Come plan with us as we look at the month ahead and determine our goals, habits and schedules! You either love planning or hate it, but there is no argument that sitting down with your planning and being intentional with your time can do for you. When you make the time and practice the skill of effective planning, you will feel more confident, focused and determined with your work.  In this episode we share our thought process for looking at the week ahead and planning our month. You’ll hear how we run through our focus, goals and action steps using our newest planner, the Personal Planner. Join us in the planning process by heading over to teachingonthedouble.com/store to grab the planner and begin feeling more focus in your daily life! LINKS: Google Personal Planner Tablet Personal Planner SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!  

Bridget is back with her week in her life. Join her as she shares her biggest takeaways from the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. She shares her motto for hot to prioritize the essentials in life, how her mindset has started to shift, and her new approach to feeling overwhelmed with work.  LINKS: Essentialism SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Join Michelle Emerson in a week in her life as she works to tackle her to-do list and prepare for her upcoming trip. You’ll hear how she has taken the strategies from the book, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and implemented them into her own routine.  LINKS: Baked Ricotta Spaghetti Squash With Shrimp Essentialism SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It’s January and that means a new book review! Every year we have 2 book reviews that we share on the podcast. The first book is done in January and the second in July. For this month’s book review we are sharing our thoughts on the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown.  In his book Greg discusses the importance of prioritizing what truly matters by focusing on what is essential to your life and work. The book is broken down into 4 parts: Part 1: Essence Part 2: Explore Part 3: Eliminate Part 4: Execute We discuss the biggest takeaways from each of these four parts along with our overall impression of the book. In the next two episodes you’ll hear a week-in-the-life episode of Michelle and Bridget as they share implementing the strategies from the book into their daily routines.  If you’d like to join us on this book review, you can grab a copy HERE! LINKS: Episode 161. BOOK REVIEW: Getting Things Done (Our Honest Thoughts) Essentialism SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!  

There are so many different twists on “New Year's Resolutions' '... Some people don’t do them at all because they think you should start fresh every day. Some people pick one big goal for the year, some people create mini goals, and some people are just trying to write the correct date at the top of their paper! However, one trend that we have consistently loved to implement in the new year is the idea of a word to ground your actions for the year. Think of this as more of a guide. So this year we wanted to not only discuss some goal setting and how we plan on changing things up a bit but also share our individual words with you along with why we chose those words.  So grab your planner and a cup of coffee and let’s start planning out an AMAZING 2024! SPECIAL NOTE: Be sure to check out the book Essentialism for this month’s book review! We will be sharing our thoughts on the book in the upcoming episode.  Grab the book HERE.  LINKS: If you’d like to listen to last year’s goal setting and quarterly check ins be sure to check out the episodes below: Episode 158. Tackling the Year Ahead: What Are Our Plans?  Episode 170. Goal Check In: A Chat With Our Accountability Buddy (& An Honest Look at Our Progress) Episode 186. Goal Check In: The Halfway Point (Are We On Track To Meet Our Goals?) Episode 209. Celebrating 4 Years of TOP TEACHING! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We are celebrating FOUR years of Teaching to the TOP by reflecting on 2023. Thank you to everyone who is subscribed and supporting us on this journey. It truly would not be possible without your support.  In this episode we are catching up on our quarterly goals and answering our set of questions to reflect on this past year. If you want to catch up on our quarterly goals, you can visit the links to our previous podcast episodes this year! We’ve also included our episodes reflecting on the three two years. LINKS  Be sure to check out the NEW 2024 planners! Visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store Episode 053 Episode 105 Episode 157 Episode 158 Michelle’s Yelp Account SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Tis’ the season for another gift giving episode. We are continuing with our yearly tradition where we each send our gifts via the mail. It’s time to get a little bit festive, so put on your Christmas sweater, grab a hot chocolate and enjoy the ASMR of unwrapping the gifts. This year, we set a budget! Do you think we will stick to it?  LINKS: Episode 156 SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We are getting close to wrapping up the 2023 year and what better way to do it than by reflecting on our TOP favorites! In this episode we each share our favorite strategies or products for helping to better maintain time management, organization, and productivity.  LINKS: 43 Folder System Podcast Episode Deep Work Book Oaimyy Zipper Pouches FYY Travel Cable Organizer Anchor Glass Bowls M Micro Glass Divided Containers Rhythm Fun Walking Pad Happy Wax Melt Warmer SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We’ve got a two for one special today!  We all need reminders just like our students need reminders with how to perform the simplest of tasks. In this case, we want to share some simple reminders that will help get you through the next few weeks of the holiday season (not that we’re counting down or anything *wink wink*).  In this episode we are discussing the importance of setting boundaries during the holidays. We share some familiar tips that might help you reframe your thinking for a …. Doing it all, to letting certain things go (like Elsa).  We end the podcast with some simple but effective holiday party hacks that will save you a little bit of sanity during a time when it is limited. We hope you love the episode! LINKS  Be sure to check out the NEW 2024 planners! Visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

TikTok, Reels, and Facebook have us all trying new things that we’ve never seen before. But are these “hacks” even good? From productivity, organization, to food hacks, there are so many trends that are taking over our feeds. In this possible new series, we are sharing current social media trends on productivity. We go deep on whether these trends are a MUST or a BUST and what it means for your productivity.  In this episode we talk about the following trends: Quiet Quitting 8+8+8 Rule Notion as a Second Brain 1-3-5 To-Do List LINKS  Be sure to check out the NEW 2024 planners! Visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!! In this special holiday episode we are getting chatty with a game of This or That. Join us  as we share our favorite holiday foods and activities. Thank you to this community for supporting and following our journey. We truly could not have done this without you.  LINKS  Be sure to check out the NEW 2024 planners! Visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Is paper ever going to make its way out of education? The answer to that question is probably not. Dealing with piles of paper is inevitable but it can absolutely be maintained and minimized. We’ve talked a lot about going digital but the reality of our careers is that paper still plays a prominent role in our everyday lessons. However, there are ways in which you can reduce the amount of paper, but where do you start? In this episode we are giving you a step-by-step process for finally decluttering and managing that paper monster.  Steps for Tackling the Paper Monster: Step 1: Sort papers Step 2: Organize the papers you’re keeping Step 3: Digitize Step 4: Organize the digital files Step 5: Build the habit LINKS: 43 folder system episode  Be sure to check out the NEW 2024 planners! Visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I w ant 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!

You are personally invited to our CRIBS. Not literally, but in this episode we are giving you a behind the scenes of our personal work space. Getting a peek into various types of work spaces can give you inspiration and ideas that you can take back and apply to your own space. We are sharing all the details in today’s episode.  Get ready for these exclusive behind the scenes if where and how we work. In this episode we answer the questions: Where do we work? What are our must-haves for our work spaces? What can we not have in our work spaces? What has been the biggest game changer for our work spaces? What is your work routine? LINKS  Be sure to check out the NEW 2024 planners! Visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Open up your laptop and look at how many emails you have in your inbox. 10? 20? 50? 100? More? Emails can feel incredibly overwhelming. You have responses to send, action items to tick off your list, and some that can either get trashed or saved for later.  We’ve talked a lot about having a ZERO inbox, but what does that mean exactly? Well in this episode we are sharing it all with you! We talk about the importance of having a zero inbox and what it does for your cognitive load, and give you a step-by-step process for helping to tackle the overwhelm and getting closer to a zero inbox.  LINKS  Be sure to check out the NEW 2024 planners! Visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

HAPPY 200 EPISODES!!! 🎉 We are officially at 200 episodes and it blows our minds that we have had this opportunity to talk about all things time management, organization and productivity with all of you! Thank you so much for tuning in and supporting us during this adventure. We are so grateful for all of you.  We hope that you all will celebrate with us as we play a fun game of 20 questions.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Consistency is a word that we hear on a daily basis. We need consistency in our routines, in the habits that we want to build, and with the projects we are working on. It seems like everything around us requires consistency. But this idea of being consistent is a lot harder than it sounds. We often struggle with staying consistent even for the smallest things. WHY?  In this episode we want to tackle this question: Why is it so hard to stick to habits and be consistent? We dig deep into the reasons why we, Michelle and Bridget, often struggle with sticking to habit. We get really vulnerable here in hopes to help you identify your own areas of need. At the end of the episode we share one of our own hacks for helping get back on track and build our habits! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

New series… who dis!? One of our favorite times we had while in the classroom was recess. It was a time to decompress, relax, and get chatty with our coworkers. In this new series of Recess Digress, we want to chat about three topics that we’ve seen pop up around social media, in schools, and in our own lives. So grab your coffee (or beverage of choice) and let’s chat! In this episode of Recess Digress we talk about: Back to School Shopping Professional Development Must-Watch Shows SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

How many times have you started to work on a project, or even considered a new project, and quickly felt that self-doubt that you are not the right person to be doing this? Yup, we’ve all experienced this in some form or another. The thing is, we are often our worst enemy when it comes to trying something new or accepting a new position.  In this episode we want to talk about self-sabotage and how you can stop getting in your own way. You’ll hear what self-sabotage is and some strategies that you can easily start to use to stop these hindering thoughts.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We made it to the end of the month and we are wrapping up our series on systems with what we think will be your favorite episode from the series. In this episode we break down our individual favorite systems that we have used in our classrooms. We each share three favorites that cover everything from your library, paper flow, note taking and material prepping.  LINKS: 193. Systems 101: How to Increase Your Efficiency Through Step-By-Step Processes 194. 3 Must-Have Student Systems for an Efficient Classroom 195. 3 Must-Have Teacher Systems for an Efficient Classroom Link to Bridget’s 43 Folder System Link Michelle’s Library labels SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!  

“I’m stressed.” “I can’t get it all done.” “I don’t know how other teachers do it all.” Are these sentences that you may have said or even thought? Chances are that one big reason you are thinking these things is because you lack the systems that will help you be efficient in your daily tasks. Systems are those routines, templates and step-by-step processes that help you make your daily life efficient. When you’ve taken the time to create these systems AND you have worked on implementing these systems regularly then you will notice a difference.  We’ve been talking about systems all month long. In our last episode we shared student systems that will help teach them 21st century skills, while also supporting your goals, and in this episode we are breaking down three large focus areas that will help your own daily tasks. These overarching areas are: Paper flow Grading Professional Development As we dig into each area, we will discuss and analyze systems that you can be using in your own classroom.   LINKS: 141. Lesson Planning 101: How to Plan MORE Lessons in LESS Time 193. Systems 101: How to Increase Your Efficiency Through Step-By-Step Processes 194. 3 Must-Have Student Systems for an Efficient Classroom SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!195. 

Teachers are not the ONLY ones who need systems! Helping your students learn 21st century skills that will help them throughout their time in school and beyond (Buzz Lightyear moment), should always be something we strive to incorporate into our lessons. Teach your students to efficient and follow systems that will also help you out *wink, wink*.  In this episode we are sharing three overarching systems that you should help your students with developing. These big ideas are: Assignments Material Management Absent Work As we share each of these focus areas, we will give you some ideas for systems that you might want to establish with your students.  LINKS: 193. Systems 101: How to Increase Your Efficiency Through Step-By-Step Processes SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

If you’re someone who has started a new position, teaching a new grade level, or even was introduced to something “new '' that you are required to implement into your classroom, this episode is just the thing to help you increase your efficiency and decrease your stress.  We mention systems a lot on this podcast and that is because a system will help you develop routines and templates that make you more efficient in various tasks. Even though we talk a lot about creating these systems, we’ve never really shared how to develop these on your own. In this episode we are sharing what a system is and some must know tips for getting started with them.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

For many, motivation can come in waves. There are days when you feel like you’re getting everything on your list done and there are other days when you can barely manage to open up your to-do list. But why does this happen? How can we increase motivation? For starters, we have to look at how motivation is sustained and built. When we have a deeper understanding around motivation we are more likely to leverage this knowledge when we need it the most.  The basis of this podcast is all around self-determination theory. This is a broad framework on the study of human motivation. It defines intrinsic and various extrinsic sources of motivation that has been developed by psychologists, Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, in 1985. Now, we don’t go into a lot about self-determination theory but we do break down the three sources of motivation which are: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Starting a new position can be overwhelming. It means change and bumpy times as you learn to how to navigate new waters. In this episode join Bridget as she shares her new position and the steps she is taking to reduce the overwhelm.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It’s back-to-school season and that means that it is time to break open your planners and start planning! Setting up your planners can not only give you the nostalgia of going back to school as a kid, but also set you up for success for the upcoming year. The time you take to prep and prepare will help you in being proactive and reducing stress. In this episode we are giving you a step-by-step process for setting up your planner.  Now, we are obviously going to be a bit biased and recommend that you use our TOP Teacher Digital Planner because it has everything you need to ensure you are planned and ready from the start to the end of the year. You can check out our planners by visiting the link HERE.  LINKS: Digital planners Teacher Header Digital Stickers Monthly Themed Digital Stickers SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

The beginning of the year has a mixture of emotions that come along with it. You can feel excited to build a routine, sad to be losing your summer time, and anxious because you have a lot to do in a short amount of time. To help with this transition into a new season, we want to offer a checklist that can center your thoughts and spend some time focusing on other areas.  Procedures play a BIG role in ensuring that your year starts off right. As you start thinking about all the things on your to-do list, our best recommendation is to create a checklist. Yes, we love checklists and that’s because they work. We are going to share some categories and give you a few examples for each, then we will share 3 different strategies you can use to actually teach and review them with students, and finally we will share 3 important tips to remember! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Bridget is in Austin! In this week in the life, Michelle shares how she gets some things check off her list while prepping for Bridget to come to stay in Austin. Join her as she shares the shenanigans that are done and the memories that are made.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This episode is definitely one that is geared towards our menstruating friends, but it can also serve those who live with, work with women who menstruate. We totally understand this might be an uncomfortable topic but the truth is that your menstruation cycle can really affect your productivity.  So in this episode we break down menstrual cycles and discuss the impact it has on your productivity, mental wellness, and give you some strategies for overcoming these low times each month. As a side note: We are not experts when it comes to understanding menstrual cycles and the hormones that are impacted because of them. We share some research that we have done, along with our own experiences and data around the topic. Remember, we are all different and therefore you will need to take the information in this episode and compare it with your own cycles.  LINKS: 062. We Took a Personality Test... Here Are the Results! https://www.intimina.com/blog/how-your-period-affects-productivity/ https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2023/01/31/menstrual-symptoms-hurt-workplace-productivity-uva-health-study-finds/#:~:text=January%2031%2C%202023-,Menstrual%20Symptoms%20Hurt%20Workplace%20Productivity%20of%20Many%20Women%2C%20UVA%20Health,a%20new%20UVA%20Health%20survey. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We talk a lot about setting goals on this podcast, and it’s because creating goals (both personally or professionally) act as a lesson plan for your year. You’re able to focus on the things that matter the most to you and it keeps you from veering off the path too far.  At the start of this year, we sat down and shared some of our goals with you all. We’ve done quarterly check-ins and we are at the next check-in point of our journey! In this episode we are sharing some of our successes and failures when it comes to meeting our goals. It’s proof that no one is perfect and we all need a little accountability.  So grab your planners! Open up to your goals and let’s tackle them together as we share ways we’ve revamped and created a new path to meeting our 2023 goals.  LINKS: 158. Tackling the Year Ahead: What Are Our Plans? 170. Goal Check In: A Chat With Our Accountability Buddy (& An Honest Look at Our Progress) SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Taking theory and putting it into practice is a lot harder than it looks. Oftentimes we are left with the big question… but where do we go next? We recently read the book Deep Work by Cal Newport and we learned that many of us struggle to focus deeply enough where we are producing our very best content. Cal gives strategies to help you when it comes to work deeply. If you want to hear more about our thoughts on this book, check out episode 184. BOOK REVIEW: Deep Work (Our Honest Thoughts) where we dive deep into our biggest takeaways and learning after reading this book.  In this episode we want to explore the ideas of taking theory or strategies and actually putting them into practice. We discuss our journey with embedding these practices into our everyday routines and give you some of the best strategies for working in a distracted world.  LINKS: Episode 184: BOOK REVIEW: Deep Work (Our Honest Thoughts) Deep Work by Cal Newport: https://amzn.to/3C6OnQt SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

