Your Free Backstage Pass to Teacher Summer Talks [Episode 272]

Heidi 0:00
This is episode 268 of Teacher Approved.

Heidi 0:01
This is episode 272 of Teacher Approved.

Heidi 0:07
You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

Emily 0:14
And I’m Emily. We’re the creators behind Second Story Window, where we give research-based and teacher-approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

Heidi 0:29
We’re so glad you’re tuning in today. Let’s get to the show.

Emily 0:37
Hey there, thanks for joining us today. This episode is a little different. Our Teacher Summer Talks summit kicks off next week, and so we pulled together an exciting sneak peek. Eight of our summit speakers each recorded a quick tip to share with you.

Heidi 0:55
So, this is basically a sampler platter of the summit. If a tip makes you want to hear more, you’re in luck, because that speaker has a full session waiting for you.

Emily 1:05
Yeah, so let’s start with our good friend Jessica Ivey, lovingly referred to by Jivey, by most of us, by many of us. She’s got a grammar tip that’s really a writing tip in disguise.

Heidi 1:19
And this is such a clever way to work smarter. She’s got one tiny question that does more than a whole worksheet, so let’s hear what she has to say.

Jessica Ivey 1:28
Hey, teacher-approved listeners, I hope your summer is treating you well, and you’re soaking up some rest before the planning season kicks back in. I’m Jessica Ivey Smith, also known as Jivey from Ideas by Jivey. I spent 10 years teaching in the elementary grades, and I’ve spent over 15 helping teachers implement research-based strategies and building literacy curriculum. My whole focus is to take that stuff the research says works and make it simple enough to actually pull off in a real classroom.

Jessica Ivey 2:07
My teacher-approved tip is one small question that will stretch your students’ grammar further than any worksheet. That question: How do you know? Most of us teach grammar by having kids identify things, circle the noun, underline the verb, point to the adjective, but here’s the catch nobody warns you about. A student can nail every one of those and still not reach for a single strong word when it’s their turn to write. Identifying a part of speech and actually using it well turn out to be two very different abilities.

Jessica Ivey 2:49
So try this instead. When a student tells you a word is a verb, resist the urge to just confirm it and move on. Stop and ask, How do you know? Make them put the reasoning into words. You’ll see those gears turning. Instead of, raced is a verb, you’ll get, raced is a verb because it’s what the boy did, it’s the action. You’ve nudged them from memorizing a label to explaining how the word actually does its job in the sentence, and that explaining is exactly what carries over when they write, because now they don’t just recognize a vivid word, they get why it works and how to choose one themselves.

Jessica Ivey 3:37
That question is just one piece of a bigger routine, and I’m walking through the whole thing in my teacher summer talk session, launching the mentor sentence routine in your first two weeks. I’ll show you a simple weekly rhythm that ties grammar directly to writing, how to get it going in the opening weeks of school so it sticks all year, and I’m even giving you a ready-made lesson to start with, completely free. Now, I’d love to connect with you at the summit, and you can also find me anytime at Ideasbyjivey.com or over on Instagram @ideasbyjivey. Come say hi, and let me know how your students respond the first time you ask them, how do you know?

Emily 4:23
I love that, because this is how you turn a kid who can label a verb into a kid who reaches for a strong one when they write.

Heidi 4:32
And it’s really so simple. I love an idea that’s so versatile. You could use this question daily, and every time it would surface different kinds of thinking.

Emily 4:42
Speaking of the power of questions, our next tip takes that same move into much trickier territory. So, here’s Shelby from Little Justice Leaders on what to do when a kid asks something hard and you freeze.

Shelby 4:58
Hi, Teacher Approved listeners. I’m Dr. Shelby Kretz. I’m the founder of Little Justice Leaders, and I help teachers build classroom communities where all kids feel seen, valued, and affirmed. For all of us as educators, there is some point when a student is going to bring up a hard topic, whether that’s a question about gender, an inappropriate comment about race, or some other remark about identity or diversity, and you’re frozen in front of the class. So, here’s my teacher-approved tip.

