Spark Up Your Space and Energize your Environment Ep.40

November 29, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Spark Up Your Space and Energize your Environment S.3 E. 40

Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can create environments that are charged and energetic, in your work and home life, by following a few basic ideas about harnessing the power of paradoxes.

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

Do you ever sit in a meeting and struggle to stay awake? Do you ever find yourself at a family gathering and cringe because the atmosphere is so toxic you are afraid to say anything? Do you look around your classroom and wonder what you could do to “spark it up” just a bit? Today we’re talking about how you can energize your environment, at work and at home, by looking at them through the lens of six paradoxes. Don’t worry, it is much easier than it sounds. All you need are a few guidelines about holding the tension of opposites and we are glad to share them with you!

In this episode:

Introduction:

We have long believed in the power of environment to shape the mood of all who enter that space. We believe so strongly in it, that one of the first podcast episodes we created was #9 You Set the Tone. We talked passionately about how teachers have more power than they may know to set the tone for their classroom and life.

Today, we would like to expand on that topic and speak directly about the power you have to improve the places and spaces where you live and work but looking at them through the lens of six different paradoxes.

What is a paradox?

First, let’s get the meaning of paradox out of the way. A paradox is something that has seemingly contradictory qualities. For example, when we say “less is more” or “the beginning of the end.”

For our purposes today, we are going to talk about paradox as that creative and charged tension between two opposites. Think of it as that space that lighting shoots through between the chaos in the clouds where it starts and the solid ground where it hits. That space in between is electric, powerful and beautiful when we can see it in action. It is not so astonishing in the clouds or on the ground as it is in that charged space in between.

Your daily living and working spaces can be the same way, if you can find or create that spot between two poles where the charge and exciting energy can live. You can think of it as the tension between opposites.

Before we get into what those paradoxes might be, we want to give credit for this idea where credit is due.

Parker Palmer, a writer and teacher who has helped millions of people around the world live more courageously and authentically through his writing and speaking, was the inspiration for this podcast episode.

In his book, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life, he gives us six paradoxes we should consider when designing our ideal classroom environments. When Palmer wrote this he was talking about classroom environments specifically, but we think this applies to our work and home lives so we expanded on his idea a bit.

Here is how Parker Palmer introduces the idea of paradoxes in the book:

“Teaching and learning require a higher degree of awareness than we ordinarily possess- and awareness is always heightened when we are caught in a creative tension. Paradox is another name for that tension, a way of holding opposites together that creates an electric charge that keeps us awake. Not all good teachers use the same technique, but whatever technique they use, good teachers always find ways to induce this creative tension. When I design a classroom session, I am aware of six paradoxical tensions that I want to build into the teaching and learning space.”

We are going to share the six paradoxical tensions that Palmer suggests using to create your spaces, then we will explore each as they relate to your work and home life.

The six ideas are:

The space should be bounded and open.
The space should be hospitable and “charged.”
The spaces should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group.
The space should honor the “little” stories of the student and the “big” stories of the disciplines and tradition.
The space should support solitude and surround it with the resources of community.
The space should welcome both silence and speech.

When Palmer talks about these, he is talking specifically about how he designs learning spaces. If we follow these same rules in our spaces outside the classroom the same kind of positive energy can flow there as well. Think of this as applying to our family get togethers, our lunches with friends, our committee meetings, our family dinners…any environment where we find ourselves.

Let’s take a look at each of these paradoxes individually and what embracing them might look like in your work and home life.

1.The space should be bounded and open.

Palmer describes a space that is bounded and open as an environment where there are boundaries that keep topics from wandering all over, but that are still open to the many paths that the learning or conversation may lead. This means having an idea of a journey that you want to take, “the bounded part”, yet embracing the surprises along the way, “the open part.”

For example, this might mean having a solid lesson plan, but being open to taking it in a new direction when student interests are high.

Palmer suggests framing a discussion around a text this way. The teacher presents the text to be discussed (bounded) and then opens up the space by asking students to discuss the text based on information they have learned from their own lives. We do this all the time as teachers, though we may not see it as playing with the tensions of bounded and open.

This works in your personal life as well. An example in your personal life might be travel. Paula shared an example of going to Washington, DC with friends. It was one of the most amazing trips ever and it was in large part because it followed this rule. The bounded part was having a hotel booked for all seven days of the trip. The open part was driving to a location, asking the waitress or others they met along the way where they should go next. They ended up in DC on time but along the way ate chocolate in Hershey Pennsylvania, saw the lighthouses in Cape May New Jersey, and walked the boardwalk in Atlantic City. None of these were in the original plans.

2.The space should be hospitable and “charged.”

Palmer describes hospitable as inviting, open, safe, free, and trustworthy. Of course we all want this in a classroom. However, the space should also be somewhat “charged” in that students don’t fall asleep in the comfort. The participants in the space shouldn’t be so safe that they are bored. This is that space where people are exploring real, deep topics of the world or their soul. They know it is a safe place (hospitable) but also full of deep exploration possibilities which makes the environment charged.

Palmer’s classroom example is making sure the students feel safe and then asking them to focus on hot button issues that really cause them to do some real exploration of themselves or their world.

This might also look like shaking things up- building in comfortable routines, but using different strategies that keep things interesting and alive and keep students engaged.

Paula attended a Parker Palmer retreat several years ago in Seattle. It was a beautiful setting, people wore comfortable clothes and did yoga. It felt very safe and loving. Then they asked the attendees to dig deep into their goals and lives and ask themselves about deep issues. It was both uncomfortable and profound. People were crying as they journaled. It was both hospitable and warm as well as “charged.” We all want to have those kinds of experiences that are meaningful and deep and involve topics that we are really invested in. We want our students to have those kinds of experiences as well.

3. The spaces should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group.

What Palmer means by this is that all participants in the conversation need to have a chance to express their authentic voice. That’s inviting the individual voice. However, in order to be a place of learning, there must also be a chance for the group’s voice to be gathered an amplified. Having this group voice provides a necessary point of comparison to affirm, challenge or correct the voice of the individual. This is the place where learning can happen.

