Welcome to the podcast for elementary teachers who often feel burnt out and overwhelmed! In this episode, we are going to discuss the number one way to get more done during your prep time. As teachers, we are experts at planning every moment of our students' day, but we often forget to plan our own plan time. Instead of creating endless to-do lists…

Welcome to the Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast, where we empower and inspire elementary school teachers to love teaching again! In this episode, we’re going to discuss how to define success as a teacher and work smarter, not harder. If you’re tired of feeling like you’re never doing enough, working too many hours, and sacrificing your personal life fo…

Are you tired of spending hours upon hours lesson planning each week? In this episode, we're sharing 5 time-saving hacks that can help you cut the time it takes to lesson plan in half. From batching your lesson plans to using routines, year-long bundles, lesson plan templates, and pacing guides, we've got you covered with strategies that can make l…

Welcome to this episode of our podcast for burnt out and overworked elementary school teachers. Today, we'll be discussing the importance of celebrating your wins each week and how this can be a catalyst for continued success in the classroom. As teachers, it's easy for us to celebrate others but much tougher to celebrate ourselves. At the end of t…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! I have a really special treat for you today. If you are teaching students online, whether it’s virtual or hybrid, this is the episode for you. Today’s guest, Jennifer Serravallo, is a literacy consultant and speaker and has three New York Times best selling books! Her latest book is called “Connecti…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Word problems... Yuck! They can be such a struggle. Today, we are going to be chatting about math word problems and I am going to give you a fantastic strategy to use with your students. This strategy will become a routine in your classroom that I think will help your students resolve more problems …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Today we are talking all about how to give students feedback about their writing. You know how much I love to talk about writing, but did you know that when I was a new teacher, I actually dreaded teaching writing? I just didn't know how to help my students be better writers. No one taught me that i…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Are you excited for Valentine’s Day this year? If you told me a year ago that I'd be doing a Valentine's episode about socially distant Valentine's Day activities, I probably would have laughed at you. Now it is totally normal though and something we have to talk about! Valentine’s Day is right arou…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Are you looking for a new way to keep your students engaged and motivated? Today we’re going to be talking about how to use project-based learning in the classroom. I fell in love with project-based learning when I first started teaching. As a student, I would always ask my teachers these questions:…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! You asked for an Inauguration Day resource, so I’m delivering. Today on the podcast, I am walking you through a resource for you to use with your second, third, fourth, or fifth graders on Inauguration Day. Talking about anything political can seem uncomfortable, but when it comes to the inauguratio…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Do your students forget everything over winter break? I think that’s pretty normal for all of us. You’re likely going to need to review classroom routines and procedures with them anyway, so there is no better time to refresh your writing instruction with them as well. I want to chat about starting …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Do you think of centers as time-wasters? Today we’re talking about centers and why I’ve loved them ever since my first year of teaching. I love an activity that stretches my students’ learning, but they also think it is fun, and centers do that for me. I’m going to teach you how to improve the quali…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! I have a special gift for you today. I have 60 free writing prompts for you in two different formats. A printable PDF or Google slides that you can use in the classroom. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Jamie, you HATE writing prompts!” It’s true. I’ve spent years teaching you why I don’t use prom…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Are you a teacher who spends a little too much time at school or even a little too much time working at home? Then this is the episode for you. I want to challenge the idea that the only way that you can be a good teacher is if you work really long hours, and that only the teachers who work really l…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Do you have students with ADHD in your classroom that you wish you could support better? Well wishes come true. Today’s guest, Jillian Starr, is a struggling student turned passionate educator. Her dyslexia, ADHD, and sensory/auditory processing issues went undiagnosed for most of her educational