Shelby 5:25
When these hard questions or comments come up, instead of trying to respond right away or sweeping it under the rug and panicking, we’re simply going to ask a question. And here’s why: asking a question gives us a few seconds to figure out what the right course of action is, and it also gives you a chance to understand why your student asked the question or made the comment in the first place.

Shelby 5:48
So, the question is, what to ask. Of course, this depends on what the student said, but here are a few good questions to have ready. That’s a good question. What made you think of that? We’re going to ask this if maybe it’s a question about identity that we don’t know how to answer right away, but it’s not exactly offensive. Now, if they’re saying something offensive or potentially inappropriate, then we’re going to say, “Hey, I want to ask, where have you heard that before?” or “What do you think that word means?” or “Do you know what that means?” Again, we’re giving ourselves a beat to think about how to handle it, but we’re also giving the student an opportunity to give us insight into what they meant.

Shelby 6:22
If you’re still not sure how to handle the situation after the student responds, you can always say, “Right now, I’m going to continue with what we’re working on, but we’re going to come back to this later.” That buys you even more time to think about it, while clearly signaling to your students that you’re not ignoring the question or comment.

Shelby 6:36
So, why does this work? It keeps the door open, we’re not sweeping it under the rug or changing the subject. It tells our students right away that we’re not going to let harmful behavior or harmful language pass by, and it also tells them that our classroom is a safe place to ask hard questions. We’re not going to ignore it just because it makes us uncomfortable. So that’s it. It really is that simple. Just start with a question, you buy yourself a little bit of time to think, you gain insight into what your student was thinking, and you clearly demonstrate to the class that you aren’t going to sweep things like this under the rug, and that you genuinely care about what they think and what they have to say.

Shelby 7:12
So, remember, responding well in these moments is so much easier when you’ve already built a classroom where kids feel safe, they feel known, and everyone understands what fairness looks like. So at Little Justice Leaders, we help educators build classrooms that are affirming and rooted in belonging. In our teacher talk session, I’m sharing even more strategies and our exact framework for creating a classroom culture where every student feels like they belong. So, please don’t miss it. We share so many more resources for educators and families online, so come find us at Little Justice Leaders on Instagram and other social media, that’s @littlejusticeleaders, and best of luck creating a classroom culture that is truly rooted in belonging this year. I’m so excited to connect with you during the summit.

Heidi 7:53
Shelby is so right. In a tough moment, what you need most is a few seconds to think, and a thoughtful question gives you that buffer.

Emily 8:02
And it keeps the door open instead of shutting the kid down, so it helps you stay in control of a moment that feels like it might spiral out of your hands, but while still keeping the connection open with your student.

Heidi 8:15
Our next tip is for everyone who’s ever stared their schedule wondering where on earth more writing is supposed to fit. Here’s Leigh from the Applicious Teacher.

Leigh 8:26
Have you ever looked at your schedule and thought, I know my students need more writing, but how am I supposed to fit it in? It’s a challenge that I hear all the time, and honestly, it’s something that I struggle with too. Hey there, I’m Leigh Langton, and I’m a third-grade teacher here in Central Florida, the creator behind the Applicious Teacher, and a lifetime advocate for helping teachers implement research-based practices in ways that are actually realistic for basic classrooms, just like mine.

Leigh 8:57
One of the biggest misconceptions about writing instruction is that it has to happen in this special dedicated writing block, and the truth is some of the most powerful writing can happen in just a few minutes throughout the day.

Leigh 9:11
Here is a quick tip that you can try literally your first day back at school. So, imagine for a second it’s your first week of school, and you’re about to read a classroom community building book, like “Our Class is a Family” or something like that. Before reading, ask your students to spend a couple minutes responding to this prompt. What are some things that you do to help take care of your family? Now, let your students write whatever comes to their mind, then you can share what they wrote, read the story, come back to that same prompt, and ask students to revise their thinking using the text that they just read, as well as how they could apply it to their classroom family.

Leigh 9:57
And there, in just a few minutes, students have activated prior knowledge, engaged deeply with a story, they reflected on their classroom expectations from previous classroom experiences, and they practice some very meaningful writing, all in one simple quick write. That is the power of quick writes.