Parker is talking about a classroom where students have to reach a group consensus. The students are invited to share their individual perspectives. The teacher can listen for what the group is saying and pull that together and play that back to the students from time to time so the group can hear what they are saying together.

Another example is that teachers need to be able to ask questions and accept that they don’t always get the answers they were expecting. It is about allowing students to voice their ideas and opinions. If we want to create people who know how to think, we need to let them express their thoughts.

As an example in your home life, Paula shared what happens when her family is trying to decide where to go out to dinner. Individuals share their ideas. Paula gathers the voice of the group. “Ok, so no fast food. And I didn’t hear any Chinese so Chinese is out. It appears that most of us want Mexican. So now let’s narrow down which Mexican restaurant we want to go to.” This is a better than arguing or fighting and allows everyone to have a voice while still coming to a group decision. We often do this in the classroom and it works at home too.

4. The space should honor the “little” stories of the student and the “big” stories of the disciplines and tradition.

Palmer suggests this so that everyone can share their personal “little stories” to add to the conversation without narcissism becoming a problem. Value the little stories but don’t let them take over the big stories that are universal or overriding.

We do this on this podcast all the time. We have a topic, but we sprinkle in our own little stories and examples.

Palmer suggests that in a class discussion, we need to help students learn to listen to the big stories with the same respect they give the little stories they tell about their own lives. We, as the teachers, need to stand at the intersection of the stories that individuals bring to the classroom, and help them connect to bigger stories about the world that they may not have been exposed to or understand yet.

Paula shared an example of sitting in meetings where one person comes in with how a situation, maybe a new curriculum or new way of doing something, impacts them. The first time they tell the story, everyone listens. The next time, in the same meeting when they share their experience, and it is only a sliver of the whole picture, people tolerate it. However, when the conversation becomes all about them and their experience, everyone hopes the leader of the meeting will step in and remind everyone of the bigger picture. When that doesn’t happen, the meeting goes too far toward the little stories and not close enough to the big stories, which is frustrating. As a leader, you can help maintain the big picture while honoring little stories.

5.The space should support solitude and surround it with the resources of community.

This particular paradoxical tension recognizes that people need time alone to absorb information and to meaningfully reflect on it. However, we also need that authentic community to be our best.

Palmer says, “I tell my students that much as I value dialogue, I affirm their right not to participate overtly in the conversation- as long as I have the sense, and occasional verbal reassurance, that they are participating inwardly. This permission not to speak seems to evoke speech from people who are normally silent; we are more likely to choose participation when we are granted the freedom to do so.”

Think about this as a teacher in a classroom. There are introverts who listen and engage with whatever is happening in the classroom. Often, they are penalized because they do not always speak up or contribute a certain number of times. Be aware of who is really engaged and who is not engaged. Talking is only one form of engagement.

The “Think, Pair, Share” strategy is a good one because it allows everyone to engage in a safe way. The think portion allows for self-reflection, the pairing is a safe place to discuss, and the sharing is often done by the people who are most comfortable in the group sharing. It supports the solitude of individuals while still surrounding people with the combined resources of the community.

6.The space should welcome both silence and speech.

Palmer says, “Words are not the sole medium of exchange in teaching and learning- we educate with silence as well. Silence gives us a chance to reflect on what we have said and heard, and silence itself can be a sort of speech, emerging from the deepest parts of ourselves, of others, of the world.”

Some of us struggle with silence, in fact a typical group handles about 15 seconds of silence before someone jumps in.

Palmer looks at this through the lens of the teacher, when teachers jump into silence. He goes so far as to wonder what chances for authentic learning don’t get to happen when teachers jump in and break the silence or when they allow students to quickly jump in and fill a silence without first giving everyone time to think and reflect.

In education, we often call this wait time, and waiting even a few seconds can feel difficult.

This is a great reminder to find that charged spot between silence and speech. How do you handle silence in your life, for example in a book club, or in discussions with family and friends? Do you allow people time to think or quickly jump in to fill the void?

Conclusion

As you can see, we think Parker Palmer is brilliant. We hope he wouldn’t mind that we expanded upon his six paradoxes idea to how it could be effective in our home and life spaces, not just in our classroom spaces. As you consider how finding that perfect paradoxical tension could change your environments, we end with the following quote.

Quote

“The place where paradoxes are held together is in the teacher’s heart.”

Parker Palmer

Our wish for you is that you hold these paradoxes in your heart in the coming days, weeks, months, and years in your work and home life.

Recap

You have the power to improve the places and spaces where you live and work by looking at them through the lens of six different paradoxes. You can make your classroom and home environments more enjoyable places by embracing that charged space between any of these paradoxes.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Inspired Together Teachers podcast Episode 9 You Set the Tone

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

How to Increase Student Engagement Ep. 24

August 9, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

How to Increase Student Engagement S. 2 Ep. 24

Listen to this episode to learn tried and true ways you can increase student engagement.

Show Notes:

Episode summary:

Do you ever wish that your students were more engaged, that they cared more about what they were learning or that they would take learning more seriously? If so, you might need to increase student engagement.

Let’s face it, it is more fun and less stressful to teach students who are engaged. When students are engaged, you have fewer behavior challenges. Your lessons run more smoothly, and you accomplish more in less time. Students complete tasks and turn in their assignments. They also remember more of what they learned. Does that sound like a dream? It’s possible. In this episode we’re talking about tried and true ways you can increase student engagement.

In this episode:

It is more fun and less stressful to teach students who are actively engaged. When your students are engaged, there are fewer behavior challenges. Discussions are fluid and energizing. Your lessons run smoothly and you accomplish more in less time. Students will complete tasks and turn in their assignments. They will also likely remember more of what they learned. The chances are that when students are engaged, they are also having more fun and enjoying learning!

What’s not to love about that?

We are always excited to talk about student engagement because few things are better in teaching than watching students when they are fully engaged in their learning.

Today we explore these 4 tips to increase student engagement in more detail:

First, take a lesson from the business world. Before you shut off the podcast, trust us on this one. You will understand why in just a few minutes. The second tip is build and activate a learning strategy toolbox so you can plan engaging lessons. We will also explore our third tip which is about switching up the learning environment. Finally, we will talk about the importance of adding joy to the classroom.