How much are you able to truly focus on the task at hand? Do you feeling like your attention is constantly being pulled in a million directions? We all experience what it is like to "multi-task" (although this has been proven to be inaccurate as our brains are just task switching) on so many projects that we are barely working to achieve the goals and deadlines we have on our plates.  In this episode we share a book review on Deep Work by Cal Newport. We talk about what resonated with us the most and some of our biggest takeaways as it pertains to our productivity and teaching. Join us as we share some of the highlights from this book.  GRAB THE BOOK! https://amzn.to/44cOztP SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Summer is the time of the year when we get to catch up on all the books we were not able to read during the school year. And this year, we’ve been enjoying reading more than ever before. From leisure fictional stories, to books on education, we want to share the books that we’ve been reading and the ones we are looking forward to reading this upcoming year.  We are also excited to announce that we are doing another book review this summer! In the next episode, we will be diving into the book Deep Work by Cal Newport. This book is all about the strategies you need to know so that you can focus on your work without all the distractions getting in your way. You can follow the link below to grab your copy of the book and join us next week in a book chat.  BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THIS LINK: Deep Work by Cal Newport SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We’ve got a new episode on a topic that we have never covered before on Teaching on the Double, but we recognize that many of our TOP Teachers are also moms. While we love spending time with our kids over the summer, there comes a time when we need a little bit of down time to do the things we love. So in this episode we wanted to share our TOP 5 tips for structuring time with your kids this summer.  We give you our best tips that will keep you sane this summer season, allow you to work on projects and get ahead for the upcoming school year, and keep you feeling productive. Here’s what you will hear in this episode:  Keep a Routine with Times Clipboard Checklist Have a set time for Quiet Time Go-to activities Keep a calendar for BIG events and leisure activities BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE LINKS: https://funcheaporfree.com/3-summer-systems-to-save-your-sanity-free-printables-included/ SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We often talk about the seasons in life that we experience. These can be BIG events like having a baby, moving to a new state, or even experiencing a loss. Then again, seasons can have a slight change. For example, renovating a part of your home, taking on a new role at work, or saving towards a new car or vacation.  The point is that these seasons cause us to make some changes in our daily routines. As we get into summer, chances are your daily routines are going to change. And one of our favorite pastimes is watching the routines of others so that we can find new things to incorporate. In this episode we are sharing our summer morning routine that will help to energize and keep you active this summer season.  BE SURE TO CHECK OUT: Episode 027: Our Motivating and Energizing Summer Routine SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We’ve been collecting Time Sucking Hurdles for 3 years now! For those of you that are new to our podcast, a time sucking hurdle are the tasks or distractions that suck up all of our time from what we really should be doing. Sometimes these hurdles are our own faults and sometimes these come at the faults of others.  And while we would love to share them all we don’t have the time or the number of episodes. In this episode we are sharing 10 recent Time Sucking Hurdles in the hope that it can inspire you and answer a hurdle of your own. We would love for you to complete our TSH form so that we can continue to share these to our community! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Every year we take some time at the start of summer to share the things we are doing. Think of this as a little goal setting moment between friends.  This year, is no different, but we do have some very exciting things we are up to! We hope you all have an amazing summer.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

As the school year approaches, you're busy cleaning up your classroom, managing students, and submitting all your final paperwork. This time of the year can be stressful, but we want you to pause and think for a moment. What about next year? Are you going to thank your current self for cramming everything in a drawer, or are you going to thinking, "I really wish I spent the time to do it right." Listen, we completely understand what it is like at the end of the year. YOU ARE EXHAUSTED. But if you can muster up enough time and patience to do this simple thing, your future self will be thanking you! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!   We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!  

It's that time of the year where exhaustion is setting in. We are getting to the final few weeks of school and it might seem more and more challenging to do even the smallest of tasks.  In this episode we are breaking down some strategies for letting things go so that you can finish the year strong. The reality is we can not do it all and so you have to make some hard choices on what to keep and what to let go.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Right now it's either the end of the school year and you have about 2 weeks left or you still have a month + left with students before they head off for summer break.  Either way, this time of the year has a way of sucking all the energy right out of your body. You start waking up late, your dropping the ball on your routine, and you've really started to look for simpler ways to keep kids entertained for the last 10 days of school.  But let's be honest! You can't help yourself.... why? Because this time of the year not only signals that you have a hand full of days left, it also comes with more paperwork, more assessments, more to-dos, and more behaviors.  So how do you deal with this time of the year? Well, in this episode we talk about how to cope with exhaustion in and outside of the classroom.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

You all know that we are big fans of digital planning. In fact, we love digital planning so much that every year we release our NEW digital planners for teachers.  If you are someone who is still on the fence, then we have a a great episode today! In this episode we want to dive into the 5 benefits of digital planning.  Be sure to check out the new 2023-2024 digital planners NOW available in our store! You can head over to www.teachingonthedouble.com/store to grab your planner today.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We've been in a spring cleaning mood! If you are looking for a little motivation then join us as we share our methods for purging and organizing our personal spaces. Michelle recorded her own Day in the Life where she organized her teacher closet in her home. If you missed this episode be sure to check it out: Episode 172. Spring Cleaning With Michelle: Organizing Old Teaching Materials Today, join Bridget as she works to clean out her basement of home items and kindergarten supplies that has been consuming her basement for the last 8 years! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We all have that one (or even a few) people in our lives that are so unorganized that it can drive us all a little bit crazy. We've had so many messages from you all about what are the best ways to deal with your teacher partner, husband, wife, or friend that just doesn't have it together.  This episode is all about those strategies that you can be doing to help support that special person in your life. You'll learn about ways to help this person up for success and how you might even come to terms and learn to appreciate them for their strengths and weaknesses.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

April is the perfect time to start spring cleaning! It never seems to fail that when the birds start chirping, the days get longer, and we getting a taste of that warm summer day, we want to clean and purge. Well, in this episode we are doing something a little bit different! Today we are going to share a DAY in our life where we tackle a spot in our home and walk you through our spring cleaning. Join Michelle this week as she works to clean, purge and reorganize her old teaching supplies. She will talk you through the items she is going to keep and which she choose to finally let go of.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!   We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! As teachers we can all look at the benefits of using both paper and digital. But have you really ever sat back and thought about whether physical or digital is actually benefitting you. We want to take a deeper look into determining which was best: physical paper or digital.  In this episode we analyze the pros and cons of have physical documents and having digital. At the end of the episode we reveal which we believe to best as teachers. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Do y'all remember those goals we set up at the beginning of the year? We sat down and chatted through the things we wanted to accomplish and broke it down for each quarter. If not, you need to check out episode 158. Tackling the Year Ahead: What Are Our Plans? In this episode, we play accountability partners to each other and check in on the goals we set for the year! Come along as we chat about what we have accomplished so far and what we still need to work on for the rest of this year! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Do you have trouble meeting deadlines? If you are anything like Bridget, you probably procrastinate until the last minute or maybe you are like Michelle and you are done a week before the deadline. Either way we all have moments when we struggle to meet deadlines (yup, even Michelle *sometimes). But just because you struggle with this doesn't mean that it is who you are! You can absolutely find strategies to help you make a plan, and get it done. In today's episode we are breaking it down for you into easy steps with tips along the way! In this episode: How to create deadlines for yourself Sticking to the deadline Plus, what to do if the deadline isn’t going to be reached SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast. 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!

If you've been around for a while then you know how much we love checklists. They can keep you on track, help you remember what you needed at the grocery store, and give you that little extra time in bed each morning. When you have a checklist that has been curated with thought, you'll find that your checklist will do a lot of the work for you.  In this episode, we are breaking down our favorite checklists to create. We give each of the categories you need to consider and some ideas for the checklists to make for those categories. We also dive into understanding how to store these checklists so that you are more likely to use them. You might want to save this episode because it will definitely be one that you come back to again and again.  Learn about: Planning checklists Holiday/event checklists Teacher Duty checklists Personal checklists Plus, how to modify and adjust them as you go! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

You’ve heard the process over and over but you still don't know how to make it all happen? Sometimes we just need to hear and see how others make it work. In Episode 166. Project Planning 101: How to Break Down Big Tasks into Bite-Size Pieces? We take you through the steps but today we want to help you get a better picture of how to break it all down. We are going to be completely vulnerable with you and plan these projects in real time so you can fully see our thought processes! Listen in to learn how we do it! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

When tackling a project like lesson planning, do you struggle with knowing where to start? Do you procrastinate because you feel overwhelmed? Or do you often end up getting nothing done instead of taking small steps? In this episode, we’re going to provide you with a set of steps to follow that will guarantee your projects get broken down into small enough tasks that you can actually get done! In this episode we teach you: How to identify the project you are working on Determine the deadline for the project Do a brain dump of all the tasks in the project How to order and place those tasks on your to-do list Plus, schedule weekly check-ins to hold yourself accountable SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

If you want to learn more about Google Slides and how you can use them in your digital planning, this episode is for you! It can feel so frustrating when you feel as though you are making 100 clicks for something so small! This leads to procrastination and… yup, stress. That is why we wanted to do an entire episode on some helpful hacks that will save you time.  Today, Michelle is going to teach us her 6 tips and tricks for Google slides while walking me through it all! If you have Google Slides planner or a set of slides, pull it up and follow along! In this episode we share: Tips for linking to other files How to copy and paste a template Create a to-do list Link to a slide in Google Keep Create custom substitutions and make your files available to offline SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

In this podcast episode, we discuss how to shift priorities while still getting your things done. We discuss the importance of communication and collaboration with family members and other teachers. We also discuss the In this episode we share: How to identify your shift of focus and priorities How being proactive can make these times easier for you Creating a plan for non-negotiables and figuring out what you can let go of Making adjustments as you go and also coming back to where you started SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Do you avoid digital planning because it seems overwhelming to get started? Digital planning can be nerve wrecking and if you are thinking about planning digitally or you are new to this world, then this episode will be a great way for you to take a look at how you can make things a little bit easier.  Today, we are sharing some hacks using our favorite app GoodNotes In this episode we share: How to get your settings correct in GoodNotes and some basics for getting started Apple pencil tricks for converting handwriting to typing How to create quick bullets How to make your own headers SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Do you ever feel like you need a step by step guide on how to actually be productive? We talk about productivity ALL the time, that is the P in Teaching to the TOP, but we’ve never broken it down and given you just the basics to get started… until today! Today, we want to bring a  sense of calm to your productivity by breaking it down to the 5 basic elements that you NEED and will also be sharing some things to avoid In this episode we share: How to tackle your calendar to optimize your productivity. Plus, what calendar we prefer!  The difference between a task and a project and how to use lists to organize them all! How to store your most used resources! So you aren’t searching for them every time! Plus, 3 things to avoid! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Bridget is sharing her journey with implementing the strategies for the book Getting Things Done by David Allen. Join her as she works to navigate being a mom, wife, teacher and business owner! Bridget will share her plans for new productivity strategies to implement each day and report back with how those strategies impacted her work flow.  LINKS MENTIONED: Grab her BOOK! Building the Literacy Block: Structuring the Ultimate ELA Workshop SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It's book club month and we are reading David Allen's book Getting Things Done! In this episode, you can join Michelle as she reads each day and shares her thoughts on the book. She will give you a synopsis of her reading and her biggest takeaways. Join Michelle as she takes you along on a week of her life! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It's a brand new year and we want to share our plan for 2023! No more resolutions. We are now tackling a new approach to getting very clear on what we want to accomplish and be in 2023.  So grab your digital planners and turn to your quarterly pages because in this episode we want to dive deep into our BIG goals. We may not know the path that we need to take just yet, but when we have these big goals spread out over the 12 months we can be more intentional with our time.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Teaching to the TOP is officially 3 years old! Happy Birthday to us! We are wrapping up the year by sharing our favorite episodes and topics from 2022! We love to reflect on the challenges we faced  and also chat about our goals for the year to come! In this episode we share: Our favorite episode from the year Challenges we faced  How we have grown this year Our goals for next year SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Who doesn’t love a Secret Santa gift exchange? This episode we are sharing our secret santa gift boxes with you! Even though we can’t be together in person, this virtual gift exchange episode is a must listen! We are sharing some of our favorite things with each other! Listen as we open our gifts from each other including goodies in these categories: Something to eat Something to wear Something to read Something for the business Something she NEEDS Check out last year's gift exchange! Episode 103: Bridget and Michelle's Secret Santa Gift Exchange SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE!  We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Do you get overwhelmed during the holidays trying to fit in all the fun and still be effective? The holidays are such an amazing time in and out of our classrooms! You can enjoy the season and stay on track! This is your reminder to use the strategies that work and always come back to them when you want to stay on track. In this episode we share: 10 tips that will help you stay focused and enjoy this season How  to prioritize what is important  When and how to ask for help  Learn to decide what is important to you this season and how to protect it! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Do you feel guilty when you need to take a day off? Teacher  guilt is REAL! Whether you know you’re going to be out or you have a last minute emergency, there are steps you can take to make your return to work seamless and less stressful. Today, we are talking about three strategies you can use to rid yourself of the guilt once a for all. We’re showing you how to deal with planned and unplanned absences so you can pick up right where you left off  without the guilt, and in some cases come back even stronger! Everyone needs a break once in a while! In this episode we share: How to turn off those little voices in your head telling you that you should be at school or you should be working 3 strategies you can use to ensure all types of absences run smoothly How to have  a response ready to anyone that might object to your days off SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This week we have the perfect gift guide to get you through this holiday season. Are you struggling to think of things for your teacher friend, coworker, or even for yourself? We’ve put together the best list that comes in a range of prices. Use the links below to purchase! *Please note some of these are affiliate links.  The Meat Clear folders - https://amzn.to/3XNRDJT Zipper folder - https://amzn.to/3UnQUfu Plastic paper organizers - https://amzn.to/3VK78ky Lightswitch remote - https://amzn.to/3iquOfd Personal laminator - https://amzn.to/3irTOTx Booklet stapler - https://amzn.to/3imQb0V IKEA paper organizer with 5 sections - https://amzn.to/3OP65NV Expanded drawers from Amazon - https://amzn.to/3Ffsr84 Magnetic shelves - https://amzn.to/3B07XNT iPad + Apple Pencil SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y’ALL! We are coming to you all this Thanksgiving with a chatty and thankful episode. Grab your coffee, go for a walk, or just decompress after eating so much this evening and listen in as we share some of the things we are most grateful for this year.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Are you a procrastinator? We’ve all been there at some point in our lives… yes, even Michelle! But did you know the reason for your procrastination can actually be solved when you dig deep down into the root of the problem? While we may not be able to completely eliminate procrastination, we can uncover the steps to limit the amount you procrastinate  In this episode we are breaking down the 5 steps you can follow to avoid procrastination. We dig deep into the root of the problem and give you simple, actionable steps that can get you on track to finishing your projects and to-dos.  In this episode you will hear: How you can figure out WHY you are procrastinating and leverage that to get things done.  Why spending time to break down the tasks you have will give you more clarity in what needs to happen next.  Why your space actually matters when getting focused.  How to match your reward to the task you complete is a BIG motivator.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We can learn lessons from all areas of our lives. The connections you can make from your hobbies, personal lives, and travels can make a big impact with your productivity and how you create a better work-life balance. These lessons that we learn are often caused when we have a big undertaking and need to adapt (e.g. getting married, having kids, starting a big project). When you make the choice to begin these tasks, you have to find ways to make everything else work and feel balanced (if that is even possible).  This is the exact thing that happened to us when we worked to create this podcast. We made sacrifices in the beginning and we had to learn the systems and routines that would help us keep our sanity. We learned so much from starting our podcast, and while we are not telling you to head out and start you own podcast (more power to you if you do!), we do want to share some of the biggest lessons we learned.  In this episode you will hear: How defining what is important will help you in creating a path to make it happen! Why you need to find the right things to do versus trying to do all the things.  Why the systems you create are going to be your saving grace! EPISODE MENTIONED: Episode 149. Behind the Scenes: Our Favorite Reminders to Overcome Obstacles Episode 140. The ONE Thing Holding Your Lesson Planning Back  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Need a little inspiration to keep you moving? We’ve got an extra special episode where we share some of our favorite quotes that lift us up when times are hard… or even when we need a few reminders. So grab a coffee, go for a walk, and save this episode to come back to time and time again.  Quotes: “Life isn’t fair. Fortune favors the bold. Stop scrolling on IG and start taking action on your dreams!” “Choose easy and live hard or choose hard and live easy.” “You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.” “The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking.” “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison “Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” - Albert Einstein SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We all love a good reset. Weekends help us decompress before the start of a new week. A new school year helps us to get re-energized for a new group of students, and a new year helps us to feel refreshed and ready to tackle the last 5 months of school. But what about those times in the year when we don’t have a break. How do we go about resetting during the middle of the week or during our planning periods. In this episode we have some of our best tips for getting you back on track. We want to share how you can get your planning done efficiently when you’ve gone off course.  In this episode we share:  Why calling yourself out is the first (most critical) step to solving any problem.  How making excuses can be easy but they keep us from finding a solution.  The steps for getting you back on track.  Why creating a plan can help you build the momentum you need to keep going.  How knowing your why can give you the inspiration and motivation you need to push through a difficult time.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Imagine walking into your classroom and having a month worth of lessons and materials planned. How would that make you feel? For those thinking that it would be amazing but that it is also incredibly unrealistic, we want to stop you right there. What  if we had a way to make planning in advance a reality?  We’ve talked about batching since our first episode of this podcast. It is that good of a strategy when it comes to your productivity. Today we want to take a deep dive into what batching is, why it’s important and how to utilize it in all aspects of your life.  In this episode we share:  How batching has changed our lives in both teaching and our personal lives.  Why batching can maximize your time and increase your productivity.  The steps to take to get you started with batching.  Why sticking through the beginning can change how you plan in the end.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Planning out your lessons is one of the most challenging parts of our jobs. It is time consuming, changes day-to-day based on the needs of students, and (to be honest) we don’t get as many resources to help support us in this area. So how can we get ahead of the curve? How can we go beyond planning week-to-week or day-to-day?  In this episode we want to share 5 strategies that will help you get ahead in your planning. These strategies are proven to work because we use them in our classrooms, and a lot of the strategies were learned from starting this podcast and having to learn how to be efficient with our time. So grab a pen and paper and get ready to learn 5 strategies that will change the way you plan.  In this episode you will hear: How developing a scope and sequence can help you have a bigger picture of what you are teaching and where you are going next.  Why templates are the key to developing a structure and speeding up the planning process.  Why batching has changed our lives and it can change yours too! How developing an activity bank can benefit not only you but also your students.  Why you should give your students more control in the classroom SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Have you ever thought about giving yourself a restart every month? No need to wait until the start of a new school year or after some major break, you can start fresh every month. This is a time to get your ducks in a row and feel like your most productive self.  In today’s episode we want to share a routine that will work for any lifestyle. You’ll find that after going through this exercise you will have a better plan at what the month will bring and be able to anticipate deadlines, events, and more. Sounds great, right?  Components to a Monthly Routine: Reviewing your calendar Setting intentions Determining your projects Setting up your to-do lists Establish a routine Check out our new Planner Inserts! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