Leigh 10:18
In my teacher summer talk session, I’m going to show you how to use quick writes to help build the bridge between the science of reading and the science of writing, and you’ll walk away with practical, low prep ideas that naturally fit into your reading, math, science, and social studies times without adding another program, another resource, or hours to your day, or hours to your planning. So be sure to join me for quick writes marrying the science of reading, and the science of writing, and I cannot wait to share more with you.

Emily 10:50
A quick write before a read aloud is so doable, you don’t have to invent a whole new block, you are folding writing into something you’re already doing.

Heidi 11:00
And her first week community building example is perfect timing, you could easily slot this into your first week lessons.

Emily 11:08
Okay, now let’s shift into math. So, here is Greg, also known as Mr. Elementary Math, on how to stop guessing your way through small groups.

Greg 11:18
What’s going on, math fam? I’m Greg, also known as Mr. Elementary Math. I’m a math coach and a curriculum writer who helps third-grade teachers feel confident about differentiation and small group instruction. My tip is all about stopping the guessing game in your teacher-led small groups. Here’s something I see all the time: a teacher pulls a small group, right, grabs an activity that looked good on paper, and 15 minutes later realizes it wasn’t what that group needed. Does that sound familiar?

Greg 11:52
So, here’s the mind shift. Every student who sits down at your small group table falls into one of three categories. They’re either still building understanding, they’re inconsistent and need more practice, or they’ve got it, and they’re ready for something deeper. Once you know which one you’re looking at, the right kind of lesson becomes obvious. The tricky part isn’t the teaching, it’s figuring out which category a group falls into before you waste your 15 minutes guessing.

Greg 12:21
So I’m breaking this down even more in my summit session called Stop Winging It: How to Target Instruction in Math Small Groups. I’ll be sharing an example of how this looks, and a quick checklist you can run through in under a minute to know exactly what each small group needs. So, if guessing sounds a little too familiar, you’ll want to check me out. I’m excited to connect with you during the summit. You can also find me on Instagram @mrelementarymath.

Heidi 12:54
This is such a helpful framework. Once you know which category you’re looking at, the lesson kind of builds itself.

Emily 13:01
And that question that he ends on the figuring out the category before you waste 15 minutes, that is the perfect setup for our next tip. Greg helped us figure out what happens at your small group table, and Marcy from Saddle Up for Second Grade is here to talk about how to keep everyone else on track.

Marcy 13:19
Hey, Teacher Approved listeners, I’m so excited to be here with you today, and share a quick tip before my session at the Teacher Summer Talks Summit. I’m Marcy Bernethi from Saddle Up for Second Grade, and I help first, second, even third grade teachers make math instruction feel more manageable with practical routines, small group support and ready to use resources.

Marcy 13:43
If you are wanting to start small groups or math stations in your classroom, the biggest thing I want you to remember is this: you can’t start small groups until your students know what to do independently, and I say this because I learned this the hard way. When I first started trying to do small group math, I thought I could just pull a few kids back to my table, give the rest of the class the math game for activity, and they would magically know what to do. Spoiler alert, that did not happen.

Marcy 14:15
I had high expectations for them. I had not actually taught them how to meet those expectations. I expected them to work with a partner or a group, but I hadn’t shown them what that should look like and sound like. I expected them to use math materials the right way, but I hadn’t taken the time to model it. I expected them to use the right voice level and problem solve and take the basket off the shelf and clean up and put it back exactly where it belonged, but here’s the thing: those are not things our students automatically know how to do. They have to be taught explicitly, repeatedly, and patiently.

Marcy 14:53
Before you ever expect your students to work independently during math stations, you have to slow down and teach the expectations first. What does it look like to play a math game with a partner? What does it sound like when you’re using a math voice instead of a recess voice? What do you do if you don’t understand the directions? What do you do when you finish early? Those little routines might seem small, but they are the foundation that makes small group math actually work.

Marcy 15:21
So my tip for you is this: before you launch math stations, pick one expectation and teach it like it is part of your math lesson, because it is. Model it, practice it, and let students try it. Stop and reteach when needed. You may feel like you’re moving slowly at first, but I promise you that time on the front end will save you so much frustration later. In my teacher summer talk session, five simple math routines to teach before small group math begins, I will walk you through the five routines I teach before launching math stations in small groups so your students will know exactly what to do while you’re working with a small group at the teacher table.

