7 Quick Teacher Approved Tips for a Better January [Episode 240]

Heidi  0:01

This is episode 240 of Teacher Approved.

 

Heidi  0:04

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

 

Emily  0:12

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  0:27

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

 

Emily  0:35

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we are sharing some teacher approved tips from seven fantastic educators that will help you make this your best January yet.

 

Heidi  0:48

But first, let’s start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away. So Emily, what is our suggestion this week?

 

Emily  0:57

This week plan something to look forward to. Coming back after a long break can really feel rough, so you can make it a little easier by giving yourself a boost. This could be something fun that you’re going to do with your students, or something just for you. Maybe pack a yummy treat for after school, or grab your favorite takeout for dinner, or plan a girls night out for Saturday, or something you want to do with your students that you love doing.

 

Heidi  1:23

Or if you are thinking longer term, how about you think about some spring break plans? I know it feels far away, but it’s closer than you think. Maybe print a picture that reminds you of what you have to look forward to. You know, even if that’s just a cover of a book you want to read, print that picture and tuck it into your plan book, and then you can peek at it when you’re on your third inside recess of the week, and everything feels just a little bit too much.

 

Emily  1:47

If you like this idea or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star rating and review in your podcast listening app?

 

Heidi  1:56

Now we are so glad you’re here today, because we’ve got something fun planned, and we think you’re really going to love it.

 

Emily  2:02

Since most of you are heading back today or tomorrow, we wanted to help you transition from cozy couch mode to busy classroom mode.

 

Heidi  2:10

Yeah, if you are feeling that post holiday slump and maybe if your routines have gotten a little wobbly, or if you’re just ready for a reset heading into the second half of the year, this episode is for you.

 

Emily  2:21

In a couple weeks, we are hosting the teacher winter talks event. It is a free audio summit designed to help you start the new year strong. And today, we’re giving you a sneak peek. Seven of our amazing event speakers are here to share quick, actionable tips that you can use right now.

 

Heidi  2:41

So think of this as the appetizer before the full meal. Each of these speakers has a complete session waiting for you at the summit, but what you’re about to hear now is just a little taste.

 

Emily  2:52

So if something resonates with you, and I have a feeling several of these will, you can sign up for your free ticket at the link in our show notes, or at secondstorywindow.net/teacherwintertalks.

 

Heidi  3:03

All right, let’s kick things off with a tip that made me say, Why have I never thought of this? Have you ever considered that your student shirts could teach you? Kirsten Hammond from The Southern Teach has and it’s kind of brilliant. So here’s Kirsten.

 

Kirsten Hammond  3:17

Hi everyone. I’m Kirsten from The Southern Teach, and I’m so excited to share a quick and easy strategy that you can use right away to build real world events into your social studies time. A little bit about me, I help other elementary educators make social studies engaging, meaningful and doable, even when time is tight. And one of my favorite things to teach is how to connect what’s happening in the world right now to the skills we’re already building with our students.

 

Kirsten Hammond  3:48

One of the simplest ways to do that is a routine that I’m going to call what’s on their shirts. Every day, students are walking in wearing shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts that tell you exactly what’s happening in their world—sports teams, holidays, races, community events, and using that as a conversation starter is one of the quickest ways to bring real world events into the classroom. All you have to do is ask this question: Is anything you’re wearing today connected to a real world event? This works anywhere, and I’m going to share with you an example from my own community.

 

Kirsten Hammond  4:23

So over the football season this school year, we’ve seen a big mix of Texas teams in the hallways, as always, because football is a really big deal in the state. There’s Texas Tech fans, Texas A and M fans, Longhorn fans, and this year has been especially exciting because both Texas Tech and Texas A and M are making their very first college football playoff debut. It’s been a historic moment for both programs and our students have felt that energy. As a former Aggie, of course I am always cheering for A and M, but honestly, I would love to see either team make a strong run, because it’s such a big point of pride for our kids and families. So hopefully, as you’re listening to this, when this airs, maybe one of those teams will still be in the playoffs.

