Teaching to the TOP

046. Michelle's Week in the Life - Virtual Teaching

045. The REALITY of Establishing Balance

044. How to Write Sub Plans During a Pandemic

With so much uncertainty right now, we have to think about the what-ifs. What if we get sick? What if we have to quarantine? The majority of schools are asking teachers to plan for those what-ifs and create sub plans that can last from anywhere between 5-10 days. To help you with this process, we’ve come up with 10 tips on how to write sub plans during a pandemic. 
 
TIPS FOR WRITING SUB PLANS DURING A PANDEMIC
 
Tip #1: Have materials in an easy to find location in your room (make this obvious!)
Tip #2: Put your plans in a Google Drive folder and share with teammates/admin for easy access
Tip #3: Have a list of typical routines and procedures that you use when teaching
Tip #4: Have a recorded lesson ready to go that can be used at any time
Tip #5: Develop a Flow for for each block of teaching
Tip #6: Schedule assignments ahead of time on your LMS so if you’re out, they are ready to go!
Tip #7: Have a list of student information readily available
Tip #8: Try to find a sub that is familiar with your school/students
Tip #9: Keep easy to use (theme) extras in your sub area
Tip #10: Consider sprinkling your students to other classes
 
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043. The Secret to Staying Positive During Tough Times

2020 has been a trying year for so many people and in so many ways. During times of uncertainty, frustration, and constant change your mindset can struggle to be positive on any given day. We have also felt a level of sadness and irritation this year, but we have also found strategies and coping mechanisms that have aided us to stay afloat and get things done. 
 
In this episode we are sharing our struggles with staying positive but also what has worked for us. 
 
Bridget’s Struggles
Michelle’s Struggles
What Worked for Bridget
What Worked for Michelle
 
The commonality is knowing and re-embracing our WHY. For so many of us the why behind becoming a teacher was to make an impact in our students’ lives. They are WHY we come to work, WHY we bury ourselves in professional development and creating lessons. Know your WHY. Embrace your why and you will find that you are able to get through just about anything. 
 
Find our Digital Teacher Planner at TeachingontheDouble.com
 
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!

042. The TOP Teaching Tools You MUST Be Using if You’re Teaching In-Person or Virtually

We all have our go-to items that get us through the day. Since the spring of 2020 we have definitely had to make some changes in what and how we use our everyday tools. Today we will share 7 digital tools that you must be using whether you’re teaching in-person or virtually!
Be Sure to listen along to hear how we use these tools on a daily basis!
OUR TOP 7 TEACHING TOOLS
Google Tasks
Google Keep
Digital planner
Google Sheets
Bookmarks on your internet browser (Chrome)
Screen recording
Virtual whiteboards
Find our Digital Teacher Planner at TeachingontheDouble.com
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!

041. How to Embrace Being Flexible this Year

2020 is the year of flexibility. Once we get going and things are looking great, new plans, different situations or a complete game plan change happens in the blink of an eye. One thing is for sure, teachers like routine and stability, but how can we possibly build any of this when we don’t even know what this year has to hold? 
We know that the year has been stressful and let’s be honest with one another, a lot of the time we don’t even want to think of the possibility of change because it only adds to our stress. However, if we view these new circumstances as opportunities to be flexible versus looking at it as change you’d feel better prepared and less stressed. 
 
HOW TO EMBRACE BEING FLEXIBLE:
[4:08] School/District Requirements
[10:27] Lesson Plans
[18:03] Students
[21:35] Parents
[25:56] Coworkers
 
CONCLUSION
This year is offering up a lot of challenges but when we take a step back and analyze the situation you will find that you have more control than what you think. With a little bit of prep work and creativity in how to make new situations work, you will regain control and positivity back in your day. 
 
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!

040. Our HONEST Thoughts on Teaching in a Pandemic

This year we are all trying our very best to put a smile on each day and get through all the changes and uncertainty that the year brings. In this episode we share our brutally honest thoughts on teaching during a pandemic.
Join us as we share the positives, negatives and how we are working to make it through the 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!

039. Our Biggest Back-to-School Mistakes

It’s fair to say that we have all made mistakes in our life. While we hate to make mistakes they help to make us better when we choose to learn from them. In this episode we are sharing two BIG mistakes that we have made when heading back to school. 
While we share our two mistakes we want you to keep one thing in mind: KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. Teaching can often feel like a competition instead of a collaboration and while this is not done intentionally, it can manifest in so much that we do for our classroom and for our students. 
 
OUR TWO BIGGEST BACK-TO-SCHOOL MISTAKES
 
Mistake 1: Following trends we see on social media. AKA: Keeping up with the Jones’
Social media can be a place where innovation rises and new ideas spark excitement and motivation. As we have personally learned, social media can also be a place where new connections are made. However, social media can also cause us to feel pressure and distract us from our true purpose as a teacher. 
When feeling stressed because of what you are seeing on social media do these things instead:
Stay off social media
Remind yourself that it is easier to add on than to take away
Best teaching practices aren’t always cute
Your teaching ability is not determined by keeping up with the Jones’
Teaching is not always about the materials but about the relationships you form
 
Mistake 2: Putting too much on our plates
Even when we are already feeling as though we have too much going on we still have a tendency to bring on more tasks. This is mainly because we don’t want to look as though we cannot do “all the things”. This can be from volunteering for activities, trying new things you see on social media or wanting to grow in multiple areas at once. This can lead to burnout and can even add pressures to your loved ones or your students. 
When feeling as though you are taking too much on do these things instead:
Collaborate with other teachers as much as possible (synergy… 1 + 1 = 3)
Choose one area to focus on (technology, parent communication, student wellbeing)
Start with less and add more
Limit how much you change in one year/at one time
Practice self care
 
CONCLUSION
This year seems to add so much pressure on us with all the changes and adjustments that we are having to make as a teacher. It can be overwhelming and burn you out if you allow it to continue for too long. Remember to take a break away from work and try some of the strategies we mentioned to help ground you to what is really important. 
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!