If you are a teacher then the chances that you had to undergo some form of unit planning in college is very high. However, we have to know! Have you actually used your skills from college to plan out a unit? We’d assume that the percentage of teachers who are willing to create 120 page planned units is very small. The majority of the (little) time we have as teachers is spent creating those detailed lessons that we use week to week.  Only, we recognize that unit plans can save us a LOT of time! Afterall, isn’t it just batch planning at it’s finest? This is why we thought it was important to include an entire episode on how to develop effective unit plans. We’ll take you from the college unit planning experience to our TOP Teacher recommendations.  In this episode you will hear:  Our step-by-step process for developing your unit plans.  Why creating a lesson progression will help to define your individual lessons.  How embedding your lesson structure will save you time and energy.  Our quick tips for making this process more efficient and less stressful! Check out these additional episodes: 140: The ONE Thing Holding Your Lesson Planning Back 141: Lesson Planning 101: How to Plan MORE Lessons in LESS Time 143: Plan Your Entire School Year In ONE Day (Yes, really!) Check out our new Planner Inserts!   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

You better gird your loins because we are taking lesson planning to a WHOLE other level. Lesson planning is one of the biggest hurdles for teachers all around the world, but  we know that as TOP teachers, being proactive is a great way to reduce our stress and help us tackle our to-do list well in advance. But how do we go about being proactive with our lesson plans? The answer to this question is to plan out your ENTIRE school year in one day! We’ve all heard the term scope and sequence. This is something that many schools have adopted as their form of a curriculum map. However, a scope and sequence isn’t a detailed lesson plan. The purpose is to structure your year so that you can anticipate when to begin and end units based on other events that are occurring during the school year. How many times have you planned a lesson, only to have your plans changed because you forgot to account for an assembly, fundraiser, or field trip?  We want to take you step by step to develop the perfect scope and sequence for this school year. This will help you create a flow to the year, allow you to anticipate beusy weeks and more importantly hit all the standards.  In this episode you will hear: The step by step approach we use to create a scope and sequence.  The key ingredient to incorporate into your scope and sequence.  Why adding in buffer dates will help to save your instruction.  Why we work backwards when planning.  Our quick tips for making this process easier.  Check out our new Planner Inserts! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It’s time to get chatty! It’s no secret that some of y’alls favorite episodes are the ones where we just sit back and get chatty about life, school, and everything in between. In this week’s podcast episode we want to share some life updates. We share some funny stories, Michelle’s input in seeing Bridget’s classroom, Bridget’s reflection on starting at a new school and finally Michelle’s transition into a new routine. Grab a coffee, go on a walk, or turn it on in the car as good friends have a catch-up.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

What’s the most time consuming aspect of teaching? Did you say lesson planning? Most teachers would whole-heartedly agree with that sentiment. As soon as you feel as though you’ve gotten your plans and materials ready, you have another week of hours of research, creating, and assigning assignments to students. What if we told you that your lesson planning routine could be completely revolutionized by giving you back your time and decreasing your stress?  Lesson planning is the process of deciding how you will teach a specific skill. This includes the explicit instruction to the independent practice that you will provide to your students. This can be considered the roadmap of learning. Even if you teach kindergarten to high school, each teacher will include some of the same elements that will help their students master the skills. In this episode we want to share the process we have used for years to develop our lesson in less time.  In this episode you will hear: The key steps for developing a scaffolded lesson plan.  How your assessment should be planned first before the content.  Why developing the hook is the most important part of your lesson.  Our approach to developing quick and easy differentiation options.  Quick tips for making the process easier! Be sure to check out episodes that continues the conversation: 140: The ONE Thing Holding Your Lesson Planning Back www.teachingonthedouble.com/store SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Every teacher has struggled when it comes to keeping up with the daunting work that is lesson planning. In today’s episode we want to share the ONE thing that is holding your lesson planning back, and that is creating a structure for your class period. Join us as we break down what it means to build a structure and how this will revolutionize your lesson planning.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This TOP teacher episode should come with a warning label attached, because we get down and dirty with some of the biggest issues in education. In order to get the most out of this episode you’ll want to be in the right mindset. If you’re feeling cranky, feeling stressed and overwhelmed save this episode for another day, because things are about to get spicy.  In this episode we are going to share 3 things that every teacher needs to stop doing this school year. These are things we have done ourselves and have realized through many years of experience that is can have a negative impact on our mindset towards teaching. We want to share what you need to stop doing but also what actions you can start doing instead.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Our classrooms are not just for us. It is a space meant for our students, and to encourage learning.  However having a space to call your own when you are sharing everything with about 25 other little people is important. This is why having a teacher desk or teacher area should be one of the first locations that you begin to organize.  We talk a lot about the sections to include in your space that it is organized and for times get busy, but we never talk about what NOT to do when organizing your space. In this episode we take a twist to teacher organization and share the things you need to avoid when setting up your teacher space this upcoming school year.  In this episode you will hear: Our reference to episode 088. Teacher Desk Organization 101 How we feel about knick-knacks and items that serve no purpose.  The importance of not keeping more than what you need in your space.  Find a home for all your items or place it in a lost-and-found bin.  Don’t keep your curriculum materials at your desk. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Do you remember your first day of school as a kid? Yeah, us neither. Let’s be honest, the first day of school is a blurr for most of our students, and many of us place an immense amount of pressure to have everything perfect for the first day of school. We are here to tell you that not everything has to be perfect, but you do want to be prepared. That is why, in this episode we are breaking down how to organize your first day of school so that you feel prepared and ready to conquer. In this episode we will share:  The trick to planning out your day to be successful How to properly plan out your routines and procedures Types of activities to include during your first day How to effectively fill in the gaps of your day to keep students engaged SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!  

This summer we hosted our first ever LIVE Event in York, PA. We had the opportunity to connect with so many TOP Teachers and do the things we love most: help and guide you to creating a better work-life balance. Join us in this BONUS episode as we are breaking down the live event and sharing some funny stories, how it all came together, and our favorite parts from this amazing experience.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

The Target isles are filling up with Back to School sales, and teachers are heading back into the classrooms to prep for the upcoming year. Yes, we are all excited about getting our bulletin boards up and creating the ultimate environment for our students, but we have to remember that our decor won’t help save our sanity later on in the year.  As you begin to head back into your classroom, spend some time focusing on the organization of your space. To help you with this area we are chatting all about the BEST organizational secret that will have you feeling prepped and ready for whatever the school year holds. Listen in as we share: What are classroom zones?  How to identify the zones you might need in your classroom.  How to create a classroom zone. Ways that you can manage the zones in your classroom.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Join Bridget as she shares a week in her life this summer. She has been working incredibly hard as she wraps up her book and balances being a mom. Listen in as she walks you through how she manages her day and her crazy household! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Teachers love to talk and we are no exception to the rule! In this episode we are getting real personal by sharing some of our favorites, recommendations and answers to questions that you might have wondered from time to time. So grab your favorite beverage and listen as we get to know one another.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Michelle is writing her book! In this week's episode, join Michelle as she shares a week in her life while writing her book. She will go into detail on how she sets up her schedule, creates her power list and focus' on writing her first chapter. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This might be a long episode but it’s filled with a ton of discussion points around productivity! We recently read the book The 30 day Productivity Plan by Damon Zahariades and we want to share our thoughts on whether this book can actually help you conquer your productivity in 30 days. In this episode we follow the author’s daily plan for how you can become a productivity master. So grab the book and follow along as we share what we loved and what we didn’t.  Don’t forget that we have our own 30 Days to Productivity FREE Guide. Head over to http://bit.ly/30daystocontracthours to grab it today! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Michelle and Bridget have had the longest break from talking since they became friends, but now they are back together…. IN PERSON! In this episode listen to two friends who are playing catch-up after almost 2 weeks of not talking.  Be sure to check out our ticket options for the LIVE EVENT on July 25th. Check out THIS for more information on the Live Event.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Be sure to check out our ticket options for the LIVE EVENT on July 25th. Check out THIS for more information on the Live Event.  “You’re changing grade levels!” Yeah, your heart probably skipped a beat there for a second. Changing grade levels can be a huge task, especially if you have been teaching the same grade level for a long time. In today’s episode, we are going to break this project down into manageable tips you can implement! We have both been in a position where we have had to change grade levels while teaching. So, we know how overwhelming and sometimes scary it can feel so we wanted to dedicate an entire episode to it. We are going to be sharing some tips that hopefully you can apply to your situation to make it a little easier and a little less scary! Now, every situation is a little different.  You may WANT to change grade levels, you may dread changing grade levels, you may be moving only 1-2 grade levels, or you may be jumping multiple grade levels at once. We hope that these tips will put you at ease regardless of your situation! In this episode you will hear: How important a mindset shift can be to making this experience less stressful Why purging can help to minimize stress and help you have a fresh start Why is it okay to rely on your teammates… even if you've been teaching for years! How being proactive will help to save your sanity at the start of the year Why it is important to accept imperfection SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Be sure to check out our ticket options for the LIVE EVENT on July 25th. Check out THIS for more information on the Live Event.  We are back with another breakdown of The Home Edit (Season 2)! We love all things organization and we can often find inspiration from other areas in life other than just in the teaching spaces. We wanted to take an in-depth look at season 2 of The Home edit and share our BIGGEST takeaways and how they apply to teaching.  If you haven’t listened to our first episode of The Home Edit. Check out episode 085: We Watched the Home Edit… Here Are Our Thoughts! where Michelle and I watched season 1 of the Home Edit, separately of course, and then shared all our thoughts on the episode We do want to acknowledge and send our positive thoughts and prayers to Clea from the show.  In April 2022, Clea announced that she has breast cancer and she had a double mastectomy done in the middle of April. Unfortunately, I think we all have been impacted by cancer in one way or another whether it’s ourselves, a family member, or a friend which is incredibly sad and difficult. But, hopefully this serves as a reminder to go to the doctor, get your mammogram, get your wellness checks, etc. because you just never know. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Be sure to check out our ticket options for the LIVE EVENT on July 25th. Check out THIS for more information on the Live Event.  We’ve got another Time Sucking Hurdle episode for you all! This is a highly loved and requested episode and we are so excited to be answering your Time Sucking Hurdles.  Join us as we share:  How to not feel overwhelmed when adding new teachers to your team Maximizing your productivity when answering emails How to make transitioning to another grade level as stress-free and seamless as possible Tips for not getting sucked down the TpT hole.  Tips for becoming a new mom and returning to teaching AND MORE…. You can leave your TSH by visiting the link below in hopes they get answered in future episodes! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It’s officially summer time and we cannot wait to dip our toes in the cool water and catch some rays on the sandy beaches! In this episode we are keeping things super chatty and sharing what we are up to this summer. To help break this down we are sharing: Our travels plans over the next couple of months Some personal goals that we are both trying to accomplish over the summer.  Business goals  that we are working towards Some really BIG Teaching on the Double goals that we have We hope you all love catching up with this episode! Be sure to check out our ticket options for the LIVE EVENT on July 25th. Check out THIS for more information on the Live Event.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It’s no secret that education has taken a hit these past 2 and a half years. It seems things have changed so much in this tiny span of time and we want to share what it is really like to be a teacher. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves, others are looking for different positions in education and some have no other alternative but to stay and push forward. Why? Why is this happening?  We are going to  share our honest thoughts on teaching. Ultimately, we want to discuss how we can make changes in order to help keep teachers in the profession. So in this episode we are going to have a heavy conversation that we hope will resonate with you.  In this episode you will hear:  How our understanding of teaching has changed since our first year of teaching How the pandemic has changed education. The ways in which we change our perspectives to decrease burnout Our realization that we are replaceable in education’ SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!  

“You’re moving classrooms.” These  are words that every teacher HATES to hear! Whether you’re changing grade levels, moving schools, going to a new district, or packing up your classroom for good, we are sharing some top tips for packing up your classroom in an organized and productive way! We’ve had our fair share of moving classrooms, we’ve even been in situations where we’ve moved schools or have just had to have everything packed away for the summer. No matter your situation, this can be stressful. You’ve already got a ton of things on your plate and no one has the time at the end of the year to be thinking about packing.  That’s why we wanted to share our TOP tips for packing up your classroom and reducing your stress.  TOP Tips for Packing Up Your Classroom: Tip #1: Take pictures of your classrooms Tip #2: Create a “want” list Tip #3: Pack by zone Tip #4: Label your boxes by zone and list a few of the contents Tip #5: Number your boxes Tip #6: Label large items with painter’s tape Tip #7: Use plastic baggies to organize smaller items Tip #8: Use plastic wrap to enclose bookcases and books Tip #9: Use items from the Dollar Tree Tip #10: Make a back to school kit SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We are holding a LIVE Event this summer and we want YOU to join us! This one-day workshop is designed to give you strategies in time management, organization, and productivity so that you are ready to tackle the upcoming school year with less stress and a better work-life balance.  Join  us in York, Pennsylvania on July 25, 2022 at the Terrace at Heritage Hills Resort. To learn more about our ticket options head over to www.teachingonthedouble.com/store.  Planning on your own is kind of boring but planning with a friend is so much more fun! In today’s episode, you’re going to get a chance to plan with us for the end of the school year! We’re going to give you some steps for managing all the craziness that is the end of the school year and Bridget has volunteered to be a guinea pig and go through the steps live on this episode! So grab your calendar, get your planner out, and join us as we plan out the final weeks of school.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Raise your hand if any of these statements are true for you:  You're waking up later in the mornings. You find yourself slacking on your normal routines. You are exhausted in the afternoons.  You’d rather be spending time in the sunshine than cooped up indoors.  This time of year is always filled with dreaded testing! Whether it’s standardized testing or end of the year assessments, your students are drained and honestly, so are you! We are going to share some coping strategies you can use to handle the stress, overwhelm, change of routine, and just plain boredom teachers all experience during testing! In this episode you will hear: Be proactive by gathering materials and organizing these in advance.  Try and define some form of consistency for yourself and for your students.  Develop a new schedule and have this displayed in an area where you can reference this. Utilize the down time and be proactive for finalizing end of the year tasks.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

