Joyful in Primary Podcast Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:51:57 -0500 https://www.buzzsprout.com/960640 en-us © 2026 Joyful in Primary Podcast yes dadeca14-05a0-57c8-a5a6-5ea81b7f355b Toni Mullins episodic false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Toni Mullins https://storage.buzzsprout.com/lo5o2jj8xa9l298hm0924y9mkgu5?.jpg Joyful in Primary Podcast What is a SuperStar Teacher? What is a SuperStar Teacher? Hey there, teacher friend!

The last couple episodes, we've talked about SuperStar Teachers and what sets them apart from even the great teachers. Today, let's get even more specific about what exactly makes a teacher a SuperStar and how to claim that identity. It's not about the recognition, but don't we want to make an impact so big people do appreciate us?

Today I'm going to:

  1. Define what a SuperStar Teacher is
  2. Outline the qualities of a SuperStar Teacher
  3. Guide you on how to become a SuperStar Teacher

I'm working really hard on a training that will be ready soon. The SuperStar Teacher Strategy is a PD that you'll actually enjoy, because it will give you the actions to take to become a SuperStar Teacher. If you want to join the waitlist and be the first to hear when it's open, head over HERE.

In the meantime, if you missed any of the last three episodes below, they're also about SuperStar Teachers and will give you a great place to start for this new school year.

Teacher, are you ready to be a SuperStar? You're already pretty awesome, and I'd love to see you keep growing. So come back for the next episode, and I hope to see you in the SuperStar Teacher Strategy soon.

Keep making your difference, teacher friend!

]]> Hey there, teacher friend!

The last couple episodes, we've talked about SuperStar Teachers and what sets them apart from even the great teachers. Today, let's get even more specific about what exactly makes a teacher a SuperStar and how to claim that identity. It's not about the recognition, but don't we want to make an impact so big people do appreciate us?

Today I'm going to:

  1. Define what a SuperStar Teacher is
  2. Outline the qualities of a SuperStar Teacher
  3. Guide you on how to become a SuperStar Teacher

I'm working really hard on a training that will be ready soon. The SuperStar Teacher Strategy is a PD that you'll actually enjoy, because it will give you the actions to take to become a SuperStar Teacher. If you want to join the waitlist and be the first to hear when it's open, head over HERE.

In the meantime, if you missed any of the last three episodes below, they're also about SuperStar Teachers and will give you a great place to start for this new school year.

Teacher, are you ready to be a SuperStar? You're already pretty awesome, and I'd love to see you keep growing. So come back for the next episode, and I hope to see you in the SuperStar Teacher Strategy soon.

Keep making your difference, teacher friend!

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-15536669 Tue, 06 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0400 885 primary teacher, primary teaching, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, development, professional development, SuperStar Teacher Strategy, relationships 4 105 full false 3 Ways to Make Families LOVE You 3 Ways to Make Families LOVE You Teacher friend, I hope you're enjoying our series on relationships. If you missed the first two episodes, be sure to check them out.

Today, I'm sharing three of my favorite tactics to build strong, beautiful relationships with the families of your students, including my all-time #1 tip.

I know relationships are important, and I know you know that, too. But some years, like last year for me, a lot of stuff happens and although the effort I put into building these connections served me well, I'm not satisfied with those results for this year.

So, here are three ways I'll be connecting with students' families! Want to join me? If you want more action items to take like today's episode, think about joining the waitlist for The Superstar Teacher Strategy. That just means you'll be notified first when it's ready!

All right teacher, let's do this!

Links from today's episode:
Episode 1: The BEST Teachers DO THIS
Episode 2: Management v. Relationships: Which is KING?
Burnout Buster Series Part 2: Find Your Why
The Superstar Teacher Strategy

]]> Teacher friend, I hope you're enjoying our series on relationships. If you missed the first two episodes, be sure to check them out.

Today, I'm sharing three of my favorite tactics to build strong, beautiful relationships with the families of your students, including my all-time #1 tip.

I know relationships are important, and I know you know that, too. But some years, like last year for me, a lot of stuff happens and although the effort I put into building these connections served me well, I'm not satisfied with those results for this year.

So, here are three ways I'll be connecting with students' families! Want to join me? If you want more action items to take like today's episode, think about joining the waitlist for The Superstar Teacher Strategy. That just means you'll be notified first when it's ready!

All right teacher, let's do this!

Links from today's episode:
Episode 1: The BEST Teachers DO THIS
Episode 2: Management v. Relationships: Which is KING?
Burnout Buster Series Part 2: Find Your Why
The Superstar Teacher Strategy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-15458935 Wed, 24 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0400 870 primary, primary teacher, classroom, classroom management, Teacher Toni, relationships, three strategies to build relationships, share the joy, back to school, teacher development 4 104 full false Management v. Relationships: Which is KING? Management v. Relationships: Which is KING? Hey there, teacher friend! We're about to dive into another episode about relationships. If you missed last week's episode, go back and catch it! We talked about how the best teachers make relationships a priority.

Today, we're going to look at how classroom management and relationships are related. I used to think they were pretty much the same.

They're not!

Let's make sure we understand the difference between them, and how they work together, so we can use them both effectively.

Are you ready? Let's do it!

]]> Hey there, teacher friend! We're about to dive into another episode about relationships. If you missed last week's episode, go back and catch it! We talked about how the best teachers make relationships a priority.

Today, we're going to look at how classroom management and relationships are related. I used to think they were pretty much the same.

They're not!

Let's make sure we understand the difference between them, and how they work together, so we can use them both effectively.

Are you ready? Let's do it!

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-15413394 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0400 718 primary, primary teacher, Teacher Toni, teacher development, classroom management, relationships, connections 4 103 full false The BEST Teachers DO THIS The BEST Teachers DO THIS Hey there, teacher friend! How's that best summer ever going?

I hope you've been able to get some rest and renewal like we talked about in our Best Summer Ever! series (Episode 1 is here in case you missed it).

Now about the start to the new school year...

I know, I know, it's only JULY but I can't help myself! I love education, and I want us to have an awesome school year.

Since we're here and dedicating time to being better teachers, why not try to be the best? The best teachers I know have something in common. I won't spoil it here, but I'm sure you already know it's important, too. Now, we must figure out how to grow in that area!

That's what we're going to start working on today. If today's episode is helpful, think about joining the waitlist for my upcoming PD, the SuperStar Teacher Strategy. That doesn't mean a commitment, just that you'll be the first to know when it's available.

Are you ready to take another step toward being one of the BEST teachers?

Let's do it!

SuperStar Teacher Strategy Waitlist

]]> Hey there, teacher friend! How's that best summer ever going?

I hope you've been able to get some rest and renewal like we talked about in our Best Summer Ever! series (Episode 1 is here in case you missed it).

Now about the start to the new school year...

I know, I know, it's only JULY but I can't help myself! I love education, and I want us to have an awesome school year.

Since we're here and dedicating time to being better teachers, why not try to be the best? The best teachers I know have something in common. I won't spoil it here, but I'm sure you already know it's important, too. Now, we must figure out how to grow in that area!

That's what we're going to start working on today. If today's episode is helpful, think about joining the waitlist for my upcoming PD, the SuperStar Teacher Strategy. That doesn't mean a commitment, just that you'll be the first to know when it's available.

Are you ready to take another step toward being one of the BEST teachers?

Let's do it!

SuperStar Teacher Strategy Waitlist

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-15379470 Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0400 879 primary teacher, primary teaching, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, teacher development, best teacher, how to be a better teacher, how to be the best teacher, relationships in education, relationships with students and their families 4 102 full false Gear Up for the BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 3 - Renewal Gear Up for the BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 3 - Renewal Teacher, we're on the last episode of our series! This might be the most important one, because it will be key to making sure you're energized in August for the start of a new year.

Let's look at things that aren't serving us well and work on them. If it didn't work for you this past year, expect the same this year. But don't worry! I've got you. Here's how we're going to fix some of those problem areas for a better start this year. If you want accountability, email me your answers to the assignment in the podcast (toni@teachertoni.com) and I'll send you back some motivation!

By the way, I have a seven-day SuperStar Teacher course coming up in June, and the wait list is open! If one of your areas for improvement is relationships with students and their families, we can work on that together. If you want to sign up for more information, just go to the link below!

Now, let's wrap up this series and get you on to your BEST SUMMER EVER!

Helpful Links:
SuperStar Teacher Waitlist
BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 2 - Rest
BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 1 - Routine
Summer in Sight:
- Part 1: Purpose
- Part 2: Passion
- Part 3: Perseverance
Finish With Joy:
- Part 1: Joy-Rooted Reflection
- Part 2: Eliminate for Joy
- Part 3: Joy-Centered Design
- Part 4: Joy-Guided Development

]]> Teacher, we're on the last episode of our series! This might be the most important one, because it will be key to making sure you're energized in August for the start of a new year.

Let's look at things that aren't serving us well and work on them. If it didn't work for you this past year, expect the same this year. But don't worry! I've got you. Here's how we're going to fix some of those problem areas for a better start this year. If you want accountability, email me your answers to the assignment in the podcast (toni@teachertoni.com) and I'll send you back some motivation!

By the way, I have a seven-day SuperStar Teacher course coming up in June, and the wait list is open! If one of your areas for improvement is relationships with students and their families, we can work on that together. If you want to sign up for more information, just go to the link below!

Now, let's wrap up this series and get you on to your BEST SUMMER EVER!

Helpful Links:
SuperStar Teacher Waitlist
BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 2 - Rest
BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 1 - Routine
Summer in Sight:
- Part 1: Purpose
- Part 2: Passion
- Part 3: Perseverance
Finish With Joy:
- Part 1: Joy-Rooted Reflection
- Part 2: Eliminate for Joy
- Part 3: Joy-Centered Design
- Part 4: Joy-Guided Development

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-15104875 Tue, 21 May 2024 06:00:00 -0400 1063 Teacher Toni, primary teaching, primary classroom, motivation, summer, renewal, best summer ever 4 101 full false Gear Up for the BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 2 - Rest Gear Up for the BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 2 - Rest Teacher Friend, summer break is an amazing perk of our profession. We work hard, and we need it! So let's make the most of it.

Part 2 of this series is all about finding ways to exchange habits that don't serve us well with alternatives that are more restful.

After all, when we go back to school in August, we need to be recharged physically and emotionally for our next group of students.

So, let's break down those habits that are stealing our rest. Are you ready?

]]> Teacher Friend, summer break is an amazing perk of our profession. We work hard, and we need it! So let's make the most of it.

Part 2 of this series is all about finding ways to exchange habits that don't serve us well with alternatives that are more restful.

After all, when we go back to school in August, we need to be recharged physically and emotionally for our next group of students.

So, let's break down those habits that are stealing our rest. Are you ready?

]]> Buzzsprout-15055590 Tue, 14 May 2024 06:00:00 -0400 666 Teacher Toni, primary teacher, primary classroom, best summer ever, how to rest as a teacher, summer vacation, teacher motivation, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, teacher encouragement 4 100 full false Gear Up for the BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 1 - Routine Gear Up for the BEST SUMMER EVER: Part 1 - Routine Teacher Friend, summer is coming! I can smell the honeysuckle, taste the lemonade, and hear the alarm clock waking me up!

Wait, did I miss something??

Nope! Because guess what? The way to have your best summer EVER is to use routines! Don't worry, I'm not here to crash your dreams of rest and relaxation. I'm actually going to help you find more of it while having a fulfilling summer that gets you ready for the start of the next school year.

This doesn't mean a rigid, down to the minute schedule. Actually, I recommend NOT planning your summer that way. I have another technique for you instead.

So, are you ready to start this series on making this the best summer ever? Let's do it!

If you want more encouragement and a community around you, check out our Facebook group!

]]> Teacher Friend, summer is coming! I can smell the honeysuckle, taste the lemonade, and hear the alarm clock waking me up!

Wait, did I miss something??

Nope! Because guess what? The way to have your best summer EVER is to use routines! Don't worry, I'm not here to crash your dreams of rest and relaxation. I'm actually going to help you find more of it while having a fulfilling summer that gets you ready for the start of the next school year.

This doesn't mean a rigid, down to the minute schedule. Actually, I recommend NOT planning your summer that way. I have another technique for you instead.

So, are you ready to start this series on making this the best summer ever? Let's do it!

If you want more encouragement and a community around you, check out our Facebook group!

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-15018230 Tue, 07 May 2024 13:00:00 -0400 1170 primary, primary teacher, classroom, teacher development, Teacher Toni, teacher summer, how to make the most of your summer break, best summer break ever, routines, summer routine, time blocking 4 99 full false Write Your Teacher Eulogy Write Your Teacher Eulogy Hey there, Teacher! Today's topic is a heavy one, but I truly believe that it is worth considering. It's easy to go through the routine of first bell, morning classes, special classes, lunch, recess, and bus duty and lose track of what we're doing along the way.

Today, let's reverse engineer your teacher eulogy. This will put in crystal clear perspective what is important to you as a teacher so you can focus on those aspects during your day.

Are you ready for this quick episode? Let's go!

Ready for some more motivation and encouragement? Try these episodes:

]]> Hey there, Teacher! Today's topic is a heavy one, but I truly believe that it is worth considering. It's easy to go through the routine of first bell, morning classes, special classes, lunch, recess, and bus duty and lose track of what we're doing along the way.

Today, let's reverse engineer your teacher eulogy. This will put in crystal clear perspective what is important to you as a teacher so you can focus on those aspects during your day.

Are you ready for this quick episode? Let's go!

Ready for some more motivation and encouragement? Try these episodes:

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-14977887 Tue, 30 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0400 486 Teacher Toni, primary teaching, primary classroom, teacher eulogy, motivation, reflection 4 98 full false Plan Your Grand Finale Plan Your Grand Finale Teacher, it's coming! It's almost here! The end of the school year!

We've worked so hard all year that it would be a shame to not celebrate, don't you think? It's our last chance to connect with our students' families and acknowledge all the progress of this year.

Today, let's plan an end of year Grand Family Finale. It can be as simple or in-depth as you choose, but I'll share some points to consider in your celebration.

When I taught kindergarten, I hosted an Alphabet Parade, and it was one of the most enjoyable events I've organized. There's a resource for that down below as well as some other posts on family relationships.

Teacher, this is our chance to put an epic finish line banner at the end of this year. Let's do it!

Resources in today's episode:
Bookmark & Picture Gift Memento
Alphabet Parade TpT resource
Alphabet Parade blog post
My Secret Weapon to Supercharge Family Connections blog post or podcast episode
Building Parent Partnerships blog post or podcast episode
Nurturing Parent Partnerships blog post or podcast episode
3 Ways to Make Sure Parents Love You blog post or podcast episode
5 Tips for Giving Bad News to Parents blog post or podcast episode

]]> Teacher, it's coming! It's almost here! The end of the school year!

We've worked so hard all year that it would be a shame to not celebrate, don't you think? It's our last chance to connect with our students' families and acknowledge all the progress of this year.

Today, let's plan an end of year Grand Family Finale. It can be as simple or in-depth as you choose, but I'll share some points to consider in your celebration.

When I taught kindergarten, I hosted an Alphabet Parade, and it was one of the most enjoyable events I've organized. There's a resource for that down below as well as some other posts on family relationships.

Teacher, this is our chance to put an epic finish line banner at the end of this year. Let's do it!

Resources in today's episode:
Bookmark & Picture Gift Memento
Alphabet Parade TpT resource
Alphabet Parade blog post
My Secret Weapon to Supercharge Family Connections blog post or podcast episode
Building Parent Partnerships blog post or podcast episode
Nurturing Parent Partnerships blog post or podcast episode
3 Ways to Make Sure Parents Love You blog post or podcast episode
5 Tips for Giving Bad News to Parents blog post or podcast episode

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-14924927 Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:00:00 -0400 1062 primary, primary teacher, Teacher Toni, end of year, grand finale, end of year celebration, family relationships, alphabet parade, connections 4 97 full false The Kid Who Makes You Want to Quit: Part 2 The Kid Who Makes You Want to Quit: Part 2 Teacher, it's time for some strategies! If you missed the last episode, make sure and listen to Part 1 first. If you're ready for actions you can take, this short and sweet episode will get you started.

Today, we're talking about how to actively handle this situation.

  1. Investigate - Take an honest look at what is going on. Ask people with experience for guidance.
  2. Plan - It's going to take some thought to create an environment for this full-sun flower to thrive.
  3. Implement - The best plan in the world won't do any good if you don't start (and stick to) it!

Teacher, I believe in you. Let's get you ready to navigate having students who make you want to quit!

Links mentioned:
The Kid Who Makes You Want to Quit: Part 1
My Secret Weapon to Nurture Student Connections - Podcast and Blog Post
Be a Tiny Human Tamer - Podcast and Blog Post
Undeniable Reasons to Quit Teaching - Podcast and Blog Post

]]> Teacher, it's time for some strategies! If you missed the last episode, make sure and listen to Part 1 first. If you're ready for actions you can take, this short and sweet episode will get you started.

Today, we're talking about how to actively handle this situation.

  1. Investigate - Take an honest look at what is going on. Ask people with experience for guidance.
  2. Plan - It's going to take some thought to create an environment for this full-sun flower to thrive.
  3. Implement - The best plan in the world won't do any good if you don't start (and stick to) it!

Teacher, I believe in you. Let's get you ready to navigate having students who make you want to quit!

Links mentioned:
The Kid Who Makes You Want to Quit: Part 1
My Secret Weapon to Nurture Student Connections - Podcast and Blog Post
Be a Tiny Human Tamer - Podcast and Blog Post
Undeniable Reasons to Quit Teaching - Podcast and Blog Post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-14883164 Wed, 17 Apr 2024 03:00:00 -0400 493 primary, primary teacher, classroom, classroom management, difficult student, difficult child, what to do when I want to quit teaching, Teacher Toni, teacher motivation 4 96 full false The Kid Who Makes You Want to Quit: Part 1 The Kid Who Makes You Want to Quit: Part 1 Teacher, today's topic is an icky subject, but it's so important. That's because it has, or will, happen to all of us! You know that kid, or kids, that make you want to quit? It hurts my heart to admit it, but it happens!