Marcy 16:06
I’ll also share a fun freebie to help get your routine started, because small groups can work, but the routines have to come first. I would love to connect with you before the summit. You can find me at Saddleupfor2ndgrade.com or head on over to Instagram and find me @saddleupfor2ndgrade.

Heidi 16:25
And Marcy’s right, you can’t start small groups until your students know what to do independently. That is so true.

Emily 16:31
Yeah, and it’s probably something most of us learned the hard way. It’s really so easy to skip that step when we’re just excited to get going, but Marcy’s right, those independent routines aren’t something that kids just know, you have to teach them just like you’d teach anything else.

Heidi 16:49
Our next tip is about a tool a lot of us are still figuring out how to use well. Here’s Jen from Strategic Classroom with a rule of thumb for AI and your back to school prep.

Jen 17:00
I’m Jen from Strategic Classroom, and I help great teachers get their time back without sacrificing their effectiveness. I’ve been teaching about AI and the ethics of using it in the classroom since 2018 which is why I’m so excited to share my teacher-approved tip with you today. That’s about AI.

Jen 17:16
The thing about AI is that it is amazing at giving you the illusion of productivity, you might sit down and generate a whole bunch of stuff, which makes you feel busy and accomplished, except then you look down and realize that you’ve actually just created more work for yourself. So, the rule of thumb that I want you to carry into back to school prep is that AI can be a green light when you’ve already made a decision, and you just want more options, or you want refinement. I wouldn’t use it when you haven’t made a decision yet, and you’re hoping that it will decide for you.

Jen 17:50
Let me show you the difference. Let’s say that you’ve already decided that you want a lining up routine that utilizes a song. You might ask AI for 15 transition songs that other teachers use, so that you can pick the two that you love. That’s a real time saver, because you got a lot of options that have already been teacher tested, and then you are making the call. AI widened your options, but it didn’t take away the decision to use a lineup song.

Jen 18:16
Now, if you sit down and ask AI for 30 first week of school activities, we now have 30 different activities to read, vet, and mostly throw away or modify. That doesn’t actually save you any time. You gave AI the decision, and it gave you back a pile of work. So, before we ask AI for anything this summer, I want you to ask yourself, have I already decided, or am I hoping that it decides for me. We want to widen our options without outsourcing our judgment.

Jen 18:45
This is just one of three questions that I’m going to walk you through in my teacher summer talk session, AI can do it, should it, where I’ll give you a whole framework for knowing exactly which back to school tasks to hand to AI and which ones to keep for yourself, plus one thing that I would never ever put into an AI tool. You definitely want to hear that last one. I would love to connect with you during the summit, and you can also find me on Instagram and TikTok @strategicclassroom. I’ll see you there.

Emily 19:11
It is so easy to feel productive with AI when you’ve actually just made yourself 30 things to sort through.

Heidi 19:19
And then you still haven’t figured out the original problem, so widen your options, but keep the judgment. No computer can replace your expertise.

Emily 19:28
So far, everything we’ve talked about has been focused on the classroom, but we can’t forget the one thing that makes it all work: the teacher.

Heidi 19:36
That’s what these next few tips are about. Here’s Kelsey from Educate and Rejuvenate on what to do when your teacher brain won’t clock out.

Kelsey 19:44
Hi, Teacher Approved listeners, I’m Kelsey Sorensen from Educate and Rejuvenate. I’m a certified life coach for teachers and a teacher author, probably most known for virtual events, life coaching, and sub plans, but my biggest love and what I do is helping teachers enjoy their lives both inside the classroom and outside of it. You might also know me as I have been a guest on the podcast and a speaker at past teacher summer talks and teacher winter talks, and I’m so thrilled to be back as a featured speaker for Teacher Summer Talks 2026.

Kelsey 20:17
So, here is something I’ve noticed with my teacher clients who I work with. During the school year, your teacher brain follows you home. You’re sitting on the couch trying to watch your show, but you’re actually replaying the email that parents sent, or running through tomorrow’s lesson for the third time. Then, when the summer hits, you might think that it can leave you alone, but it doesn’t always. Maybe you’re at Target, not even thinking about school, just grabbing whatever you came in for, and then you walk past the back to school section and see all the folders and the backpacks, and your stomach drops, even though it’s July and nothing has actually happened yet.