WOW! We’ve accomplished an entire month dissecting productivity and how we can build effective habits to help us increase our overall productivity.  As a reminder of all the juicy episodes we’ve shared so far this month we are sharing a small snapshot of the episode below: Episode 119. Learn From Our Mistakes: Our BIGGEST Productivity Struggles Episode 120. Real Talk and Tough Love: Let’s Chat About Our Productivity Episode 121. Productivity Habits Every Teacher Should Build But we know that even with all the information we have shared on productivity it can still be challenging to figure out why you are still feeling overwhelmed and stressed. In this episode we are sharing some common productivity mistakes that you might be making and the simple solutions to help fix them.  In this episode we will share: How to make your habits obvious to increase productivity and stick to your goals.  How creating separate to-do lists will help keep you focused for the day versus hopping from one task to another.  How to make your tasks attractive so that you can stop making excuses and get excited about getting your to-dos finished Why finding the perfect accountability buddy is important! How you can start making tasks easier for you to get the biggest bang for your buck! Why celebrating your successes is important for continuing your productivity.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Have many times have you told yourself that you want to become more productive? It may be fair to say that we have all experienced times like this. However, it is important to note that being a productive person looks very different for each of us.  In this episode we are going to look at some of the key habits for being productive in our careers and our lives. Each of the habits that we have created will build on one another and create a stacking that will prepare you to be more productive.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This week we have a relaxed and chatty episode about our productivity right now. We’ve shared that our lives are constantly changing and this means so will your productivity. We have to be mindful of the seasons in life that we are currently in and how we have to make adjustments in order to accommodate certain aspects of our lives.  This episode will be a start to a new series that we will have here on TOTD. From time to time we plan on sharing what we are going through. Think of this as friends talking over coffee and doing a little catch-up. So get ready because we are going to give you all a little life update, share what we are struggling with and what is going really well.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This month we are breaking down productivity! Today we will chat with you all about some of our BIGGEST productivity struggles and how we have overcome them as teachers.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Organization can be challenging. From defining a space to maintaining it, organization is sometimes the last thing on our to-do list, but the one area in our life that can make the biggest impact. This month we’ve been focusing all on organization! You can check out the last two episodes in this mini-series to get caught up! Episode 114. Learn From Our Mistakes: Our BIGGEST Organizational Struggles Episode 116. Organization Habits Every Teacher Should Build Most issues related to organization have to deal with the clutter filling our space or not having a system to actually keep related items together. In today’s episode we are sharing how you can overcome the organizational mistakes that you might be making.  In this episode we share: We have to make organizational systems more obvious so that we want to use them We have to make organization attractive so that we enjoy the process of organizing We have to make organization easy so that it reduces friction We have to make organization satisfying so that we want to keep doing it again and again SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This week, join Bridget as she works during one of the busiest time's of the year. Between report cards, placement cards and conferences, Bridget is finishing her Master's degree and sharing the excitement of this big accomplishment. Join her as she shares how she manages to break down tasks so that she doesn't feel overwhelmed.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We all know the importance of building effective habits; we preach this every single episode. Today we want to share some habits that every teacher should be building when it comes to organization. This episode is part of our mini-series where we breakdown T.O.P. and share effective and simple strategies to help you be your very best YOU! Remember we are basing our structure for building these habits from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. We did an entire episode where we go in depth in the readings of Atomic Habits. You can hear our thoughts on the book by checking out episode 107. Tiny Changes That Give You Big Results! In this episode we share: 6 habits that you should start to become a more organized person Reasons for why these habits are so important to build Examples for what these habits will look like in a day Tips for help making these habits work SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This week Michelle Emerson is going to be your solo host! She is going to take you along a week in her life as she tackles her to-do list. Listen in as she shares her methods for managing her power list and organizes her days using many of the methods we share on the podcast! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We are back with a new mini-series! This month we are chatting about all things organization. So get excited as we share our journey with organization, and some important habits that you will need to build this month.  Today, we are getting down and dirty as we share some of our own mistakes with organization. We’ve all had to start somewhere and we share the biggest struggles that we have had over the year, and we help give you some actionable steps so that you can keep from making the same mistakes.  In this episode we share: Our obsession with buying ALL the bins!  Our compulsion for buying everything in the Target dollar spot The importance of measuring twice before going shopping Teaching yourself to put things back immediately The importance of maximizing your space The power of zones SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

When you have a schedule that has every inch of time filled in a day, you can feel overwhelmed and lost with how to accomplish all of your to-dos.  Obviously none of us are perfect when it comes to time management but it’s important that we are able to recognize our mistakes so that’s what we are going to focus on in this episode! When it comes down to it, a lot of our “time management mistakes” are due to good habits not sticking or bad habits forming.  In Atomic Habits, James Clear outlines 4 ways to make a habit stick… make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. If the habit is failing, this means we are doing the opposite. So in this episode, we are going to focus on those mistakes but give specific examples for time management and how you can make changes to overcome them. In this episode we share: Make your daily schedule and appointments part of your environment.  Pair a desirable task with a task that is less desirable.  Humans follow the Law of Least Effort. Find ways to make your habit easy.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Over the last two years we have shared a lot of tips, tricks and hacks related to time management… and they are all great! But, we need to have a specific plan for implementing them in our lives so we can be consistent. We are going to take some of our best tips and hacks and turn them into habits that you can build on a daily basis in order to improve your time management. In Atomic Habits, James Clear states that a habit needs to contain an action, time, and location so you have a clear understanding of the implementation intention. We are going to share 6 habits in the form of a fill-in-the-blank: “I will (action) at (time) in (location)”. We are giving you the action and you decide the time and location that fits your personality, schedule, and individual life In this episode we share the following 6 habits YOU need to build: I will create a power list at (time) in (location) I will complete the most difficult task from my power list at (time) in (location) I will turn my phone on do not disturb at (time) in (location) I will prepare my lessons for the next day at (time) in (location) I will work toward my goal of (goal) at (time) in (location) I will arrive at school at (time) and leave school at (time) SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!  

It’s amazing how large of a role your mindset can play when building new habits. When we say things about our identity both positively or negatively it can hinder who we are trying to become. As the saying goes… if we say it often enough, we start to believe it.    Recently, there has been a trend going around on TikTok about being “THAT Girl”. It eludes that this is someone who has their life together.  She wakes up and meditates on a yoga mat facing the sun and makes her bed. She is THAT girl that everyone wants to be.  While we know this is not TikTok, we recognize that as teachers, we all know that one teacher in our buildings that we all see as THAT teacher. She has her lessons planned far in advance. She leaves right at the end of her contract hours and never seems to be frazzled or overwhelmed.  This episode is not about being perfect… we believe that there is no such thing as perfect. But it is all about making changes in order to take on a new identity and feel more like THAT teacher.  In this episode we share: Mindset shift 1: Instead of saying “I don’t have enough time” say “I always have enough time for my priorities” Mindset shift 2: Instead of saying “It’s faster/better if I just do it myself” say “I can ask for help when needed” Mindset shift 3: Instead of saying “This will just take a minute” say “I can find time to do this later” SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

One of the biggest misconceptions that people have toward us and our podcast is that we perfectly follow all of our own advice and we are just superstars with time management, organization, and productivity. The thing is, that couldn’t be further from the truth. So we wanted to help break down our struggles with Time Management and the simple steps that we took to help build them as habits. We get real personal and share all of our flaws, but with the intention to help you know that making mistakes does not make you a failure.  In this episode we share:  How we work to make creating a power list a daily habit.  The importance of setting the perfect amount of time to get a task finished. How we stick to creating schedules. The causes of not sticking to what we say we will do.  How to keep from feeling overwhelmed. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

It’s been a few weeks since setting our own personal habits for the new year and it is officially check in time! Back in episode 106. Habits We Are Building This Year, we shared a personal and professional habit that we are working to build and why. We wanted to give you a  behind the scenes of how we  In this episode we share: It’s important to create an “environment” that will help to build new habits.  Habit stacking can help you identify a current habit and stack it with a newer habit you are working to build.  Make building habits easy by creating a plan and breaking the habit into smaller pieces.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

How many times have you told yourself at the start of a new year that you are going to work out more, leave school on time, drink more or any other goal/habit that you have wanted to build? And how many times have you found yourself failing at building those habits? Have you ever wondered why?  This week’s episode is the next installment of our mini-series on habit building for the month of January! In the first episode, we share the habits we are trying to build… don’t worry, you will get an update on how it’s going in next week’s episode! In the second episode, we shared tiny changes that give you BIG results and reviewed the book Atomic Habits. In today’s episode, we are getting down and dirty with why your habit building is failing. In this episode we share:  3 Misconceptions around building habits. Instead of asking “How long does habit building take” you should be asking “How many times does it take to build a new habit.” Your habits are failing because you do not have the systems in place to help you. If you don’t change these current systems and routines, then your habit will fail. You have to start small and build easier habits in order to later build more difficult habits.  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We have an exciting episode for you all today! We recently read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear and our minds were blown! This book has been on our radar for some time and what better time to sit down and share our thoughts than at the start of a new year. Starting a New Year will prompt many of us to think about resolutions, but we pushed your thinking with our first episode by having you instead focus on building habits. Since then, we have always understood the importance of building effective habits. So when we learned about James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, we knew this would align directly with what we believe.  In this episode we are going to share things that resonated with us, our biggest takeaways, and how we are planning to implement tips and strategies moving forward. So grab a drink, go for a walk or put your airpods in while cleaning because this is going to be an episode to remember.  In this episode you will: Learn the four laws to building habits: Make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, make it satisfying.  Building habits is about identifying the person you want to become.  Improvements are only temporary until they become who you are.  Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition. The more you repeat the more your brain makes this into a habit.  “Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.” SO MUCH MORE! GRAB THE BOOK! Atomic Habits by James Clear  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Happy New Year! It's 2022 and we love starting the new year off with reflecting and thinking of new habits to start off the year. We wanted to do something a little different to help give you more inspiration on how to get started or even which goals you feel as though you should be starting.  Listen in as Bridget and Michelle share a personal and professional habit to build this year. You'll hear why this habit is important and how they are planning on meeting this habit.  Stay tuned because later this month for the reflection on how this habit building is going!   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We are celebrating 2 AMAZING years today on the podcast! We cannot believe the community of teachers we have built these past two years and we are beyond grateful for each and every one of you. Join us as we celebrate these past two years.  In this episode we share: Our favorite episode from this past year. New things that came out of Teaching on the Double What challenges we have had this past year Ways that we have grown individually and as a team Goals for the upcoming year!  SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This time of the year is about spending time with family and friends, and to take some time and give back to yourself and focus on creating new memories. In this episode we are excited to share some of our family traditions with all of you. So grab your favorite hot drink and sit back as we dive into our Christmas Traditions. SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We’ve got an extra special episode for you all today! In this episode, Bridget and Michelle are together recording for the first time since March 2020. To celebrate this special time of year and also being back together, Bridget and Michelle are exchanging gifts! Listen in as they share their gifts and the special moment together. Happy Holidays!! SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This time of the year is crazy hectic for everyone. Between concerts, assemblies, special classroom events and all things personal, it can cause you to feel overwhelmed and unprepared. This year we want to help make things a little simpler for you.  We’ve collected some of our FAVORITE teacher items off of Amazon. Need an idea for a colleague, team, kid’s teacher? We got you covered! We each share 5 items that have been game-changers for us as teachers. These come in no specific order or price range.  Clicker (DinoFire… around $15): https://amzn.to/3ndWTGq Spring loaded scissors (Fiskars… around $23): https://amzn.to/3wJk92r XL Expo eraser (EXPO… around $16): https://amzn.to/3Hnlf8Y Backpack (Mosiso… around $25): https://amzn.to/3ovYQ0z Artellius Dry Erase Markers (around $16 for 40 pack): https://amzn.to/30lVaWG DYMO embossing Label Maker ($10): https://amzn.to/335TpOF Wristbands Variety Pack (450 for about $14): https://amzn.to/3y6hpNb Long Reach Stapler ($22) 50 sheet capacity: https://amzn.to/3yb6v8P Frixon Erasable Pens and Markers ($18 for a variety pack of 10): https://amzn.to/3rNDkaJ / https://amzn.to/3m7XOHR BTSKY A4 Plus Clear Plastic Stackable Storage Box ($12 each): https://amzn.to/3IsVhBz CHECK OUT OUR NEW DIGITAL FITNESS PLANNER Don’t forget to check out our new addition to our TOP Digital Planning line. The Digital Fitness Planner comes in both tablet and landscape, AND we have accompanying stickers to help you with your planning needs.  Digital Fitness Google Slides Planner: https://bit.ly/GoogleFitnessPlanner Digital Fitness Tablet Planner:https://bit.ly/FitnessTabletPlanner Digital Fitness Stickers: https://bit.ly/FitnessPlannerStickers   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!   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!

This time of the year flies by in the blink of an eye! But really, this time of the year always feels so hectic, and students are beyond excited with all the festivities. So how can we be efficient without wearing ourselves to the ground? How can we tap into the energy of our students without having to plan exhaustive lessons?  In today’s episode we are doing something we have never done before! We are sharing 6 Time Saving Activities that will require minimal materials, and little to no thought or preparation on your part. So start enjoying the holidays and lessen your stress by integrating these easy time saving activities in your classroom this winter! In this episode you will learn: How to incorporate a snowball fight for any subject How dot art can give you some quiet time and lovely art to hang in your classroom How to make independent work calm and warm with a fire in your classroom How spinoff Boggle can engage and challenge your kids How this classroom management tool can help keep your sanity How this quiet game can save your sanity SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

This is a very special episode for us! This episode marks our 100th episode, and we wanted to share this moment with all of you! First, thank you for your love and support  these last 100 episodes. We are so very grateful for this community and this podcast would not be anything if it was not for all of you! Your shares, reviews, and weekly downloads is proof that we are not alone on this wild journey.  We hope that you all enjoy this chatty episode as we share funny stories, the good and challenges during this past year and a half.    SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

When we first started jumping into digital planning and maximizing our productivity through the use of technology, it was not easy. In fact, we had to build new habits, learn the technology, and there were moments when we wanted to quit and go back to what we always had done. The thing is, it is easy to quit something that we find challenging. It is easy to stick to what we have always done, but be honest with yourself, will it make you better? The short answer is no.  Let’s start with some tough love. Transitioning to a digital planner takes work. You cannot purchase a planner and think it will make all your problems go away. You have to make the effort in developing a new habit so that you are getting the most out of your planning.  So go into digital planning knowing that you will find it challenging.  In this episode you will learn: Develop a routine to using the planner consistently Create a planning routine for the month that will help to set you for success in reaching various goals. Define your planning style and own it! No need to plan like everyone else. Utilize templates to help your productivity and make the planning process easier Pictures can help guide you and minimize paper clutter in the classroom. We are also very excited to announce that our January 2022 - December 2022 Digital planners will be available on Friday, November 26th. We will be offering these planners with a 20% discount until December 12th. You can find that and another fabulous surprise in our store on Black Friday! Be sure to visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Nothing is more frustrating than making a purchase online only to realize that it doesn’t work for your needs. This can be clothes that don’t fit right, a product not living up to what you believed, or a digital product that isn’t quite right. In recent years, we’ve looked to others we know personally or people we follow online to help us make decisions on what we purchase.  So when you are curious about jumping into digital planning, we know how challenging it can be to get started with picking the perfect digital planner. That’s why, today, we are dedicating an entire episode to helping you choose.  In this episode we share: How knowing your platform first can help weed through the half the options! Understanding when and where you will be using your planner can help define your platform. Identifying the orientation options that are available.  Learn more about how some planners offer greater versatility than others.  Choosing a style that is timeless and professional We are also very excited to announce that our January 2022 - December 2022 Digital planners will be available on Friday, November 26th. We will be offering these planners with a 20% discount until December 12th. You can find that and another fabulous surprise in our store on Black Friday! Be sure to visit www.teachingonthedouble.com/store   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Teachers are known for their iconic bags. You know the ones we are talking about. The Thirty-One bag is filled with graded papers, every Flair Pen you can imagine, and of course the teacher planner (and maybe even a planner for your personal life). However, many of us dread filling and unloading our bags every day. The bag is a burden of the list of to-dos that awaits us every moment.  But what if we told you that there was a better way. That you couldn’t lighten the physical load of your bag while also lightening your stress. In this episode we are sharing 7 reasons for why you should start digital planning today! In this episode you will: Understand how iCloud and Google Drive allows you to plan from anywhere Create templates and systems in order to be more efficient Allow flexibility by having the ability to easily move your lessons How using the search and find function can save you time  Why you should be using your plans from previous years SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Over this last month we’ve done a deep dive into understanding teacher burnout. We looked at our own personal journeys, the sliding scale of burnout and identified the root causes for why we experience teacher burnout. Today we want to give your specific strategies to help you avoid teacher burnout and feel successful and happy in your profession.  In this episode we share: Creating a morning and afternoon routine to help you establish an efficient workflow How habits can build an effective routine and ensures you don’t miss anything How to build a schedule to help you define a work-life separation Conduct a social media audit! No bad vibes here! Track your emotions and learn specific emotional response cues Focus more on what we do have control of! Be sure to check out the last two episodes on Teacher Burnout: 093. Our Teacher Burnout Journeys 094. The Teacher Burnout Sliding Scale 095. The Truth About Teacher Burnout Helpful episodes to check out! 002. 5 Things That Should Be a Part of EVERY Teacher’s Morning Routine 003. Teacher Evening Routines to Destress 001. How to Create New Habits for a Successful School Year 070: How to Set Boundaries (and Stick to Them!) Other Mentions: Freebie: Habit Tracker Freebie: Steps to Create a Successful Morning Routine   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We’ve got to share some tough love and drop a whole lot of truth in this episode. Over the last couple of episodes we’ve been diving deep into understanding teacher burnout. Our goal is to determine the causes and learn strategies for helping to avoid burnout. In this episode we need to share what so many might need to hear and that is… “Self care is NOT the solution for teacher burnout” We see so many posts, discussions, and even receive PD all about self care. This idea that all we need is to take care of ourselves or take time for yourself will not solve the problems that are causing you to feel burnout. To really feel a difference, we have to get at the root of the problem. So we share 5 categories of stressors that may be causing you to feel exhausted and burnout.  In this episode we share: Organization can lead to you feeling frazzled and lost when trying to clear your head space for the day.  A lack of work-life separation is not sustainable and can lead to an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion.  Developing unrealistic expectations can lead to self-doubt and disappointment.  Identifying our emotions can help us in understanding how we react to situations.  While we may not be in control of everything around us, we can still speak out and have our voices be heard.  Be sure to check out the last two episodes on Teacher Burnout: 093. Our Teacher Burnout Journeys 094. The Teacher Burnout Sliding Scale   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Defining everything with a hard line can be challenging. This is because so much of life is on a sliding scale. How much money we make, the happiness we feel, how tired we are… so if we think of life (of everything really) as this sliding scale, then what is stopping us from recognizing that we might have all experienced burnout to some degree? In episode 089. Does Balance Really Exist? We discussed how balance is really a sliding scale and this is constantly changing depending on the events happening in your life. So in other words, you have to adjust as you go in order to maintain that sense of balance.  In this episode we share: What causes teacher burnout How our seasons in life can cause burnout  Burnout can come in waves Burnout is going to look different for everyone Be sure to check out our previous episode 093. Our Teacher Burnout Journeys   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