When this kid gains ground in your thoughts so much that your reactions are based more on feelings than thoughts, it's time for a reset. Maybe you can't fix the situation. What you can control is yourself.

I'm here to tell you that thoughts are powerful. Come with me for a mindset shift that won't make everything glitter and rainbows, but it will give you motivation, purpose, and help you finish the year with that child with impact.

Don't forget to come back for Part 2 for strategies!

https://teachertoni.com/

]]> Teacher, today's topic is an icky subject, but it's so important. That's because it has, or will, happen to all of us! You know that kid, or kids, that make you want to quit? It hurts my heart to admit it, but it happens!

When this kid gains ground in your thoughts so much that your reactions are based more on feelings than thoughts, it's time for a reset. Maybe you can't fix the situation. What you can control is yourself.

I'm here to tell you that thoughts are powerful. Come with me for a mindset shift that won't make everything glitter and rainbows, but it will give you motivation, purpose, and help you finish the year with that child with impact.

Don't forget to come back for Part 2 for strategies!

https://teachertoni.com/

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-14861175 Wed, 10 Apr 2024 03:00:00 -0400 841 primary, primary teacher, classroom, classroom management, difficult student, difficult child, what to do when I want to quit teaching, Teacher Toni, teacher motivation 4 95 full false The Niceness of No The Niceness of No Teacher Friend, I see you over there caring for everyone in your teaching world. You place so much value on your students, their families, your coworkers, and your administrators. That's a good thing!

But what happens when you try to do so many things for so many people? Overwhelm. Burnout. Those might as well be four letter words, and you don't need any part of them!

So how about we set some boundaries together? This is teacher selfcare, and it isn't selfish at all. When you're at your best for the things that you do, you and the people you are pouring into are better off.

Let's do it!

If you need more like this, check out these posts:

]]> Teacher Friend, I see you over there caring for everyone in your teaching world. You place so much value on your students, their families, your coworkers, and your administrators. That's a good thing!

But what happens when you try to do so many things for so many people? Overwhelm. Burnout. Those might as well be four letter words, and you don't need any part of them!

So how about we set some boundaries together? This is teacher selfcare, and it isn't selfish at all. When you're at your best for the things that you do, you and the people you are pouring into are better off.

Let's do it!

If you need more like this, check out these posts:

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-14805663 Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:00:00 -0400 343 primary teacher, primary teaching, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, boundaries, no, how to say no, the niceness of no, overwhelm, burnout, commitments, time, manage your time 4 94 full false How to Teach in Harmony How to Teach in Harmony Hello Teacher Friend! It's been a while, but I am back, and I'm so happy to get to talk with you again. I'm going to share why I've been away and how I've grown in the meantime.

Today I'm sharing three tips for teaching in harmony.

  1. Be in harmony with your time
  2. See the harmony in every day
  3. Be in harmony with your purpose and passion

Ready to talk about what each of these mean for you? Let's dive right in and make you a more joyful teacher TODAY!

If you're not on the Teacher Toni email list, join HERE to stay up to date on episodes, content offerings, and what's in store for us in this grand adventure that is teaching.

Let's do it!

www.teachertoni.com/subscribe

]]> Hello Teacher Friend! It's been a while, but I am back, and I'm so happy to get to talk with you again. I'm going to share why I've been away and how I've grown in the meantime.

Today I'm sharing three tips for teaching in harmony.

  1. Be in harmony with your time
  2. See the harmony in every day
  3. Be in harmony with your purpose and passion

Ready to talk about what each of these mean for you? Let's dive right in and make you a more joyful teacher TODAY!

If you're not on the Teacher Toni email list, join HERE to stay up to date on episodes, content offerings, and what's in store for us in this grand adventure that is teaching.

Let's do it!

www.teachertoni.com/subscribe

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-14756400 Mon, 25 Mar 2024 21:00:00 -0400 1113 primary teacher, primary teaching, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, harmony, teach in harmony, purpose, passion, passion for teaching, harmony in time, teacher motivation 4 93 full false Tame the Classroom Management BLOB Part 2: Top Layers Tame the Classroom Management BLOB Part 2: Top Layers Now that we've got a solid foundation under us, let's add on the other layers of classroom management so that our teacher sunflower can sink its roots deep down and thrive.

It all started with last episode's bedrock principles. Now, we're going to talk about three other layers of classroom management that will lead to a joyful, efficient, wonderful place for our students, and ourselves, to thrive.

The key is to choose one layer at a time to focus on. Don't get overwhelmed by trying to tackle them all at once. Pick the one that needs the most work and start there. You can do it!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with illustration of Layers of Joyful Management Framework)
Last week's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> Now that we've got a solid foundation under us, let's add on the other layers of classroom management so that our teacher sunflower can sink its roots deep down and thrive.

It all started with last episode's bedrock principles. Now, we're going to talk about three other layers of classroom management that will lead to a joyful, efficient, wonderful place for our students, and ourselves, to thrive.

The key is to choose one layer at a time to focus on. Don't get overwhelmed by trying to tackle them all at once. Pick the one that needs the most work and start there. You can do it!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with illustration of Layers of Joyful Management Framework)
Last week's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-11482808 Thu, 13 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1724 classroom management, framework, engagement, behaviors, joy, Teacher Toni, primary, class, classroom, teach, teacher, joyful, teacher joy, classroom management layers 3 92 full false Tame the Classroom Management BLOB Tame the Classroom Management BLOB If classroom management is a big, scary, eyeballs all over the place, monster of a blob to you, then this episode is for you! To be honest, my first few years of teaching, I thought a prize box and candy were the key to classroom management.

I have learned better.

And today, I'm going to help you on your journey to taming classroom management. I'm going to show you the framework I use that keeps my students well managed, engaged, and adds to my teacher joy. We'll start with the most fundamental aspect of classroom management and next week we'll work our way up.

I promise, you can tame the classroom management blob too!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> If classroom management is a big, scary, eyeballs all over the place, monster of a blob to you, then this episode is for you! To be honest, my first few years of teaching, I thought a prize box and candy were the key to classroom management.

I have learned better.

And today, I'm going to help you on your journey to taming classroom management. I'm going to show you the framework I use that keeps my students well managed, engaged, and adds to my teacher joy. We'll start with the most fundamental aspect of classroom management and next week we'll work our way up.

I promise, you can tame the classroom management blob too!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-11439874 Thu, 06 Oct 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1369 Teacher Toni, primary, classroom, classroom management, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, mindset, layers of classroom management, classroom management bedrock, joy, teacher joy 3 91 full false My Secret Weapon to Nurture Student Connections My Secret Weapon to Nurture Student Connections Teacher, last week we talked about building connections with our students' families. While these may be the most important connections, that doesn't mean we focus on our students any less.

Today's strategy will not only help us build connections with students, it will actually strengthen those connections with families, and it gives them a lifelong skill.

Depression and anxiety are major problems in our country, and they are affecting our precious students as well.

 One of the culprits is negative self-talk. I used to do it, and I'm betting you do or did too. It's natural, but it is not helpful.

I'm going to share how we can teach our students to combat that while they are young. Imagine being able to encourage themselves from childhood!

Are you ready? (Don't forget to grab your FREE downloads below!)

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Last week's blog post - Family Connections
Classroom Mantra Starter Kit
SEL Toolkit
SEL blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy Waitlist

]]> Teacher, last week we talked about building connections with our students' families. While these may be the most important connections, that doesn't mean we focus on our students any less.

Today's strategy will not only help us build connections with students, it will actually strengthen those connections with families, and it gives them a lifelong skill.

Depression and anxiety are major problems in our country, and they are affecting our precious students as well.

 One of the culprits is negative self-talk. I used to do it, and I'm betting you do or did too. It's natural, but it is not helpful.

I'm going to share how we can teach our students to combat that while they are young. Imagine being able to encourage themselves from childhood!

Are you ready? (Don't forget to grab your FREE downloads below!)

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Last week's blog post - Family Connections
Classroom Mantra Starter Kit
SEL Toolkit
SEL blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy Waitlist

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-11403691 Thu, 29 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1341 student connections, classroom mantras, self-talk, primary, class, classroom, teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 3 90 full false My Secret Weapon to Supercharge Family Connections My Secret Weapon to Supercharge Family Connections Hey there, teacher! How about a secret weapon to deepen those relationships with the families of your students? This is super effective, and it isn't complicated at all!

Today I'm sharing three strategies to use your voice to connect with families. Think about how powerful a conversation is with someone you care about. Now imagine that your students' families get to hear your voice regularly.

I'm going to show you how to make this efficient and manageable, because I know you have a full plate. Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Last week's blog post
YouTube channel
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> Hey there, teacher! How about a secret weapon to deepen those relationships with the families of your students? This is super effective, and it isn't complicated at all!

Today I'm sharing three strategies to use your voice to connect with families. Think about how powerful a conversation is with someone you care about. Now imagine that your students' families get to hear your voice regularly.

I'm going to show you how to make this efficient and manageable, because I know you have a full plate. Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Last week's blog post
YouTube channel
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-11363250 Thu, 22 Sep 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1197 primary, class, classroom, teach, teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, relationships, family, connections, voice 3 89 full false Three Gifts I Appreciate Because of the 2022 Flood Three Gifts I Appreciate Because of the 2022 Flood  Dear Teacher, I'm back! Since the last time we chatted, the area in the Appalachians where I live has endured a historic flood. There has been so much devastation, loss, and grief.

Today, I'm sharing my story, because I think it may encourage you. You see, there are three things in particular that I appreciate so much more now. More than likely, you have these gifts right now.

So let's take a minute to be grateful for these precious gifts and let them motivate you as a brand new school year is underway.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
YouTube Channel

]]>  Dear Teacher, I'm back! Since the last time we chatted, the area in the Appalachians where I live has endured a historic flood. There has been so much devastation, loss, and grief.

Today, I'm sharing my story, because I think it may encourage you. You see, there are three things in particular that I appreciate so much more now. More than likely, you have these gifts right now.

So let's take a minute to be grateful for these precious gifts and let them motivate you as a brand new school year is underway.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
YouTube Channel

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-11307152 Mon, 12 Sep 2022 19:00:00 -0400 1436 primary, class, classroom, teach, teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, gifts, flood, 2022 flood, normalcy, classroom, career, motivation, gratitude, joy 3 88 full false Finish With Joy Part 4: Joy-Guided Development Finish With Joy Part 4: Joy-Guided Development Teacher, we're at the end of our series! This is the perfect way to end out your school year. Today's episode will fuel you up so you're ready to start a new year.

Don't worry, this won't eat up your entire summer. But focusing purposefully over the summer will let you have pool time, family time, and jump start you for August.

Are you ready?

Links for today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> Teacher, we're at the end of our series! This is the perfect way to end out your school year. Today's episode will fuel you up so you're ready to start a new year.

Don't worry, this won't eat up your entire summer. But focusing purposefully over the summer will let you have pool time, family time, and jump start you for August.

Are you ready?

Links for today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10637097 Thu, 19 May 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1618 Teacher Toni, classroom, primary, joy, development, end of year, finish the school year, prep for new school year, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 2 87 full false Finish With Joy Part 3: Joy-Centered Design Finish With Joy Part 3: Joy-Centered Design You have stressors. I have stressors. All of us primary teachers have stressors.

That's no secret. But what you may not know is that we can make them work for us. Those stressors can help us create a year with more joy than the last. If we put our focus there, we can design solutions so those stressors don't continue to steal our joy.

This third episode in our series will have you ready to tackle the parts of your day that you dread the most. Imagine walking back into your classroom in August with brand new pens, notebooks, and a plan to keep those stressors under control!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with free workbook)

]]> You have stressors. I have stressors. All of us primary teachers have stressors.

That's no secret. But what you may not know is that we can make them work for us. Those stressors can help us create a year with more joy than the last. If we put our focus there, we can design solutions so those stressors don't continue to steal our joy.

This third episode in our series will have you ready to tackle the parts of your day that you dread the most. Imagine walking back into your classroom in August with brand new pens, notebooks, and a plan to keep those stressors under control!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with free workbook)

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10603444 Thu, 12 May 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1065 primary teaching, teacher, classroom, joy, finish the year, end of year, stress, stressors, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 2 86 full false Finish With Joy Part 2: Eliminate for Joy Finish With Joy Part 2: Eliminate for Joy Teacher, your time is precious! This week, we're going to talk about how to eliminate the excess in your day. When you try to juggle too many things, some of them are bound to fall.

I can almost hear you saying, "But Toni, if I don't get everything done, the world will fall apart."

My friend, I promise you it won't. Come along with me and let's zero in on what matters most so you can make YOUR biggest impact. Let's tame that to do list together!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with free workbook)

]]> Teacher, your time is precious! This week, we're going to talk about how to eliminate the excess in your day. When you try to juggle too many things, some of them are bound to fall.

I can almost hear you saying, "But Toni, if I don't get everything done, the world will fall apart."

My friend, I promise you it won't. Come along with me and let's zero in on what matters most so you can make YOUR biggest impact. Let's tame that to do list together!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with free workbook)

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10554167 Thu, 05 May 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1648 primary, classroom, teacher, teach, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, joy, finish, end the year, end of year, too many things to do as a teacher, simplify teaching, development 2 85 full false Finish With Joy Part 1: Joy-Rooted Reflection Finish With Joy Part 1: Joy-Rooted Reflection Teacher, we've almost made it to summer! These last few weeks are always so hectic, and to be completely honest, I'm having to budget my time more carefully than ever. So, we're going to do a recap of one of my favorite series that is completely relevant right now.

The end of the year is so busy. But what if we could finish with more joy, a brighter spirit and ensure that our upcoming year will have a fresh, well planned beginning? That is my hope for you.

I actually go through a process each year that gives me this hope, energy and sustainability to finish the year with joy. In this four part series, we're going to harness the positivity needed to finish this year out joyfully. If that sounds like a plan, you need to stick with me today. Are you ready?

Be sure to grab the downloadable workbook from the link below!

Links in today's episode:
Blog post (with downloadable Finish With Joy workbook)

]]> Teacher, we've almost made it to summer! These last few weeks are always so hectic, and to be completely honest, I'm having to budget my time more carefully than ever. So, we're going to do a recap of one of my favorite series that is completely relevant right now.

The end of the year is so busy. But what if we could finish with more joy, a brighter spirit and ensure that our upcoming year will have a fresh, well planned beginning? That is my hope for you.

I actually go through a process each year that gives me this hope, energy and sustainability to finish the year with joy. In this four part series, we're going to harness the positivity needed to finish this year out joyfully. If that sounds like a plan, you need to stick with me today. Are you ready?

Be sure to grab the downloadable workbook from the link below!

Links in today's episode:
Blog post (with downloadable Finish With Joy workbook)

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10517839 Thu, 28 Apr 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1913 teach, teacher, finish the year, end of year, primary teacher, classroom, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, joy, reflection, professional development 2 84 full false Hack Your Student Hallway Behavior Hack Your Student Hallway Behavior Teacher, teacher, someone cut line! Someone is talking in the hall! Someone tore a piece from a bulletin board! Someone is running!

Oh, doesn't that just make chills run up your neck?

Guess what? That doesn't have to be your class!

I've developed some hallway behavior hacks this year, because it's the first year I've had to walk long distances through the school with my class. And today, I'm going to share them with you!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
3 Top Secret Management Tricks
How I Dumped My Prize Box

]]> Teacher, teacher, someone cut line! Someone is talking in the hall! Someone tore a piece from a bulletin board! Someone is running!

Oh, doesn't that just make chills run up your neck?

Guess what? That doesn't have to be your class!

I've developed some hallway behavior hacks this year, because it's the first year I've had to walk long distances through the school with my class. And today, I'm going to share them with you!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
3 Top Secret Management Tricks
How I Dumped My Prize Box

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10475623 Thu, 21 Apr 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1164 primary, classroom, teacher, hallway, hallway behavior, how to keep students quiet in hallway, classroom management, Teacher Toni, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 2 83 full false Summer-in-Sight Series: Perseverance Summer-in-Sight Series: Perseverance Teacher, if you feel like your get up and go has walked off without you, this episode is for you.

This is the final part of our Summer-in-Sight series to help you finish the year with joy. If you missed the first two episodes, I highly recommend starting there. I'll be here for you when you're ready!

Today, I'm sharing my top three strategies for teacher perseverance. It's easy to look around at other teachers with their perfect bulletin boards and well-managed classrooms and think, If I was really good at this, it would be easy.

Not true!

Teaching is hard. Recognizing that it's not easy doesn't mean you aren't meant to teach. Actually, being concerned about whether you're doing a good job can be a good thing. It means you care.

But don't let the lie that it should be easy steal your joy!

Let me show you how you can keep going and finish the year making a difference for your little learners.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Summer-in-Sight Series: Passion
Burnout Buster Series: Anchor Thoughts
toni@teachertoni.com - email me about coaching!

]]> Teacher, if you feel like your get up and go has walked off without you, this episode is for you.

This is the final part of our Summer-in-Sight series to help you finish the year with joy. If you missed the first two episodes, I highly recommend starting there. I'll be here for you when you're ready!

Today, I'm sharing my top three strategies for teacher perseverance. It's easy to look around at other teachers with their perfect bulletin boards and well-managed classrooms and think, If I was really good at this, it would be easy.

Not true!

Teaching is hard. Recognizing that it's not easy doesn't mean you aren't meant to teach. Actually, being concerned about whether you're doing a good job can be a good thing. It means you care.

But don't let the lie that it should be easy steal your joy!