These 4 tips will help you to increase student engagement exponentially.

Engagement Tip 1: Take a lesson from the business world.

One of our favorite authors is Dan Pink, the author of Drive and A Whole New Mind , both which we have referenced on other podcast episodes, among other best sellers. In his New York Times bestselling book Drive- The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, Pink looked at four decades of research on motivation and then summarized into one book for business leaders to help them keep their employees motivated, satisfied, and performing at their highest levels.

What Pink learned has direct application to the classroom. Basically, in order for people to be motivated to work and learn and be engaged in what they’re doing, they must feel a sense of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Once those three things are incorporated, motivation and engagement skyrocket and management issues decrease. Let’s take just a minute to talk about autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Autonomy

Autonomy means that students have some say in what they are doing or learning. They don’t need total control, but they need to make some of their own choices. This might be setting their own learning goals, choosing which learning materials to use, or choosing between several types of projects. You might give them a choice in partners or groups, a choice in tasks, or a choice in which book they read.

Students will still need some sort of accountability, but giving them some say in what they do will greatly increase the chances that they will do it.

Teachers are sometimes nervous about giving students control, thinking that they will lose control, but the opposite happens. Students don’t need ALL the choices, they just need some choices. Teachers can control the choices.

Daniel Pink offers this advice: Control leads to compliance, autonomy leads to engagement.

Mastery

The second thing that creates engagement is the opportunity for mastery.

Engagement leads to mastery. Think about it, did you ever really master anything without being engaged in it? We’ve all had the experience of memorizing something for a test, only to forget it the minute we walk out the door. That is not mastery.

Mastery is the ability to get better and better at something that matters. Our educational standards require students to master skills. What can teachers do to increase mastery?

Make sure tasks are not too easy or too challenging.
Give students time to get into flow, time where they can focus and work on a task uninterrupted.
Make work look like play. There is often joy in the pursuit of a goal. Have you ever been so involved in something that you lost all track of time? Learning and work and enjoyment are not mutually exclusive!
Encourage a growth mindset where students believe that with effort, they can get better and better at something.

For example, think of kids and gaming, where they work hard trying to reach the next level. Or think of adults with golf, or completing their step rings on their watch. It becomes a competition with yourself to keep getting better and better and reach the next level. It is why professional musicians who are at the top of their profession keep practicing for hours a day. It is also why athletes keep running, or keep shooting hundreds of baskets every day. They are going for mastery.

Purpose

The third aspect of motivation from Daniel Pink’s discussion is purpose.

When students understand the purpose for their learning, they are more motivated to learn. Students are less likely to engage when they view work as a waste of time. Can students answer the question, “why is this important?” If so, they understand the purpose of the lesson.

Tell students the objectives of the lesson. Share the outcomes. Show them the learning standard. However, that is not enough, standards can seem dry and unimportant without context. Make sure students know what they are going to learn. Tell them and post it on the board. For example, you could use this prompt:

“Today you are going to learn to…” Then make sure students understand how they will use this information or why it is important.

This piece creates relevance. When students understand how they might use something, or how it will help them in the future, or how it will improve their skills such as critical thinking or the ability to analyze, they will be more likely to buy in to the activity.

You could say, “Here are some of the ways you will use this information or skill in the future…”

Or, better yet, ask students how they think the information or skill will be useful in their future.

You can increase student engagement by paying attention to autonomy, mastery and purpose. It is not just a solution for the business world. It is also a powerful formula to increase student engagement.

Engagement Tip 2: Build an active learning strategy toolkit so you can plan engaging lessons

Are you using active learning strategies in your classroom? Teachers who are looking to build engagement are always adding new active learning strategies to their toolbox and then using these strategies when planning to make sure their lessons are engaging. A great active learning can usually be used in any curriculum area and across different grade levels.

We love active learning strategies and have written several blog posts with our favorite active learning strategies, all of which we will link in the show notes so you can have easy access to them. Most of our favorite active learning strategies can be completed in 10-15 minutes.

Here are four of our favorite active learning strategies:

Walk the Walls

This strategy works as a strategy to get students ready to learn new content or as a way to review what they have read or discussed. It is a good warm-up and generally takes 10-15 minutes.

Determine a set of 6-8 questions related to the day’s lesson. For example:

Which mammals have you seen in person? (3^rd grade science)

Why do you think enslaved people joined the confederate army? (9^th grade US History)

How do you think you would have reacted to finding an abused dog? (5^th grade reading)

What are some different ways to greet someone in Spanish? (1^st year Spanish)

Gather 6-8 large pieces of paper. Place one question on each sheet. Place the sheets on the walls around the room. Instruct students to take a marker or pen and walk around the room quietly writing their answers on each sheet. When time is up, discuss their answers.

Speed Dating (or for elementary students “Line Learning”)

Prepare a list of questions for discussion. The questions can help to introduce new content or review previously learned content.

Have students stand in two lines, facing each other.

Set a time limit, such as one minute. Determine which line will talk first and which line will listen. Ask a question. Students have one minute to talk about the answer with the person facing them. Then reverse speakers. For the next question, have one row move one place to the right so that each person is facing a new partner. The person on the end goes to the other end of the line. Repeat.

In addition to these strategies, remember you can always add small engagement elements to your toolbox and lessons as attention grabbers, community builders, and learning disguised as fun. For example, introduce a lesson on states of matter by playing music from the movie Frozen. Then conduct experiments with ice, snow, and water.

Engagement tip 3: Switch up the environment.

Too much time in the same environment can make anyone feel restless. New and unique environments can increase engagement dramatically. There are many ways to switch up the environment without abandoning your curriculum or academic standards.