Every teacher has experienced some level of burnout. The pains, stressors, and overwhelming demands that come with being an educator can take its toll after a period of time; and to help you understand this a little better we want to share some statistics with you: 41.3% of new teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years 66% of teachers want to leave their job while 36.4% are likely to quit 15% of teachers in the U.S. leave the profession every year (Alliance for Excellent Education) After hearing those statistics, the next question that popped into your head is probably why. Why are so many teachers leaving or wanting to leave the profession? In this episode we want to dissect teacher burnout by sharing our journey with burnout. We give you specifics of what happened, why it happened, and when it happened.  Stay tuned this month as we dig deep into understanding teacher burnout and identify the most effective tools to ensure you can overcome the challenges you face.    SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast! 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!

We get asked so many questions on how we manage our busy schedules, families, and growing to-do lists. So we headed to instagram and collected your questions to give you all another Q&A episode! In this episode we are sharing the answers to all your time management, organization and productivity questions.  In this episode we answer your questions: Teachingwithmstaub: Tips for first year teachers for setting up systems for a successful year Kavyadhakal_: What are the top two time management tips you have for students? _missblackstone: What productive activity would you choose if you had 2 mins, 5 mins, and 30 min to spare? Pencilsandmagicwands: What are your best tips for organizing the paper monster in the classroom?  Jfisher4092: How do you organize student data?  jaclyn_mcgee: Digital is great! But what nondigital items are necessary to be productive, organized, etc. rac0y: What type of tools do you use as timers within the classroom during activities? headbandsandhappydays: Bridget - how did having kids impact all things TOP for you at home? Esp. while baby/toddler mrs_ferreiras_happy_app…: Planning for parent teacher conferences beccaaaa-10: How do you efficiently sort through resources left behind by another teacher?   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!   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!

One of the most popular digital tools that teachers use is PowerPoint. This software has taken the education field by storm due to its versatility and ability to make reactive and engaging activities for kids. But what if we told you that there was another tool that would make your life even easier than PowerPoint. No more having to make sure you save the document, forgetting your laptop or flash drive at home, and experiencing crashes that lose all your work (we’ve experienced it all!).  In this episode we are sharing the what, why and how of Google Slides. Because this platform has so many features and it can be overwhelming to list them all, we’ve compiled a few of our favorites and how you can use them. So even though you might already be using Google Slides we want to share a few features that can make your life even easier.  In this episode we share: The benefits of using Google Slides over Powerpoint  How to create locked background elements Exporting your slides as images Converting your PowerPoint Slides into Google Slides Products you can easily create using Google Slides   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!   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!

We have all experienced those moments when something happens that takes all your time away from getting your to-do list checked off for the day. Like when you have to deal with a behavior issue that erupted during recess in the middle of your planning period. When you have an emergency and need to rethink your plans for the week. When your coworker comes in to vent leaving you no time to make copies. We get hundreds of messages from teachers just like you that share all kinds of situations that take up all their time. We call these Time Sucking Hurdles. Normally, we answer one TSH a week at the start of every podcast but because of the overwhelming response, we wanted to dedicate an entire episode sharing TSH’s from teachers all over and our response to them.  We hope you can relate to these TOP Teachers and also get a little advice that you can take back to your own classroom. Keep those Time sucking hurdles coming!   SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!   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!

We are back with another episode discussing Does Balance Really Exist? Almost one year ago we had a great discussion on the reality of balance and how each task that we do is either a plastic ball or glass ball. As the many teachers online are sharing this lens of looking at balance, we want to set the record straight on how to view plastic and glass balls.  We then dive into the discussion of whether or not there is such a thing as balance. You won’t want to miss this chatty and power discussion as we uncover the truths behind the many hats we wear as teachers and how changing our mindsets can help us achieve clarity into obtaining a work-life balance.  In this episode we share:  How we've changed in our thinking about the seasons of life We all go through adjustment periods and while it may be wobbling at first, you have to know that it will take time to gain your footing and feel more in control Balance is a sliding scale of work and pleasurable activities and we have full control of where we are on the scale We need to recognize that balance looks different for everyone. You have to determine what this means to you.  If you haven’t listened to our first discussion around balance, check out episode 045: The REALITY of Establishing Balance to take a listen.    SUBMIT YOUR TIME SUCKING HURDLE! We want to know what is sucking up all of your time either as a teacher or just a person. Head over to our website and submit your TSH so that you can have a chance to be featured on the podcast!   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!

Your teacher desk is one of the first areas you probably set up at the beginning of the school year and one of the first places that becomes a dumping ground. Having a space that is organized can help you to feel less stressed and enjoy your day. No matter if you have an official desk or a teacher space this episode is just for you! We are sharing 10 tips for making your teacher desk as efficient as possible. These tips can apply to any teacher work area (it doesn’t have to be a desk). Let us help you go from an overwhelmed, scattered teacher to an organized and efficient teacher who has it all together.  In this episode we share: How setting up your technology first can define the space you have left! Tips for making all that tech feel less overwhelming and more tidy A pro tip for organizing those cluttered drawers Ways to utilize a paper sorter to your advantage Where to store everything from planning materials, writing tools and that precious artwork from students 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!

This is for every teacher out there that struggles with trying to create and maintain a to-do list! We’ve used it all from sticky notes to paper planners and nothing ever stuck. This however, if you choose to commit, will completely change the way you complete your tasks.  In this episode we are continuing the series of digital tools for teachers. We are breaking down the what, why, and how for Google Tasks. We take you into a deep dive of how to get started, why you should be using it and how to create a system that ensures you are always moving the needle forward.  If you would like to know what other podcasts are in this series, check out the links below: 059. Google Calendar: The What, Why, and How for Teachers 063. Notes App: The What, Why, and How for Teachers 068. Google Drive: The What, Why, and How for Teachers 074. Digital Planning: The What, Why, and How for Teachers 078. Email Folders: The What, Why, and How for Teachers 083. Google Keep: The What, Why, and How for Teachers 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!

The end and beginning of any school year is typically the most stressful time for teachers. With deadlines, to-dos from administration, gathering or packing items, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated even before you begin! At the end of the year last year we shared 071. The IDEAL End of the Year Checklist to Save Your Sanity, and today we want to share the IDEAL checklist to help you kick off this school year. We are going to help you break down the categories that will help you brainstorm and prepare for that endless list of to-dos this fall.  But we also have good news! If you want to follow along with the resource, you can find this and many other checklists in our digital planners available in our store. You can head over to Our Store and check out the tablet and Google Slides options to best fit your needs.  In this episode we share: How to prepare for name tags and more even without your class roster Simple to-dos you can get done in front of the tv! How to structure your lesson plans for the beginning of the school year Every category you need to consider when planning our your BOY tasks 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!

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

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

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

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

Michelle Emerson has had a busy summer! With her recent move to Austin, TX and purchasing a home she shares home renovations, unpacking and managing a business. Join Michelle as she shares her week in the life, summer edition.  In this episode Michelle shares:  Projects for updating and organizing her home A battle with her internet provider Getting her home ready for her parents to come for a visit Maintaining and planning for upcoming conferences presentations this summer SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes! Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Week in the life is back! This week Bridget is taking you behind the scenes as she organizes tackling her to-do list and spending time with her family. Join her as she walks you through organizing her week, accomplishing tasks, sharing personal stories and most importantly, enjoying her family and summer! In this episode Bridget shares: Her general schedule for working with kids at home How she tackles planning out her week to create a balance between work and family Her battle with Hashimoto’s and getting back in shape How she balances work with family and enjoying the summer SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes! Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Have you ever seen the Vogue 73 Question Videos on YouTube? Basically, someone behind the camera follows a famous person around and asks 73 rapid fire questions. You get to hear their responses but also get a little peek into their life and how they live. Well, we love to watch these videos and to make things fun this summer, we’ve decided to create our own form of rapid fire questions! In today’s episode Bridget has crafted 25 questions all around time management, organization, and productivity to ask Michelle. Keep in mind that Michelle has no idea what questions Bridget is going to ask. So join us as Michelle Emerson, aka Pocketful of Primary, answers 25 Rapid Fire Productivity Questions.  In this episode Michelle shares:  Her best tip for achieving a work-life balance How she creates a space that is productive How she battles overwhelm and feeling unmotivated to work Her news goal after moving and getting married What she plans to organize first in her new home LINKS: Vogue 73 Questions 082. Bridget Answers 25 Rapid Fire Productivity Questions COMING SOON!! SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes! Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Is there really anyone who actually enjoys managing their email accounts? We can say that this is one area that we do not particularly enjoy but that doesn’t mean we can simply let it go like Ana in the movie Frozen. Email communication is essential and if not managed correctly then you are at risk of missing important notices, forgetting important dates and misreading information that requires your attention.  In our next installment of The What, Why, and How for Teachers we are digging deep into how to utilize email folders to help you stay on top of your to-dos, deadlines and reference materials in your email inbox. By implementing our tips, you will feel more in control of your inbox and experience the golden “inbox zero” more often.  In this episode we share: How viewing email folders like your Google Drive can organize your inbox How to process your emails and sort them correctly. This means finding a specific time during the day dedicated to processing and working to inbox zero. How email folders will help you in finding information more quickly Our structures for creating email folders How to sort and store emails at the end of the year.  Don’t forget to check out our planner on our website. We have all the tools you need to plan out your summer, be proactive for the fall, and outline big projects this summer! SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes! Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Balancing work and relaxation can be challenging, especially after spending so many months in ‘work’ mode. You might be struggling to stop and rest your body because you are constantly filling your time with doing tasks or you might not have any motivation with doing things that will help you in being proactive so that you are not stressed in the fall.    We share some of our best tips for helping to create a work-life balance this summer. This will help you to unwind from the school year and enjoy your time with family and friends but also ensure that you are continuing to do small tasks that will keep you from feeling the overwhelm of the back to school season.    In this episode we share: How to create a schedule that will accommodate your life-style Tips for how to balance work and summer as a mom Setting goals and creating project lists that will make you feel less stressed and more in control of your day Steps you can make to be proactive for the fall How to utilize micro productivity to get small tasks accomplished Don't forget to check out our planner on our website. We have all the tools you need to plan out your summer, be proactive for the fall, and outline big projects this summer!   SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes! Now if you’re feeling extra loving, We would be really grateful if you left us a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find our podcast and they’re also fun for us to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let us know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

We’ve got some big plans this summer and in today’s episode we are sharing where we are going, what we are doing, and some pretty major events happening in our lives right now! You will want to listen to this episode… Michelle has some exciting news! 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!

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.  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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Ever wonder how Michelle Emerson tackles her busy schedule? This week Michelle is sharing her new schedule as she transitions to hybrid in the middle of the year. Listen as she shares how she manages to accomplish her goals, keep her school work at school and manage a successful business and YouTube channel.     Michelle will dig deep into how she establishes her plan for the day, tackles a busy to-do list and establishes boundaries for doing more of what she loves.    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!

Life has a way of throwing curveballs, especially during times when  you feel like you have it all together. Earlier this year we both had a period that took the rug right out from under us. It put us behind in our personal tasks, and work tasks. While this can be overwhelming and frustrating, there are strategies that have helped us not only reduce stress but also play catch-up.   While these tips we are sharing are not evolutionary, they are a good reminder during difficult times. Save this episode, and come back to it as a mode of inspiration that will guide you through stressful and overwhelming times.    In this episode we share:  Prioritize what is important (What is glass and what is rubber?) Create a plan but brain dumping every task and to-do in your head There are times when we have to break the rules Ask for help, and know that this does not make you a failure   LINKS:   045. The REALITY of Establishing Balance 064. How WE Handle Stress as a Teacher Submit your TSH   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!

There are always things that get in the way of  our teaching. We have papers overflowing our desks, copies that need to be made, and  emails that need to be answered. At the end of January we asked you which would you choose and overwhelmingly, you all said no grading.   Today we want to share 10 hacks that will help you tackle your grading woes!    10 EASY TO IMPLEMENT GRADING HACKS Hack 1: Stop Grading Everything Hack 2: Create a Template Hack 3: Schedule a Time Hack 4: Batch your Grading Hack 5: Create a paper Flow System Hack 6: Alphabetize Your papers Hack 7: Use Technology Hack 8: Squeeze It In Hack 9: Use a Grading Station Hack 10: Check in and Grade   Links: 30 Days to ONLY Working Contract Hours   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!

Everyone experiences stress, but how we choose to handle stress can determine the impact that it has on your overall happiness and productivity. Most of us view stress with a negative connotation, but stress can in fact be healthy to experience.    Consider how diamonds are created. The pressure experienced reveals a beautiful diamond that can last for years to come. When we understand how we respond to stress then we can develop strategies for how we plan on controlling the stress in the long term.    Over the years we have experienced a variety of stress as teachers. In this episode, we are sharing some of our tips on how we personally handle stress as teachers. We hope these tips will help you in the same way that they have helped us.    In this episode we share: Try and be proactive so that you are not completely blindsided Ask yourself what habits you can put in place not to prevent stress from occurring Create a checklist of tasks you need to complete and place them categories Create a plan for getting it all done Stress comes from worry, so developing a plan will create structure for how you plan on accomplishing your tasks Focus on the one task causing you the most stress Have a productive way to release stress Reevaluate your goals and tasks to stay focused and keep you on the right path   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!

Everyday we forget tasks that need to be completed because we fail to process the information and write it down. So often, we tell ourselves “Oh, I need to remember to…” only to forget it with little hope in recovery of what we intended to do in the first place. We have a solution to this problem!    The Notes app is a free app that comes standard to Apple devices. You are able to take and store various types of notes and access the information across all Apple devices that are connected to the cloud. This application has the potential to store brain dumps, checklists, recipes, gift ideas and more.    Learn how we use this app to increase our productivity, reduce forgetfulness, and organize various aspects of our life. You’ll discover the WHAT, WHY and HOW of the Notes App.    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!

We did it! We took a personality test and we are sharing it all in today’s episode. We have been seeing a lot of educators discuss their Enneagram online and we thought it would be fun to take an enneagram ourselves and discuss what it means for our productivity as teachers.    An Enneagram personality tests describes personality in terms of nine types, each driven by their own set of core emotions, fears, and beliefs. The free test which can be found here takes about 10-15 minutes to complete and asks you a series of 105 questions in which you place your response on to a scale of least to greatest.    This was Bridget’s first time taking the test and Michelle’s second time. Listen in as we discuss our Enneagram types and whether or not we agree with the results.    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!