 

Kirsten Hammond  5:09

When a student walks in wearing a college football hoodie or some type of jersey or tshirt from their favorite NFL team, this is a perfect opening for a quick and meaningful connection. You can talk about how sports bring communities together, why the playoff season matters for both college football and for NFL football, and even local high school football, and also thinking about how events can impact local traditions or economies all without planning a full lesson. Maybe there’s a nearby stadium that a lot of teams play at, or maybe your city is hosting a college bowl game. There’s all kinds of things you can insert in, and you don’t have to do a ton of research to do it.

 

Kirsten Hammond  6:00

If a student isn’t wearing anything event related, they can always share something happening in their neighborhood or something they heard at home. It takes a couple minutes, requires little to no prep, and it helps students see social studies unfolding around them every day.

 

Kirsten Hammond  6:16

If you like strategies like this, I can’t wait to share more during my summit session, real world events without the heavy lifting. I’ll walk you through how to choose the right real world events, how to keep discussions neutral, and ways to weave those moments into your day in a way that builds student confidence without adding more to your plate. I’m excited to connect with you all, and you can find me on Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube at The Southern Teach.

 

Heidi  6:43

Okay, I love that, because this is one of those ideas that is hiding in plain sight.

 

Emily  6:48

And it is a great reminder that social studies doesn’t always need a lesson plan to work.

 

Heidi  6:53

And I love how adaptable this is. Even first graders can participate in this kind of discussion, and this is just a great way to re establish some connection with your students post winter break.

 

Emily  7:04

And what you didn’t hear is how she structures these conversations so they stay inclusive and productive.

 

Heidi  7:10

And that’s what she breaks down on her full teacher winter talk session, along with ways to make this sustainable all year long.

 

Emily  7:16

Okay, our next tip is for anyone who’s ever looked at their lesson plans and thought, Wait, did three different people write these? You know what I mean, your reading block has one thing going on, and your writing block is doing something totally unrelated, and grammar is just off in its own little world.

 

Heidi  7:32

Oh, yeah, been there. But Jessica Ivey, from Ideas by Jivey, has a simple fix. So here she is.

 

Jessica Ivey  7:39

Hey, Teacher Approved listeners. It’s Jessica, also known as Jivey, from Ideas by Jivey, and I love helping teachers simplify their ELA block using mentor texts and routines that actually make your life easier. Today, I want to share a quick mid-year win with you, something you can do this week that won’t add anything to your plate, but will make your lessons feel more connected.

 

Jessica Ivey  8:09

Instead of planning each subject separately, I want you to choose one picture book and use it in two different parts of your day, not the whole day, just two places. You know, by January, I usually hear from teachers that they feel like their reading, writing and grammar plans were created by three different people who’ve never met. Everything feels disconnected and it’s exhausting to keep switching gears, for you and for the students.

 

Jessica Ivey  8:41

So I want you to grab a picture book that you already love. Now don’t overthink this. Just look on your shelf. Pick something that you enjoy reading aloud, and then I want you to use that book for a reading mini lesson and one other part of your day. Now that could be a grammar warm up, a quick writing prompt, or even discussing vocabulary words within the text. You’re not planning a whole week around the book yet. Save that for my full session in the teacher winter talks. I want you to just focus on reconnecting two pieces of your day.

 

Jessica Ivey  9:24

So let’s say you read your book and you spot one meaningful reading moment and one sentence with great craft or structure. Use the reading moment in your comprehension lesson, and then pull that sentence later for a quick grammar or writing conversation. Boom, you have two lessons that are connected with zero extra prep. Our goal here is for students to see how reading, writing and grammar actually live together, and to give your brain a little break because you’re not juggling five different books in one day.

 

Jessica Ivey  10:05

Now, in my teacher winter talk session called Mid Year Mentor Text Makeover, I’m going to show you how to turn that simple idea into a full planning routine that you can reuse with any book. It’s honestly the biggest sanity saver I teach. Now, if you want to hang out with me before the session, you can come find me on Instagram @ideasbyjivey. I can’t wait to share more with you soon.

 

Emily  10:37

What I love about this is how doable it feels. You don’t need a whole new curriculum to make things feel cohesive.