Kelsey 20:51
So today I want to give you something you can do in that exact moment. First, name it out loud if you can, say, there’s my teacher brain again, or just, my teacher brain followed me into Target, and summer’s not even over. That’s it. Just noticing what is actually happening.

Kelsey 21:07
Second, before you even get to that moment, build yourself what I call an anchor menu. This is where you pick two to five things ahead of time that bring you back to the present moment, instead of worrying about the past or fretting about the future. At least one should be something you can do instantly, even if you were like, say, in the middle of teaching, or in the checkout line at Target. Maybe it’s taking three deep breaths, or pressing your feet into the floor, or rocking side to side. Decide this now, so the second you name your teacher brain, you already know what to do next to bring yourself back into the present moment, instead of just standing in the checkout line, spiraling.

Kelsey 21:44
Now even if this is the one thing you take from today, it can actually help you enjoy what you have left of your summer and walk into the new school year with a tool that is going to help you to bring yourself back to the present moment among all of the back to school stress. But there’s even more waiting for you at Teacher Summer Talks. I’ve got a session called How to Stop Dreading September Before It Even Starts, and it goes much deeper into all of this. I’m a featured speaker this year, so keep an eye out for it. You’re not going to want to miss that session. I have some great things to share with you there, and an awesome freebie too.

Kelsey 22:17
You can also find me on Instagram @educateandrejuvenate, and if you want a little pick-me-up, every week, I send something via email called the Teacher Brain Break, where I share a little tip like this. You can sign up for that at Educateandrejuvenate.com/teacherbrainbreak.

Kelsey 22:33
That’s it for now, but I can’t wait to see you at Teacher Summer Talks.

Emily 22:39
Her shopping example got me, because that’s exactly what happens. You’re fine, you’re just buying paper towels, and then the backpacks are right there, and your stomach just drops. It’s the worst feeling.

Heidi 22:51
I hate that moment. But what I like is that Kelsey gives you something to actually do in that moment. You don’t have to give into the panic or push it down like it’s not real. Name it, and then go to your anchor response. Help your nervous system do its job of keeping you regulated.

Emily 23:09
While Kelsey’s tip is about catching yourself in the moment, the next one is about setting things up before the moment ever hits. So, here’s Jacey on the boundary most of us forget to plan for.

Jacey 23:20
Hi, everyone, I’m Jacey Schank. I want to leave you with one quick tip that has the power to completely change your school year. Most teachers think boundaries are things we set with other people, boundaries with parents, boundaries with coworkers, but one of the most important boundaries is actually the ones we set with ourselves.

Jacey 23:40
Here’s what I mean. Every August, teachers create classroom procedures, lesson plans, and organizational systems, but very few teachers create a plan for protecting their own energy. Instead, we tell ourselves, I’ll start taking care of myself when things settle down, I’ll start exercising once I get into a routine, I’ll start meal prepping after the first few weeks of school. Guess what the problem is: teachers never actually get caught up. There’s always another email, another meeting, another lesson, another responsibility.

Jacey 24:13
So, my challenge for you is very simple: before school starts, choose one personal non-negotiable, just one. Maybe it’s eating breakfast every morning, maybe it’s taking a 10 minute walk before school, maybe it’s setting a hard stop time and refusing to work after that time. Whatever it is, decide right now, because if you don’t intentionally protect your well-being, the school year will gladly consume every bit of time and energy that you have.

Jacey 24:41
One of the biggest lessons I learned recovering from burnout was that taking care of yourself isn’t something you do after everything else is finished. Taking care of yourself is a boundary, and it is one that deserves protection. If this resonates with you, be sure to check out my full session, Protect Your Energy: three back to school boundaries every teacher needs, where I will walk you through the exact boundaries, habits, and systems that helped me recover from burnout and create a healthier, more sustainable teaching career.

