Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies

November can feel gray and sluggish in the classroom. This episode shares five simple classroom energy boosters to re-energize both you and your students. We walk through the five Cs of classroom re-energizing: Change, Connect, Create, Celebrate, and Center. Each C is full of practical ways to add small sparks of novelty. You’ll learn how tiny shifts, like tweaking your classroom ambiance or building connection through gratitude, c...

If the school year’s starting to feel a little messy and your routines aren’t hitting like they used to, this episode is your cue to pause for a mid-year classroom reset! We’re using the K.I.S.S. Retrospective (Keep, Improve, Stop, Start) to help you reflect on what’s working in your classroom and what needs a refresh. From routines and student behavior to differentiation and teacher workload, you’ll get practical questions, real-l...

This episode is a little bit of a Frankenstein...in the best way possible. Between Halloween chaos and a behind-the-scenes project you’ll hear hints about, we’re revisiting one of our most-loved conversations on student engagement strategies. We’re breaking down how to balance structure with novelty (aka spark) through the seven “seasons” of the school year, with practical tips for keeping students engaged, energized, and thriving,...

Halloween in the classroom can feel like wrangling a troop of caffeinated squirrels, but it doesn’t have to be chaos! In this episode, we share our top Halloween classroom management tips to keep students engaged, routines intact, AND the fun alive. From the lead-up to the big day and the reset afterward, we cover strategies like the “candy rule,” visual schedules, brain breaks, and backup plans, plus ways to handle treats, costume...

There’s nothing quite like that moment when you stand outside your classroom after being out. Will you walk into calm or chaos? In this episode, we’re sharing six simple strategies to get your classroom back on track after a sub day, whether you’ve been gone for a few hours or a few weeks. You’ll learn a step-by-step approach for resetting routines, reconnecting with students, and addressing behavior concerns in a way that restores...

You’ve just wrapped up an engaging lesson, given clear directions, and most of your class is happily working…except for that one student who just will not pick up a pencil. We know how discouraging it feels when this happens, so this week we’re sharing our best strategies for handling those tough moments with empathy and intention. Discover why work refusal isn’t just defiance, what students might really be communicating, and the s...

Do you feel like you’re stuck in back-to-school survival mode while the rest of the year flies by? You’re not alone! In this episode, we’re talking about an October Reset for teachers - our favorite way to shift from the September sprint to a sustainable teaching routine. We’ll share five essential strategies to help you recover from the post-September crash, evaluate what’s working (and what’s not) in your classroom systems, and f...

The back-to-school honeymoon is over, and if your once angelic class is now fidgety and distracted, don’t panic. You haven’t lost your classroom magic! In this episode, we break down the September slump, why it’s normal, and how to use it as an opportunity to boost engagement without burning yourself out. You’ll learn five simple, low-prep ways to bring back the spark, plus how to spot the “check engine” lights that signal it’s tim...

Ever planned the perfect lesson only to watch students’ focus vanish? In this episode, we dive into building learning stamina, including why it matters, how to teach it, and 5 key strategies to help students stick with challenging tasks. We share a classroom story showing the power of starting small, celebrating progress, and using tools like timers, breaks, and goal setting to build lasting focus. By the end, you’ll see that stami...

Wouldn't it be nice if your classroom could run like clockwork, with students knowing exactly what to do without constant reminders? In this episode, we’re showing you how to connect your procedures into seamless routines that stick, so everything from morning arrival to end-of-day chaos feels easier. You’ll learn our three-step process (anchor, expand, and reinforce), fun strategies for keeping routines consistent, and the “Core F...

This week’s can’t-miss classic is all about one of our favorite simple tools every teacher needs: a nonverbal behavior signal. Disruptions are going to happen, but instead of stopping your whole lesson to give a lecture (or raising your blood pressure), you can use a calm little 1-2-3 finger cue to redirect behavior in a low-key, non-shaming way. We’ll walk you through how to teach the signal like any other procedure, practice it s...

Are you constantly swinging between being the “fun teacher” and the “strict teacher”, all before lunchtime? In this episode, we’re tackling one of the trickiest balancing acts in teaching: how to hold high expectations for your students while also making them feel genuinely seen and cared for. We’re diving into the concept of being a “warm demander”, the (unfortunately named but totally essential) teaching strategy where high stand...

If you want to kick off the school year with a classroom full of joy, connection, and just a little magic, this can’t-miss classic is for you! We’re revisiting one of our most-loved episodes, all about the simple but powerful “surprise and delight” strategy for building strong student relationships from day one. In it, we share five teacher-tested ways to sprinkle unexpected fun into your routines, and give loads of easy, low-cost ...

By October, some classrooms feel like a true team while others still feel like a group of strangers. In this episode, we’re sharing our five-phase approach to classroom community building (Spark, Surface, Shape, Strengthen, and Sustain) so yours becomes the first kind. These are realistic, doable strategies you can use even during your busiest weeks, because strong classroom communities aren’t left to chance, they’re built with pu...

The first day of school doesn’t have to leave you frazzled and running on fumes! In this can’t-miss classic, we’re sharing our simple plug-and-play framework to help you plan a calm, confident start to the year. We’ll walk you through setting ATTABOY goals (affirming, training, teaching, and assessing), then plugging activities into your schedule around fixed events like lunch and recess. You’ll also get our best tips for hinge eve...

We want you to think of your back-to-school experience as a sandwich (stick with us here!). That first day with students is the flavorful filling, but the real secret to a successful start is what happens before and after. In this episode, we’re sharing our Back to School Sandwich framework filled with first day of school teacher tips to help you prepare emotionally and logistically, protect your energy, and recover with intention!

...

The first day of school can feel like a whirlwind, so in this can't-miss classic episode, we’re walking you through our three first-day “truths” to help you feel grounded and prepared. We’re sharing how to script out your entire day (yes, script, not just plan!) so you know what’s happening minute by minute, you’re over-prepared without panicking, and you’re not talking yourself hoarse by 10 a.m. If you’re staring down your calenda...

Just like a football coach scripts the first few plays of a game, you can script the first 20 minutes of your classroom, and in this episode, we’re walking you through exactly how to do that. We’re sharing our top first day of school teacher tips, including five essential goals to guide your opening moments: how to greet students, which procedure to teach first (hint: not your attention signal!), and how to keep students calm and e...

If your brain is spinning with classroom setup and first week plans, this can’t-miss classic is the perfect episode to bring some calm to the chaos. In it, we walk you through our simple 3-list approach to planning an intentional and impactful first week of school. From scheduling fixed and hinge events, to using the ATTABOY framework to align your goals, to prepping time fillers and writing a flexible script, you’ll walk away with...