We all love a good hack. It’s not because of the creativity behind the design but because of how simple it can make seemingly complicated tasks. It can be easy to over complicate things especially when we are in search of solutions. But here is the thing, you can make small changes that add up to big results!    We’ve got 10 simple hacks that you can start to implement TODAY and start seeing amazing results. Now remember, you do not have to do all of these; in fact, we recommend that you do not try all of these at once. Choose one hack to start with and add one each week as you feel more confident.    OUR 10 EASY TO IMPLEMENT HACKS   Hack #1: Follow the 2-minute rule Hack #2: Eat the frog Hack #3: Set timers Hack #4: Pomodoro principle Hack #5: Lock your phone Hack #6: Create a micro-productivity list Hack #7: Double up Hack #8: Use shortcuts Hack #9: Use headphones Hack #10: Just one more thing   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! Until next time… be timely,  stay organized, and be productive… buh-bye… see ya!

One of the biggest challenges that teachers face is not having enough time to get everything done. We completely agree.   Teachers have a LOT of responsibilities and it seems like we are always bombarded with more responsibilities each year. However, when we look underneath the surface at the root of the issue, we see that some of our struggles can be due to ill prepared planning periods.   We know that you are mentally fatigued by the time you get to your planning period. Many of us have good intentions but reach a point of exhaustion that prevents us from accomplishing our tasks. The truth is, if we plan on working only contract hours as a teacher then we need to use the time in our contract hours wisely.    Don’t forget we have a freebie for you! If you want to reach the point where you are working less contract hours, check out our 30 Days to Working Only Contract Hours resource.    In this episode we share 6 Tips that have helped us work only contract hours without compromising our commitment and service to our students.    Tip #1: Decide Your Greater Purpose Tip #2: Choose Tasks that Match your Time Frame Tip #3: Have a Plan for Your Planning Time Tip #4: Prepare Your Workspace Tip #5: Reduce Distractions Tip #6: Be Like Nike   Noteworthy in the Episode: Understanding that we are more than just teachers and we have passions outside of school drive us to organizing our time more effectively.  Creating a plan for your planning time will reduce the waiting period and increase your motivation and focus.  Focus on doing tasks that will help move you forward. Cleaning your room or a students desk are distractions from your goals.  We have to learn to stand up for ourselves and our time. You can politely say you have work to do. Just remember to follow up and stay connected with your peers.    LINKS Check out our Digital Planner! 007: Lesson Planning Like a PRO! 30 Days to Only Working Contract Hours   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! Until next time… be timely,  stay organized, and be productive… buh-bye… see ya!

Technology is becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday lives. We use technology to communicate, to log information, to entertain, and to keep track of essential dates and times. While there may be a number of applications that can help you in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, we have found a few essential tools that will change how you plan your day.    In this episode we want to start a mini-series. We will take one digital tool to dive deeper into understanding the benefits, uses and how-to application for mastering your time, organization and productivity.    The first digital tool that we recommend is Google Calendar. This is a free tool that is connected to your Google account and can be accessed from multiple devices. This tool will organize your time sensitive dates and establish reminders, keep notes, and share calendars with others to collaborate. You can even ( a TOP favorite) color code your calendars to organize your day-to-day events.    In this episode we share:  Share the differences and benefits of using a digital calendar to a physical paper calendar Understand the benefits of a digital calendar to makes changes on important events Discuss how color coding can help with assigning specific events to an area in your life How sharing calendars offers an essential collaboration tool Discuss the variations for customizing your Google Calendar Give you step-by-step to creating and starting with your first calendar event   LINKS: Google Calendar Signing up for a Google account   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! Until next time… be timely,  stay organized, and be productive… buh-bye… see ya!

Times have been tougher and for some the last year has been the toughest of their life. With families pulled apart and isolation that has affected us mentally and emotionally, COVID has changed us. Even to this day, while we are gaining our strength to get past the hardship, we are STILL being affected by this terrible illness.    But, even when we go through terrible times there are still so many lessons that we can learn. We want to share the lessons that COVID has taught us. It is through these lessons that we are able to move on. However, we will never forget but instead take what we have learned to make us stronger.    In this episode we share: The importance of being still without feeling the need to do more The importance of taken in our surroundings and appreciating the small moments Feeling grateful for normalcy Being creative with few resources Spending time with family and friends We are not just teachers, we are individuals The value that technology brings to education   Be sure to visit www.teachingonthedouble.com to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming events.    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!

Are you ready to learn how to ONLY work your contract hours as a teacher!? This episode has been a long awaited one and we are so excited to share it with you.  We also have a freebie that goes along with this episode. You can sign up and download  your 30 Days to ONLY Working Contract Hours guide right here. Follow this guide and you will be one step closer to working the hours you have been wanting to achieve.  -------------------- We started just like so many other teachers, working countless hours and taking work home on the evenings and weekends. After years of trying to find a way to work ONLY contract hours we have done it! We have found the exact strategies and tools that can help you and that have also worked for us for the past year.  In this episode we share: Our journey on working only contract hours The importance of finding a greater purpose How minimizing the amount of items you have can focus you and your time The value of dedicating your planning time to specific tasks Honing in on your own personal teaching style Collaborating with your team to work smarter, not harder Batching your work to get more done in less time Check out Episode #008: Get More Done Using One Simple Trick to learn more about how you can use batching to do more in less time.  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!

Have you been on a purging kick as much as we have? If not, we want to tell WHY you should jump on this train with us and give you some starting points on where to start.  We have all either been, or seen a teacher who carries their “life” with them. You all know what we mean, the dreaded “teacher” bags that have every resource you need. It’s that bag that you end up packing up at the end of the day but never doing anything with it.  So why get away from having so much stuff? Compare your bags to the idea of stress or weight that you are carrying, metaphorically. This is stress that you are taking with you back and forth from home and school. You are not able to escape it and therefore you have a constant reminder of the tasks you feel as though you should be doing instead of unwinding after a long day.  The good news is that operating with less stuff is possible and in fact it allows you to be more creative and even DO MORE. Yup, we said it. You can do more with less! In this episode we share: Why it’s important to minimize in order to feel less stressed.  How to begin minimizing what you are using. How less items can help build the separation from home and work.  What more “stuff” is teaching our students.  How more stuff is affecting our mental health. 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!

One of the best parts of starting a new year is getting new supplies to help with our productivity. Well, it is no secret that we LOVE digital tools to help with productivity. Not only do you never have to worry about losing your things but you can have it everywhere you go without the bulk and weight of carrying physical items.  We’ve narrowed down our TOP 5 favorite digital tools for you all in this episode. We share what the tool is, how we use it and how it can benefit you and your productivity. Now, keep in mind that we have been using these tools for several years. Start small and choose one tool to start with. As you become proficient and comfortable with using that tool then you can expand and begin including new tools.  Make it a goal to use all 5 tools in 6 months and we know you will see a difference in your productivity and the weight of your bag! In this episode we share: Our Digital Planner!  Google Calendar Notes App Google Drive Email Folders - No link but can be accessed on any email service provider 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 is your favorite part of the podcast. Thank you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TOP TEACHERS! It is a new year and that means new resolutions (for some). We’ve chatted all about what we think about New Year’s Resolutions and what you can be doing instead on our very first podcast--Episode 001: How to Create New Habits for a Successful School Year.  The hardest part that we have learned is sticking to a habit. Your motivation runs out and you find it difficult to keep up with the routine.  In this episode we are chatting all about what to do when your motivation begins to run dry.  WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR MOTIVATION RUNS DRY 2020 is the year of dying motivation. We’ve felt unmotivated in both our school and personal lives. The reality, and while we may not want to admit it to ourselves, is that much of what we have been experiencing in 2020 is continuing into 2021.  Typically after the holidays we are ready to go back and get into the emotions of work, but this year, motivation is scarce. So how do we find it? Honestly, we have to stop relying on motivation and start depending on our discipline to get us through our everyday tasks. Motivation comes and goes and is dependent on your mood, circumstances and personality whereas discipline will allow you to complete tasks because you recognize that it is your responsibility. Discipline builds habits.  In this episode we get deep and dirty; here are some of the highlights: How people struggle with motivation Where does your motivation drop off during a task: procrastinator, bouncer, deserter The differences between discipline and motivation Remember your why and your greater purpose Discipline will act as a bridge between your goals and accomplishments   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!

We are celebrating ONE YEAR of our Podcast! In this episode we reflect on the adventure of starting a podcast and sustaining it over COVID. We share our successes and challenges, and even discuss what it has been like working with one another.  Thank you to all of our listeners for supporting us in this journey. We could not have done this without all of you! 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!

Happy Holidays TOP Teachers! We are bringing you into our family traditions this Christmas Eve. We hope that despite the changes this year, you are safe and taking time to relax this holiday season.  Listen in as Michelle and Bridget give you a glimpse into their traditions. Wishing you and your family all the best!   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!

It always seems that this time of the year flies by! Before you know it, it is the end of the year and you still have gifts to buy before your kids go on break. If you are listening to this and you are a teacher then you know the amazing array of gifts we can receive each year. From clothing items to an excess of coffee mugs we want to share what teachers would actually like for the holidays. In this episode we are sharing our favorite last minute gift ideas.    But before we jump into the gift ideas please know that while almost all of the items we are going to mention are things you have to purchase, not all gifts have to be bought. Consider what you are able and willing to give to your child’s teacher or teachers in your building.    LAST MINUTE TEACHER GIFT IDEAS:   Thoughtful card from students or letter of appreciation Bath and Body works soap dispenser wrapped in a clear bag and filled with candies The Starbucks disposable coffee cup filled with candy and a gift card attached Target or Amazon gift cards are always appreciated! Sanitizers & Lotion combo Collection of the teacher’s favorite snacks (maybe throw in a code for a Redbox movie) Their favorite school supplies (cardstock, laminating sleeves, markers, etc.) Donate your time (offer to cut, laminate, etc.) Customized vinyl name left unused so that the teacher can apply to an item of his/her choice (if you don’t have one, see if a friend can make it for you) Something from their wishlist - such as Amazon (ask the teacher if they have one)   Remember, this is a time of year to show your love and appreciation to those around you. We hope these ideas have helped make this holiday season a little less stressful.  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!

  We LOVE a good countdown to Christmas whether it's an advent calendar, wearing our favorite holiday attire, or watching our favorite holiday movies! But this year, we have something EXTRA special planned!   To help us cross some items off our to-do list while enjoying the festivities of the holidays, we have created 12 Days of TOP Teaching! For the next 12 days, we will be getting gifts ready, baking our favorite cookies, and more! What could be better than that?   Here is a rundown of the days:   Day 1 (Sunday, December 13th): Get gifts ready for people that are part of your teaching life Day 2 (Monday, December 14): Treat yourself to a new pair of holiday jammies Day 3 (Tuesday, December 15th): Plan your first day back from winter break Day 4 (Wednesday, December 16th): Do something nice for someone else Day 5 (Thursday, December 17th): Clean your classroom or digital workspace Day 6 (Friday, December 18th): Complete your favorite holiday craft Day 7 (Saturday, December 19th): Get a box to collect gifts that need to be taken back to your classroom Day 8 (Sunday, December 20th): Drive around your community and look at all the lights Day 9 (Monday, December 21st): Get caught up on your grading Day 10 (Tuesday, December 22nd): Bake your favorite holiday treat Day 11 (Wednesday, December 23rd): Write thank you notes for any gifts you received from families Day 12 (Thursday, December 24th): Watch your favorite holiday movie while enjoying your favorite holiday snack and drink   Plus, if you post about completing one of the 12 Days of TOP Teaching on Instagram and tag us, you will be automatically entered into a giveaway of one of our EXCLUSIVE TOP Teaching crewneck sweatshirts! Each post you make is a new entry so make sure you participate (and share) all 12 days for your best chance of winning!  

Join Bridget as she tackles getting ready for Thanksgiving break and working in-person during a pandemic. Listen to how she struggles with teaching during COVID and how she works to overcome challenges and stressful times. 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!

Let’s be honest with ourselves… one of the hardest parts of organization is the upkeep and the maintenance. Eventually, you start letting things slide and your system starts to fall apart. It’s human. But you have to acknowledge this when it happens and press the reset button to get yourself back on track. Today we are going to give you some strategies for pressing the reset button in your classroom, whether you are teaching in-person or virtually

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   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!

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!

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!

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!

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.  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!

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!

The beginning of the year can be overwhelming, especially this year. Once summer comes to an end, finding a routine that gets you focused on school can be difficult. Today, we are sharing FIVE simple strategies that you can implement in order to transform your teacher productivity.    5 SIMPLE STRATEGIES THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR TEACHER PRODUCTIVITY Strategy #1: Create a Power List for the Day Strategy #2: Complete a Technology Check Strategy #3: Follow the 2-Minute Rule Strategy #4: Take 5 Minutes to Clean Up at the End of the Day Strategy #5: Organize Materials for the Next Day CONCLUSION During various times of the year, it is important to take a few minutes and evaluate what you are doing on a daily basis that is directly related to your productivity. When you evaluate the motions to the day and pinpoint areas that need to be fine-tuned, you have a greater chance to maintain your productivity from day-to-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!

This year is unlike any year that we have taught, whether you are teaching in-person or virtual. As a result of the changes this year, we have to rethink our workspaces. Some of us are creating workspaces at home and others are having to redesign their classroom layouts in order to accommodate the new guidelines or needs.  Whatever the case, your workspace is like your hub or home-base, and it is more important now than ever before to define your space so that it works for you and the ever-changing needs of the time that we are living in.    ESTABLISHING A FUNCTIONAL WORKSPACE What makes a workspace functional? A functional workspace is a space that allows you to work at your very best by increasing your productivity. A functional workspace is also organized and clean so that you can work efficiently. Materials are laid out in a way that they are easily accessible and comfort is a priority to ensuring your mind and focus is where you need it to be.  Keep in mind that this workspace does not have to be a desk. This is simply a designated space where you will be working that will help to notify and signal to your brain that you are focused on a specific task.    Why is this important? So why are functional workspaces so important? Having a functional workspace is going to help you in prioritizing your “stuff”. This will then allow you to increase your productivity in order to get the most done out of your day. Let’s face it, we have A LOT going on right now. Our situations are constantly changing and in order to stay on top of the constantly moving field that we are in this year, we need to ensure that our workspaces are functional.    How do we create a functional workspace? Step 1: Choose a designated workspace Step 2: Set up your necessary technology Step 3: Create a list of materials for each task Step 4: Organize materials in your workspace Step 5: Maintain your workspace   CONCLUSION Your workspace provides you with an area to establish routine, hold essential items that you will use on any given day, and create a space where you are able to focus to get your tasks done. Taking the time to define your space will increase your productivity. Just remember that as you work, you may need to periodically restructure or evaluate the needs of your workspace. Just as our lives change, our workspace may also need to adjust to accommodate those changes.    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!

We get countless questions regarding how we manage to do it all. From getting things done to managing our teaching careers with our passions and businesses, we share it all!  In this episode, we are answering YOUR questions, but because we had so many, we have organized them into three separate episodes. This is the third in our Q&A series. Be sure to check out Episode #030 where we answer your time management questions, and Episode #032 where we discuss our organization tips.  In this episode we are sharing your productivity questions. We hope that you enjoy them! YOUR PRODUCTIVITY QUESTIONS: How have you changed your ability/methods of “TOP” since your 1st years of teaching? From jaymie.nicole SPED teacher here: how do you balance the paperwork & lesson planning period? From kellseyo How do you manage to grade writing assignments in a timely fashion? They take forever! From teachuntilcontent Do you answer emails after school hours? From belenanmartin How do you prioritize your tasks? From onfireforchoir How far in advance should you be planning? From savannah_watson What are some digital tools that help you with organization and productivity? From grade3withmst How do you stay motivated on low/down/off days? From voraciousteacher & What are some ways to keep yourself motivated to complete a big task? From amber.bach17 How to stay productive and organized when others may be loading more on your plate? From alf021 What self care practices boost your productivity (in your experience)? From eeemilyp How do you deal with that one co-worker who drags down productivity? Major TSH for me!! From russellrmc What to do about things you can’t control? Ex: admin comes in and asks for report info ASAP throwing off your plan! Especially if team lead - happens a lot! From colorcodedenglishclass CONCLUSION Mastering the art of productivity is something we all strive for in our lifetime; however, it seems that at the exact moment when life is going the way we planned, everything instantly changes taking our productivity with it.  Understanding what building and sustains productivity is the key. Know your strengths, weaknesses and build from that to maintain the life that you want to live.  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!