Consider what you can do to switch up the environment:

Move to a different space for a lesson or a day- consider going outside. On beautiful weather days, if students are staring out the window longingly, let’s face it, you probably are as well! Consider how you could take all or part of the lesson outside. Or could individual student work portion of a lesson be done in the hallway? Could you go on a nature walk or use sidewalk chalk to practice spelling words or math problems?
Change up your classroom. Rearrange the desks. Add a reading tent in the corner. Make your bulletin board and interactive board where kids can engage with the classroom content.
Bring in more “things”. Let the students see, feel, hear, touch and maybe even taste what you are learning about. These can be used for manipulatives in learning and can help students see relevance.
Add “Walk and Talks”. Have students pair up. Give them an assigned topic to discuss. Often you can use the discussion questions you would have used with the entire class. Have them walk and talk in your school hallway or outside about the question for a minute or two, then switch partners. Bring them back to a large group to share their insights. Repeat as time allows. This activity is also great for language classes when students must talk in the language they are learning!

We do want to remind you to be clear and specific in setting your behavior expectations and directions when you switch up your environment. For example, you might say something like, “I know we would all like to work outside today. Before we can do that, I need you to agree to follow my rules and behavior expectations. First, while we are outside, you promise to focus on doing the work of the lesson. When I call for your attention, you promise to stop and listen to directions. If you do not follow these rules, we will immediately return to the classroom. Please raise your hand if you can agree to these rules.”

Engagement tip 4: Add joy to your classroom.

Joy helps students love learning. If students love learning, they will be engaged. Joy encourages creativity, which opens the door for creative problem solving. Joy encourages curiosity and self-motivated learning.

Here are just a few of our favorite ways to increase joy in the classroom:

Try to incorporate laughter into your lessons. Laughing reduces stress. Look for opportunities to inject humor into the day’s activities. Offer to tell a joke if students line up quickly and quietly. Get a joke book if you need one. Telling a joke takes less than 30 seconds and adds fun. We all remember a teacher who told corny jokes. Notice that we remember that teacher.
Add Music. There are songs that fit into all areas of the curriculum. Check out You Tube for songs about multiplication or grammar from School House Rock. Better yet, let students work in groups to write and perform their own songs based on their topic of study. Music brings about engagement and as a bonus, it also helps with retention!
Read funny literature. When you are reading aloud to your students or finding literature to incorporate into your lessons, look for and choose funny stories. When students have positive experiences with literature, they learn that reading is fun. If reading is fun, they will be more likely to do more of it.

Joyful classrooms are less stressful, less anxious places. Neurological studies have shown that students’ comfort levels can influence long-term information storage and transmission. Teachers and students face many challenges in today’s educational climate. Living without joy does not have to be one of them.

Recap:

We often hear that students today aren’t engaged. The days of “sit and get” learning are in the past. By understanding how autonomy, mastery, and purpose lead to motivation, and by following up with lessons that include fun and actively engaging activities you can increase students’ engagement and maximize learning in your classroom.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

4 Great Active Learning Strategies for All Content Areas

Mix and Match Active Learning Strategy

8 Simple Ways to Create a Joyful Classroom

How to Engage Students the Week Before Break

Spring Fever? Take Students Outside!

Related Podcast Episodes

Episode 2: What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Motivation

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

10 Tips to Get Your School Year Off to a Great Start Ep.23

August 2, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

10 Tips to Get Your School Year Off to a Great Start S. 2 Ep.23

Listen to this episode to learn our top ten best ways to get your school year off to a great start.

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

As every teacher knows there is something special about the beginning of a new school year. Each new year brings new beginnings, new opportunities, and a fresh start with fresh faces. Today we are talking about steps can take to make sure the year gets off to a great start. Keep listening as we countdown our top ten suggestions for starting the new school year with energy, strength, and optimism.

In this episode:

Quote:

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.”

Dan Rather

Introduction:

We love the start of a new school year and bet that you do too. There is little that can compare to the excitement and opportunity that a new school year brings. Along with the smell of new pencils, there is so much potential that is out in front of us, waiting for teachers and students to bring it to life. There will be new relationships with new colleagues and new students. There will be opportunity for new ways of learning and plenty of light bulb moments. There will also be growth- for the students and for you.

Call us eternal optimists, but we want to embrace each new year and give it our best. So, we created a countdown of ten of our favorite suggestions for starting the school year with energy, strength and optimism that we are excited to share with you.

Our top ten tips to get your school year off to a great start:

Success Tip Number 10: Create a good sub folder.

We added this to our countdown because we believe in the power of a great substitute folder and the beginning of the school year is the perfect time to create that sub folder.

You need a great sub folder. It is going to happen, you are going to be sick or have an unexpected emergency that requires you to be absent from school. No matter how healthy you are and how strong your immune system, you will be in contact with students who sometimes come to school ill. You will sleep better knowing that you have a solid sub folder when those unexpected sick days occur.

Trying to prepare good lesson plans when you are not feeling well or when you are in the midst of a family emergency is no fun. We recommend that you prepare a complete and highly usable sub folder.

We have a whole blog post on our website dedicated to specific items to add to your sub folder, which we will link in the resources. At the very least we suggest you include the following in your sub folder:

Your daily and weekly class schedule
Your class attendance lists and seating charts
Attendance and lunch count procedures
Passwords to the white board or computer if they need it to run the lessons
A list of classroom rules and expectations
A list of students with medical concerns (be thoughtful about student privacy issues but share what is necessary)
Location of emergency information for fire drills etc.
A general note to the sub explaining your routines
A list of reliable students and colleagues who can answer questions or be helpful
2 or 3 days’ worth of lesson plans and activities that are related to your subject and that provide important skill work. Your emergency lesson plans should not be directly connected to your current unit of study. This allows you to keep emergency sub plans without having to change them in the moment to reflect the current unit.

Though it does take some time to set up a good sub folder, the time will be well spent when you find yourself suddenly ill or in the midst of a family emergency. You will feel a level of security and comfort knowing that no matter what happens, you have done your best to leave your students in good hands.

Success Tip Number 9: Build time for yourself into every day.

It is important that you take some time to recharge your own battery. Try to do at least one small thing every day that makes you calm and happy. Do things that feed your soul- even for ten or fifteen minutes if that is all that you can manage. This will help you to stay positive and connected to your values.