Let me show you how you can keep going and finish the year making a difference for your little learners.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Summer-in-Sight Series: Passion
Burnout Buster Series: Anchor Thoughts
toni@teachertoni.com - email me about coaching!

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10428158 Thu, 14 Apr 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1256 end of school year, summer, primary, education, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, perseverance, support, private coaching for teachers, accountability, motivation, recharge, rest 2 82 full false Summer-in-Sight Series: Passion Summer-in-Sight Series: Passion Teacher, I see you trying to keep that smile as big as it was in the exciting days of the beginning of the year. Trying to keep your enthusiasm up for your lessons. Giving it your all.

But at this point in the year, let's be honest, we're tired. Our excitement is harder to get a hold of.

In spite of all that, we can finish the year strong, with joy and passion.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Part 1: Purpose
toni@teachertoni.com - email to ask about coaching

]]> Teacher, I see you trying to keep that smile as big as it was in the exciting days of the beginning of the year. Trying to keep your enthusiasm up for your lessons. Giving it your all.

But at this point in the year, let's be honest, we're tired. Our excitement is harder to get a hold of.

In spite of all that, we can finish the year strong, with joy and passion.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Part 1: Purpose
toni@teachertoni.com - email to ask about coaching

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10392886 Thu, 07 Apr 2022 03:00:00 -0400 1132 Teacher Toni, Joyful in Primary, passion, how do I find my passion for teaching, what is passion, energy, teacher burnout, primary, primary classroom, primary education, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, joy 2 81 full false Summer-in-Sight Series: Purpose Summer-in-Sight Series: Purpose First, welcome to our podcast's new identity! I'm so excited to have our adventure stated clearly and to go on it with you.

Teacher, summer is coming. I used to count the days down until break started and dread every last one of them. But we have time left to make an impact! Let's see this year through with focus and joy.

So today, we're talking about purpose. And I don't mean, "I teach because I want children to learn." We're not looking for surface level purpose here.

By the end of this episode, you'll know how to uncover YOUR purpose. Your unique purpose, your reason for teaching, can fuel you from deep within and keep your passion going even on hard days.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with more detailed questions)
toni@teachertoni.com (email me about coaching)

]]> First, welcome to our podcast's new identity! I'm so excited to have our adventure stated clearly and to go on it with you.

Teacher, summer is coming. I used to count the days down until break started and dread every last one of them. But we have time left to make an impact! Let's see this year through with focus and joy.

So today, we're talking about purpose. And I don't mean, "I teach because I want children to learn." We're not looking for surface level purpose here.

By the end of this episode, you'll know how to uncover YOUR purpose. Your unique purpose, your reason for teaching, can fuel you from deep within and keep your passion going even on hard days.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with more detailed questions)
toni@teachertoni.com (email me about coaching)

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10350292 Thu, 31 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0400 921 Joyful in Primary, teacher, classroom, education, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, purpose, rooted in purpose statement, teacher joy, Teacher Toni 2 80 full false Embrace These Three Positive Teacher Traits Embrace These Three Positive Teacher Traits Teacher friend, you are among the best of primary teachers. I know that, because you're here in your spare time. You're dedicating yourself to growing. You're keeping on going.

Maybe you don't fully realize it, but I know you have these three positive traits, just because you're here.

Too often what we do wrong is pointed out without what we do well being acknowledged. Just like we can grow in weak areas, leaning in to our strengths can make us that much more effective.

I also have an exciting announcement! The podcast is getting a new name, and I'm going to share it with you today!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> Teacher friend, you are among the best of primary teachers. I know that, because you're here in your spare time. You're dedicating yourself to growing. You're keeping on going.

Maybe you don't fully realize it, but I know you have these three positive traits, just because you're here.

Too often what we do wrong is pointed out without what we do well being acknowledged. Just like we can grow in weak areas, leaning in to our strengths can make us that much more effective.

I also have an exciting announcement! The podcast is getting a new name, and I'm going to share it with you today!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10264832 Thu, 17 Mar 2022 03:00:00 -0400 839 primary, class, classroom, teach, teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, positive traits, joy, grow, learn, continue learning, perseverance, Teacher Toni 2 79 full false How I DUMPED My PRIZE BOX How I DUMPED My PRIZE BOX Teacher friend, is your prize box an asset to your classroom, or do you feel like it's a high maintenance relationship?

I decided years ago it just wasn't working out between us, so I dumped my prize box. If you want more time and money to focus on things that have a big impact, you can do it too!

Students really want to be appreciated and recognized for just being themselves. That's at the heart of the strategies I'll share with you today. Here's how I still motivate my classroom, even without a prize box!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Survey to name the podcast
Cheer Cards
Positive Notes Home
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Teacher friend, is your prize box an asset to your classroom, or do you feel like it's a high maintenance relationship?

I decided years ago it just wasn't working out between us, so I dumped my prize box. If you want more time and money to focus on things that have a big impact, you can do it too!

Students really want to be appreciated and recognized for just being themselves. That's at the heart of the strategies I'll share with you today. Here's how I still motivate my classroom, even without a prize box!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Survey to name the podcast
Cheer Cards
Positive Notes Home
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10221996 Thu, 10 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0500 1565 prize box, classroom management, rewards, tangible rewards, what to use instead of a prize box, alternatives to prize box, classroom cheers, table points, shout outs, primary, class, classroom, teacher, teaching, classroom management strategies, Teacher T 2 78 full false Need a Classroom Mute Button? Need a Classroom Mute Button? Teacher friend, does your classroom noise level drive you distracted? Wouldn't it be awesome to have a mute button?

The bad news is that there is no mute button. The good news is there is a solution!

Today, I'm going to share my strategies to keep your classroom on mute. What you need is a well planned system. We're going to put layers in place to block out that noise!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Survey to name the podcast
Hand Signals posters
Music Box post

]]> Teacher friend, does your classroom noise level drive you distracted? Wouldn't it be awesome to have a mute button?

The bad news is that there is no mute button. The good news is there is a solution!

Today, I'm going to share my strategies to keep your classroom on mute. What you need is a well planned system. We're going to put layers in place to block out that noise!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Survey to name the podcast
Hand Signals posters
Music Box post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10083893 Thu, 17 Feb 2022 03:00:00 -0500 955 primary class, teach, primary teacher, classroom, classroom management, classroom noise level, quiet class, how to keep a class quiet, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 2 77 full false When You HATE Your Curriculum When You HATE Your Curriculum Primary teacher, your curriculum is not the most important thing in your classroom. You are!

So if you have a brand new curriculum that's driving you crazy, or an old one that you just hate, let me share how I'm coping with curriculums I don't love.

Maybe you feel like there's no room for YOU in your class.

There is!

Maybe it seems like you can never beat the curriculum because there are Just. So. Many. Things.

You don't have to be perfect!

Come on over and let's keep that teacher joy, in spite of curriculums.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy
Survey for podcast name
Spelling games (Beat the Baby/Granny/Cupid...)

]]> Primary teacher, your curriculum is not the most important thing in your classroom. You are!

So if you have a brand new curriculum that's driving you crazy, or an old one that you just hate, let me share how I'm coping with curriculums I don't love.

Maybe you feel like there's no room for YOU in your class.

There is!

Maybe it seems like you can never beat the curriculum because there are Just. So. Many. Things.

You don't have to be perfect!

Come on over and let's keep that teacher joy, in spite of curriculums.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy
Survey for podcast name
Spelling games (Beat the Baby/Granny/Cupid...)

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-10045882 Thu, 10 Feb 2022 04:00:00 -0500 1161 primary, teacher, teaching, classroom, education, curriculums, don't like the curriculum, I hate my curriculum, how to still be myself as a teacher, I can't teach the curriculum perfectly, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, joy 2 76 full false Introducing... Joyful Teacher Academy!! Introducing... Joyful Teacher Academy!! Sweet teacher, I'm so excited for today's episode! I've got a big, happy announcement.

Joyful Teacher Academy is LIVE!

This has been a project of my teacher heart for months, and I can't believe I can finally share it with you.

If you're facing overwhelm, burnout, have lost your teaching joy, or never found the joy in teaching you thought you would, this one's for you.

Don't give up on teaching until you've given this a try. Our kiddos need you!

Joyful Teacher Academy is a one-of-a-kind, online professional development. I'll lead you through mindset shifts and teach you strategies to make your teacher life more joyful and impactful.

Let me show you how!

Links in today's episode:
Joyful Teacher Academy
Today's blog post
Bye, Bye Burnout FREE webinar
Burnout Buster series part 3: Growth

]]> Sweet teacher, I'm so excited for today's episode! I've got a big, happy announcement.

Joyful Teacher Academy is LIVE!

This has been a project of my teacher heart for months, and I can't believe I can finally share it with you.

If you're facing overwhelm, burnout, have lost your teaching joy, or never found the joy in teaching you thought you would, this one's for you.

Don't give up on teaching until you've given this a try. Our kiddos need you!

Joyful Teacher Academy is a one-of-a-kind, online professional development. I'll lead you through mindset shifts and teach you strategies to make your teacher life more joyful and impactful.

Let me show you how!

Links in today's episode:
Joyful Teacher Academy
Today's blog post
Bye, Bye Burnout FREE webinar
Burnout Buster series part 3: Growth

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9960519 Thu, 27 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0500 1262 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, primary, Teacher Toni, teacher, joy, burnout, professional development, overwhelm, quit teaching, keep teaching, how to find joy in teaching, how to be a happier teacher, online training 2 75 full false Burnout Buster Series Part 3: Growth Burnout Buster Series Part 3: Growth Teacher, if you're feeling burned out, overwhelmed, constantly tired, and not getting the joy from teaching you expected, let's bust that burnout!

Just like engines need fuel to keep going, your teacher heart needs fuel too. So today, we're going to talk about what that fuel is and how you can beat burnout.

I know this works, because it's how I was able to pull myself out of burnout several years ago. I know it can work for you too.

Plus, I'm inviting you to join me for a live webinar that dives deeper into burnout busting strategies that I'm hosting over the next couple weeks. You won't want to miss it!

Links in today's episode:
Today's episode
Burnout Buster Series Part 1: Anchor Thoughts
Burnout Buster Series Part 2: Find Your Why
teachertoni.com/byebye - register for FREE webinar

]]> Teacher, if you're feeling burned out, overwhelmed, constantly tired, and not getting the joy from teaching you expected, let's bust that burnout!

Just like engines need fuel to keep going, your teacher heart needs fuel too. So today, we're going to talk about what that fuel is and how you can beat burnout.

I know this works, because it's how I was able to pull myself out of burnout several years ago. I know it can work for you too.

Plus, I'm inviting you to join me for a live webinar that dives deeper into burnout busting strategies that I'm hosting over the next couple weeks. You won't want to miss it!

Links in today's episode:
Today's episode
Burnout Buster Series Part 1: Anchor Thoughts
Burnout Buster Series Part 2: Find Your Why
teachertoni.com/byebye - register for FREE webinar

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9911009 Thu, 20 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0500 1096 primary, class, teach, teaching, teacher, burnout motivation, how to get rid of burnout, growth, joy, Teacher Toni, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 2 74 full false Burnout Buster Series Part 2: Find Your Why Burnout Buster Series Part 2: Find Your Why Teacher, do you feel like the wheels on your teacher bus just aren't going 'round and 'round like they should? Is the magic of teaching fading?

If you're wondering how you can possibly finish this year, start next year knowing what's coming, or even return to work if you're taking a break, this series will get those wheels rolling again.

Just like jets need fuel to keep going, you do too! And your fuel as a teacher is your WHY.

It's your purpose. The reason you started teaching in the first place, or maybe a deeper understanding you've developed along the way.

The thing is, sometimes that gets buried in the to do lists and overwhelm. Believe me, I know it too.

So today, let's dust off your why and fuel your engine!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Episode 72 - Burnout Buster Series Part 1: Anchor Thoughts
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> Teacher, do you feel like the wheels on your teacher bus just aren't going 'round and 'round like they should? Is the magic of teaching fading?

If you're wondering how you can possibly finish this year, start next year knowing what's coming, or even return to work if you're taking a break, this series will get those wheels rolling again.

Just like jets need fuel to keep going, you do too! And your fuel as a teacher is your WHY.

It's your purpose. The reason you started teaching in the first place, or maybe a deeper understanding you've developed along the way.

The thing is, sometimes that gets buried in the to do lists and overwhelm. Believe me, I know it too.

So today, let's dust off your why and fuel your engine!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Episode 72 - Burnout Buster Series Part 1: Anchor Thoughts
Joyful Teacher Academy waitlist

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9856517 Thu, 13 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0500 1384 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, primary, teacher, teaching, burnout, why, purpose, find your why, beat burnout, burnout buster, Teacher Toni, motivation, teacher motivation, how can I get rid of burnout as a teacher 2 73 full false Burnout Buster Series Part 1: Anchor Thoughts Burnout Buster Series Part 1: Anchor Thoughts Hey there teacher!

Are you already counting down the days until spring break? Summer break? Do you feel like your mind is spinning in a dozen directions at once? Are you just about ready to jump ship to another career?

I've been there.

The good news is that I'm not now. 

The better news is I know what it takes to help you pull out of the pit of burnout, and that's what we're going to do! The next several episodes will focus on ways to bust burnout, starting today with a strategy you can implement NOW.

Today is all about anchor thoughts, because one thing we can control (even though it isn't easy) is our thoughts.

Let's get to it!

]]> Hey there teacher!

Are you already counting down the days until spring break? Summer break? Do you feel like your mind is spinning in a dozen directions at once? Are you just about ready to jump ship to another career?

I've been there.

The good news is that I'm not now. 

The better news is I know what it takes to help you pull out of the pit of burnout, and that's what we're going to do! The next several episodes will focus on ways to bust burnout, starting today with a strategy you can implement NOW.

Today is all about anchor thoughts, because one thing we can control (even though it isn't easy) is our thoughts.

Let's get to it!

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9838514 Thu, 06 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0500 1223 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, primary, teacher, teaching, burnout, strategies, retire, how to get rid of burnout, anchor thoughts, motivation, Teacher Toni 2 72 full false Close the Tabs in Your Teacher Browser Close the Tabs in Your Teacher Browser Teacher, the race to Christmas break is on! If your brain feels like it's about to pop from trying to hold all the things inside, this episode is meant for you.

Today, let's tackle the idea of closing some of those thoughts and putting them away. We'll either store them or toss them out to make space for what's most important.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Episode 70 - free product
Episode 65 - two step process to tackle overwhelm
toni@teachertoni.com - email to request free 30 minute coaching session
Beat the Baby - growing bundle
Phast Phonics

]]> Teacher, the race to Christmas break is on! If your brain feels like it's about to pop from trying to hold all the things inside, this episode is meant for you.

Today, let's tackle the idea of closing some of those thoughts and putting them away. We'll either store them or toss them out to make space for what's most important.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Episode 70 - free product
Episode 65 - two step process to tackle overwhelm
toni@teachertoni.com - email to request free 30 minute coaching session
Beat the Baby - growing bundle
Phast Phonics

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9688673 Thu, 09 Dec 2021 03:00:00 -0500 1052 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, pre-k, primary, class, classroom, teacher, thoughts, brain, encouragement, Teacher Toni, manage thoughts, control thoughts 2 71 full false Spelling Word Practice They Beg For Spelling Word Practice They Beg For Is your primary class' spelling word practice fun and engaging? Do your students ask to practice their spelling words AGAIN?

To be completely honest, spelling word practice used to be boring in my classroom. It took up too much time and my kiddos just didn't like it. Literacy is so important, and I want my students to love words.

So I put on my thinking cap and cracked the spelling word practice code. Now I have a routine that is highly engaging, fun, and super easy to use every day.

Sound too good to be true? I promise you, it's not. My students ask me regularly to practice their spelling words because they enjoy the routine that much. If it can work on my kiddos, I know it can work for yours too.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Phast Phonics
Episode 69 - character points
Growing Beat the ____ Bundle

]]> Is your primary class' spelling word practice fun and engaging? Do your students ask to practice their spelling words AGAIN?

To be completely honest, spelling word practice used to be boring in my classroom. It took up too much time and my kiddos just didn't like it. Literacy is so important, and I want my students to love words.

So I put on my thinking cap and cracked the spelling word practice code. Now I have a routine that is highly engaging, fun, and super easy to use every day.

Sound too good to be true? I promise you, it's not. My students ask me regularly to practice their spelling words because they enjoy the routine that much. If it can work on my kiddos, I know it can work for yours too.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Phast Phonics
Episode 69 - character points
Growing Beat the ____ Bundle

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9640735 Thu, 02 Dec 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1123 spelling word practice, spelling words, routine, strategy, activity, engagement, engaging, exciting spelling word practice, primary, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, Teacher Toni, classroom management, literacy, student engagement 2 70 full false How to Unlock Seamless Classroom Transitions How to Unlock Seamless Classroom Transitions Teacher, are you losing time and maybe a little sanity every time your primary students have to transition from one activity to another?

It's no secret that I love classroom management, and this is an area that is often noticed during observations. People are amazed by how well my students transition and how little time they take to do it.

Today, I'm going to share five tips for seamless classroom transitions so you can make every second count in your classroom.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Episode 67 - about my coach
Episode 68 - Tiny Human Tamer episode
Top Secret Classroom Management Tricks video
Cheer Cards

]]> Teacher, are you losing time and maybe a little sanity every time your primary students have to transition from one activity to another?

It's no secret that I love classroom management, and this is an area that is often noticed during observations. People are amazed by how well my students transition and how little time they take to do it.