ca…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Today we are talking about one of my very favorite topics: writing. I know that writing isn't everyone's favorite subject to teach, but it is my favorite topic to help teachers with. Whenever I go on social media and ask what your least favorite subject to teach is, writing always wins out. I'm here…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Do you love teaching reading? Whether your answer is yes or no, I know you will find so much value in this episode! I invited a good friend of mine, Sara Marye, to join us on the podcast today. Sara is a former teacher and administrator and she has a huge love for teaching reading. More specifically…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Do you find teaching grammar kind of a nightmare? Are you scouring the internet for new fun grammar activities every week? Yeah, I was you once too. Until I found a much easier way to teach grammar that saved me time and made learning easier for my students. So that’s what I want to share with you t…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Are you feeling a bit exhausted from perpetually being told what to do as a teacher lately? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and you deserve a break! That’s why, in this episode, I’m going to be sharing a handful of things that you probably have been doing in the classroom but really don’t need to be d…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Is teaching math kind of a struggle sometimes? I have just the girl for you. Today we are joined by Brittany Hege from Mix and Math. Brittany has a Master’s in Elementary Mathematics Education and she is incredibly passionate about teaching students math, as well as inspiring other math teachers to …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Are you struggling to get your students excited about reading? Today, I am going to be sharing some of my very favorite ways to make reading lessons more engaging for your students. Deciding what to talk about on the podcast has been a little tricky lately because school just looks so different for …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Today we’re going to talk about the election. Did you groan? If you did, I don’t blame you. I get it. But I want this to be exciting for you to talk about, because it is for me! We’re going to explore how to talk to your students about the election without getting political, the importance of having…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Do you miss book clubs with your kids since going virtual? Maybe you’ve never done book clubs before at all but want to start? Well, I heard you guys asking, so I’m here to bring some answers. Today on the podcast, we are going to chat all about how to run book clubs in a virtual classroom. In case …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! So…….. virtual teaching. How are you feeling? A little overwhelmed? Yeah, I see you. I know that you feel like you’re drowning with all the new technology, new strategies, and new concerns that come with teaching virtually. I have heard it over and over. Teachers feel like they are drowning, and I d…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Raise your hand if you went to college to major in virtual education. Anyone? No, didn’t think so. In this episode, I want to chat about ways that you can make learning fun, even if you're teaching virtually. In fact, I'm going to be sharing seven different ways to make virtual learning more fun for…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Have you ever heard a student in your classroom say something like this? “I'm not good at math” or “it's too hard” or “I can't.” Yep. Me too. Did you know, research shows that students in the US commonly give up quickly on difficult tasks? These limiting mindsets can make it very difficult to teach …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Is your school implementing a hybrid teaching model this year? It's basically a combination of in-person and virtual learning, usually with students split into two groups, each of them spending some time learning in the classroom and some time learning from home. One of the best ways to teach with a…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Lots of teachers are faced with this new challenge: "How do I teach writing virtually?” The best thing you can do for your students, if you are going to be teaching virtually for long, is to teach the writing lessons yourself. I know that it might sound intimidating, but I hope these tips will help …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! Our team has been hard at work this summer and we are SO excited that our new digital math centers have been released and are ready to go! We've had lots of questions about this popular new resource, so today I'm answering your questions about using digital math centers! Whether you are teaching vir…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast! In this episode, I'm chatting with long-time teacher and author, Elizabeth Peterson, about how valuable the Arts are to students and how to integrate them into your classroom in simple ways. In her 20 years of teaching, Elizabeth has been a huge proponent of using the Arts to help students with soci…

