Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast

Do you teach grammar during your writing workshop time? If I were to ask you what you are teaching in writing this week, would it be a list of grammar skills such as capitalization, punctuation, and parts of speech? Grammar and writing go hand in hand, right? And that is why you are wondering why I decided to stop teaching grammar during my writing workshop time. I can honestly say that having a dedicated grammar lesson and a dedicated writing lesson helped my students to improve in both areas. In this episode, I share three reasons why I removed most grammar lessons from my writing workshop time. 1. Students need dedicated grammar lessons. 2. There is more to writing than grammar. 3. I want to grow a love for writing. Resources Free Writing Lesson Guide: www.bit.ly/NotSoWimpyGuide My Grammar Routine: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2017/08/my-ela-block-teaching-grammar-and.html

Teaching is tough work. You just can’t argue with that. It’s easy to get stressed out, overwhelmed and burn out. My guest, Dawn Pensack, was a middle school math teacher. She actually got so stressed out as a teacher that she physically got sick. Dawn learned from her experience and she now focuses on helping adults to manage their stress, improve their overall emotional wellness, and find more happiness in their lives. Dawn shared five simple ways that busy teachers can manage their stress and overwhelm so that they can enjoy teaching more. Mindful Breathing Balance Poses to Focus the Brain Bright Spots How do you work best? Tapping All of these tips are super simple and they don’t add extra things to your to-do list! You can learn more from Dawn by heading to her website: www.dawnpensack.com

If you have been teaching for long, you have probably had an uncomfortable incident with a parent or two. It’s almost inevitable. Even the greatest teachers out there will have an angry parent from time to time. You certainly are not alone. There are a few things that we can do to help to make it easier to handle these tough situations with parents. In this episode, I share tips about the following: changing your mindset setting boundaries emailing parents calling parents choosing positivity The most important thing is to remember that we always want to do what is best for our students!

Do you start the year with a math unit about place value and rounding? Rounding seems like it would be a simple skill to teach, but those of you who have done it before know that it is anything but simple! In this episode, I am excited to share several strategies and tips that will make your rounding lessons more effective. 1. Ditch the Rhymes 2. Start with Place Value 3. Number Lines 4. Circle and Underline 5. Hundred Chart 6. Real Life Stories Would you like some FREE rounding interactive notebook activities? Click Here-> http://bit.ly/NotSoWimpyRounding

There is no time! There is never any time! Do you ever feel this way when you are looking at you long to do list? You're not alone! Years ago I learned the skill of batching and it completely changed the way that I work on tasks. Batching is when you work on one specific task for a long chunk of time until it is complete rather than doing a little of everything with your time. Batching your lesson plans has many benefits. 1. Reduces your start up time. 2. Simplifies your daily to do list. 3. It improves your focus and flow time. 4. Gives you time to prep your necessary materials that go along with your lesson plans. 5. Gives you time to find activities to fill the holes. I used batching so that I could get four weeks of lesson plans done ahead of time. If you haven't been batching, then the original start up will take some time. But it is SO worth it! Week One: Plan four weeks of math and one week of reading, writing, science and social studies. (This is the toughest week!) Week Two: Plan four weeks of readin

Do you start the year with a unit on how to write a paragraph? It's pretty standard. But I don't do it. I am kind of a rule breaker! Let me tell you the two reasons that I don't start the year with paragraph writing and what I do instead. Want more info about teaching writing? How about joining my online writing professional development course, Not So Wimpy Writing Masterclass? Get more info: www.notsowimpymasterclass.com Questions? Email me at Jamie@notsowimpyteacher.com

Can you believe that we are already getting ready for back to school?! The beginning of the school year is tough. We have so many procedures to teach and that can get boring. I have some fun ways to practice routines and expectations that your kiddos will love! 1. Model What NOT to Do 2. Students Do the Teaching 3. Procedure Board Games 4. Find Someone who Free Printable Resources: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2017/07/fun-ways-to-practice-classroom.html (At the end of the post)

Having a classroom library is a MUST, but it takes time to collect the right books and get them organized. In this episode I share: -my favorite places to buy inexpensive books -my favorite book series -tips for organizing your books -back to school books Grab FREE book basket labels and check out a list of my favorite books: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/tips-for-setting-up-your-classroom.html