Today, I'm going to share five tips for seamless classroom transitions so you can make every second count in your classroom.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Episode 67 - about my coach
Episode 68 - Tiny Human Tamer episode
Top Secret Classroom Management Tricks video
Cheer Cards

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9588331 Thu, 25 Nov 2021 03:00:00 -0500 1208 primary, classroom, class, teacher, transitions, seamless, time, disruption, Teacher Toni, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, expectations, cues, competition, strategies 2 69 full false Be a Tiny Human Tamer Be a Tiny Human Tamer The first time I went to the circus, I was fascinated by the tiger tamer. He made it look so easy to keep a wild animal under control.

Today, I want to tell you that you do something even more amazing every single day that you walk in your primary classroom. You are a tiny human tamer!

Maybe you feel like what you do really isn't that special, but trust me, it is. Most people can't imagine being able to do what you do. We're humble around here, but today, I want you to realize that you are fantastic.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
3 Top Secret Classroom Management Tricks blog post
Essentials for Student Engagement blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> The first time I went to the circus, I was fascinated by the tiger tamer. He made it look so easy to keep a wild animal under control.

Today, I want to tell you that you do something even more amazing every single day that you walk in your primary classroom. You are a tiny human tamer!

Maybe you feel like what you do really isn't that special, but trust me, it is. Most people can't imagine being able to do what you do. We're humble around here, but today, I want you to realize that you are fantastic.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
3 Top Secret Classroom Management Tricks blog post
Essentials for Student Engagement blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9561892 Thu, 18 Nov 2021 03:00:00 -0500 876 tiny human tamer, circus, primary, classroom, class, teach, teacher, teaching, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, teacher encouragement, teacher motivation, classroom management 2 68 full false My Untold Joyful Teacher Secrets My Untold Joyful Teacher Secrets People often ask how I'm so joyful all the time. So, I thought I'd share how I find, and keep, my joy in teaching!

If you're like me, October was EXHAUSTING. We're looking ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas break and thinking, "If I can just make it until then..."

Does that sound familiar? If so, this episode is definitely for you!

Every single day is precious, not just for ourselves, but for the little ones we teach. We don't want to just wish our time away, right?

So, here are my secrets to being a joyful teacher! Psst, there's also a super exciting announcement at the end!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> People often ask how I'm so joyful all the time. So, I thought I'd share how I find, and keep, my joy in teaching!

If you're like me, October was EXHAUSTING. We're looking ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas break and thinking, "If I can just make it until then..."

Does that sound familiar? If so, this episode is definitely for you!

Every single day is precious, not just for ourselves, but for the little ones we teach. We don't want to just wish our time away, right?

So, here are my secrets to being a joyful teacher! Psst, there's also a super exciting announcement at the end!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9528568 Wed, 10 Nov 2021 21:00:00 -0500 1077 primary, class, classroom, teach, teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, joy, joyful, gratitude, blessings, coach, coaching, Teacher Toni 2 67 full false Routine Their Way to Mastery Routine Their Way to Mastery Teacher, how are your students doing with their foundational skills?

In today's episode, I'm going to share a real teacher struggle moment I had recently. The short version is my students did NOT master CVC words after I taught them with our district's curriculum.

So, it was time to go back to my tried and true method: routines. Routines are incredibly powerful. With a little time every day, we can practice the most important concepts, and our students can master them.

Here's how I'm doing it!

Links in today's epiosde:
Today's blog post
Phast Phonics routine
Daily Write It sentence routine

]]> Teacher, how are your students doing with their foundational skills?

In today's episode, I'm going to share a real teacher struggle moment I had recently. The short version is my students did NOT master CVC words after I taught them with our district's curriculum.

So, it was time to go back to my tried and true method: routines. Routines are incredibly powerful. With a little time every day, we can practice the most important concepts, and our students can master them.

Here's how I'm doing it!

Links in today's epiosde:
Today's blog post
Phast Phonics routine
Daily Write It sentence routine

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9474029 Thu, 04 Nov 2021 03:00:00 -0400 791 primary, teacher, classroom, routine, mastery, foundational skills, literacy, curriculum, Teacher Toni, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 2 66 full false My 2-Step Process to Tackle Teacher Overwhelm My 2-Step Process to Tackle Teacher Overwhelm Teacher, overwhelm is real. It's been at an all time high for me recently, and I know I can't be the only one!

Overwhelm comes from having too many things in our brain at once. While I can't tell you we can eliminate deadlines, items on the to-do list, and other responsibilities, I can promise there's a way to manage it.

I'm going to share my 2-step process with you that I use weekly. It's how I keep my overwhelm in check, hold on to my teaching joy, and get done what's most important without constantly feeling stuck.

Are you ready? Let's get your overwhelm under control!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy wait list

]]> Teacher, overwhelm is real. It's been at an all time high for me recently, and I know I can't be the only one!

Overwhelm comes from having too many things in our brain at once. While I can't tell you we can eliminate deadlines, items on the to-do list, and other responsibilities, I can promise there's a way to manage it.

I'm going to share my 2-step process with you that I use weekly. It's how I keep my overwhelm in check, hold on to my teaching joy, and get done what's most important without constantly feeling stuck.

Are you ready? Let's get your overwhelm under control!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy wait list

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9419893 Thu, 28 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400 954 primary, teacher, classroom, motivation, overwhelm, thought download, brain dump, take action, prioritize, joy, how to manage teacher overwhelm, what to do when I'm overwhelmed 2 65 full false Halloween Management, Learning, and FUN! Halloween Management, Learning, and FUN! Teacher, are your primary kiddos consumed by the excitement of Halloween? Mine sure are!

The good news is, we can harness that excitement and use it to our advantage. Halloween doesn't have to wreck our classroom management, and with these five strategies, you can actually use your students' excitement to motivate positive behaviors and learning.

Some of these strategies will require a little prep, but some are free and you can use today.

Ready? Let's go!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Blog post with free Halloween Word Works trial

]]> Teacher, are your primary kiddos consumed by the excitement of Halloween? Mine sure are!

The good news is, we can harness that excitement and use it to our advantage. Halloween doesn't have to wreck our classroom management, and with these five strategies, you can actually use your students' excitement to motivate positive behaviors and learning.

Some of these strategies will require a little prep, but some are free and you can use today.

Ready? Let's go!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Blog post with free Halloween Word Works trial

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9399116 Thu, 21 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400 902 Halloween, classroom management, strategies, positive reinforcement, rewards, behaviors, positive behavior, dictated drawings, music, desk pet, table points, brain breaks, classroom, teach, teacher, teaching, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second gra 2 64 full false Classroom Management With a Music Box Classroom Management With a Music Box Teacher, has your class turned chatty?

It's that time of year when the newness of everything wears off. Students aren't as engaged and they're talking more to their friends even at inconvenient times. Maybe it leaves you with your head in your hands at the end of the day wondering if you can do it all over again.

I'm here to tell you that you can. I've had help from other teachers, and I'm going to pass that on to you. So here's today's strategy to quieten your classroom! It's all about a music box.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with Fun Friday ideas download)
Happy Bag
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Teacher, has your class turned chatty?

It's that time of year when the newness of everything wears off. Students aren't as engaged and they're talking more to their friends even at inconvenient times. Maybe it leaves you with your head in your hands at the end of the day wondering if you can do it all over again.

I'm here to tell you that you can. I've had help from other teachers, and I'm going to pass that on to you. So here's today's strategy to quieten your classroom! It's all about a music box.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with Fun Friday ideas download)
Happy Bag
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9358243 Thu, 14 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400 787 Teacher Toni, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, classroom behavior, chatty, talkative, talky, quiet class, management strategies 2 63 full false Simple But Mighty MATH Routines Simple But Mighty MATH Routines Teacher, do your students begin writing the number 5 from the bottom? Do you seen that brief but disruptive moment of distraction when they are writing down a math problem and have to stop to think about how to actually WRITE the math problem?

Number formation is an important link between learning what the numbers are to being able to master using them. Today, I'm going to share a few math routines that are super fun, engaging, and effective! It's amazing how often those three go together, isn't it? :)

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Free Number Formation Routine download (wait a moment for the form to appear)
Teen Number Writing Routine download
Kindergarten Math Works

]]> Teacher, do your students begin writing the number 5 from the bottom? Do you seen that brief but disruptive moment of distraction when they are writing down a math problem and have to stop to think about how to actually WRITE the math problem?

Number formation is an important link between learning what the numbers are to being able to master using them. Today, I'm going to share a few math routines that are super fun, engaging, and effective! It's amazing how often those three go together, isn't it? :)

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Free Number Formation Routine download (wait a moment for the form to appear)
Teen Number Writing Routine download
Kindergarten Math Works

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9315018 Thu, 07 Oct 2021 03:00:00 -0400 933 number formation, routine, math, kindergarten, free activity, free math activity, free math resource, primary, math in kindergarten, math in primary, Teacher Toni, math song, numeral song, scaffold number formation 2 62 full false Tidy Classroom Tips Tidy Classroom Tips Teacher, if your class ROOM is a distraction, it may be time to give it a quick tidy! Bits of paper on desks and pencils on the floor may not seem like a huge problem, but can you really focus on what's most important if your surroundings are a mess? It takes away our pride in where we are, and it affects our students too!

If you're thinking, But Toni, I just don't have time to keep everything picture perfect every single day! I'd say, you're absolutely right. You don't, and you shouldn't.

Here's how to make it happen without taking all that responsibility on yourself. I'll give you a hint: get your class involved, but make it fun.

If you're ready to whistle while we work, let's get those classrooms tidy!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Spring Classroom Management Cleanup blog post (with more on Table Points)
Spring Classroom Management Cleanup podcast episode
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Teacher, if your class ROOM is a distraction, it may be time to give it a quick tidy! Bits of paper on desks and pencils on the floor may not seem like a huge problem, but can you really focus on what's most important if your surroundings are a mess? It takes away our pride in where we are, and it affects our students too!

If you're thinking, But Toni, I just don't have time to keep everything picture perfect every single day! I'd say, you're absolutely right. You don't, and you shouldn't.

Here's how to make it happen without taking all that responsibility on yourself. I'll give you a hint: get your class involved, but make it fun.

If you're ready to whistle while we work, let's get those classrooms tidy!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Spring Classroom Management Cleanup blog post (with more on Table Points)
Spring Classroom Management Cleanup podcast episode
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9284326 Thu, 30 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400 873 primary, classroom, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, primary, Teacher Toni, classroom management, tidy, clean, neat, table fairy, desk fairy, table points, desk points, two minute tidy 2 61 full false Student Favorite Sight-Word Strategies Part 2: Tried and True Strategies Student Favorite Sight-Word Strategies Part 2: Tried and True Strategies Teacher, sight-word practice can be your students' favorite part of the day. My students have told me they love this time!

Sight-word instruction does not have to be passive. In fact, it shouldn't be! If you missed the previous episode, let me encourage you to start there. Motivation is so important, so let's place the foundation first.

In Part 2 today, I'm going to share four of my students' favorite strategies and a resource with even more. Teaching virtually? I've got strategies that work for both in person and distant learning.

Are you ready to throw some engagement glitter all over sight-word practice? Let's do it!

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post Parts 1 and 2
Sight-Word Engagement Guide
Virtual Sight-Word Blog Post

]]> Teacher, sight-word practice can be your students' favorite part of the day. My students have told me they love this time!

Sight-word instruction does not have to be passive. In fact, it shouldn't be! If you missed the previous episode, let me encourage you to start there. Motivation is so important, so let's place the foundation first.

In Part 2 today, I'm going to share four of my students' favorite strategies and a resource with even more. Teaching virtually? I've got strategies that work for both in person and distant learning.

Are you ready to throw some engagement glitter all over sight-word practice? Let's do it!

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post Parts 1 and 2
Sight-Word Engagement Guide
Virtual Sight-Word Blog Post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9203634 Thu, 16 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400 937 sight-word, sight word, strategies, motivation, system, kindergarten, first grade, teach, classroom, RTI, students behind, literacy, reading, primary, Teacher Toni, sing, body spell, signals 2 60 full false Student Loved Sight-Word Strategies Part 1: Motivation Student Loved Sight-Word Strategies Part 1: Motivation Does that notoriously long sight-word list just drain the joy right out of teaching?

I've been there, and I solved that problem! Pull up a desk chair and I'll let you in on the secrets.

Are you ready?

It starts with a motivating system. I'll tell you what's important if you want to make your own, or you can check out the one I designed and use in my classroom. With this system, students will actually want to take their next sight-word test. I promise it's true!

Don't forget to come back next week for an episode all about specific sight-word strategies.

Links in today's episode:
Rainbow Sight-Word system
Today's blog post
Episode 13 - virtual sight-word strategies
Virtual Sight-Word Strategies blog post

]]> Does that notoriously long sight-word list just drain the joy right out of teaching?

I've been there, and I solved that problem! Pull up a desk chair and I'll let you in on the secrets.

Are you ready?

It starts with a motivating system. I'll tell you what's important if you want to make your own, or you can check out the one I designed and use in my classroom. With this system, students will actually want to take their next sight-word test. I promise it's true!

Don't forget to come back next week for an episode all about specific sight-word strategies.

Links in today's episode:
Rainbow Sight-Word system
Today's blog post
Episode 13 - virtual sight-word strategies
Virtual Sight-Word Strategies blog post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9156534 Thu, 09 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400 1048 sight-word, sight word, strategies, motivation, system, kindergarten, first grade, teach, classroom, RTI, students behind, literacy, reading, primary, Teacher Toni 2 59 full false Do Your Students Cheer for Sentence Writing? Do Your Students Cheer for Sentence Writing? Teacher, I'm going to be super honest for a second. We all have areas of teaching that we know are necessary, but they're not exactly fun for our students. Sentence writing used to be one of those areas for me.

But not anymore! After cracking the code, students have actually cheered when it was time for sentence writing practice. Don't take my word for it; that's from a review from a fellow teacher.

So get ready to write down the top secret password, because I'm going to share how you can have a class full of primary students eagerly practicing sentence writing. If you're on a tight budget, I'll tell you how to get there for free. If you're looking for a low-prep solution and just want to dive straight in, I've got you covered.

We'll use routines, cues, rewards, and more to not only make sentence writing a favorite part of the day, but to help students become independent in this vital skill. Let's get to it!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
How to Teach Sentence Writing (previous blog post)
Free Sentence Writing Toolkit
Daily Write-It Packs on Teachers Pay Teachers

]]> Teacher, I'm going to be super honest for a second. We all have areas of teaching that we know are necessary, but they're not exactly fun for our students. Sentence writing used to be one of those areas for me.

But not anymore! After cracking the code, students have actually cheered when it was time for sentence writing practice. Don't take my word for it; that's from a review from a fellow teacher.

So get ready to write down the top secret password, because I'm going to share how you can have a class full of primary students eagerly practicing sentence writing. If you're on a tight budget, I'll tell you how to get there for free. If you're looking for a low-prep solution and just want to dive straight in, I've got you covered.

We'll use routines, cues, rewards, and more to not only make sentence writing a favorite part of the day, but to help students become independent in this vital skill. Let's get to it!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
How to Teach Sentence Writing (previous blog post)
Free Sentence Writing Toolkit
Daily Write-It Packs on Teachers Pay Teachers

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9088066 Thu, 26 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1386 primary, classroom, teacher, teach, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, sentence, writing, daily sentence writing, simple sentences, multiple sentences, routine, rewards, cues, literacy 2 58 full false Nurturing Parent Partnerships Nurturing Parent Partnerships Teacher friend, I know you're working so hard to build parent partnerships. It's vital to having a successful, joyful year!

Without nurturing those partnerships though, all the work won't pay off. So today, we're going to go over exactly how to keep those partnerships going strong. I've got five tips for you, everything from office hours to newsletters.

Plus, I've got two freebies to share to save you time and help you connect with your students' families. Be sure to check the link below or hop by the blog to grab them.

Keep making a difference, you awesome difference maker!

Links in today's episode:
Nurturing Parent Partnerships (today's post with contact card and newsletter template)
Building Parent Partnerships (Part 1 from last week)
Virtual Classroom Survival Guide
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Teacher friend, I know you're working so hard to build parent partnerships. It's vital to having a successful, joyful year!

Without nurturing those partnerships though, all the work won't pay off. So today, we're going to go over exactly how to keep those partnerships going strong. I've got five tips for you, everything from office hours to newsletters.

Plus, I've got two freebies to share to save you time and help you connect with your students' families. Be sure to check the link below or hop by the blog to grab them.

Keep making a difference, you awesome difference maker!

Links in today's episode:
Nurturing Parent Partnerships (today's post with contact card and newsletter template)
Building Parent Partnerships (Part 1 from last week)
Virtual Classroom Survival Guide
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9052729 Thu, 19 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1121 primary, classroom, relationships, parents, parent partnership, setting boundaries, office hours, keep families informed, newsletters, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 2 57 full false Building Parent Partnerships Building Parent Partnerships If you're looking for one of the keys to a super awesome year, it's not perfect lesson planning or perfect activities or even perfect resources.


It comes from parent partnerships. In this episode we're talking about building parent partnerships, and next week we'll learn about nurturing them.


Today we'll cover first impressions, how to make first meetings about families spectacular, using body language, being a dream teacher, and more.


With parents on our team, this will be an epic year!


Links in today's episode:

Today's blog post (including letter template)

Finding Cheerleaders post



]]> If you're looking for one of the keys to a super awesome year, it's not perfect lesson planning or perfect activities or even perfect resources.


It comes from parent partnerships. In this episode we're talking about building parent partnerships, and next week we'll learn about nurturing them.


Today we'll cover first impressions, how to make first meetings about families spectacular, using body language, being a dream teacher, and more.


With parents on our team, this will be an epic year!


Links in today's episode:

Today's blog post (including letter template)

Finding Cheerleaders post



]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-9014699 Thu, 12 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1063 parent partnerships, parents, relationships, teacher, teaching, classroom, class, primary, pre-kindergarten, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, first impressions, dream teacher 2 56 full false 5 Clever Ways to Simplify Your Classroom Management 5 Clever Ways to Simplify Your Classroom Management Let's bring some joy to your classroom management! Simplicity is king when it comes to teaching. It's so easy to get caught up in the frilly, enticing things, but they complicate our lives and take our teaching time.