 

Heidi  10:44

Right. It’s one small decision that reduces cognitive load for you, and helps students see how ELA actually fits together. And what she impacts on her full session is how to turn this into a repeatable planning habit, so it’s not just a one time fix.

 

Emily  11:00

Okay, our next step is for anyone who’s watched students freeze on word problems, even when you know that they can do the math.

 

Heidi  11:07

Ah, this is such a common problem, but Mona Iehl has a simple shift that changes how students enter the problem. So here’s Mona.

 

Mona  11:16

Hi Teacher Approved listeners, I’m so glad to be here with you. My name is Mona Iehl and I help kindergarten through fifth grade teachers turn their math block into a place where students feel safe to think and talk and problem solve, even when the word problems get tricky.

 

Mona  11:35

So today’s quick tip is one that you can use the very first day back after winter break, or on any day here this winter or in the future. It’s honestly a game changer for students who struggle with word problems. Here it is. Launch the problem the same way that you launch a read aloud. I want you to use the literacy comprehension strategies that you use every day to help your students make sense of the situation before they ever solve anything, because one of the biggest hurdles for students with word problems isn’t the math, it’s the reading. So if they don’t understand the story, then they can’t make sense of the math.

 

Mona  12:24

So instead of handing your students a problem and hoping for the best, I want you to try this. Tell them the story out loud. Ask them to close their eyes and make a movie in their mind. For example, here’s what it might sound like. Okay, guys, there’s three fourths of a birthday cake left in the pan after my dad’s birthday party. My brother and I want to split the remaining cake with our other brother. So I’m trying to figure out how much of that cake I actually am going to get to eat. And as you tell it, I want you to ask your students to visualize. We want them picturing the pan, seeing the cake cut into fourths, and imagining that there’s only three of those equal pieces left, and that then they’re going to be shared among three people. Then they’re going to be able to start to reason about the size of those pieces before they ever touch a pencil.

 

Mona  13:25

Okay, but here’s a first grade example. You might tell this story to your students. There are 38 kids out on the playground, you guys. They’re all playing, they’re on the monkey bars, some are going down the slide. There’s a few other kids on that spinny thing, you know, the one where you like, hold on and it spins you around real fast. Okay, there’s 38 kids. Can you see them? Okay, but here’s what happens next. A whole class comes outside to the playground. They come busting through the doors, their teachers being like, wait, wait, wait, wait for me. But all these kids are running out onto the playground. And now there are 53 kids on the playground. What I want you to figure out is how many students came out to play.

 

Mona  14:10

Now, your students can imagine the playground, right? They’re there every day. They can start to see, okay, that first group of kids is on the, all the equipment, and then more come running through the doors. They’re building a story, a meaning before they solve. Now this tiny shift helps learners access the problem, especially those who rely heavily on strategies like visualizing and retelling and making mental models in literacy, this is a great way to transfer those skills. And it sets our students up to engage with math because they understand the situation.

 

Mona  14:55

If this idea is resonating with you, I would love for you to join my session at teacher winter talks, where I’m sharing a simple daily routine called word problem workshop that helps students take risks, to talk about their thinking and truly become problem solvers, even in the middle of the year. I can’t wait to connect with you at the summit and share with you this simple routine that can really shift everything, even in January. See you there.

 

Heidi  15:28

That line, launch the problem like a read aloud, changes the whole entry point.

 

Emily  15:33

And it’s a great reminder that when students feel oriented and confident, the math thinking follow.

 

Heidi  15:39

In her full teacher winter talk session, Mona turns this shift into a daily routine that builds confidence and mathematical talk over time.

 

Emily  15:47

If word problems are a sticking point in your room, this one is worth your time. And staying in math for a minute, our next speaker brings a reflection strategy rooted in thinking classrooms research.

 

Heidi  15:58

Cassie Tabrizi helps elementary teachers make math time more meaningful, and today, she has a simple twist to get students really thinking about their learning.

 

Cassie  16:07

Hey, teacher approved listeners. My name is Cassie Tabrizi and I support elementary teachers who want math time to feel more meaningful for them and for their students. Today, I’ve got a simple mindset shift that can lead to deeper thinking and stronger retention in your math block. It’s called writing notes to your future forgetful self. The idea comes from Dr. Peter Liljedahl’s book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics.