Are you a brand new teacher? Or are you a newish teacher who still feels brand new? I have some tips to help you to have a fantastic first year! More Info: What to do when you get hired: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/i-just-got-teaching-job-now-what.html What to buy for your classroom: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/i-just-got-teaching-job-now-what-should.html Teacher Facebook Groups: https://www.facebook.com/pg/NotSoWimpyTeacher/groups/?ref=page_internal

I am a planner addict and a bit of a planner snob. I admit it! In this episode, I share the pros and cons of four different teacher planners that I have used and which one is my absolute favorite! 1. Happy Planner 2. Planners from Teachers Pay Teachers 3. Erin Condren: https://www.erincondren.com 4. Plum Paper: https://www.plumpaper.com

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a good book! And, call me crazy, but I love reading teacher professional development books. They help me to feel excited and refreshed.   In this episode, I am sharing about five of my very favorite teacher books and why I enjoyed each one of them.   The Essential 55 By Ron Clark https://amzn.to/2Xd30Lb   The Wild Card by Hope and Wade King https://amzn.to/2FKtOfP   Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz https://amzn.to/2Xd6dud   The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller https://amzn.to/2J3aRXS   Word Nerds by Brenda Overturf https://amzn.to/2XiTuGt

Have you heard about the Not So Wimpy Writing Masterclass? In this podcast, I am giving you all of the important info about the course including the modules, price and bonuses. But act fast because Not So Wimpy Writing Masterclass is only available for a limited time! Enjoy! Get Registered: www.notsowimpymasterclass.com

Does teaching writing feel overwhelming? Do you feel like you don't know how to teach writing or even how to fit it into your day? Do you flat out hate teaching writing? You aren't alone! Teaching writing is super challenging and can leave you feeling stressed. But, it doesn't have to be that way! I am going to break through five of the myths that make teachers think that they hate teaching writing. You are going to go from feeling overwhelmed and inadequate to feeling pumped up to get into the classroom and teach writing lessons that are effective! Masterclass: www.notsowimpywriting.com

Are you reflecting on what went well this year and where you want to grow as an educator? So many teachers are wanting to be more effective writing teachers next year. It's such a tough subject to teach, but we are committed to improving! I have three simple steps that you can take NOW (while relaxing by the pool or vegging in your pajamas) that will help you to make positive changes in your writing instruction next year. Free Training: www.notsowimpytraining.com

Teaching writing in units is so valuable for our students! Instead of jumping between different genres or writing all year, consider dedicating a longer unit to each type of writing. In this episode, I will share some thoughts about units of study, the units you should teach and the order that I liked to teach my units. Resources Mentioned Free What to Teach Writing Guide bit.ly/NotSoWimpyGuide Writing Units for Grades 2-5 bit.ly/NotSoWimpyWrite

How do you currently teach writing? Do you give prompts and projects? Do you have a center? Do you just do a little writing in social studies? If that's the case, I want you to hear all of the reasons that you really NEED to add a writing workshop to your routine. (Spoiler Alert: Your students will be far better writers!) Make sure that you listen until the end because I have a BIG announcement! Woot! Free Guide: Bit.ly/NotSoWimpyGuide Writing Units: bit.ly/NotSoWimpyWrite Not So Wimpy Writing Masterclass is coming on June 10th! Would you like to be notified when it is available? Use the link below: bit.ly/NotSoWimpyMC

Grading student writing samples can be so time consuming! It was always my least favorite thing to grade. I am sharing four strategies that made grading writing a little more manageable. Plus, I am giving you a FREE copy of my writing rubrics. FREE Writing Rubrics: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/457803?v=7

Math centers have always been my jam. I can't think of a better way to teach and practice math skills in a diverse classroom. No matter what curriculum you use, math centers and small guided groups will make differentiation so much easier! In this episode, I share five of my favorite reasons for having math center time in your classroom. Math Center Video Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQFF0pyvywj7B-zUQzKv86ITBfCHTLwyW Math Practice Sites: https://xtramath.org https://www.zearn.org https://www.mobymax.com

Do your students need to review all of those language and grammar skills? Are you looking for free, low-prep and engaging ways to give them that review? I have several fun ideas for you! Grammar Units: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Weekly-Grammar-and-Language-Activities-Year-Long-BUNDLE-3639360 Price of Admission: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-1bTt76B52oY25VRDZEaWlHRkk/view Free Posters: https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2018/06/free-grammar-posters.html