Let's simplify your classroom management. We're going to talk about class rules, how to make homework work for you, the wonderful world of hand signals, the easier way to do classroom jobs, and how to declutter your classroom.

Plus, a little update about the Joyful Teacher Academy!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Finish With Joy series
Ultimate Guide to Simple Class Rules
Free Hand Signal Posters
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Let's bring some joy to your classroom management! Simplicity is king when it comes to teaching. It's so easy to get caught up in the frilly, enticing things, but they complicate our lives and take our teaching time.

Let's simplify your classroom management. We're going to talk about class rules, how to make homework work for you, the wonderful world of hand signals, the easier way to do classroom jobs, and how to declutter your classroom.

Plus, a little update about the Joyful Teacher Academy!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Finish With Joy series
Ultimate Guide to Simple Class Rules
Free Hand Signal Posters
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8977331 Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1603 primary, classroom, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, simple, simplify, class rules, hand signals, homework, classroom jobs, declutter 2 55 full false My Heart's Letter to Primary Teachers My Heart's Letter to Primary Teachers Sweet teacher, today's episode is very special. I was able to contribute to Hal Bowman's Dear Teacher project, and I'm going to read you my letter to primary teachers.

Not gonna lie, I get a little emotional. So please look over that, but just know it's because primary teachers mean so much to me.

If you need a teacher pick-me-up to get ready for this coming school year, I hope this works.

If you don't need it right now, come back to it when you're feeling a little overworked and a little underappreciated. I can help with the second part!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> Sweet teacher, today's episode is very special. I was able to contribute to Hal Bowman's Dear Teacher project, and I'm going to read you my letter to primary teachers.

Not gonna lie, I get a little emotional. So please look over that, but just know it's because primary teachers mean so much to me.

If you need a teacher pick-me-up to get ready for this coming school year, I hope this works.

If you don't need it right now, come back to it when you're feeling a little overworked and a little underappreciated. I can help with the second part!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8940089 Thu, 29 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400 704 letter, open letter, encouragement, motivation, primary, teacher, teach, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, smile, see the good, create safety, future 2 54 full false The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 3: Engagement The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 3: Engagement Now that we've got our mindset right and are ready to assess all the knowledge our students are going to gain, let's talk about how to get that knowledge in their heads!

Being the smartest teacher isn't enough for your students to achieve their learning goals. That's because if students aren't engaged with your lessons, they won't learn! I strongly believe that engagement is vital to student achievement.

So today, we're going to get you ready to have your most engaged year yet with three strategies and plenty of freebies!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Today's post - Part 3: Engagement
Part 1: Mindset
Part 2: Assessment
Episode 12: Student Engagement 101
Letter and Sound Fluency Routine
Letter Squads - one week trial
Happy Bag freebie
Cheer Cards freebie

]]> Now that we've got our mindset right and are ready to assess all the knowledge our students are going to gain, let's talk about how to get that knowledge in their heads!

Being the smartest teacher isn't enough for your students to achieve their learning goals. That's because if students aren't engaged with your lessons, they won't learn! I strongly believe that engagement is vital to student achievement.

So today, we're going to get you ready to have your most engaged year yet with three strategies and plenty of freebies!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Today's post - Part 3: Engagement
Part 1: Mindset
Part 2: Assessment
Episode 12: Student Engagement 101
Letter and Sound Fluency Routine
Letter Squads - one week trial
Happy Bag freebie
Cheer Cards freebie

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8896519 Thu, 22 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1333 primary, class, classroom, teacher, teach, alphabet, letters, sounds, literacy, kindergarten, first grade, Teacher Toni, engagement, engaged, strategies, routine, reward, learning styles 2 53 full false The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 2: Assessment The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 2: Assessment Hey there, teacher! Welcome to Part 2 of our series on teaching the alphabet. If you missed last week's episode, I'd encourage you to start there to help establish the most effective mindset for this content.

If you're ready for today's episode, we're going to dive into assessment. Believe it or not, assessment doesn't have to be a bad word! Hang in there with me when I say they can actually be fun. For that to be true, they have to be done the right way and for the right reasons.

And I'm going to show you how!

I'll walk you through the assessment process I use for letters and sounds, and I'll give you the templates I use free for download on the blog!

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with Letter and Sounds Assessment Binder)
The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 1: Mindset
Letter and Sound Fluency Blog Post
Rainbow Sight Word System
Letter Squads - free trial
Alphabet Parade Planning Guide
Alphabet Parade Blog Post

]]> Hey there, teacher! Welcome to Part 2 of our series on teaching the alphabet. If you missed last week's episode, I'd encourage you to start there to help establish the most effective mindset for this content.

If you're ready for today's episode, we're going to dive into assessment. Believe it or not, assessment doesn't have to be a bad word! Hang in there with me when I say they can actually be fun. For that to be true, they have to be done the right way and for the right reasons.

And I'm going to show you how!

I'll walk you through the assessment process I use for letters and sounds, and I'll give you the templates I use free for download on the blog!

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post (with Letter and Sounds Assessment Binder)
The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 1: Mindset
Letter and Sound Fluency Blog Post
Rainbow Sight Word System
Letter Squads - free trial
Alphabet Parade Planning Guide
Alphabet Parade Blog Post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8846610 Thu, 15 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0400 1413 alphabet, letters, sounds, assessment, letter binder, literacy, kindergarten, first grade, pre-k, primary, Teacher Toni, teaching, classroom, reward, rewards 2 52 full false The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 1: Mindset The Go-Getters Guide to Teaching the Alphabet Part 1: Mindset Teacher, do you ever get frustrated when teaching the alphabet? I have in the past when students just couldn't grasp the letters. This episode begins a three part series that will make teaching the alphabet easier and more fun. The alphabet is one of my favorite things to teach now, and I can help you enjoy it more and be more effective.

Let me show you how a mindset shift can improve you alphabet instruction. I'll give you a hint: imagine trying to decipher hieroglyphics.

Plus, I'll show you how to quickly fix one of the biggest gaps I see in curriculums teaching the alphabet.

Are you ready to supercharge your alphabet instruction? Let's go!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post - Part 1: Mindset
Phonological Awareness Video Series

]]> Teacher, do you ever get frustrated when teaching the alphabet? I have in the past when students just couldn't grasp the letters. This episode begins a three part series that will make teaching the alphabet easier and more fun. The alphabet is one of my favorite things to teach now, and I can help you enjoy it more and be more effective.

Let me show you how a mindset shift can improve you alphabet instruction. I'll give you a hint: imagine trying to decipher hieroglyphics.

Plus, I'll show you how to quickly fix one of the biggest gaps I see in curriculums teaching the alphabet.

Are you ready to supercharge your alphabet instruction? Let's go!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post - Part 1: Mindset
Phonological Awareness Video Series

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8811113 Thu, 08 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400 938 primary, class, classroom, teach, teacher, alphabet, pre-k, preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, mindset, letter, letters 2 51 full false The Ultimate Guide to SIMPLE Class Rules The Ultimate Guide to SIMPLE Class Rules Well, hey there, teacher! I'm back after a two week break, refreshed, energized, and ready to talk school! Today, I am excited to bring you the ultimate guide to simple class rules. This is something I have used year after year I believe fully in it. And that is why I want to share it with you right now, when we are totally not even thinking about school.

Well, actually I am thinking about school, I can't help it.  :)

If you're feeling like classroom rules are a lot of hype for very little pay off, roll your desk chair on over and let me share the three reasons I absolutely LOVE classroom rules.

Then, we'll talk about how to make your classroom rules simple and effective so that they work for you and your primary students. Are you ready?

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Well, hey there, teacher! I'm back after a two week break, refreshed, energized, and ready to talk school! Today, I am excited to bring you the ultimate guide to simple class rules. This is something I have used year after year I believe fully in it. And that is why I want to share it with you right now, when we are totally not even thinking about school.

Well, actually I am thinking about school, I can't help it.  :)

If you're feeling like classroom rules are a lot of hype for very little pay off, roll your desk chair on over and let me share the three reasons I absolutely LOVE classroom rules.

Then, we'll talk about how to make your classroom rules simple and effective so that they work for you and your primary students. Are you ready?

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8786049 Thu, 01 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1655 rules, simple rules, classroom rules, negative behavior, behavior, classroom management, expectations, concise, interaction, movement, routine, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, teach, teacher, Teacher Toni 2 50 full false How to Create Your BEST SUMMER Ever How to Create Your BEST SUMMER Ever Teacher, we've made it! It's the summer after the craziest school year ever. You've earned rest, and I want you to have it! Here's the thing: let's make sure we're intentional about it so it doesn't just slip right through our fingers.

Don't panic, because I'm not saying you can't still binge watch your favorite TV show. If we do a little planning ahead to make sure we're using our time effectively, you can rest, recharge, grow, and be ready for next school year. Plus, you won't find yourself at the end of the summer looking back with regret.

Sound like a plan? Let's make this your best summer yet!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Finish With Joy
Joyful Teacher Academy
Northwestern Medicine

]]> Teacher, we've made it! It's the summer after the craziest school year ever. You've earned rest, and I want you to have it! Here's the thing: let's make sure we're intentional about it so it doesn't just slip right through our fingers.

Don't panic, because I'm not saying you can't still binge watch your favorite TV show. If we do a little planning ahead to make sure we're using our time effectively, you can rest, recharge, grow, and be ready for next school year. Plus, you won't find yourself at the end of the summer looking back with regret.

Sound like a plan? Let's make this your best summer yet!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Finish With Joy
Joyful Teacher Academy
Northwestern Medicine

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8676503 Thu, 10 Jun 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1192 summer, routine, schedule, grow, plan, de-stress, recharge, teacher, teaching, classroom, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 2 49 full false Core Beliefs of the Most Effective Primary Teachers Core Beliefs of the Most Effective Primary Teachers Teacher, I see you here volunteering your precious time to get more information, motivation, and encouragement for what you do. That is amazing.

Today, let's talk about the beliefs that make up your teacher core. This isn't a lesson on beliefs you should try to create in yourself. What we're going to do today is recognize them so that you can use them to refuel your teacher spirit.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS podcast episode
Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS blog post
Finish With Joy series and free workbook download
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Teacher, I see you here volunteering your precious time to get more information, motivation, and encouragement for what you do. That is amazing.

Today, let's talk about the beliefs that make up your teacher core. This isn't a lesson on beliefs you should try to create in yourself. What we're going to do today is recognize them so that you can use them to refuel your teacher spirit.

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS podcast episode
Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS blog post
Finish With Joy series and free workbook download
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8627796 Thu, 03 Jun 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1313 core beliefs, appreciated, children are good, happiness, obstacles, growth, talented, primary, education, teacher, teaching, development, Teacher Toni, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 2 48 full false Finish With Joy Part 4: Joy-Guided Development Finish With Joy Part 4: Joy-Guided Development Teacher, we have reflected on what our pain points are, focused on things we can eliminate to maximize our time, and planned ahead for the next year.

Now, it's time to use everything we've learned to fuel yourself for next year. Summer's coming folks, and it's a great time to invest in yourself!

Professional development doesn't have to be boring, I promise! Our approach will make sure that it's tailored specifically to you and helps you become more joyful. Best of all, your plan can be done whenever you choose.

Let's get you ready to make your difference!

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post (with free workbook download)
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Teacher, we have reflected on what our pain points are, focused on things we can eliminate to maximize our time, and planned ahead for the next year.

Now, it's time to use everything we've learned to fuel yourself for next year. Summer's coming folks, and it's a great time to invest in yourself!

Professional development doesn't have to be boring, I promise! Our approach will make sure that it's tailored specifically to you and helps you become more joyful. Best of all, your plan can be done whenever you choose.

Let's get you ready to make your difference!

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post (with free workbook download)
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8581333 Thu, 27 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1307 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, primary, joy, professional development, finish with joy, Teacher Toni, career development, finish the year, teach, teacher, classroom 2 47 full false Finish With Joy Part 3: Joy-Centered Design Finish With Joy Part 3: Joy-Centered Design Teacher, are you ready to translate your stress into solutions that will set you up for a joyful school year?

We all have pain points, or stressors, in this career. Today, I'm going to walk you through how to examine those and design actionable steps to prepare you for your most joyful year yet. We can choose joy, but it isn't enough to show up to our classrooms one day and decide that that's the day we're going to be joyful.

We're going to pick our top three pain points and then design solutions for them so that they don't continue to steal our joy next year.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post (with free workbook download)
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Teacher, are you ready to translate your stress into solutions that will set you up for a joyful school year?

We all have pain points, or stressors, in this career. Today, I'm going to walk you through how to examine those and design actionable steps to prepare you for your most joyful year yet. We can choose joy, but it isn't enough to show up to our classrooms one day and decide that that's the day we're going to be joyful.

We're going to pick our top three pain points and then design solutions for them so that they don't continue to steal our joy next year.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Blog Post (with free workbook download)
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8546349 Thu, 20 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400 993 primary, classroom, teacher, teach, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, joy, joy-centered design, development, end of year 2 46 full false Finish With Joy Part 2: Eliminate for Joy Finish With Joy Part 2: Eliminate for Joy Teacher friend, your time is PRECIOUS. You can make a big impact in your classroom, but if you're trying to do all the things, you won't be able to focus on any one area with the attention it deserves.

If you feel like your to do list is getting the better of you, but you aren't sure how to take back control, I can help!

Today, let me explain exactly why it's so important to focus on the most important tasks we have and how to eliminate what isn't absolutely essential. Spoiler alert: this is how entrepreneurs get so much accomplished.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Blog post (with free Finish With Joy downloadable workbook)

]]> Teacher friend, your time is PRECIOUS. You can make a big impact in your classroom, but if you're trying to do all the things, you won't be able to focus on any one area with the attention it deserves.

If you feel like your to do list is getting the better of you, but you aren't sure how to take back control, I can help!

Today, let me explain exactly why it's so important to focus on the most important tasks we have and how to eliminate what isn't absolutely essential. Spoiler alert: this is how entrepreneurs get so much accomplished.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Blog post (with free Finish With Joy downloadable workbook)

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8503798 Thu, 13 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1512 primary, class, classroom, teach, teaching, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, eliminate, finish, joy, finish with joy, end of year, to do list, how to get everything done, Teacher Toni, professional development 2 45 full false Finish With Joy Part 1: Joy-Rooted Reflection Finish With Joy Part 1: Joy-Rooted Reflection Can you believe that we are actually in the end of the year season of this historical and absolutely crazy year? We did it, we're almost there almost to the finish line. That doesn't mean we are not still stressed and overwhelmed with all of the things that are on our plate. But what if we could finish with more joy, a brighter spirit and ensure that our upcoming year will have a fresh, well planned beginning? That is my hope for you.

I actually go through a process each year that gives me this hope, energy and sustainability to finish the year with joy. In this four part series, we're going to harness the positivity needed to finish this year out joyfully. If that sounds like a plan, you need to stick with me today. Are you ready?

Be sure to grab the downloadable workbook from the link below!

Links in today's episode:
Blog post (with downloadable Finish With Joy workbook)
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Can you believe that we are actually in the end of the year season of this historical and absolutely crazy year? We did it, we're almost there almost to the finish line. That doesn't mean we are not still stressed and overwhelmed with all of the things that are on our plate. But what if we could finish with more joy, a brighter spirit and ensure that our upcoming year will have a fresh, well planned beginning? That is my hope for you.

I actually go through a process each year that gives me this hope, energy and sustainability to finish the year with joy. In this four part series, we're going to harness the positivity needed to finish this year out joyfully. If that sounds like a plan, you need to stick with me today. Are you ready?

Be sure to grab the downloadable workbook from the link below!

Links in today's episode:
Blog post (with downloadable Finish With Joy workbook)
Joyful Teacher Academy

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8454358 Thu, 06 May 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1712 primary, classroom, teacher, teach, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, joy, finish, finish the year, reflection, design, development, professional development, career development 2 44 full false 3 Ways to Make Sure Parents Love You 3 Ways to Make Sure Parents Love You I really believe that relationships in the workplace have a big impact on our joy. And definitely, definitely having great relationships with the people who care for our students at home can aid us in being more effective teachers. So today, we're going to talk all about how to make parents love you.

Having the support of parents is very important to me. I spend a lot of time working on it and reading about it. Having parents on our team gives us support for our students' educational goals, but it also is a way we can find much needed cheerleaders to help us sustain in this challenging career.

That's why I'm going to share three rules that will help you build positive relationships with parents and make them love you! Anyone can follow these tips. They do take patience and some thought, but they'll have you on your way to families who rally around you!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Cheerleaders blog post
Hard to Love Students blog post
Students' Pride in Their Work (and positive notes home download) blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> I really believe that relationships in the workplace have a big impact on our joy. And definitely, definitely having great relationships with the people who care for our students at home can aid us in being more effective teachers. So today, we're going to talk all about how to make parents love you.

Having the support of parents is very important to me. I spend a lot of time working on it and reading about it. Having parents on our team gives us support for our students' educational goals, but it also is a way we can find much needed cheerleaders to help us sustain in this challenging career.

That's why I'm going to share three rules that will help you build positive relationships with parents and make them love you! Anyone can follow these tips. They do take patience and some thought, but they'll have you on your way to families who rally around you!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Cheerleaders blog post
Hard to Love Students blog post
Students' Pride in Their Work (and positive notes home download) blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8410665 Thu, 29 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1532 Teacher Toni, parents love you, how to make parents love you, relationships, primary, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, informed, systems, routine 2 43 full false How to Harness the Magic of Word Families How to Harness the Magic of Word Families Sometimes, small things have big magic. Like my daughter's toy penguin. It's not fancy, and it doesn't even have pupils anymore! I'll tell you all about that too.

