or yearly rate. This is connected to your Google account and it has integrated applications such as Google Slide, Google Docs, Google Sheets and more.
In this episode we share our knowledge on the what, why and how of Google Drive for teachers. In this episode you will learn…
How to create a free Google Drive account
Tips for organizing your Google Drive folders
Tips for converting Powerpoint or Word files to Google Drive
Methods for customizing your Google Drive
Tips for maximizing your productivity in Google Drive
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!