Many of you are exploring ways to teach mindfulness to your students. It is also important for you. Stress is real and has many negative health effects. You give so much to so many every day. If you are looking for ideas for self-care, check out Episode 16 where we talk about the difference between real self-care and faux self-care.

Where do you find the time? You don’t. You create it. Use time blocking to carve in a block for yourself. Use a master weekly calendar. Block in your prep times and other work blocks. Then block in buffer blocks, which are short times blocks where you will do multiple small tasks such as sending an email. Then add people blocks, which is where you spend time with people you care about. You also need personal time blocks where you block in some time for yourself. This helps you to use your time wisely.

Success Tip Number 8: Help students get to know you.

When students feel like they know and understand you, it will go a long way in making your school year run smoothly. Let the students know a bit about you right from the beginning. Tell a funny story about your dog. Talk about your favorite sports or activities. Share a read aloud from your favorite book or tell them about your favorite summer activities. Students will respond better to someone they know, like and trust. You can share bits of yourself without oversharing or becoming a friend rather than a teacher.

One of our favorite teachers has a framed picture of himself when he was the same age as his students so they can envision him when he was their age. Other teachers like to share pictures of their summer adventures so the kids have something to talk with them about. For example, the teacher may project a funny picture of her looking terrified while white water rafting which sparks a later conversation with a student who says they felt that way when they went kayaking with their uncle. Little details about yourself at the beginning of the year can lead to big connections throughout the rest of the year.

Success Tip Number 7: Establish positive relationships with parents and guardians from the start.

At some point in the year you will need to talk with parents. You don’t want the first thing they hear from you to be that their child is failing or that there are behavior issues that need to be addressed.

Start the new year by introducing yourself. Write a note to parents in a letter home, newsletter, or in your parent communication portal. Give a few details about your interest, your education and your hopes and dreams for learning this school year.

Follow up with information about your expectations, and procedures. You can also include a syllabus or a description of some of the content you will explore or projects that students will experience.

This is also a good place to establish boundaries. Tell them the best way to contact you and the times that you are available to schedule a phone call.

Success Tip Number 6: Be open to change.

Flexibility is uncomfortable for many teachers who are naturally organized and well-planned. Teaching involves working with real, live, active participants whose needs are ever changing and always evolving. There will be situations out of your control. Sometimes the best strategy is to go with the flow and figure things out as you go. If you thrive on being well-planned, create some contingency plans for days when your regular plans aren’t possible. Setting a goal to go with the flow, right from the beginning of the year, will set you on the right path toward a successful school year.

One middle school teacher gave us this cheeky motto: “Flexibility is our favorite “F” word.”

Success Tip Number 5: Get to know students as individuals and as learners.

This goes hand in hand with Tip number 8. Let the students get to know you. In return, it is important that you get to know who your students are as individuals. Building good relationships with students involves getting to know who your students are as individuals. Ask about their interests, backgrounds, families, and favorite activities. Give students interest inventories or have younger students draw pictures of things that are important to them. Look at student records to find out about medical issues such as allergies or any other special concerns. The more you know about individual students, the better the bonds you will be able to create with them.

The more you know about students as learners, the better you can help them learn. Give students learning inventories, multiple intelligences surveys or ask them to answer questions such as “How can I help you learn best?” Other good questions are, “Tell me about a time when learning was fun and easy for you,” and “Tell me a time when learning was a struggle for you.” Be sure to check students’ IEPs and understand the type of accommodations you will need to provide. Ask for clarification if something is not clear.

Success Tip Number 4: Create a classroom environment that you love.

You spend a lot of time in your classroom, make it a place that you love to be in.

Rearrange the furniture. Find different furniture- most schools have a room in the basement or behind the gym with left over odds and ends. Go thrifting. Add a table or another bookshelf. Make your classroom work well for you and for your students. Ask yourself, “What would I need in order to make this room function well?

Consider the colors of your room. How does it feel? Is it open, inviting, and warm? Consider different lighting. Add some plants. Don’t be afraid to add something fun or quirky.

We’ve seen stuffed animals as classroom mascots who hold fun signs with reminders or compliments, and even a model of a human skeleton that dressed up with hats and ties and sports shirts for different holidays and events.

Make bulletin boards that work for you that are not difficult to maintain.

Here are some ideas for easy bulletin boards. Use a quote board. Leave the background and change out the quote each week. Use a large world or US map. Pin things to it, or use it to discuss connections to content. Leave a board for student work and student ideas. Cover it with blank white paper and have students write their key takeaways. The next week they make a connection from something they learned to something in their life… the ideas are endless.

Success Tip Number 3: Positive Notes for Days I Really Need Them

If you haven’t yet made yourself a folder for Positive Notes for Days I Really Need Them, the beginning of the school year is the perfect time to create one. As a teacher, you are going to make a difference to someone. It is the nature of our profession that sometimes you will never know how you might have affected someone. Fortunately, other times you will know. People will thank you. You will get scribbled cards, written in messy crayon that says “You are the best teacher.” You will get a grateful e-mail from a parent or a guidance counselor. Someone will tell you that you are doing a great job.

Get yourself a folder or box or an accordion file and save every single one of those positive notes.

Save them for days that are difficult, and there will be plenty of those. Save them for when you are working too hard, and not making enough money and it just doesn’t seem worth it. Save it for those days when a parent makes you cry and days when the students are acting out and you are tired of dealing with it all.

When you are down or struggling, take out that folder and start reading. Those messages, notes and cards will lift you up. They will encourage you and remind you that what you are doing matters. They will feed your soul and revive your spirit.

If you are looking for more information on this type of folder, we wrote a blog post about it. We will link to it in the resources.

Success Tip Number 2: Focus on building good relationships with students.

The more you know and understand students, the easier it will be to teach them. The more that they know you care, the more likely it is that they will thrive. When students thrive, they can learn. Spend as much time as you can in the early weeks of school, getting to know students and helping them to know each other. Building relationships with them from the beginning maximizes the opportunities to expand upon that connection all year long.

Everyone likes to be called by name, and using students’ names when you talk to them is a sign of respect. Get to know student’s names as soon as possible. Ask students how to pronounce unfamiliar names and if they prefer a variation or nickname.