But for some reason, that tired penguin is magic to my daughter. Just like that penguin, word families may seem insignificant, but they hold magic for our little learners who are trying so hard to become readers.

In today's episode, I'll share four strategies that will help you harness the magic of word families. I'll also share a free Word Families poster set, and I'll tell you how to get one of the paid resources I designed for free.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Word Families Blog Post (with free Word Families posters!)
My Bag of Word Families
Writing CVC Words Blog Post

]]> Sometimes, small things have big magic. Like my daughter's toy penguin. It's not fancy, and it doesn't even have pupils anymore! I'll tell you all about that too.

But for some reason, that tired penguin is magic to my daughter. Just like that penguin, word families may seem insignificant, but they hold magic for our little learners who are trying so hard to become readers.

In today's episode, I'll share four strategies that will help you harness the magic of word families. I'll also share a free Word Families poster set, and I'll tell you how to get one of the paid resources I designed for free.

Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Word Families Blog Post (with free Word Families posters!)
My Bag of Word Families
Writing CVC Words Blog Post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8373725 Thu, 22 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1297 word family, word families, primary, classroom, teacher, teach, literacy, literacy strategies, Teacher Toni, free word family posters 2 42 full false End-of-the-Year Teacher Prayer End-of-the-Year Teacher Prayer Teacher, do you feel like you are running out of steam as this year winds down? It's been one strange, difficult year.

In the few weeks that are left in this school year, we still have a chance to make a positive impact on our little learners. We can still instill in them the joy that learning can bring. That can last their entire lives and motivate them to continue to build their lives into bright futures.

So today, I'm going to share with you my end of the year prayer for us tired primary teachers.

We can finish this year with passion, focus, and joy. Let's remember what motivates us and remind ourselves how important this work is. 

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
The Joyful Teacher Academy information sign up

]]> Teacher, do you feel like you are running out of steam as this year winds down? It's been one strange, difficult year.

In the few weeks that are left in this school year, we still have a chance to make a positive impact on our little learners. We can still instill in them the joy that learning can bring. That can last their entire lives and motivate them to continue to build their lives into bright futures.

So today, I'm going to share with you my end of the year prayer for us tired primary teachers.

We can finish this year with passion, focus, and joy. Let's remember what motivates us and remind ourselves how important this work is. 

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
The Joyful Teacher Academy information sign up

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8309826 Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400 803 end of year, end of school, teacher, prayer, prayer for teachers, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, focus, joy, passion, impact 2 41 full false Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Students’ Pride in their Work Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Students’ Pride in their Work Teacher, do you notice students rushing through their work and not really taking pride in what they're doing? It's a trend I've noticed in my classroom, and we need to nip that in the bud!

The good news is, because primary students are so awesome, there are some simple ways we can manage this behavior. It is possible to help students take pride in their work and let their true abilities shine.

It all comes down to the fact that primary students love their teachers! I've got three simple strategies you can start using today to boost students' pride in their work. Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's Blog Post (Scroll to the bottom for a link to today's freebie!)
Joyful Teacher Academy
Classroom Cheers Blog Post
Classroom Games Blog Post

]]> Teacher, do you notice students rushing through their work and not really taking pride in what they're doing? It's a trend I've noticed in my classroom, and we need to nip that in the bud!

The good news is, because primary students are so awesome, there are some simple ways we can manage this behavior. It is possible to help students take pride in their work and let their true abilities shine.

It all comes down to the fact that primary students love their teachers! I've got three simple strategies you can start using today to boost students' pride in their work. Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's Blog Post (Scroll to the bottom for a link to today's freebie!)
Joyful Teacher Academy
Classroom Cheers Blog Post
Classroom Games Blog Post

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8265671 Thu, 08 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1416 classroom management, behavior, pride, student pride, pride in work, effort, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni, feedback, praise, student work 2 40 full false Add Secret Sauce to your Phonological Awareness Instruction Add Secret Sauce to your Phonological Awareness Instruction Ready to up your phonological awareness game?

Get ready to spread this secret sauce all over your teaching!

More and more people are recognizing the importance of phonological awareness. It's vital to our little learners achieving their literacy goals.

Maybe your experience with phonological awareness so far is like my initial experience with avocado. I thought it was a disgusting waste of 98 cents and couldn't believe humans actually consumed it!

Then my doctor asked if I put a little salt on it. In the mountains, we like to put salt on everything from tomatoes to watermelon, but it never crossed my mind to put it on avocado. Once I did, I found a love for avocado.

Without salt, avocado is kind of bland, mushy, and boring.

Maybe a little like phonological awareness instruction? Maybe all it needs is a little secret sauce.

I'm a complete phonological awareness geek, so I'm more than happy to share the secret ingredient that can turn your instruction around and demolish deficiencies in this skill.

Links in today's episode:
Phonological Awareness Training

]]> Ready to up your phonological awareness game?

Get ready to spread this secret sauce all over your teaching!

More and more people are recognizing the importance of phonological awareness. It's vital to our little learners achieving their literacy goals.

Maybe your experience with phonological awareness so far is like my initial experience with avocado. I thought it was a disgusting waste of 98 cents and couldn't believe humans actually consumed it!

Then my doctor asked if I put a little salt on it. In the mountains, we like to put salt on everything from tomatoes to watermelon, but it never crossed my mind to put it on avocado. Once I did, I found a love for avocado.

Without salt, avocado is kind of bland, mushy, and boring.

Maybe a little like phonological awareness instruction? Maybe all it needs is a little secret sauce.

I'm a complete phonological awareness geek, so I'm more than happy to share the secret ingredient that can turn your instruction around and demolish deficiencies in this skill.

Links in today's episode:
Phonological Awareness Training

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8228448 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1191 phonological awareness, literacy, phonemic awareness, learning styles, auditory, visual, kinesthetic, primary, teaching, classroom, teach, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 2 39 full false How to Teach BLENDING to Struggling Learners How to Teach BLENDING to Struggling Learners Do you have primary students who are struggling to blend words? Maybe most of the class has mastered this skill. Your activities and instruction have gotten many students over this big finish line!

But what about the rest?

Some students are behind in this skill, and it is vital to literacy. If your high quality instruction, which was effective with most of the class, didn't work for everyone, the answer isn't to continue the same approach.

It's time for something different!

Today, I'm going to share some advice to assess if your students are ready to blend words. If you decide they are, but that skill just isn't coming along, I have three strategies that have worked for me during my ten years of teaching experience.

You can help those struggling students gain the word blending skill! Let me show you how.

Links in today's episode:

Blending blog post
Letter and Sound Fluency blog post
Writing CVC Words blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Do you have primary students who are struggling to blend words? Maybe most of the class has mastered this skill. Your activities and instruction have gotten many students over this big finish line!

But what about the rest?

Some students are behind in this skill, and it is vital to literacy. If your high quality instruction, which was effective with most of the class, didn't work for everyone, the answer isn't to continue the same approach.

It's time for something different!

Today, I'm going to share some advice to assess if your students are ready to blend words. If you decide they are, but that skill just isn't coming along, I have three strategies that have worked for me during my ten years of teaching experience.

You can help those struggling students gain the word blending skill! Let me show you how.

Links in today's episode:

Blending blog post
Letter and Sound Fluency blog post
Writing CVC Words blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8201439 Thu, 25 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1309 primary, blending, literacy, struggling, behind, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 2 38 full false Spring CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT Clean-Up Spring CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT Clean-Up Teacher, are you ready for SPRING? The birds are singing, the sun is warmer, and it's a perfect time to do a little cleanup. Today I'm going to show you how to get that fun, fresh feeling your house has after a good tidy up and bring it to your classroom management game.

I've said it before, I'll say it now, and I'll say it again in the future: classroom management can make or break your joy as a teacher. I keep talking about it because it's so important. This is not an easy career to continue in, and our students need dedicated teachers like you to show up for them every day.

I'm going to share some of my best classroom management tricks and strategies so you can have that fresh, just cleaned up feeling in your primary classroom! Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Video demonstration of three classroom management tricks
Happy Bag post
Sounds post
Virtual Rewards Bundle
Joyful Teacher Academy
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Teacher, are you ready for SPRING? The birds are singing, the sun is warmer, and it's a perfect time to do a little cleanup. Today I'm going to show you how to get that fun, fresh feeling your house has after a good tidy up and bring it to your classroom management game.

I've said it before, I'll say it now, and I'll say it again in the future: classroom management can make or break your joy as a teacher. I keep talking about it because it's so important. This is not an easy career to continue in, and our students need dedicated teachers like you to show up for them every day.

I'm going to share some of my best classroom management tricks and strategies so you can have that fresh, just cleaned up feeling in your primary classroom! Are you ready?

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Video demonstration of three classroom management tricks
Happy Bag post
Sounds post
Virtual Rewards Bundle
Joyful Teacher Academy
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8157447 Thu, 18 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1790 classroom management, behavior, spring cleanup, engagement, joy, primary, teaching, teacher, Teacher Toni, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 2 37 full false Undeniable Reasons to QUIT Teaching Undeniable Reasons to QUIT Teaching Teacher, have you debated whether teaching is still the right profession for you? Maybe you have another goal you're considering chasing and leaving teaching behind.

Today, I'm going to share three signs you should definitely quit teaching. If any of these apply to you, leave your highlighter collection behind and just run for the door!

But here's a warning. If you're looking for reasons to leave, you might accidentally find reasons to stay!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Teacher, have you debated whether teaching is still the right profession for you? Maybe you have another goal you're considering chasing and leaving teaching behind.

Today, I'm going to share three signs you should definitely quit teaching. If any of these apply to you, leave your highlighter collection behind and just run for the door!

But here's a warning. If you're looking for reasons to leave, you might accidentally find reasons to stay!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Joyful Teacher Academy
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8087674 Thu, 11 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1106 primary teaching, teacher, classroom, discouraged, quit, should I quit teaching, Teacher Toni, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 2 36 full false Getting Smart with SIGHT WORD Intervention Getting Smart with SIGHT WORD Intervention This school year is moving right along! Maybe you're starting to feel the pressure of crunch time as some students are achieving their learning goals while others may not be.

If some of your students are struggling with their sight word lists, know that you're not alone! Many years at about this time, I take a hard look at where my students are and realize that some of them are not reaching their sight word goals.

Sight words are included in the most basic form of learning, remembering, so our students should be able to master them. If your strategies so far aren't working for all your students, here are three keys to get the rest of the class over the finish line!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Rainbow Sight Word System
Intensive Sight Word Practice
Sight Word Engagement blog post (with link to Sight Word Engagement Guide)
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> This school year is moving right along! Maybe you're starting to feel the pressure of crunch time as some students are achieving their learning goals while others may not be.

If some of your students are struggling with their sight word lists, know that you're not alone! Many years at about this time, I take a hard look at where my students are and realize that some of them are not reaching their sight word goals.

Sight words are included in the most basic form of learning, remembering, so our students should be able to master them. If your strategies so far aren't working for all your students, here are three keys to get the rest of the class over the finish line!

Links in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Rainbow Sight Word System
Intensive Sight Word Practice
Sight Word Engagement blog post (with link to Sight Word Engagement Guide)
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-8039582 Thu, 04 Mar 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1489 sight word, sight word intervention, sight word RTI, what to do if students are behind in sight words, learning styles, visual, auditory, kinesthetic, primary, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, Teacher Toni 2 35 full false 5 BEST Tips for Having Hard Conversations with Families 5 BEST Tips for Having Hard Conversations with Families One of the areas of our careers as primary teachers that can be difficult is maintaining relationships with our students' parents and families.

Especially when we have to deliver bad news.

Knowing this is coming may give you anxiety. It may keep you up at night.

It's never going to be easy, but I'm going to share five tips I've learned with experience that will help make it less painful. It's possible to give bad news and still maintain good relationships, and you can do it.

Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
Today's Blog Post
Teacher Cheerleader Blog Post
Joyful Teacher Academy updates

]]> One of the areas of our careers as primary teachers that can be difficult is maintaining relationships with our students' parents and families.

Especially when we have to deliver bad news.

Knowing this is coming may give you anxiety. It may keep you up at night.

It's never going to be easy, but I'm going to share five tips I've learned with experience that will help make it less painful. It's possible to give bad news and still maintain good relationships, and you can do it.

Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
Today's Blog Post
Teacher Cheerleader Blog Post
Joyful Teacher Academy updates

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7941340 Thu, 25 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1285 bad news, hard conversations, relationships, how to give parents bad news, teacher, teaching, primary, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 2 34 full false Clever Ways to Utilize SOUND for Classroom Management Clever Ways to Utilize SOUND for Classroom Management Classroom management is a make or break aspect of being a teacher. I believe so strongly that to be a joyful, and effective, teacher we must have good classroom management.

Directly related to classroom management is student engagement. An engaged classroom is an easy (easier) to manage classroom. So today, I'm going to share three easy sound hacks you can use to up your classroom management game by improving engagement, smoothing transitions, and rewarding focus.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's Blog Post
Joyful Teacher Academy updates
Bog Post - Pacing
Sound Machine 1
Sound Machine 2
Kindergarten Word Works
First Grade Word Works
Daily Write It
Phast Phonics
Silly Sound Library
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Classroom management is a make or break aspect of being a teacher. I believe so strongly that to be a joyful, and effective, teacher we must have good classroom management.

Directly related to classroom management is student engagement. An engaged classroom is an easy (easier) to manage classroom. So today, I'm going to share three easy sound hacks you can use to up your classroom management game by improving engagement, smoothing transitions, and rewarding focus.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's Blog Post
Joyful Teacher Academy updates
Bog Post - Pacing
Sound Machine 1
Sound Machine 2
Kindergarten Word Works
First Grade Word Works
Daily Write It
Phast Phonics
Silly Sound Library
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7856437 Thu, 18 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1473 primary, classroom, teacher, teach, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, student engagement, Teacher Toni, sound, joy 2 33 full false How to Love HARD-TO-LOVE Students How to Love HARD-TO-LOVE Students Ask any teacher if they love their students, and I'm willing to bet they say yes.

Of course we do! It's why we do what we do.

But what about those students that are a little more difficult? The ones who are talkative, disruptive, or never have their supplies? You know, the ones that are a little more hard-to-love.

Every student deserves the best chance for an education that we can give them. These more difficult students need our love too. So how can we love them?

Here are three tips I use that may help you gain a new perspective for some of these hard-to-love students.

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Today's blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Ask any teacher if they love their students, and I'm willing to bet they say yes.

Of course we do! It's why we do what we do.

But what about those students that are a little more difficult? The ones who are talkative, disruptive, or never have their supplies? You know, the ones that are a little more hard-to-love.

Every student deserves the best chance for an education that we can give them. These more difficult students need our love too. So how can we love them?

Here are three tips I use that may help you gain a new perspective for some of these hard-to-love students.

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Today's blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7708603 Thu, 11 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1240 hard to love, hard-to-love, how to love difficult students, classroom management, primary, teacher, Teacher Toni, teacher motivation, kindergarten, pre-k, first grade, second grade 2 32 full false Hack the Holiday: NO-PREP Valentine's Day Literacy Activities Hack the Holiday: NO-PREP Valentine's Day Literacy Activities Here comes the holiday! Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and our kiddos can't wait. They love holidays, and we can hack the holiday to boost engagement in our primary classrooms. This doesn't mean fancy, detailed activities that take hours to prepare and leave our classroom management running for cover.

Today, I'm going to give you three no-prep Valentine's Day literacy activities you can use with your students. We can make learning memorable and fun without all the stress!

There's also a free download today! Head over to the blog at the link below to grab your downloadable set of Valentine's Day postcards that you can print for some writing practice that will be fun and meaningful.

Happy Valentine's Day, Teacher Friend!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Today's Blog Post (with free postcard download)
Art for Kids Hub - YouTube
Word Works - Kindergarten
Word Works - First Grade
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Here comes the holiday! Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and our kiddos can't wait. They love holidays, and we can hack the holiday to boost engagement in our primary classrooms. This doesn't mean fancy, detailed activities that take hours to prepare and leave our classroom management running for cover.

Today, I'm going to give you three no-prep Valentine's Day literacy activities you can use with your students. We can make learning memorable and fun without all the stress!

There's also a free download today! Head over to the blog at the link below to grab your downloadable set of Valentine's Day postcards that you can print for some writing practice that will be fun and meaningful.

Happy Valentine's Day, Teacher Friend!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

Today's Blog Post (with free postcard download)
Art for Kids Hub - YouTube
Word Works - Kindergarten
Word Works - First Grade
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7587904 Thu, 04 Feb 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1312 primary, education, teach, teaching, literacy, no-prep, activity, activities, no-prep activities, Valentine's Day, kindergarten, first grade, Teacher Toni 2 31 full false Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS Find Your Teacher CHEERLEADERS Teacher, are you feeling discouraged and unsupported? Do you secretly wonder why you're doing this when it's so hard? We chose a tough profession, and not everyone appreciates it.

So that's why it's so important to find the people who do! We hear, from other people and from ourselves, that we aren't good enough way too often. Let's surround ourselves with people who can encourage us that we are making a difference.

Here are three ways to find your teacher cheerleaders.

Links in Today's Episode:

Morning Message Post
Bad Habits to Bust Post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group
Joyful Teacher Academy Updates

]]> Teacher, are you feeling discouraged and unsupported? Do you secretly wonder why you're doing this when it's so hard? We chose a tough profession, and not everyone appreciates it.

So that's why it's so important to find the people who do! We hear, from other people and from ourselves, that we aren't good enough way too often. Let's surround ourselves with people who can encourage us that we are making a difference.

Here are three ways to find your teacher cheerleaders.