Jacey 25:12
And if you’d like more support, encouragement, and practical strategies for preventing burnout, I’d love to connect with you on Instagram @jaceypulverschank, J A C E Y P U L V E R S C H A N K. I can’t wait to connect with you and help you protect your energy this school year.

Heidi 25:35
This is so common, we plan every procedure for the kids, and we leave ourselves completely out of it.

Emily 25:42
And that line, I’ll take care of myself when things settle down. I mean, there is no settling down, the year is never gonna get less busy, so you have to set your non-negotiable now before your intentions just get swallowed up by your to-do list.

Heidi 25:58
So that is our sneak peek from eight of the voices that you will hear at Teacher Summer Talks.

Emily 26:04
And every single one of these speakers has a full session waiting for you at the summit, going deeper than they could go here in just a few minutes. Teacher Summer Talks runs july 20 through the 23rd, and it is free. All of the speaker sessions are audio, and so you can listen while you’re driving or watching kids at the pool, or whatever you want to do to relax.

Heidi 26:27
But we are not finished yet. Of course, we couldn’t leave you without a tip of our own, and we are picking up right where Jacey left off. Our tip is to schedule around your brain, not your time. So, tell us more about this, Emily.

Emily 26:41
Okay, so basically every productivity tip teachers get is about the clock, right? So they tell you to block it, batch it, find the gaps, but the problem is making the mistake of assuming that every hour is equal, and I don’t know about you, but there are some tasks my brain just cannot handle after 4pm. So instead of just going down your to-do list, try sorting your tasks by energy.

Heidi 27:05
Right. Some tasks, like lesson planning, parent communication, that was a hard one for me, problem solving, and looking at data, they all need your good brain, those are more high-energy tasks.

Emily 27:19
But not every task requires that same level of focus. That’s where your low energy pile comes in. So, that’s running copies and organizing, clearing out your desk, filing papers. None of that needs your sharpest hours.

Heidi 27:34
So, take a minute to reflect and ask yourself, am I trying to do thinking work during my tired hours, because a lot of us are. We save lesson planning for Friday afternoon or late at night when we are the most depleted version of ourselves.

Emily 27:51
And when you’re not thinking clearly, it makes every task feel twice as hard. So, please do yourself a favor and manage your energy, not your time.

Heidi 27:59
I even have that as a sticky note on my computer. It works for everyday life as well as it does for school. In fact, you can just start using this right away. You don’t have to wait for school to start. Take a look at your back to school prep and sort all of your tasks the same way.

Emily 28:15
If you’re freshest in the morning, use that time for planning your first week, building your classroom procedures, designing lessons, mapping routines, all that high brain work.

Heidi 28:26
But if you’re more of a night owl, save those tasks for the hours when your head is the clearest. Put the kids to bed, put on a favorite show, and fire up your laptop. Make your system fit the realities of your life.

Emily 28:38
And save all the low brain stuff, like cutting out lamination, organizing supplies, stuffing birthday bags, when you’re running on fumes. You don’t need a fresh brain to use a paper cutter.

Heidi 28:50
Please make sure you’re paying attention while using a paper cutter, even if you are feeling tired. Nobody needs to start the school year with stitches.

Emily 28:58
Yeah, I feel like no stitches is just a good goal for everyone. And another good goal is to join us for the Teacher Summer Talks Summit next week. Tickets are free, and all of the speaker sessions are audio, so it frees you up to do whatever you’re doing. And then we have a few live sessions every day that are going to be super fun if you can make it live, but even if all you can do is take in the audio content, you will get so much out of this week.

Heidi 29:24
Besides all of our sessions, you get a guided first day plan challenge, so you walk into August with a real back to school plan all ready to go, and you get to hang out with us. So that’s definitely a bonus.

Emily 29:35
Yeah, we’ll help you do it. It’s gonna be so much fun.

Heidi 29:38
Grab your free ticket at secondstorywindow.net/summertalks, or even easier, just follow the link in the show notes.

Emily 29:47
Thanks for listening. Hope to see you at the summit next week.

Heidi 29:50
Bye.

Heidi 29:53
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I’m Heidi.

Emily 29:57
And I’m Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

Heidi 30:04
You can connect with us and other teachers in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. We’ll see you here next week. Bye for now.

Emily 30:10
Bye.