Greet students at the door each morning using their names. Call on students by name. Seating charts and name tag tents on the desks may help in the first few days. Knowing names may seem like an obvious step, but making a real effort here shows students that you care.

If you are a teacher who sees hundreds of students in a day, consider taking a picture of each student, adding their name to their picture, and creating a class roster with the pictures. Using this photographic roster may help you learn the students’ names better.

We can’t say enough about the power of building relationships with your students. Having a relationship with students makes the difficult conversations just a little easier, and makes the celebrations of a student’s accomplishment just a little more sweet. We think this quote from Dan Rather shows the power of a positive student and teacher relationship:

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called ‘truth.”

We can have more truthful conversations when we have built good relationships.

And Finally, our top tip for getting off to a great start this school year…

Success Tip Number 1: Spend time building classroom community.

Students who know, like, and understand each other will work better together. Time spent at the beginning of the year can go a long way towards building a positive classroom community. Use community building activities during the first weeks of school that help students to get to know each other. There many available activities, use your favorites or search for more on line.

We have a blog post entitled Essential Tips for the First Week of School that lists a few of our favorite community building activities for the first weeks of school.

Another great way to build community is to have good conversations with them about things that matter to them. Be honest and respectful. Let them share their ideas and opinions. You can have a classroom meeting or in the elementary grades, use your morning circle time.

The first weeks of school can make or break how your school year unfolds. Getting off on the right foot will help you set expectations that will reward you all year long. The time you spend building community will pay off in terms of better relationships with and between the students. Students will be more engaged with you and each other, which will result in fewer classroom management issues and THAT is an excellent way to start the year!

We end today with a quote from one of our favorite educators and authors, Esme Codell:

“Thirty-one chances. Thirty-one futures, our futures. It’s an almost psychotic feeling, believing that part of their lives belongs to me. Everything they become, I also become. And everything about me, they helped to create.”

We hope you have a great school year. Know that together, we are cheering you on!

Recap:

To recap, starting the new school year with energy, strength and optimism will set the stage for a happier and more engaged school year. Don’t delay, start that sub folder and the folder for the “Positive Notes for Days I really Need Them”. Get to know your students as people and learners while letting them learn a little about you too. Send a positive message to parents. Be sure to set aside a little time for yourself each day and be open to change. Create your classroom in a way that makes it a great space for you and your students. Focus on building those good relationships with students and remember, you can’t do enough community building in the first weeks of school. All of your efforts will ensure a more positive experience for you and for the students for the rest of the year!

Resources:

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Ep. 16 Real Self -Care

Positive Notes for Days I Really Need Them

Essential Tips for the First Week of School

How to Create an Amazing and Effective Sub Folder

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Raise Your Standards E. 15

June 7, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 1 Comment

Raise Your Standards S. 1 Ep. 15

Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can raise your standards to live in alignment with your beliefs and values.

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

We all have personal standards. Sometimes they serve us well and sometimes they don’t. In this episode we talk about the standards you have set for yourself and where you might need to examine them, tweak them, or even change them.

We’re not talking about Common Core or state standards, we’re talking about the standards you set for yourself, the standards you live by and that drive your actions. Though the educational system may set the curricular standards, you are in charge of setting your own standards!

In this episode:

What do we mean by standards?

Today we are talking about raising our standards.

We are not talking about the Common Core, Next Gen Science Standards or your state standards.

We are talking about your personal and professional standards.

By definition a standard is a “level of quality or attainment.” A standard is also an adjective we use to describe “an idea or thing used to measure” it’s what we use for comparison to what is “normal” or an expected level.

Examples of standards:

We set standards, or boundaries around what we are willing to do based on our values and beliefs.
We have standards around how we act around people, talk to people, and present our selves.
We have standards around the quality of work we will do.
Our standards tell us what we expect and what we will tolerate.
We also set standards for how we want to be treated and what we expect from ourselves and from other people.
If your standards are high, you understand your worth and your value and act accordingly.
If your standards a low, you are going to accept pretty much anything from yourself or others, you have low expectations and settle for the path of least resistance.

Though the educational system may set the curricular standards, you are in charge of setting your own standards!

What determines the type of standards we have?

Our standards are deeply ingrained; we often developed our standards as children when our parents and others taught us how to act.
We learn standards from watching others model- both positively and negatively
We also choose to create our standards as a reflection of our personal values.
Our standards are also closely related to our beliefs about what we think we deserve, and about our value as a person. As your understanding of who we are or what we believe changes, so should our boundaries.

It isn’t always easy to change your standards. They have become a part of us. That said, we CAN change our standards and we may need to in order to elevate our lives.

Leonardo DiCaprio understands that sometimes we will need to raise our standards when he said, said, “Every next level of your life will demand a different you.”

Raise Your Standards for Personal Interactions

Do You Need to Raise Your Standards?

As you have become a teacher, chances are, you have raised your standards in some areas of your life.

Many of us are rethinking our relationships with food, choosing foods that are higher quality, organic, local, and more nutritious.
We may have raised our standards in terms of exercise, recognizing that exercise helps us reduce frustration and become more mindful.
Since you are a working professional, you have likely raised your standards in terms of your personal wardrobe. The world has gone more casual in dress, but there are various levels of casual and also appropriate and inappropriate situations for some clothing.

There are some other areas where it is possible to raise your standards.

You may also need to raise your standards in how you talk to yourself. Many of us have a mean girl or a bully voice in our head that doesn’t say very nice things.
How can we expect others to show us love, acceptance, commitment, & respect when we don’t even show that to ourselves?

You may need to raise your standards in your interactions with others.

This is where it gets tricky. Examining how you interact with others takes it out of the individual realm as it involves another person. We are no longer just considering our wants and needs, but those of the other person.

You may need to raise your interpersonal standards if you have ever found yourself doing one or more of the following:

Failing to correct a student because you don’t want to hurt their feelings.
Not speaking up at a faculty meeting when you disagree because you don’t want to upset your colleagues or make them think you are a troublemaker.
Letting a student, parent or other teacher yell at you.
Letting a student undermine you by allowing them to change the direction of an activity.
Allowing someone to take credit for your work.
Doing the work of someone else rather than call them on it or letting it go undone.