Links in Today's Episode:

Morning Message Post
Bad Habits to Bust Post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group
Joyful Teacher Academy Updates

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7469962 Thu, 28 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1365 primary, teacher, cheerleader, encouragement, motivation, support, unsupported, how to find people to encourage you, burnout, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, Teacher Toni 1 30 full false Pacing for Classroom Management & Student Engagement Pacing for Classroom Management & Student Engagement Whether you're conscious of it or not, you use pacing in every one of your lessons and transitions. It impacts engagement, classroom management, and your joy as a teacher.

So how's your pacing? If your students are bored by a pace that is too slow or overwhelmed by a speed that can't keep up with, then their learning and the overall dynamic of your classroom will suffer.

The good news is pacing can be adjusted! Here are three ways you can modify the pace of your classroom to get the just right challenge for your students.

Links from today's episode:
Pacing Blog Post
Student Engagement Blog Post
Routines Blog Post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Whether you're conscious of it or not, you use pacing in every one of your lessons and transitions. It impacts engagement, classroom management, and your joy as a teacher.

So how's your pacing? If your students are bored by a pace that is too slow or overwhelmed by a speed that can't keep up with, then their learning and the overall dynamic of your classroom will suffer.

The good news is pacing can be adjusted! Here are three ways you can modify the pace of your classroom to get the just right challenge for your students.

Links from today's episode:
Pacing Blog Post
Student Engagement Blog Post
Routines Blog Post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7369120 Thu, 21 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1480 primary classroom, education, pacing, chunking, timing, transitions, classroom management, engagement, Teacher Toni, pre-k, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 1 29 full false The #1 Thing Struggling Readers Need The #1 Thing Struggling Readers Need Do you have students who are struggling to read? Maybe you've tried strategy after strategy and all the activities you can find, but those students are still not meeting their goals.

I've tried finding the next great activity and latest greatest tools, but that's not the answer. Let me share the approach that worked for me after years of trial and error.

It's not one specific activity or product. It's a mindset.

Are you ready?

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's Blog Post
Letter and Sound Fluency Post
Rainbow Word System
Kindergarten Word Works
First Grade Word Works
Phast Phonics Routine
Morning Meeting Post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Do you have students who are struggling to read? Maybe you've tried strategy after strategy and all the activities you can find, but those students are still not meeting their goals.

I've tried finding the next great activity and latest greatest tools, but that's not the answer. Let me share the approach that worked for me after years of trial and error.

It's not one specific activity or product. It's a mindset.

Are you ready?

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's Blog Post
Letter and Sound Fluency Post
Rainbow Word System
Kindergarten Word Works
First Grade Word Works
Phast Phonics Routine
Morning Meeting Post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7206370 Thu, 14 Jan 2021 04:00:00 -0500 1254 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, literacy, phonics, phonological awareness, teacher inspiration, teacher quotes, teacher encouragement, primary education, primary teacher, pre-k, literacy, primary, classroom, class, teach, teacher, teach reading, 1 28 full false 3 Teacher Bad Habits to BUST in 2021 3 Teacher Bad Habits to BUST in 2021 If you're ready to grow this year but already have plenty of goals, here are three bad habits to BUST!

These three teacher bad habits will steal your joy. Trust me, I know, because I have had to break them. That's why I know you can too! Let me explain why they are so toxic. Then I'm going to give you strategies to bust them to pieces and get them out of your lives.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> If you're ready to grow this year but already have plenty of goals, here are three bad habits to BUST!

These three teacher bad habits will steal your joy. Trust me, I know, because I have had to break them. That's why I know you can too! Let me explain why they are so toxic. Then I'm going to give you strategies to bust them to pieces and get them out of your lives.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Today's blog post
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-7115092 Thu, 07 Jan 2021 01:00:00 -0500 1494 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, resolutions, teacher happiness, teacher joy 1 27 full false Married to a Teacher: The Struggles and Benefits w/ Mr. Teacher Toni Married to a Teacher: The Struggles and Benefits w/ Mr. Teacher Toni Tune in for this fun and surprising episode as Toni interviews Mr. Teacher Toni about his life as the husband of a Teacher. She throws some tough questions his way about the role he plays and the sacrifices he’s learned to appreciate. What you'll learn from listening is… although there is much at stake when your spouse is a Teacher… it is all worth it.
 
 Stick around to hear just how it feels to be married to a dedicated teacher PLUS learn how Leon was once caught in public in an Olaf costume as part of his marital duties. 

Click here to join the Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group! 

]]> Tune in for this fun and surprising episode as Toni interviews Mr. Teacher Toni about his life as the husband of a Teacher. She throws some tough questions his way about the role he plays and the sacrifices he’s learned to appreciate. What you'll learn from listening is… although there is much at stake when your spouse is a Teacher… it is all worth it.
 
 Stick around to hear just how it feels to be married to a dedicated teacher PLUS learn how Leon was once caught in public in an Olaf costume as part of his marital duties. 

Click here to join the Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group! 

]]> Toni Mullins / Leon Mullins Buzzsprout-7078810 Thu, 31 Dec 2020 10:00:00 -0500 1378 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 1 26 full false How to Craft an EPIC Morning Meeting: Part 2 w/ Susan Matthews How to Craft an EPIC Morning Meeting: Part 2 w/ Susan Matthews Hey there, teacher friend!

Are you ready for Part 2 of making your morning meetings EPIC? If you missed Part 1, jump over there and catch it from the top. I'll be here. :)

Today we're going to talk about the last two of five components to make your morning meeting engaging and memorable. With these two tips related to incorporating content and ensuring your students are successful, morning meetings won't just be time takers! Plus we're sharing bonus tips!

Links in today's episode:

Blog Post - Morning Meeting
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Hey there, teacher friend!

Are you ready for Part 2 of making your morning meetings EPIC? If you missed Part 1, jump over there and catch it from the top. I'll be here. :)

Today we're going to talk about the last two of five components to make your morning meeting engaging and memorable. With these two tips related to incorporating content and ensuring your students are successful, morning meetings won't just be time takers! Plus we're sharing bonus tips!

Links in today's episode:

Blog Post - Morning Meeting
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins / Susan Matthews Buzzsprout-6855961 Thu, 24 Dec 2020 05:00:00 -0500 1148 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, relationships, morning meeting 1 25 full false How to Craft an EPIC Morning Meeting: Part 1 w/ Susan Matthews How to Craft an EPIC Morning Meeting: Part 1 w/ Susan Matthews Could your morning classroom routine use a little pizzazz? Join me as I interview Susan Matthews, who is an absolute master at morning meetings.

If you haven't tried morning meetings yet, give us a chance to explain why they're so important and beneficial. Besides being engaging, if you craft them thoughtfully, they give students a chance to be successful that will boost their confidence for the rest of the day.

We're also sharing 5 components you need to have an epic morning meeting. In Part 1 today, we'll cover the first three components, so be sure to tune in for the next episode for the last two components and bonus tips!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Kindergarten Word Works
First Grade Word Works
Blog Post - Morning Meeting
SEL Toolkit
Blog Post - Names
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Could your morning classroom routine use a little pizzazz? Join me as I interview Susan Matthews, who is an absolute master at morning meetings.

If you haven't tried morning meetings yet, give us a chance to explain why they're so important and beneficial. Besides being engaging, if you craft them thoughtfully, they give students a chance to be successful that will boost their confidence for the rest of the day.

We're also sharing 5 components you need to have an epic morning meeting. In Part 1 today, we'll cover the first three components, so be sure to tune in for the next episode for the last two components and bonus tips!

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Kindergarten Word Works
First Grade Word Works
Blog Post - Morning Meeting
SEL Toolkit
Blog Post - Names
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group

]]> Toni Mullins / Susan Matthews Buzzsprout-6855955 Thu, 17 Dec 2020 04:00:00 -0500 1509 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, relationships, morning meeting 1 24 full false January REFRESH: 3 Goals to Get Your Students Back in Gear January REFRESH: 3 Goals to Get Your Students Back in Gear I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Christmas break! While I'm looking forward to some rest, TV, and time with my family, I'm also planning ahead for January.

This is a perfect time to reflect back on the first half of the school year and push the reset button for the start of the second half. These three goals will get you set for a successful beginning in January.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Blog post: https://teachertoni.com/reset/
Sticker Card Starter Kit: Sticker Card Starter Kit: Positive Behavior Management System | TpT (teacherspayteachers.com)
Virtual Rewards: teachertoni.com/virtualrewards/
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: primary-teacher-friends-join-1024x287.png (1024×287) (teachertoni.com)

]]> I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Christmas break! While I'm looking forward to some rest, TV, and time with my family, I'm also planning ahead for January.

This is a perfect time to reflect back on the first half of the school year and push the reset button for the start of the second half. These three goals will get you set for a successful beginning in January.

Links mentioned in today's episode:
Blog post: https://teachertoni.com/reset/
Sticker Card Starter Kit: Sticker Card Starter Kit: Positive Behavior Management System | TpT (teacherspayteachers.com)
Virtual Rewards: teachertoni.com/virtualrewards/
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: primary-teacher-friends-join-1024x287.png (1024×287) (teachertoni.com)

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-6767251 Thu, 10 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500 1029 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, relationships, classroom behavior management 1 23 full false The ONE WORD your students CRAVE The ONE WORD your students CRAVE Did you know there's one word all your students want to hear? It's connected to their identity. It's a powerful way to make them feel connected and valued. Plus, it barely takes extra time and very little effort to make sure you say this word once you know what it is.

Ready to find out? Let me show you what it is and how to implement it!

Links mentioned in today's episode: 
Today's blog post: The One Word Your Students Crave: Their Name! - Teacher Toni
Sight Word Engagement Guide: 3 Sight-Word Strategies (scientifically-proven) to BOOST Engagement in Primary (K-2) - Teacher Toni
Cheer Cards: Classroom Cheers: An Active, Motivational Tool for Primary Teachers (54 Free Cheer Cards to Download) - Teacher Toni
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends

]]> Did you know there's one word all your students want to hear? It's connected to their identity. It's a powerful way to make them feel connected and valued. Plus, it barely takes extra time and very little effort to make sure you say this word once you know what it is.

Ready to find out? Let me show you what it is and how to implement it!

Links mentioned in today's episode: 
Today's blog post: The One Word Your Students Crave: Their Name! - Teacher Toni
Sight Word Engagement Guide: 3 Sight-Word Strategies (scientifically-proven) to BOOST Engagement in Primary (K-2) - Teacher Toni
Cheer Cards: Classroom Cheers: An Active, Motivational Tool for Primary Teachers (54 Free Cheer Cards to Download) - Teacher Toni
Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-6632191 Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500 1300 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, teacher inspiration, teacher quotes, teacher encouragement, primary education, primary teacher, pre-k, classroom management, student engagement 1 22 full false How to (Actually) Teach During the Holidays How to (Actually) Teach During the Holidays Need some motivation to keep teaching content during the holidays? Today, Toni shares why these three weeks are so important.

She also gives three tips to make sure you're continuing vital learning without being accused of being a grinch. Our primary kiddos don't need a bunch of holiday movies to enjoy the holiday spirit. With a little planning, our lessons can be both content rich and festive.

Links in today's episode:
Holidays podcast episode: https://teachertoni.com/holidays/
Kindergarten Word Works: Kindergarten Word Works: Christmas Edition (Printable & Interactive PDF) (teacherspayteachers.com)
First Grade Word Works: First Grade Word Works: Christmas Edition (Printable & Interactive PDF) (teacherspayteachers.com)
Classroom Cheers Post: Classroom Cheers: An Active, Motivational Tool for Primary Teachers (54 Free Cheer Cards to Download) - Teacher Toni
Direct Drawings: Art for Kids Hub - YouTube

]]> Need some motivation to keep teaching content during the holidays? Today, Toni shares why these three weeks are so important.

She also gives three tips to make sure you're continuing vital learning without being accused of being a grinch. Our primary kiddos don't need a bunch of holiday movies to enjoy the holiday spirit. With a little planning, our lessons can be both content rich and festive.

Links in today's episode:
Holidays podcast episode: https://teachertoni.com/holidays/
Kindergarten Word Works: Kindergarten Word Works: Christmas Edition (Printable & Interactive PDF) (teacherspayteachers.com)
First Grade Word Works: First Grade Word Works: Christmas Edition (Printable & Interactive PDF) (teacherspayteachers.com)
Classroom Cheers Post: Classroom Cheers: An Active, Motivational Tool for Primary Teachers (54 Free Cheer Cards to Download) - Teacher Toni
Direct Drawings: Art for Kids Hub - YouTube

]]> http://www.teachertoni.com/holidays Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-6546436 Thu, 26 Nov 2020 04:00:00 -0500 1139 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, tips, tricks, how to teach 1 21 full false Why, How & Who to GIVE THANKS Why, How & Who to GIVE THANKS Teacher, do you feel like no one sees or cares about the hard work you're putting in? Let me assure you that I do.

Our world needs a lot more gratitude going around. Today I'm going to explain why gratitude is healthy and how we can show it to others and ourselves. You might be the person someone needs to hear from today, and your encouragement could be the very thing they need to keep going.

I'm going to share a simple way you can share your gratitude. It'll require you to search your feelings, but it'll be good for you and the person you share with. Trust me on this one.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

]]> Teacher, do you feel like no one sees or cares about the hard work you're putting in? Let me assure you that I do.

Our world needs a lot more gratitude going around. Today I'm going to explain why gratitude is healthy and how we can show it to others and ourselves. You might be the person someone needs to hear from today, and your encouragement could be the very thing they need to keep going.

I'm going to share a simple way you can share your gratitude. It'll require you to search your feelings, but it'll be good for you and the person you share with. Trust me on this one.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-6395221 Thu, 19 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500 1281 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, gratitude, thanksgiving, thank you notes, science of thank you, teacher motivation, teacher encouragement, strategies 1 20 full false What PIRATES have to do with Student Engagement w/ Dave Burgess What PIRATES have to do with Student Engagement w/ Dave Burgess Today's episode brings you an interview packed with energy and ideas from best-selling author of Teach Like A PIRATE, Dave Burgess. Come along as Toni talks with Dave about bringing the PIRATE spirit to the classroom. 

They explore student engagement and how using hooks is an investment of time rather than a waste of time. That's because if you make content an experience it becomes memorable. Come embrace Dave's enthusiasm and carry it into your teaching!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

]]> Today's episode brings you an interview packed with energy and ideas from best-selling author of Teach Like A PIRATE, Dave Burgess. Come along as Toni talks with Dave about bringing the PIRATE spirit to the classroom. 

They explore student engagement and how using hooks is an investment of time rather than a waste of time. That's because if you make content an experience it becomes memorable. Come embrace Dave's enthusiasm and carry it into your teaching!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

]]> Toni Mullins / Dave Burgess Buzzsprout-6304246 Thu, 12 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500 1344 TLAP, Teach Like a Pirate, Dave Burgess, primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, engagement, classroom management, relationships, classroom behavior management 1 19 full false Dear Tired Teacher, Dear Tired Teacher, Sweet Teacher, I know your heart and spirit are exhausted and ready to give in. I know that you have too much to do and too little time to do it. I know that our current situation has added a deeper, more violent layer of stress to an already overwhelming career. I also know that all of your hard work and sacrifices go highly unnoticed and unappreciated. More than any of that, I also know that the World can't afford to LOSE YOU as a Teacher.  You have to keep going.

If you feel like you just can't keep going on like this, you need to listen intently to this episode.  Toni shares a very personal story of a little girl who gets in trouble the day after Halloween and how the unparalleled impact of a caring teacher can change everything.  If you can't hear the raw passion in her voice something is wrong with your headphones. Children need you and Toni spills out her heart in hopes that you'll hang in there for the ride.

Links mentioned in this episode: 

  • Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends/ 
]]> Sweet Teacher, I know your heart and spirit are exhausted and ready to give in. I know that you have too much to do and too little time to do it. I know that our current situation has added a deeper, more violent layer of stress to an already overwhelming career. I also know that all of your hard work and sacrifices go highly unnoticed and unappreciated. More than any of that, I also know that the World can't afford to LOSE YOU as a Teacher.  You have to keep going.

If you feel like you just can't keep going on like this, you need to listen intently to this episode.  Toni shares a very personal story of a little girl who gets in trouble the day after Halloween and how the unparalleled impact of a caring teacher can change everything.  If you can't hear the raw passion in her voice something is wrong with your headphones. Children need you and Toni spills out her heart in hopes that you'll hang in there for the ride.

Links mentioned in this episode: 

  • Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends/ 
]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-6227611 Thu, 05 Nov 2020 01:00:00 -0500 1032 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, tired teacher, motivation for teachers, encouragement, primary teacher, teacher exhaustion, teacher burnout 1 18 full false The TRUTH about Self-Care that EVERY Teacher Needs to Hear w/ Barbara Gruener The TRUTH about Self-Care that EVERY Teacher Needs to Hear w/ Barbara Gruener Feeling worn down, discouraged, or burned out? Join Toni and special guest, Barbara Gruener, to learn what self-care REALLY is (it's doesn't only mean a spa) and why you should absolutely be practicing it.

We'll talk about self-talk, saying no, and how to avoid feeling guilty for giving your best self to the world.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 


]]> Feeling worn down, discouraged, or burned out? Join Toni and special guest, Barbara Gruener, to learn what self-care REALLY is (it's doesn't only mean a spa) and why you should absolutely be practicing it.

We'll talk about self-talk, saying no, and how to avoid feeling guilty for giving your best self to the world.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 


]]> Toni Mullins / Barbara Gruener Buzzsprout-6064525 Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400 1571 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, self-care, self-talk, SEL, affirmations, mantras 1 17 full false Sentence Writing Made EASY: A simple, power-house strategy that only takes 10 minutes Sentence Writing Made EASY: A simple, power-house strategy that only takes 10 minutes If you're a Primary Teacher, you know that teaching a student how to write a sentence correctly isn't an easy task, especially considering we normally have 20+ of the little critters to split our teaching between.  If you've felt the frustration of walking around the room, struggling to give each child the instruction they need to form a sentence correctly (with capitalization, spacing, punctuation, etc.), you need a new way. 