What if we told you that we have a BIG secret that will help you to reduce your paper flow, keep you more organized, and allow you to gain access to just about anything you may need from anywhere? Our secret that can completely change how you use paper is to go DIGITAL! That’s right. Going digital can solve just about any of the problems you may be having. We know that it can seem overwhelming and frustrating at times, but with time, knowledge and commitment, going completely digital can make a BIG impact on your time management, organization and productivity as a teacher.  And guess what!? We have just the thing to help with that!  [2:05] We have launched our own digital planner and Google Slides planner. With our love for planning and digital solutions, we have combined forces to develop the *dare we say it* perfect planner. We offer multiple formats, date ranges and we are excited to announce that we have also launched these in a Google Slides format for those of you that are die hard Google fans.  Be sure to check out OUR STORE to see our planner line and get started going digital today!   [6:00] 10 WAYS TO START GOING DIGITAL   [6:11] #1: Planner [9:02] #2: Checklists [13:10] #3: Student information [15:57] #4: Meeting notes [19:49] #5: Student assignments [24:23] #6: Student resources [27:22] #7: Exit tickets [30:11] #8: Permission slips/forms that have to be signed [30:54] #9: Surveys (parent information) [32:12] #10: Sign ups   CONCLUSION While it may be a little intimidating to abandon paper copies, we don’t think it would be wise to completely go cold turkey right away. Start small by choosing one or two from the suggestions that we have listed today. As you become more comfortable with these areas, then you can look to add more.  The trick in all of this is to “let go” of the paper. If you choose to do both then you will only feel more frustrated and overwhelmed. Not to mention that you will have various bits of information in multiple locations.  We hope that you can begin taking the smaller steps towards joining us in the digital world.  Don’t forget to check out our planners by visiting OUR STORE.    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!

August and September is Back-to-School season. There are constant reminders and the desire to get new items to fill out classrooms and prepare our kids for heading back into the classroom. However, this season can be busy and costly.  Between purchasing new items for your classroom and for your  kids at home, everything adds up at the end of the day. Your time is being pulled in several different directions all in the hopes that the first day of school goes smoothly.  But… we think we have some tips to help you simplify your back to school and save money in the process.  [3:12] Tips for Simplifying Back to School [3:26] Manipulatives [9:47] Anchor charts [16:36] Decor [23:46] Teacher materials CONCLUSION There are many ways to simplify teaching. Your students don’t remember the amount of money you spent or the knick-knacks you purchased for a particular bookcase. They remember the relationship, conversation and the energy you have. Look for ways to be creative and get your students involved. Your students and your pockets will love you for it.  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!  

This year is totally different than any of us could've ever imagined. In fact, things may still be changing by the minute. We know that this is overwhelming no matter if you are in person teaching or teaching online; both of these formats have their own challenges.  We also know that on top of being overwhelmed, you are probably feeling as though you have no control over anything right now, but we can assure you that there are some things that you STILL have control over. When you focus on what you CAN control over what you CAN’T, you will get more done and feel less overwhelmed.  Remember, done is better than perfect.  We have 5 Beginning of the Year MUST-HAVES (Even in a pandemic) for you all today! These 5 things that YOU DO have control over and can help you feel overwhelmed and more prepared for whatever is thrown your way.  [3:26] 5 Beginning of the Year  MUST-HAVES (Even in a Pandemic) [3:43] Student Login Information [6:50] Student Checklists [11:06] Parent Information/ Handbook [20:31] First Week of School Activities [24:30] New Student Kits CONCLUSION The beginning of the year is stressful, yes, but with a little planning, preparation and a strong focus on what you CAN control this year, you will find yourself feeling a little more prepared and hopefully, a little less stressed.  HAVE YOU HEARD!  [28:55] Our TOP Teacher Workshops are now available! We are excited to announce three workshops that are geared towards Time Management, Organization and Productivity. Each workshop is half an hour long and helps give you tangible steps that will help you in becoming the TOP teacher you want to be. You can purchase these individually or as a bundle over on www.teachingonthedouble.com. Hurry, because these are ONLY available until September 13, 2020! 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!

We get countless questions regarding how we manage to do it all. From getting things done to managing our teaching careers with our passions and businesses, we share it all!  In this episode, we are answering YOUR questions, but because we had so many, we have organized them into three separate episodes. This is the first episode has already been released, you can listen to episode #029 to hear all about how we manage our time management.   In this episode we are sharing your organization questions. We hope that you enjoy them! YOUR ORGANIZATION QUESTIONS: What organization system do you have in your classroom that you are most proud of? From mrsdennis_tw How long has it taken each of you to find the organizational style that fits your needs best? From sjohnson912  How to utilize a smaller classroom and stay organized. From loladasher What can I do when I have very little wall space? I think my wall with the most space is maybe 5 ft. From mosaicinthemiddle How to organize teaching items in an apartment. I can’t get into my school over the summer. From ashley.zundel86 Any tips on how to get started with organizing in the middle of feeling overwhelmed to do it? From pencilsandmagicwands  How do you maintain organization when tired? From daniel_dadgumheels How do you stay organized in the middle of the busy day? I find myself just having papers everywhere at the end of the day. From taylor_leigh77 What is a good way to keep up with the flow of papers in and out? From arkitchin How do you organize copies for the week/weeks out? From ourelementarydays What methods do you use to organize the resources you used throughout the year? From mswolfe5th Do you organize materials by month, unit, quarter, etc? From brookeashleyk How do you organize turned in work and work you need to grade? From mrsfoglesong What are some systems that you have used to deal with homework turn in? From khellokitty16  How do you organize student data in regards to formative assessments? From elizabethhaller What’s the best organization for individual student supplies? From plan2teach2nd What is the best way to organize holiday decor/activities? From nhopkin1 I need classroom library organization tips! From maddiepizzuti How do you stay digitally organized? My files are all over the place. From miss.lisajordan How to organize things related to distance learning? From hel_chris_ Tips for organizing emails? From ecallis74 You have videos or organize lists and Google Drive. How do you organize hard copies? From fed120 CONCLUSION Organization can be challenging and this challenge can lead to anxiety and frustrations in your productivity. Work on developing systems that work the best for you and ask yourself if you need all the things you currently have. Work to simplify your lifestyle and gain footing for making it through the school year with less stress and more motivation.  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!

There are those books that we’ve all heard of and read. Books like Twilight, Harry Potter and Fifty Shades of Grey (we know… so scandals!). However, the book that we want to share and discuss today is not as controversial as Mr. Grey, but it’s one that is very common in the category of self-discovery.    To give a short summary, Stephen Covey is the author of the high acclaimed 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This book outlines 7 habits that Covey believes are necessary to become an effective person. Keep in mind that this book, while it helps you with being productive, this book is so much more than this. In fact, this book helps you in all areas of life; think of this book as a way to help you become well-rounded. The book is broken into private victories (habits 1-3) and public victories (habits 4-6).   7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE   Habit definition: A habit is the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire. Knowledge is the theoretical paradigm (the what to do and the why). Skill is how you do it, and desire is the motivation (the want to do).   Habit 1: Be Proactive   Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind   Habit 3: Put First Things First   Habit 4: Think Win-Win   Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood   Habit 6: Synergize   Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw   CONCLUSION   We loved this book and highly recommend it as a read. If you feel as though you need a little push in order to become more productive but to also to develop a well-rounded lifestyle, this is a must read! If you enjoyed this episode be sure to check out the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.    Grab your copy here!   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!

We get countless questions regarding how we manage to do it all. From getting things done to managing our teaching careers with our passions and businesses, we share it all!  In this episode, we are answering YOUR questions, but because we had so many, we have organized them into three separate episodes. This is the first of three episodes and we are going to answer all your time management questions.  ANSWERING YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS: Below are the questions we have answered. Even if we did not get to answer all the questions that were asked you are able to gain some informative insight into how we manage our time. Have you got any tips for not working too much during quarantine? From arrustemaj1 How do you balance your time away from school with school work on extended breaks? From ms.brittnidoyle How do you find the balance between planning ahead and being flexible? From hawth018 How do you make the best use of your planning time? We have 40 minutes a day. From thecaffinatedcandidclassroom What time management tips do you have for a student working on his BA during quarantine? From edgar 780 How to spend less time grading but still have a fair and accurate number grade for report cards? From jamiesloan14  How do I have my students have good time management but still do well in class? From teachwith_mrsguire  You seem very involved in school and other things. How do you balance it? From ali_malone4 Can you go over creating a schedule for your planning to be more productive? From heathnoel34 How do you make time for your podcast, tpt, etc. businesses on top of teaching? From wajwilliams4 How do you manage to plan time for other obligations besides teaching? Ex: Youtube From teachingwithpositivity Top tip for 1st year teachers to establish work-life balance? I start my first job in August. From baker_girl_91 How much prep time you have a week & how your contract hours compare to student hour From teachinginthegoldenstate Do you recommend planning your entire week ahead of time or preparing day to day? From arthur_dynasty How do you manage your time and stay productive in the summer? From scout1283 What is the biggest time saving tip you can give? From dashielberkofficial CONCLUSION Time management is determining the value in return for each task that you complete in a given day. Ask yourself whether the task is helping you towards your goals, and define your time blocks to completing those tasks that get you closer.  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!

We all have different seasons in life that we experience. This can be both literally and figuratively. As the seasons change, we have to change our schedules and routines. So while we may find a routine or schedule that works initially, it may not always stay that way. Listen to Michelle as you join her in a week in the life summer edition. She will talk you through planning out her days in order to reach goals in her business and on giving back to herself both mentally and physically. She will share some successes and processes for getting things done.   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!

We all have different seasons in life that we experience. This can be both literally and figuratively. As the seasons change, we have to change our schedules and routines. So while we may find a routine or schedule that works initially, it may not always stay that way. Listen to Bridget as you join her in a week in the life summer edition. She will talk you through planning out her days in order to reach goals in her business and how to do this while having kids at home. She will share some successes and failures for the week and how she plans on getting things done.   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!

There is something about summertime and the heat, especially, that seems to zap the energy out of you. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to spend their days lounging around the pool reading a great book. However, the lazy days seem to bleed together leaving you feel unproductive and ill-prepared for the upcoming school year.  We are in a new season of our life. Yes, we are talking about summer, but it is also important to know that seasons also relate to where we are in our lives; the circumstances that we are currently living in. With each season, both literally and figuratively, it’s important to change our routines to fit the needs we have at that particular point and time.  We want to share our motivating and energizing summer routine that has allowed us to create structure and feel as though we are accomplishing goals but also enjoying our summer.  OUR WALK STORY OUR WHY  HOW THIS FITS INTO OUR DAY TIPS TO ENERGIZING AND MOTIVATING YOUR SUMMER ROUTINE CONCLUSION Keep in mind that we are not perfect in fact we have had a handful of times where we have to listen to our bodies and just rest. There is nothing wrong with that! The purpose of this is to make sure that you are making the most of your summer and to make sure that you have taken steps to feeling ready for the beginning of the school year.  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!

Before the world was sent into a world-wide pandemic, many of us were content in our lives as paper-loving teachers. Suddenly, our world shifted and many of us were forced to accept the digital lifestyle.  But instead of focusing on the inconveniences and the problems with everything moving to digital, we have to shift our mindsets and adapt by finding ways to overcome our grievances. Today, we are sharing some small changes that you can make in order to better organize your digital life. By taking these small steps you will feel more productive and be able to better manage your time.  TIPS FOR ORGANIZING YOUR DIGITAL LIFE Tip #1: Set Alarms Tip #2: Set Times to Complete Specific Tasks Tip #3: Streamline your Apps/Websites   Tip #4: Digitize your Paperflow Tip #5: Utilize Templates CONCLUSION One of the biggest reasons so many of us have never fully committed to going digital is because we have never really had to do it. This is the time to get your feet wet and begin transitioning your life online. Start slow and small and build as you go. If you start trying too much too fast you risk feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and dropping it all together.  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!

When you are thrown into new situations you cannot help but feel as though all the systems, routines and procedures you have created for yourself no longer function on your behalf. What once was a life that had some order and consistency has been thrown for a complete loop and left you feeling defeated. COVID-19 has caused so many teachers to feel hopeless and in need of a new routine. Hours have been spent searching for what new technologies can aid us in successfully doing our jobs.  In this episode, we talk about specific materials, routines, or procedures that we have put in place that have helped us in regaining some of the order that we once knew while in a brick and mortar job. We share what has allowed us to be successful during online teaching but we also share what has allowed us to maintain that balance while working from home.   

We have to be honest with you all.  When word was getting out that school may start to shut down, we were actually a little excited. Now hold on! We had NO idea what this was all going to turn into, but originally, we thought this was a chance to catch-up on things and to have a break.  Fast-forward three months and here we are, still in quarantine-ish and trying to make it through to the end of the school year. That said, we’ve experienced some struggles and some victories during these last three months.  Today, we want to share with you our struggles and victories during quarantine and distance learning. Be sure to listen in on the conversation. You might find that what you were/are struggling with is the same as ours.  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!

Creating a work-life balance is something we, as teachers, have always strived for. It is something that before the pandemic of 2020 hit us, was something that was challenging. Now, working from home we are realizing that establishing a work-life balance is harder than ever before.  Before, we had a clear line between work and home. We would wake up, go to work, leave work, and be home. Now, we work from home and live with work. The lines are blurry. Today, we want to share with you some tips that will help you during these crazy times of distance learning but can also carry over as we continue to work and establish our balance between work and life.  TIPS FOR CREATING A WORK-LIFE BALANCE: Tip #1: Stick to Your Work Hours Tip #2: Establish a Workspace Tip #3: Eat Lunch Away from Your Workspace Tip #4: Check Emails in Batches Tip #5: Develop a Routine CONCLUSION You have to remember that life is a balancing act. There will never be a secret recipe that works for EVERY season of your life. You will constantly have to readjust and make the work fit for what is happening now. Reflect on the changes that you have happening and adjust accordingly.  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!

Listen in with Bridget as you join her for a week in the life of distance learning, being a mom, a wife and running two businesses while in grad school. Bridget talks all about projects and how she plans on managing those projects during the week in order to accomplish her big goals. 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!

We are getting so close to the end of the school year and with all the things that take place during the end of year, it's important that we begin planning for what the summer will look like for us and how we can best set ourselves up for starting the next year stress free and seamlessly.  If you are like so many teachers out there, you may not have access to your classroom the entire summer, and this means that you need to be even more prepared before you leave at the end of the school year. We have one simple trick that will help you be prepared to leave at the end of the year and get a head start on the next school year.  We’ve all had experiences with setting up a first-aid kit, and we don’t create our first-aid kits as we are tending to our injuries. No. We do this in preparation for a time when we do get hurt and need to access the materials quickly. Getting a headstart on the next year is very similar to setting up a first-aid kit. The purpose is to get you prepared for what is going to come! Unlike a first-aid kit, you need a decent size box or container to house all the materials in your Back-to-School kit. We have created a helpful checklist filled with categories and ideas that will help you get a jumpstart to filling your kit and to help give you ideas as you think of more items that work best for you and your classroom.  CATEGORIES TO INCLUDE IN YOUR KIT: [3:16] #1: Student materials with names [7:10] #2: Student materials without names [10:27] #3: Teacher materials [12:55] #4: Instructional materials Now, we recognize that this is a lot to get done before the end of the school year. Parents and volunteers are always so helpful during the end of the year. Ask for volunteers to make copies and begin prepping materials that you know you will need at the start of the year.  And if the stress of getting this kit together is already starting to stress you out, please remember that you do not have to have this done by the end of the year. Consider taking this home with you and work on it over the summer.  Just remember that you do NOT want to unload this box at home. This will open up the possibilities of losing items and things getting damaged. The box is truly meant to house your materials and keep things safe.  Click HERE to download the FREE Back to School Kit Checklist! CONCLUSION The end and beginning of the year are the most stressful times for any teacher. Taking the appropriate measures to ensure that you have all the materials you need to make each one go smoothly is worth the extra time it takes to create a survival kit.  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!