If you have experienced any of these things, is a sign of an interaction which needs to be improved.

Here are a few ways to raise your standards in how you interact with others:

Understand that teaching often involves correcting someone or helping them to change behaviors and that this is a positive thing.
Teachers often hesitate to correct students because they don’t want to make them feel bad. Rather than framing it as criticism, frame it as help. Help students to understand that it is your job to offer guidance.
Help students to understand that having a growth mindset means that they are going to make mistakes and that is part of the process. It does not mean that you will punish them.

Do not allow other people to treat you with disrespect.

You teach other people how to treat you by how you respond to them.
If you allow someone to take credit for your work, or to undermine your decisions they will likely continue to do so.
If they know that they can slack off and you will pick up their end of the project, they will leave you doing more than your fair share of the work.
You do not have to allow anyone to scream at you. You can respectfully suggest that you will set up another time to talk when emotions are not running so high.

Learn to have courageous conversations.

If someone throws you under the bus, call them on it.
Know your value and stand up for yourself when needed.
If people in your life leave you feeling resentful, angry and hurt, speak up. You can do this without accusations by addressing how you feel.
If you value the relationship, say so, and acknowledge what kind of behaviors you want or need.
Though it can be difficult to do so, try to stay calm and speak with a low voice.

It isn’t fun to have courageous conversations, but when we do so, often times we clear the air. It is a chance to let go of anger and resentment. It is also a chance to better understand the other person and let them understand you.

Raising your standards may be a sign of self care.

Recently, there was an article on the Today website called: Dear Moms: Trips to Target are Not Self-care. The basic premise was that many women think that a trip to Target is self-care. They walk around and look at the candles and pillows and drink a Starbucks latte, and then buy things their families need. That is not real self care. Real self care is actually asking for and getting something you really need- like an entire night to yourself or a day away with your friends. This is an example of how raising your standards can mean speaking up and asking for what you really need.

We’ll do an entire episode on real self care in the near future.

Be aware of what you bring to your interactions.

The other side of the story is in what your attitudes and actions say about you.
In episode 9 we talked about how YOU Set the Tone.
You’ve heard of the Golden Rule, and it is not bad advice to treat people how you would like to be treated.
Raising your standards means being aware of you what you bring to interactions.
Being respectful and kind goes a long way.
People notice when you show up with integrity. You can take the high road and become a positive role model.
“Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.” Mandy Hale

Though it is a process rather than an event, it is possible to raise your standards around relationships and interactions. You won’t always get it right, and old habits sometimes die hard.

We say this all the time, but it is true. Try to keep moving in the right direction. Small steps in the right direction will often add up to big improvements.

Recap: When we raise our standards, we understand who we are and how we need to show up in the world in order to give and receive value. That is a worthy goal, one that will serve you well as a teacher and in other parts of your life.

Quotes:

“Every next level of your life will demand a different you.”

Leonardo DiCaprio

“Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.”

Mandy Hale

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Today: Dear Moms: Trips to Target are Not Self-care.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

YOU Set the Tone Inspired Together Teachers Podcast Episode 9

Blog: Raise Your Standards for Personal Interactions

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Are You Making an Impact? Ep.14

May 31, 2023 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

Making an Impact S. 1 E. 14

Do you ever wonder if you are making an impact on your students? How do you know? In this episode we are talking about signs and signals you can be watching for to assure yourself that what you do is making an impact.

Show Notes:

Episode Summary:

Do you ever wonder if you are making a positive impact? You’ve been working really hard, yet it is human nature to question yourself. Does what I do matter? Do students even notice or care how much I am working for them? Does my family feel loved and cared for? Are my relationships with friends meaningful? In this episode we are talking about how to know if you are making an impact.

In this episode:

One of things we are all want to know is that our life and work have purpose and that we making a positive impact. Today, we’re going to explore what that might look like.

We all want to make an impact. It gives our life value and purpose. It brings us fulfillment- and we’re talking top of Maslow’s higher needs and self-actualization here.

When we know we are making an impact, we have the stamina to get through the tough times. We all have challenges, but sometimes, if we know that the result is going to make a positive impact, we can accept the challenges.

We know that questioning our impact can be an issue for teachers. We hear it at our workshops. Teachers question whether they are really making an impact. Teaching is unique because we can work on a project “a student” for 180 days and the results of our labor may not be recognized until months, years or even decades later….and we may never see that impact we made. However, there are signs and signals you can be watching for to assure yourself that you are making an impact. Let’s explore some now…….

‌How to Know If You Are Making an Impact With Your Students

Do you call students by name?

We all want to feel seen.
One of the simplest ways to make people feel noticed is to use their name. We all like to hear our names. How do you greet students in the morning? Do you great them by name? How do you respond to students when they raise their hands? Are you calling students by name when they are engaging in positive ways or only when they are exhibiting negative behaviors?
If you are routinely connecting with students by using their names when you interact with them for a variety of reasons, you are already positively impacting them. They are feeling seen and heard.
Example: when teachers stand in the door ways and great students by name when they enter the classroom

Dale Carnegie said about names: “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Do you give positive feedback?

You are reading student work. You are having discussions with students both in a large group and in smaller groups or individually. You are answering student questions. These are all opportunities to give positive feedback. Even an incorrect answer can result in positive feedback.
Here’s an example, “That is not the correct answer, but I can see that you have some good thinking going on.” You have just provided positive feedback.
If you are giving students positive feedback on work, behaviors, attitudes, thought processes, or social interactions, you are making a positive impact.

Do you help students to grow?

We all have a need for growth.
Teachers are in a position to help students grow not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well.
Do you meet students where they are academically and help them get to the next level?
Do you guide students in appropriate social behaviors?
Do you encourage students to have a growth mindset?
Are you challenging students or encouraging them to try new things?
If so, you are making a positive impact.

This is where students relationships enter the picture. When you have built relationships with students you can give them feedback that is personal. Or socially, you can remind a student this is not your best self- you can rise above this.