Today, Toni will share with you the EASIEST way EVER to help your students get over this writing hurdle. With this quick and simple routine, you'll see a transformation in your students' sentence-writing abilities... PROMISE! 

The best part? She's not only going to teach you why and how to do it, but she's providing the tools you need to get started as soon as TODAY. . So, listen in and let's get those kiddos writing sentences straight-away.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 




]]> If you're a Primary Teacher, you know that teaching a student how to write a sentence correctly isn't an easy task, especially considering we normally have 20+ of the little critters to split our teaching between.  If you've felt the frustration of walking around the room, struggling to give each child the instruction they need to form a sentence correctly (with capitalization, spacing, punctuation, etc.), you need a new way. 

Today, Toni will share with you the EASIEST way EVER to help your students get over this writing hurdle. With this quick and simple routine, you'll see a transformation in your students' sentence-writing abilities... PROMISE! 

The best part? She's not only going to teach you why and how to do it, but she's providing the tools you need to get started as soon as TODAY. . So, listen in and let's get those kiddos writing sentences straight-away.

Links mentioned in today's episode: 




]]> http://www.teachertoni.com/writingsentences Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5996932 Thu, 22 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400 977 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, writing, sentence writing, how to teach sentence writing 1 16 full false JOY-KILLING Classroom Management Mistakes & How to Avoid Them JOY-KILLING Classroom Management Mistakes & How to Avoid Them Teacher, is there something missing in your classroom? Maybe some JOY?

Many teachers face the joy stealer of classroom management. Behavior can make a day great or ruin it, and managing that is enough to drain the enthusiasm right out of your heart.

Today, Toni is going to share three common classroom management mistakes and how to fix them. She knows this works, because she's learned these strategies through experience.

Let's put the joy back in your well-managed classroom!


Links from today's episode: 







]]> Teacher, is there something missing in your classroom? Maybe some JOY?

Many teachers face the joy stealer of classroom management. Behavior can make a day great or ruin it, and managing that is enough to drain the enthusiasm right out of your heart.

Today, Toni is going to share three common classroom management mistakes and how to fix them. She knows this works, because she's learned these strategies through experience.

Let's put the joy back in your well-managed classroom!


Links from today's episode: 







]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5900905 Thu, 15 Oct 2020 01:00:00 -0400 1042 1 15 full false 3 Empowering Reasons to LOVE Virtual Teaching 3 Empowering Reasons to LOVE Virtual Teaching Is virtual teaching taking the excitement (at least the good kind) out of your year? It doesn't have to!

Today, Toni shares three reasons you can love virtual teaching. So if you feel like your year is kind of miserable, you're in exactly the right place.

Is virtual teaching hard? Yes.

Is it discouraging sometimes? Yes!

Is it rewarding? Yes!!!

Here's how you can keep your joy through this school year and share the best learning experience possible with your students.

Links from today's episode:

  1. Today's blog post: https://teachertoni.com/lovevirtualteaching
  2. Article by James Clear about positive thinking: https://jamesclear.com/positive-thinking
  3. Blog post about classroom cheers: https://teachertoni.com/cheers/
  4. Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends
]]> Is virtual teaching taking the excitement (at least the good kind) out of your year? It doesn't have to!

Today, Toni shares three reasons you can love virtual teaching. So if you feel like your year is kind of miserable, you're in exactly the right place.

Is virtual teaching hard? Yes.

Is it discouraging sometimes? Yes!

Is it rewarding? Yes!!!

Here's how you can keep your joy through this school year and share the best learning experience possible with your students.

Links from today's episode:

  1. Today's blog post: https://teachertoni.com/lovevirtualteaching
  2. Article by James Clear about positive thinking: https://jamesclear.com/positive-thinking
  3. Blog post about classroom cheers: https://teachertoni.com/cheers/
  4. Primary Teacher Friends Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends
]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5770285 Thu, 08 Oct 2020 01:00:00 -0400 932 1 14 full false Teaching Sight Words Virtually: Don't add another APP, add ENGAGEMENT. Teaching Sight Words Virtually: Don't add another APP, add ENGAGEMENT. Is your classroom missing some magic? It could be you!

Even in a virtual classroom, students need to be engaged with the content and with you! If you're looking for ways to get your students excited about sight words, here are 10 quick, easy, and super fun activities that will boost their learning.

Links mentioned in today's episode:

]]> Is your classroom missing some magic? It could be you!

Even in a virtual classroom, students need to be engaged with the content and with you! If you're looking for ways to get your students excited about sight words, here are 10 quick, easy, and super fun activities that will boost their learning.

Links mentioned in today's episode:

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5653750 Thu, 01 Oct 2020 01:00:00 -0400 1231 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade virtual learning, distant learning, activ learning, sight words, balanced literacy 1 13 full false Student Engagement 101: What it is, why it's ESSENTIAL and how to achieve more of it. Student Engagement 101: What it is, why it's ESSENTIAL and how to achieve more of it. Content doesn't matter without engagement! In today's episode, I'm going to make a big topic like engagement concrete and actionable for you. We'll talk about what engagement is and how you can tell if your primary students are engaged. Then I'm going to share five strategies with examples that you can start using today in YOUR classroom to increase engagement!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

]]> Content doesn't matter without engagement! In today's episode, I'm going to make a big topic like engagement concrete and actionable for you. We'll talk about what engagement is and how you can tell if your primary students are engaged. Then I'm going to share five strategies with examples that you can start using today in YOUR classroom to increase engagement!

Links mentioned in today's episode:

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5567017 Wed, 23 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400 1407 1 12 full false Bring MAGIC to Reading with Morning Message: 3 Incredible Reasons to try it NOW Bring MAGIC to Reading with Morning Message: 3 Incredible Reasons to try it NOW Looking for a way to engage your students in reading? Want to make practicing literacy more interactive? Missing a sense of community in your classroom? Try the morning message! This routine will engage students, lets you practice or introduce any reading skill, and allows easy differentiation so you can adjust to the overall ability of your class and to each student.


Links mentioned:

]]> Looking for a way to engage your students in reading? Want to make practicing literacy more interactive? Missing a sense of community in your classroom? Try the morning message! This routine will engage students, lets you practice or introduce any reading skill, and allows easy differentiation so you can adjust to the overall ability of your class and to each student.


Links mentioned:

]]> Toni Mullins / Janet Grigsby Buzzsprout-5476564 Thu, 17 Sep 2020 01:00:00 -0400 1614 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, literacy, morning message, reading teacher 1 11 full false 10 Reasons to LOVE being a Primary Teacher (a.k.a. A Teacher Pick-Me-Up!) 10 Reasons to LOVE being a Primary Teacher (a.k.a. A Teacher Pick-Me-Up!) There is no greater career than that held by Primary Educators. Whether you are considering the field or are a current teacher in need of a great reminder: Primary Education is where the MAGIC happens. Join me as I give you 10 awesome reasons to love what you do. 

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

  • Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends/
  • Free Letter/Sound Assessment Binder: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Letter-Sound-Assessment-Binder-for-Progress-Monitoring-3179028
]]> There is no greater career than that held by Primary Educators. Whether you are considering the field or are a current teacher in need of a great reminder: Primary Education is where the MAGIC happens. Join me as I give you 10 awesome reasons to love what you do. 

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

  • Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends/
  • Free Letter/Sound Assessment Binder: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Letter-Sound-Assessment-Binder-for-Progress-Monitoring-3179028
]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5374543 Thu, 10 Sep 2020 01:00:00 -0400 1092 kindergarten, first grade, second grade, teacher inspiration, teacher quotes, teacher encouragement, primary education, primary teacher, pre-k 1 10 full false Engage your students in ANY CONTENT with this powerful, student-favorite strategy. Engage your students in ANY CONTENT with this powerful, student-favorite strategy. Even if you use classroom cheers, you may not be aware of the incredible benefits that you (yes, you the Teacher) and your students can reap from using them effectively. In today’s episode I’ll give you all the benefits and tell you how (with a set of 54 Cheer Cards) to get this routine going in your classroom so that you can begin engaging, motivating and energizing your students as soon as today. 

 

Links mentioned in today’s episode: 

  • Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends/ 
  • Classroom Cheers Blog Post & Cheer Card Download: https://teachertoni.com/cheers/
]]> Even if you use classroom cheers, you may not be aware of the incredible benefits that you (yes, you the Teacher) and your students can reap from using them effectively. In today’s episode I’ll give you all the benefits and tell you how (with a set of 54 Cheer Cards) to get this routine going in your classroom so that you can begin engaging, motivating and energizing your students as soon as today. 

 

Links mentioned in today’s episode: 

  • Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/primaryteacherfriends/ 
  • Classroom Cheers Blog Post & Cheer Card Download: https://teachertoni.com/cheers/
]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5269429 Thu, 03 Sep 2020 01:00:00 -0400 1181 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, classroom cheers, relationships, classroom behavior management, class cheers, 1 9 full false How to Create Video Lessons that Engage Primary Students (plus, a FREE Guide to Help!) How to Create Video Lessons that Engage Primary Students (plus, a FREE Guide to Help!) Are you a brand-new virtual classroom (or distance learning) teacher in Pre-K, Kindergarten, First or Second Grade? This advice is for you! Learn six simple strategies you can utilize to help engage your little learners with your video lessons, whether you are teaching LIVE through Google Meet, Zoom, etc. OR are sending pre-recorded lessons for you students to see. Don't miss the printable version of these strategies (including links to many FREE resources to help) in download included with this episode: The Video Handbook for Primary Teachers. 

Links mentioned in this episode: 



]]> Are you a brand-new virtual classroom (or distance learning) teacher in Pre-K, Kindergarten, First or Second Grade? This advice is for you! Learn six simple strategies you can utilize to help engage your little learners with your video lessons, whether you are teaching LIVE through Google Meet, Zoom, etc. OR are sending pre-recorded lessons for you students to see. Don't miss the printable version of these strategies (including links to many FREE resources to help) in download included with this episode: The Video Handbook for Primary Teachers. 

Links mentioned in this episode: 



]]> http://www.teachertoni.com/video Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-5166520 Thu, 27 Aug 2020 01:00:00 -0400 1593 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade virtual learning, distant learning, engagement, video lessons, 1 8 full false Connecting with Students by Heart: 3 Easy SEL Routines for your Primary Classroom Connecting with Students by Heart: 3 Easy SEL Routines for your Primary Classroom Primary grade students count on us for content and for emotional support. Today, Barbara Gruener and I are going to share 3 strategies for social emotional learning that you can start using in your classroom now, whether you are in person or meeting virtually for distance learning. These strategies are actually routines that, with a little practice, can be completed quickly every day in your class and still bring vital growth to your students' ability to manage their emotions.


Links mentioned in today's episode:


]]> Primary grade students count on us for content and for emotional support. Today, Barbara Gruener and I are going to share 3 strategies for social emotional learning that you can start using in your classroom now, whether you are in person or meeting virtually for distance learning. These strategies are actually routines that, with a little practice, can be completed quickly every day in your class and still bring vital growth to your students' ability to manage their emotions.


Links mentioned in today's episode:


]]> Toni Mullins / Barbara Gruener Buzzsprout-5067743 Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400 1405 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, SEL, Social-Emotional Learning, Virtual Classroom 1 7 full false The KEY to Increasing Letter & Sound Fluency: Guide your Students to Mastery with 4 Easy Steps The KEY to Increasing Letter & Sound Fluency: Guide your Students to Mastery with 4 Easy Steps Whether you teach Pre-K & Kindergarten OR you have struggling First & Second Graders, this key concept of Letter & Sound Fluency could be the barrier that is holding them back from becoming a fluent, proficient reader. In today's episode, I will share with you my super-simple strategy for improving letter & sound recognition and fluency among students. I have used it consistently with Kindergarten students for years to help them master letters & sounds BUT have also brought in this tool into play when helping 2nd Grade students who had yet to find success in reading. 

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

]]> Whether you teach Pre-K & Kindergarten OR you have struggling First & Second Graders, this key concept of Letter & Sound Fluency could be the barrier that is holding them back from becoming a fluent, proficient reader. In today's episode, I will share with you my super-simple strategy for improving letter & sound recognition and fluency among students. I have used it consistently with Kindergarten students for years to help them master letters & sounds BUT have also brought in this tool into play when helping 2nd Grade students who had yet to find success in reading. 

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-4962947 Thu, 13 Aug 2020 04:00:00 -0400 995 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, alphabet, letters & sounds, fluency, reading, phonics, active learning, engagement, student engagement 1 6 full false How to Build Authentic Relationships in the Virtual Classroom: Advice from true EXPERTS. How to Build Authentic Relationships in the Virtual Classroom: Advice from true EXPERTS. Join all four Co-Authors of the Virtual Classroom Survival Guide as they share their BEST advice for creating real, authentic connections with students during distant learning. Virtual teaching may seem stressful, but deep relationships can make all the difference. 

You'll hear from: 

  • Dr. Jean Feldman (Early Childhood Author & Expert)
  • Barbara Gruener (Nationally recognized Counselor, Speaker & Character Coach)
  • Laura Buonadonna (Pre-K Expert & Digital Learning Activity Designer)
  • Toni Mullins (Primary Teacher & Digital Curriculum Developer) <-- That's me, y'all! ❤

Links mentioned in Today's episode: 

]]> Join all four Co-Authors of the Virtual Classroom Survival Guide as they share their BEST advice for creating real, authentic connections with students during distant learning. Virtual teaching may seem stressful, but deep relationships can make all the difference. 

You'll hear from: 

  • Dr. Jean Feldman (Early Childhood Author & Expert)
  • Barbara Gruener (Nationally recognized Counselor, Speaker & Character Coach)
  • Laura Buonadonna (Pre-K Expert & Digital Learning Activity Designer)
  • Toni Mullins (Primary Teacher & Digital Curriculum Developer) <-- That's me, y'all! ❤

Links mentioned in Today's episode: 

]]> Toni Mullins / Dr. Jean Feldman / Laura Buonadonnanna / Barbara Gruener Buzzsprout-4867739 Thu, 06 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0400 1471 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, virtual learning, distant learning, virtual classroom, virtual classroom survival guide, SEL 1 5 full false Broken Crayon Kids: 4 Ways to Foster New Identities in Your Classroom Broken Crayon Kids: 4 Ways to Foster New Identities in Your Classroom What are Broken-Crayon Kids? In today's episode I'll explain the story of a vibrant, beautiful student who had a transformation in my classroom. After that, I'll give you four simple-ways to help these students build new identities as successful learners in your classroom. 

______________________________ 

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

]]> What are Broken-Crayon Kids? In today's episode I'll explain the story of a vibrant, beautiful student who had a transformation in my classroom. After that, I'll give you four simple-ways to help these students build new identities as successful learners in your classroom. 

______________________________ 

Links mentioned in today's episode: 

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-4776800 Thu, 30 Jul 2020 04:00:00 -0400 990 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, classroom management, relationships, classroom behavior management 1 4 full false 3 Super-Easy Active Learning Strategies (that work Virtually) w/ Dr. Jean Feldman 3 Super-Easy Active Learning Strategies (that work Virtually) w/ Dr. Jean Feldman I'm so excited to bring along my wonderful friend, Dr. Jean Feldman, to discuss the importance of Active Learning (especially in the Virtual Classroom.) We will provide 3 super-easy-to-implement strategies that you can use to get your students actively engaged in their learning, no matter if you are teaching virtually or in-person. 
________________________________
Mentioned in today's episode: 



]]> I'm so excited to bring along my wonderful friend, Dr. Jean Feldman, to discuss the importance of Active Learning (especially in the Virtual Classroom.) We will provide 3 super-easy-to-implement strategies that you can use to get your students actively engaged in their learning, no matter if you are teaching virtually or in-person. 
________________________________
Mentioned in today's episode: 



]]> Toni Mullins / Dr. Jean Feldman Buzzsprout-4685489 Thu, 23 Jul 2020 11:00:00 -0400 1233 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade virtual learning, distant learning, active learning 1 3 full false Phonological v. Phonemic Awareness & Phonics (featuring Mawmaw Mina Mae) Phonological v. Phonemic Awareness & Phonics (featuring Mawmaw Mina Mae) In today's episode, we'll visit one of the most essential areas in Primary literacy: Phonological Awareness. I will draw clear lines to demonstrate the difference between Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness & Phonics. Join me for examples and stories that will help you clearly understand these concepts. 
-----------------------------------------

]]> In today's episode, we'll visit one of the most essential areas in Primary literacy: Phonological Awareness. I will draw clear lines to demonstrate the difference between Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness & Phonics. Join me for examples and stories that will help you clearly understand these concepts. 
-----------------------------------------

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-4685264 Thu, 23 Jul 2020 11:00:00 -0400 665 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade phonics, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, literacy 1 2 full false Hello, Difference Makers! Who will you SAVE? Hello, Difference Makers! Who will you SAVE? If you've landed here, you are a DIFFERENCE MAKER. Guess what? A Teacher (just like you) saved my life and now I'm paying it forward. Find out more about my journey in becoming a "little people fanatic" in today's episode.

Join our Facebook Community: Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group
Visit my Website: http://www.teachertoni.com/blog

]]> If you've landed here, you are a DIFFERENCE MAKER. Guess what? A Teacher (just like you) saved my life and now I'm paying it forward. Find out more about my journey in becoming a "little people fanatic" in today's episode.

Join our Facebook Community: Primary Teacher Friends Facebook Group
Visit my Website: http://www.teachertoni.com/blog

]]> Toni Mullins Buzzsprout-4684805 Thu, 23 Jul 2020 10:00:00 -0400 494 primary teacher, kindergarten, first grade, second grade 1 1 full false