In our experience, there are two types of teachers when it comes to the end of the year. There are teachers who have everything packed up and their room is bare a few weeks before the school year even ends, and there are teachers who are staying several days after the school year ends to finish packing up their room because they didn’t get anything done ahead of time. We want to help you find the happy medium. This means not starting too soon but  also not waiting until the last minute to be ready for the end of the year. We want to get you to the point where your room is still functional but also can easily be finished up when your students leave. Let’s start by discussing some of the categories that you want to consider when preparing for the end of the year. Keep in mind that these are only some of the options.  Also, we have a freebie for you! Be sure to sign up for our email list and you’ll receive our  End of the Year Checklist. CATEGORIES FOR THE END OF THE YEAR [4:46] Category #1: Events [5:55] Category #2: Inventory [7:20] Category #3: Paperwork [8:43] Category #4: Organize [9:46] Category #5: Clean [12:09] Category #6: Purge [13:36] Category #7: Electronics and Technology [14:46] Category #8: Miscellaneous [15:37] TIPS FOR TACKLING THE END OF THE YEAR RESPONSIBILITIES Click HERE to download the FREE End of the Year Checklist! CONCLUSION Preparing for the end of the year is a lot! We know! But taking the time to get organized and create a plan of strategy will help to make all of your responsibilities and to-dos more manageable and less stressful.  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!

While we may not be in the classroom right now, there is something very motivating and inspiring about listening to others get through a work week.    Join Michelle Ferré in a week of teaching before COVID-19, and listen as she works to accomplish her goals and get things done. Michelle will share her tips and strategies that work for her as she gets through teaching, running a business, and completing grad school.   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!

Every teacher dreams of what their classrooms would look like. The thought of bringing your likes and splashes of personality to your room excites you as you begin looking for jobs. But this joy of having your own class quickly dims as the reality of the work, papers, clutter, and organization begin taking over.  You realize, very quickly in fact, that those twenty-three bodies take up way more space than you originally thought, and don’t get us started on all the school supplies and learning materials!  The reality of it all combined with the quick pace of the day makes you forget about the original vision you had and instead see what your classroom may really be, cluttered.  5 MISTAKES THAT MAKE YOUR CLASSROOM LOOK AND FEEL CLUTTERED [2:44] Mistake #1: Having Containers That Lack Functionality [9:18] Mistake #2: Having Classroom Themes or Color Schemes that are NOT Cohesive [14:30] Mistake #3: Having Mix Matched Labels [19:06] Mistake #4: Displaying Trinkets and Decorations that DON’T Serve a Purpose [24:10] Mistake #5: Filling Every Space Our classrooms are like our second homes. We spend a lot of time in our classrooms and we want them to feel calm and inviting to guests and students. Hopefully by sharing some of the mistakes that we have made in the past, you will have the opportunity to avoid or begin transitioning your classroom into feeling less cluttered and more organized! 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!

Teachers all around the world are working to establish a new "normal" routine as schools are being shut down and teachers are asked to give instruction from home.  Join Michelle as she invites you to see how she navigates being a teacher during the COVID-19 shut down. You will hear how she works to schedule her day, accomplishes her goals and has to make adjustments because things just happen.  This is a week-in-the-life of a teacher at home.  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!

The older that we get, the more we wish would have started certain things sooner. Like putting on that under eye cream to help prevent wrinkles or saving for retirement sooner. Just like in our everyday lives, we even have things we wish would have made sooner as teachers.  We are sharing the 4 BIG organizational decisions that we wish we would have made sooner. Hopefully by us sharing these decisions, you might have an earlier start than we did or maybe even reconsider what you have been doing for years and finally make the switch! 4 BIG ORGANIZATIONAL DECISIONS [3:42] Organizational Decision #1: Containers [10:10] Organizational Decision #2: Anchor Charts [16:34] Organizational Decision #3: Going Digital  [23:46] Organizational Decision #4: Logging Materials CONCLUSION There will always be those decisions that we wish we would have made sooner. The important piece is that we don’t dwell on the past but instead look to the future and begin making those changes. Hopefully, sharing our decisions will help to shed some light on how you can improve what you are already doing or you’ve gotten a little bit of inspiration on something you never thought about doing before. 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!

We all love hacks that have a way to make your life a little bit easier. We have enough going on in our lives that finding simple ways to minimize friction is key. Gadgets are one way to create simple hacks to make life easier but no matter how fancy your gadget is, having hacks to help you with organization is essential.  Today, we want to share some simple decluttering hacks that have worked wonders in getting us organized and more importantly, staying organized! SIMPLE DECLUTTERING HACKS [3:51] Decluttering Hack #1: Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and work through decluttering one area.  [6:08] Decluttering Hack #2: Create a list of things you want to declutter during the month and make it a challenge [7:22] Decluttering Hack #3: Focus on one area at a time [8:07] Decluttering Hack #4: Use a bucket to gather things that need to be decluttered.  [9:34] Decluttering Hack #5: Use your students to help  [13:06] Decluttering Hack #6: Create a space for everything CONCLUSION [15:00] All of these hacks will give you the results you need, but we have to give a little tough love and say that if you do not have an organizational system, things will get messy! You have to have a system in play  in order to maintain the chaos that can be our lives.  Check out episode #015: 5 Easy Steps to Clean and Organize Your Classroom to help you with the decluttering process.  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!

Teachers all around the world are working to establish a new "normal" routine as schools are being shut down and teachers are asked to give instruction from home.  Join Bridget as she invites you to see how she navigates being a teacher during the COVID-19 shut down, a mom to two boys at home and a wife to a work-from-home husband.  You will hear how she works to schedule her day, accomplishes her goals and has to make adjustments because things just happen.  This is a week-in-the-life of a teacher at home. 

We can probably all identify the areas in our classrooms that could use a little TLC, but actually doing the  action steps to getting it all done, without losing your sanity, is a whole other story. In our previous episode, we talked about the essentials areas in your classroom where you may want to give a little TLC in order for you to feel organized and refreshed.  In this chat, we are sharing the actionable steps on how to follow through with the actual organizing we previously shared!  ***Also note, that these steps that we are sharing will work for any area in your life! We encourage you that as we share this during the COVID-19 shutdown you can find areas in your home where you can give a little TLC.  Many of you have heard of Marie Kondo. She took the nation by storm with her systems for finding the joy in the objects around you, or maybe you’ve heard of Clean Sweep, the hit tv series where a team of experts help homeowners transform their homes from a disaster to functional. We LOVE these two methods and have decided to make our own little method by combining the two and calling it…. The Kondo Sweep! Now let’s dive into The Kondo Sweep steps to organizing your space.  STEP #1: Gather it STEP #2: Sort it STEP #3: Organize it STEP #4: Store it STEP #5: Label it Click HERE to download the FREE 5 Easy Steps to Clean and Organize Your Classroom! CONCLUSION While the process of cleaning and organizing the materials in your classroom may seem like a treacherous task, when you have clearly defined steps, you can easily schedule what you are going to complete on specific days to reduce the overwhelm and make the task more manageable.  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!

Winter is on its way out and that means that it is time to start spring cleaning! It never fails that when this time of the year comes around you start to feel the itch. You know, the feeling where you need to clean absolutely EVERYTHING in sight.  However, if you are someone that starts to feel very overwhelmed by the thought of having to start cleaning and organizing your classroom, we’ve got you covered.  We are sharing our TOP must do when cleaning your classroom. Keep in mind that if this is a daunting task, recruit help from friends, family, or even coworkers by exchanging a I help you, if you help me deal.  CLASSROOM SPRING CLEANING MUST DOs [3:53] MUST DO #1: Teacher supplies [9:57] MUST DO #2: Paper filing system [14:09] MUST DO #3: Manipulatives [16:24] MUST DO #4: Teacher bag [18:12] MUST DO #5: Digital files Spring cleaning, while refreshing, can be very overwhelming, but remember that you need to go easy on yourself. These tasks do not need to be completed in a day! Choose one area and work on it over the span of a week or a few days. The important thing is to make it fit you and your lifestyle, but you MUST hold yourself accountable and get it done! Click HERE to download the FREE Classroom Spring Cleaning Checklist! 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!

Have you ever reflected on your past and thought, I regret doing that as a kid, or I regret not going out more and being with my friends? Chances are there is probably something out there that resonances with you in this fashion. There is a quote that reads, There are no regrets in life, just lessons. This cannot be more true for everyone. Our lives no matter how imperfect they belong to us. It is what has molded us to the person we are today. Instead of dwelling on your regrets in life, think of them as life lessons that will help to guide your future.  We cannot change the past, but we have every bit of power to change the future.  OUR BIGGEST REGRETS AND THE LESSONS LEARNED [5:26] Spending large amounts of time and money [ 7:45] Creating Resources and Materials [12:16] Keeping up with the Jones’ [17:16] Staying late to get things done [20:32] What do we wish we had done? CONCLUSION We will always make decisions in our lives and careers that will not fit our goals. What is important to remember is that we cannot dwell on the past and the decisions that have already been made. It is better to see those decisions as life lessons and begin making a change that will continue to make our future brighter.  Don't forget to download the FREEBIE: 7 Ways to Jumpstart Your Teacher Productivity 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!

We pack our bags at the end of a school day with full intentions of grading the quizzes from math class that day, reading the novel that you just started with your group, or cutting out the circles that you need for tomorrow’s craft in science.  You take the treacherous walk to your car carrying your backpack, lunchbox, purse and now a bag filled with things to do. You drive up to your home and you suddenly feel this overwhelming feeling of tiredness. You still have so much to do, but instead of taking the actionable items out of your teacher bag you flop on your couch and turn Netflix on. It is so much easier to avoid the things we have because let’s face it, it’s not like you’ve been working all day *note the sarcasm. However, not getting the tasks done in our bags only leaves us stressed out and overwhelmed.  [3:23] TIPS TO FEEL MOTIVATED WHEN YOU ARE TIRED [4:01] TIP #1: Reflect on your WHY [6:44] TIP #2: Write the things you need to do down [10:33] TIP #3: Start with one small thing [12:38] TIP #4: Reduce distractions and change your scenery [15:29] TIP #5: Surround yourself with things you enjoy [19:01] TIP #6: Set a timer and work for that set amount of time [22:12] TIP #7: Take short breaks [24:23] TIP #8: Plan a reward for yourself [28:01] TIP #9: Get active [29:55] TIP #10: And if all else fails, take a power nap CONCLUSION Motivation can be difficult to find, but hopefully one or more of these tips help to inspire you to try and build the willpower to accomplishing that pesky tasks on your to-do list. Even if you are feeling completely defeated, try and find something that inspires you. Remember, we have all been there at one point in our lives; just know that there is a brighter side to the end of the rainbow.  Don't forget to download the FREEBIE: 7 Ways to Jumpstart Your Teacher Productivity 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!

We’ve all had those moments when we wake up and we already know that attempting to make through to the day with our 20+ students is just NOT going to happen. This is where you fall under two categories: 1. You begin stressing out because you have nothing ready but need to somehow will yourself to get your plans together for a sub or 2. You have all your things laid out and ready to go so that anyone walking in can easily pick up where you left off.  Which are you?  Have your lessons and materials ready to go before you leave the next day can not only help you in emergency situations but it can also help you to feel less stressed and happier. The struggle is just getting to the point where this becomes a habit and not a chore.  In today’s episode, we are discussing the steps you can start taking today in order to feel prepared for the next.  It’s probably no surprise that checklists are an easy way to always ensuring that you are leaving feeling prepared. This was you don’t forget to leave something off on those days where your brain is a bit foggy or flustered and it becomes somewhat of a ritual for you. The benefit of having a checklist is that you can re-use it time and time again. We also love that you can share this checklist with your teacher-bestie and on those days where things just don’t go as planned you always have someone there who has your back! [5:47] STEPS FOR CREATING A CHECKLIST [5:59] Benefit of a checklist over a to-do list [7:38]Step #1: Find a repetitive task to create a checklist for [8:44] Step #2: Write down all of your steps as you are doing it [11:09] Step #3: Find ways to minimize your checklist [13:09] Step #4: Store your checklist [15:47] Step #5: Use it and reset it Click HERE to download the FREE Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Your Ideal Checklist! CONCLUSION Once you solidify your checklist, you can use it on a daily basis and know that you have finished everything you need to finish in order to be prepared for the next day! This means that you can leave school feeling stress-free! Don’t forget to go back and revise as you find that your needs are changing for that routine. We find that we did more for our learners at the beginning of the year than at the end of the year. So because their needs changed, our routines changed.  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!

In today’s episode, we are going to tackle the key ingredients in order for you to have the absolute best week ever!  We all strive to have a great week. The kind of week where everything just seems to work in your favor and goes incredibly smoothly. From the copies, behaviors and mindset, everything seems to be perfect, but the reality is that life is very much like a drive through town. Some days can feel as though you are hitting every red  light on the street and others can feel like you are zooming to your destination.  [3:37] BE PREPARED [7:37] BLOCK YOUR DAY FOR YOU TIME [11:07] SPEND TIME CONNECTING WITH STUDENTS [14:32] FEEL POSITIVE AND MOTIVATED [18:32] FEEL PRODUCTIVE Be proactive to minimize the impact of stress. Every choice you make directly impacts the week that you will have. So no more putting things off! Get focused, stay positive and be the TOP teacher that you want to be.  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 in 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!

If you’ve listened to episode #002 then you’ve learned our 5 ways to help build an effective morning routine, and while having a morning routine is critical to jumpstart your day on the ‘right foot’, having an evening routine to decompress from the day’s activities and all around *craziness* can be, arguably, more important.   In today’s episode, we are sharing our evening routines and the differences and commonalities between them both.  Now here is our disclaimer, THIS WILL LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE.  We are not all built the same way, have the same needs, lifestyles, habits or family and we need to be mindful of this. We also need to STOP guilting teachers for how they are choosing to spend their evenings. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve been shamed for not spending enough time with our husbands or kids. That is not okay.  What’s important is how we reflect and consider all the factors happening around us in order to ensure that we are taking time for ourselves, however that may look. So while we give you an idea of what our evenings look like from the time our students leave us to the point we are in bed, remember to consider your lifestyle and what YOU need.  [4:19] BRIDGET’S EVENING ROUTINE [14:22] MICHELLE’S EVENING ROUTINE [22:38] After we shared our very different evening routines, we found some strong commonalities; so let’s take some time to discuss those commonalities and see if you have those built into your own evening routine. If you don’t, you may want to consider how to incorporate them in the future.  [23:22] First, we noticed that neither of us take anything home. [23:44] Second, we clear our tables for the next day. [24:30] Do something for YOU! CONCLUSION The most important thing to remember when you are leaving for the day and trying to destress is that you have to be focused and present during the day in order to make this work. This means staying away from the teacher’s lounge or office. Decreasing the hallway chats or the periodic scrolls through instagram.  You have to get focused and be intentional with your day so that you have the opportunity to truly destress and focus more on you at the end of the 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 in 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!

We are huge fans of watching videos on morning routines for all types of individuals from all different fields. There is something about getting to peek into their lives and seeing how they do it. You might call it creepy or even a little more stalkerish, but we call it research for building the ideal morning experience and ensuring that you start the day with a positive mindset.  We went through countless videos of morning routines and even analyzed our own routines and we were able to identify five major components to ensure that you start your day off right. We are going to chat through each component and give some examples.  As always, remember, you need to do what works for you, but if we are standing in front of you saying that this works find a way to fit in and give it a shot (a good shot, not a half one) to making it work.  Let’s dive in! OH! Keep in mind that these may not necessarily go in the exact order as well.  [ 4:50] #1: Time to get grounded [ 10:10] #2. Time to review your schedule [ 13:27] #3. Time to Review Your Power List [ 19:33] #4. Time to Review Your Materials [ 27:07] #5. Time to Get Motivated Routines are important, they hold us together doing the craziest of times and they ensure that we are always performing our best work, but keep in mind that it is called a routine because we do this on a regular basis. Only then can we expect the routine to work for our lifestyle.  Click HERE to download the FREE Steps for Creating a Successful Morning Routine! 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 in 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!

A new year makes so many of us reflect back on the year that we are leaving behind  and think about what could be different in the new year. It's a time for new opportunities, new experiences and resolutions that make us happier and more successful as individuals and in our professions. However, reality comes flooding back quickly and what we dreamed of doing to make the year better is left as a burden of “more things” that need to get done.  That is why we need to rethink New Year’s Resolutions and instead view our lives as small goals and habits.  WHAT IS A GOAL AND HABIT? [2.47] A goal in its simplest form is simply a result of some ambition that we had at some point in our lives. Graduating top of my class was a goal and I achieved it, but once it is achieved then we move onto something else to continuously become more successful.  [3.30] A habit on the other hand starts as a choice and becomes an unconscious decision; meaning, it becomes a part of your daily routine that you no longer have to make an effort to complete that task.  In so many cases, you have to create new habits in order to reach goals, which is why they go hand in hand.  STEPS TO BUILDING HABITS Click HERE to download your FREE Habit Tracker! [5.20] Step 1: Set a goal and break it down [9.18] Step 2: Create a System [11.28] Step 3: Track your progress [15.30] Step 4: Evaluate your progress  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 in 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!