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast. Whether you will be in-person or online, we want our classrooms to be just as safe as they are engaging. In this week’s episode, I am going to dive into five things that teachers will need to reconsider to make sure the upcoming school year is safe for everyone. COVID-19 is making things hard but no…

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! In this week’s episode we have an amazing guest, Ashley Marquez from Teach, Create, Motivate. Ashley is here to share three strategies to help teachers with classroom management. She brings innovative learning and fun to the classroom. She’ll teach how to calm the chaos while teaching engaging skill…

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! In this week’s episode I am going to share tips on how to make reading centers easier to manage. Reading centers aren’t just about being busy; they’re about being busy with stuff that is helping to move them forward. Reading centers use activities that review and practice those reading skills that y…

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! This episode is something I didn’t think I’d need to record a few months back, and that’s how to make the Centers safer. COVID has brought a world of uncertainty to what will come in the Fall. I wish I had the answers for everything, but what I can do is come up with some tips to help make things a …

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! I am back this week with a new exciting episode. We had a Facebook live party this week and I invited some Not So Wimpy Writing Masterclass Alumni to share their stories. In today’s episode we’re going to meet Dixie, BJ and Karen, and they’re sharing how they felt before and after the Not So Wimpy W…

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! This episode is different from what you are used to — I’m popping in to invite you to something super special! I’ve been waiting a WHOLE YEAR for this moment! Let me start by asking you a question: Do your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students struggle with writing? Don’t feel bad, most students stru…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! We’re getting close to the end of this series on teaching writing. This week we’re going to talk about ways to excite your reluctant writers. You know the ones I am talking about. They don’t have any ideas, they don’t want to try, and they get “done” really fast. These are the students we want to he…

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! I am back this week to continue our series on teaching writing. In today’s episode I want to talk about how you can be a kick-butt writing teacher, even if you hate to write. I want you to become more confident when teaching writing. Let’s dive in! In this episode I talk about: The importance of usi…

Welcome back to The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! I am back this week to continue our series on teaching writing. In today’s episode, I am sharing about the 5 mistakes I see teachers making when teaching writing. Don’t get me wrong, I have made these same mistakes too, but I’m going to break them down for you so you can become more confident when t…

Welcome back to another episode of The Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! This week we are continuing on with our series on writing curriculum. I have had so many teachers tell me how much they HATE teaching writing. They don’t feel confident when they teach writing and that makes total sense. As humans, we don’t like doing things that we don’t know how…

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! For the past few weeks, I have been talking on the topic of writing curriculum. This week, we are talking about writing workshops, specifically how to make them less chaotic. I’ve heard so many teachers complain about how their writing workshops are a hot mess. I completely understand because I had …

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher Podcast! In today’s episode, we are talking all about how to teach writing to our students in a fun and engaging way. When I talk about teaching writing, I often hear teachers say, “But I HATE my curriculum. It’s so boring.” I totally get it. So in Episode 57, I am going to teach you three strategies that yo…

It’s Teacher Appreciation week! I know that things are very different this year, but I wanted you to feel extra spoiled and loved. After all, you are pretty darn amazing! I planned a HUGE week of giveaways, promotions and freebies. I explain it all in this episode. Monday 50% off End of Year Awards 9-10 PST 50% off Math Journals 11-12 PST 50% off G…

I’m back and I’m excited to get back to business! Let’s chat about how we can help our students to be better writers and pass the writing standardized tests next year. I have four tips for you... Get your Free Writing Guide here.By Jamie Sears

Are your students truly engaged in your whole group reading lessons? Are they excited to read and talk about text together? If not, no worries! I’ve got you covered with three of my favorite ways to make your reading lessons more engaging. Read Alouds PowerPoint Lessons Reading Interactive Notebooks Reading Units and Centers MEGA BUNDLE…

Test prep is 100x more fun when you incorporate games into your review! In this episode, I am going to share several fun games that you can use to review math, language or reading skills before testing. All of these games are simple to prep and plan! Connect Four Jenga Stinky Feet Cups CandylandBy Jamie Sears

Testing is no fun, but test prep can be loads of fun! In this episode I share math test prep activities that are easy to prep and will have your students begging for more review time. Math Test Prep Centers Trashketball Stinky Feet Fraction Madness KahootBy Jamie Sears

Making test prep fun and meaningful can be a challenge. But you have me, and I take care of you! I have collected some reading test prep activities that your students will enjoy! I dare say that you might even have some fun! In this episode, I share five different activities that you can. use for reviewing reading skills and standards before testin…

February is Black History Month. Will you be celebrating black history in your classroom? I am a white teacher and I taught at a predominately white school. I am being very vulnerable here when I tell you that I felt uncomfortable teaching black history. I was scared that I would say the wrong thing, choose the wrong book, or offend someone. I want…

Presidents Day is coming up! Are you bored with doing the same ol’ activities every year? Are you looking for some unique ideas that will engage your students? In this episode, I am sharing three activities that are fun and academic. Presidents Day Interactive Notebook: Show and Tell: Lego Monuments Enjoy!…