Paula’s example: When working with kids with cognitive or behavioral disabilities, sometimes it took a lot of repetition. We practiced, repeatedly, skills and behaviors until the students were able to learn them and then we would move on to the next goal. They often knew they weren’t at the same level as their peers. They didn’t need me to tell them. They felt it. However, what I could do for them was guide them as they got closer and closer and to be their biggest cheerleader along the way. Their steps were small but each step felt like a huge leap.

Do you teach the whole student?

You were hired to teach academic content.
You have all experienced teachers in your life who taught you something other than academic content.
They recognized something in you and helped you to see it in yourself.
They gave you advice about life, not just about homework.
They opened your eyes to something you are passionate about but might never have discovered by yourself.

These teachers were teaching the whole person, not just the student. If your interactions with students sometimes move out of the academic realm and into student’s lives, you are making a positive impact.

Do you still care?

This question is focused on you and your behaviors.
We all know people who have called it in. They do the minimum to get by. They stop any extra interactions. They don’t go out of their way to do anything extra for a student or colleague. They have a negative attitude. A student failed? Not my problem. A parent called? Why should I bother to call them back? Faculty meeting? I’m not going to show up.
You don’t have to work yourself into the ground, and you don’t have to be on call 24/7.
Good teachers still care. If there is a way to help a student, they will show up for that student.

Do you still care about your students? If so, you are making a positive impact.

You make more of an impact than you may realize.

In our experience, teachers make far more of an impact than they realize. Your student may be walking away with an important life lesson. A seemingly ungrateful parent may recognize the ways you have helped their child, though they may never tell you. It is a truth in life that you may never know who or how you may have made a positive impact.

You may not know the impact you have on a student. Some will never get the chance to tell you. Some will show up years later and surprise you.

Save the evidence: Positive Notes for Days I Really Need Them

Save those notes and cards and letters, and little gifts you get. There will always be there to remind you that you make a difference.

Michele’s room is filled with little reminders from students. I’m sure people come into my room and think I have a lot of worthless clutter. In reality, it is the cat a student made for me in wood shop, the butterfly pin with my name misspelled that a student bought me with his own money, the cup that holds my colored pencils that a student gave me 20 years ago. I don’t see it as junk. I see it as impact.

We recently worked with a high school teacher that had a student mementos wall in his classroom. He hung class pictures, newspaper articles about the sports wins, student artwork, graduation party invitations…anything students gave him. He said, “that wall reminds me why I do this.”

We all need those reminders.

‌How do you know you are making a difference with your family and friends?

People come to you to seek your advice or as a shoulder to cry on- they trust you. You don’t judge and love unconditionally.
You are a good listener. You are present.
You show up, emotionally even if others don’t always show up for you. Especially true of family members who don’t have the same level of maturity or goals that you do.
You show up physically.
You go to the funerals. There is a great episode of NPR’s podcast This I Believe where a woman shares how a teacher showed up for her Mom’s funeral, when she was an adult, and that it mattered.

‌Recap: There may be times when you question if you are making an impact. While it is human nature to question ourselves, you are making more of an impact than you know. You are making an impact in the classroom through your words and actions. The same applies to your home life. Though you may never be fully aware of the impact you are making, continue to care, to teach, and to positively impact those around you. You are more powerful than you know.

‌Quotes:

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Dale Carnegie

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do make a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Jane Goodall

Resources mentioned in this episode:

NPR Radio Program/Podcast This I Believe: Always Go to the Funeral

Related episodes and posts:

5 Ways to Know if You are Making an Impact – Inspired Together Teachers

Positive Notes for Days You Really Need Them

Connect with Inspired Together Teachers:

Download our FREE resource, The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-together-learning/

Our book: The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

Spark Up Your Space and Energize your Environment S.3 E. 40

Listen to this episode to learn more about how you can create environments that are charged and energetic, in your work and home life, by following a few basic ideas about harnessing the power of paradoxes.

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

In this episode:

Introduction:

What is a paradox?

Here is how Parker Palmer introduces the idea of paradoxes in the book:

The six ideas are:

1.The space should be bounded and open.

2.The space should be hospitable and “charged.”

3. The spaces should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group.

5.The space should support solitude and surround it with the resources of community.

6.The space should welcome both silence and speech.

Conclusion

Quote

Recap

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Share this:

How to Increase Student Engagement S. 2 Ep. 24

Listen to this episode to learn tried and true ways you can increase student engagement.

Show Notes:

Episode summary:

In this episode:

Engagement Tip 1: Take a lesson from the business world.

Engagement Tip 2: Build an active learning strategy toolkit so you can plan engaging lessons

Engagement tip 3: Switch up the environment.

Engagement tip 4: Add joy to your classroom.

Recap:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Share this:

10 Tips to Get Your School Year Off to a Great Start S. 2 Ep.23

Listen to this episode to learn our top ten best ways to get your school year off to a great start.

Show notes:

In this episode:

Quote:

Our top ten tips to get your school year off to a great start:

Success Tip Number 10: Create a good sub folder.

Success Tip Number 9: Build time for yourself into every day.

Success Tip Number 8: Help students get to know you.

Success Tip Number 7: Establish positive relationships with parents and guardians from the start.

Success Tip Number 6: Be open to change.

Success Tip Number 5: Get to know students as individuals and as learners.

Success Tip Number 4: Create a classroom environment that you love.

Success Tip Number 2: Focus on building good relationships with students.

Success Tip Number 1: Spend time building classroom community.

Recap:

Resources:

Share this:

Raise Your Standards S. 1 Ep. 15

Show notes:

Share this:

Making an Impact S. 1 E. 14

Do you ever wonder if you are making an impact on your students? How do you know? In this episode we are talking about signs and signals you can be watching for to assure yourself that what you do is making an impact.

Show Notes:

‌How to Know If You Are Making an Impact With Your Students

Do you call students by name?

Do you give positive feedback?

Do you help students to grow?

Do you teach the whole student?

Do you still care?

You make more of an impact than you may realize.

‌How do you know you are making a difference with your family and friends?

Share this:

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