Teaching to the TOP

This is a topic that we think you all are going to absolutely LOVE! Today, we are talking about lesson planning. Yup. We said it. Lesson Planning. We want to dive deep into getting your lesson plans done so that you can leave on Friday feeling ready for the next week.

But here is the thing, lesson planning is NOT a to-do. It’s not something you write to write down on your checklist because lesson planning is a project. In this case, it is a recurring project. When we understand that lesson planning is a project then we are more capable of tackling it with a separate process. A process that is unique to project planning.

Now, if you are already asking the question, “Am I able to apply this to any project?” Absolutely! You can! We are using lesson planning as an example for this episode because it is a project that EVERY teacher has on their plate, but you can use these steps for any project no matter if it is a one-time project or recurring project.

7 Steps to Lesson Planning Like a PRO!

[6:50] Step #1: Define your End

[8:37] Step #2: Set Your Deadline

[10:13] Step #3: Brain Dump

[14:03] Step #4: Create a List of Materials

[15:28] Step #5: Group Related Tasks Together

[19:10] Step #6: Find the Time to Batch

[20:20] Step #7: Monitor Your Progress

[20:58] Review of the Steps

CONCLUSION

Leaving school at the end of the week knowing that your plans are ready all the way down to the copies is truly life-changing, but it’s not rocket science. In fact, it’s quite simple when you break things down into actionable steps that allow you to see the whole process. Give this a try and be sure to share how it has worked for you!

Click HERE to download the FREE Project Planning Organizer!

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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 felt it. You know. That feeling of success and that feeling of complete and utter defeat. When you feel really good in one area, another area suffers, and this leads you to feel self-doubt and anxiety that you are not performing the way that you should be. The answer is not to be good at everything or get all the things checked off your to-do but more about finding the balance that works for you and those individuals that are in your life.

This is the one thing that so many people ask us: “How do you do it all?” People see us and the videos we put out, but they don’t realize that we had to sacrifice a date night or got into an argument for working too hard in order to make it happen. All you see in our social media presence are happy moments.

Now while you may not be on social media, you still have a lot of parts that you play in your own life. All those parts require your attention and in order to ensure that you slow it down and pay attention to your mental and physical health, we have some tips on how to feel like a good teacher without feeling overwhelmed.

[4:46] Tips for Feeling Like a good Teacher, Mom, Wife, etc... Without Feeling Overwhelmed

[5:20] Tip #1: Stop comparing yourself to other teachers

[8:07] Tip #2: Let go of perfectionism

[10:38] Tip #3: Say no to some things so you can say yes to other things

[13:55] Tip#4: Stop moving the goal post

[15:38] Tip #5: Return the focus to your students

Above all, remember that what you give every day in and outside of the classroom is appreciated by so many. You are making a difference and giving back. Stop being like everyone else and instead be you. There is, after all, only one 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!

We’ve all experienced the Neverending To-Do List. The list that makes you feel as though you can’t breathe and your heart is falling to the pit of your stomach. We have also experienced the satisfaction of marking items off of our to-do list and feeling the accomplishment that follows.

A To-Do list is an incredibly useful tool. It helps to keep our focus, provides us with things to accomplish when our brains are not functioning properly. A good to-do list also frees up space within your brain. Our brains, the majority of the time, cannot remember every to-do that you have thought of within any specific time frame. This is what causes the dreaded feeling of what was I getting? at the grocery store.

When we take the time to really think about all the tasks that we need to accomplish and we write them down, you also become more present at the moment and dare I say, sleep better.

So we know that a good to-do list is valuable. We know that we can feel less stressed when we have one, but how do you ACTUALLY get those items checked off?

[3:50] Steps to ACTUALLY finishing your To-Do list

[4:05] Step #1: Get it Down

In this step, the focus is on how to get your to-do’s down. Writing them on random pieces of sticky notes and leaving them around the classroom, may not be as productive as you’d think.

[13:20] Step #2: Sort It

Once you have your to-dos created and in one location, it is time to sort your lists. This step will help you to get rid of distraction and focus on accomplishing the to-dos that need your attention the most.

[13:55] The method that we use and that we find to be quite useful is The Eisenhower Method for Taking Action.

[16:05] If that method seems to overwhelm you a bit, start smaller by creating three categories: needs to be done today, needs to be done this week, and needs to be done this month.

[20:05] Step #3: Schedule It

When are you going to do it? Yes, you have your list and you have them sorted into the most important tasks, you still need to determine when you are going to do it.

[22:35] Step #4: Get It Done

Now, it’s the hardest part! Getting the list done. You have the tools, you know the strategies, but now it’s up to you to get it all done! Again, be like Nike and just do it!

Keep in mind that with these to-do’s you do not want to have tasks that are recurring. These to-dos should be built into your schedule already. These are tasks that come up time and time again and not only do they have a place in your schedule but they also have their own checklist. Adding every time that you can think of will only overwhelm you.

We will be sharing more about the projects or recurring to-dos later on in another episode! We hope that you feel inspired and equipped to tackle your to-do’s and take control of your time!

Click HERE to download your FREE Finishing Your To-Do List Cheat Sheet!

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 that the line of work that we are involved in *teaching* can be incredibly exhausting. We give so much of ourselves through our time, energy, understanding, heart, and we bare the burden of so many.

Therefore, it’s of no surprise that we take the time to remind ourselves of the importance of taking time for YOU. The more you give, the more time you need to recoup and regain your strength in order to continue giving day in and day out.

So, let’s chat about not only the why of putting yourself first, but also the how to put yourself first. These may be things that you know or have heard before but we all need reminders to ensure that we are following through.

[2:32] THE WHY

Listen and learn about the key reasons on why it is critical that you are giving back to yourself. These will be reminders but they just might be the reminders that you need.

[5:00] THE HOW-TO

Learn how we give back to ourselves! We share some of our favorite ways to make sure that we are thinking about us.

Click HERE to download the FREE Self-Care Calendar!

[11:40] GETTING IT ALL DONE

But what about getting it all done? Well, that is going to require some responsibility and commitment on your part. We share a few tips to help get you started!

CONCLUSION

Remember that in order for us to take time for ourselves, we also have to hold ourselves accountable in other ways, but if you feel like you are drowning, stop, breathe, and think about you. Refill that cup in order to pull yourself up on that raft 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 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!