 

Cassie  16:32

At the end of a unit or even just a lesson, students take a few minutes to reflect and jot down the most important ideas in their own words. But here’s the twist, instead of writing for their teacher, they’re writing for their future forgetful self. That shift in audience makes a huge difference. The pressure’s off. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s about making connections. What do they need to remember later? What would actually help when they forget?

 

Cassie  17:01

For learners, it gives some light structure. Think like guided math journal pages with questions that focus their thinking. Things like, what did you figure out today? What was tricky at first, but makes more sense now? What do you want to remember the next time this comes up? These journals become a personal toolkit, something students can revisit in a few weeks when they’re spiraling back to old concepts or they’re preparing for a checkpoint like an assessment or a test.

 

Cassie  17:29

In fact, Dr Liljedahl suggests letting students use their notes on an assessment later on. This is not about letting them take a shortcut. It’s a powerful way to reinforce and retrieve what they’ve learned. This retrieval practice really helps move information from working memory to long term memory, so we can battle the forgetting curve and really achieve deep understanding. And one more thing as a side note, these notes aren’t graded. That’s part of what makes them feel safe and real.

 

Cassie  17:57

So if you’re curious about more steps that you can take to master your math instruction, come join me in my winter summit session. We’ll dive into practical ways to create clarity, increase motivation, and move information from working memory to long term memory. Can’t wait to see you there.

 

Emily  18:13

Notes to your future forgetful self. I love how low pressure that feels.

 

Heidi  18:19

Yeah, it’s turning reflection into something students actually want to come back to, not just something that they’re rushing through. In her full teacher winter talk session, Cassie walks through how to build this kind of reflection into your math routine in a way that’s sustainable.

 

Emily  18:33

Okay, we are halfway through our summit sneak peek. How are you doing? Are you getting some ideas brewing?

 

Heidi  18:40

Oh, yeah, I’m already making a mental list of which full sessions I want to catch first.

 

Emily  18:44

I love it. Our next tip comes from Meg Anderson at The Teacher Studio. She spent over three decades in the classroom, and she’s got so many useful takeaways.

 

Heidi  18:53

So here is Meg.

 

Meg  18:55

Hi, I’m Meg from The Teacher Studio. I’m so glad you’re here and taking a few minutes for yourself today. I spent over three decades in the classroom, mostly in upper elementary, and one thing I learned the hard way is that January is different. We come back from winter break ready to reset, reestablish routines and jump back into learning, but our students often need a little more time than we expect.

 

Meg  19:24

So here’s a simple but powerful reminder, as you head back into the second half of your year, slow down your wait time. After winter break, students are often hesitant. They’re out of practice, sharing their thinking, unsure of expectations and sometimes just a little rusty. When we ask a question and jump in too quickly or call on the first raised hand, we unintentionally send the message that speed matters more than thinking. Intentional wait time changes that.

 

Meg  19:58

When you pause just a few extra seconds after asking a question, you give students space to first, process what’s being asked. Second, organize their thinking, and finally, take a risk without being rushed. Those quiet seconds communicate safety. They tell students, your thinking matters here. This is especially important in math and discussion based lessons where we want reasoning, not just answers. Wait time helps build confidence, encourages more voices to participate, and supports productive struggle, something students really need as they ease back into learning routines.

 

Meg  20:46

So if January ever feels quieter or slower than you expect, that’s not a problem to fix. It’s an invitation to lean into these intentional pauses. In my full summit section, I’ll dig much deeper into how strategies like wait time fit into a bigger picture of productive struggle, what it really looks like, how to support it without rescuing students too quickly, and how small shifts can lead to deeper thinking and stronger student engagement.

 

Meg  21:18

If this idea resonates with you, I’d love for you to join me there. Thanks for listening, and remember, those quiet moments you build into your lessons matter more than you think. I’d love to keep in touch, and you can find me at www.theteacherstudio.com, or on Instagram and Tiktok @theteacherstudio.

 

Emily  21:40

I love how much permission there is in that reminder.

 

Heidi  21:43

Yeah, you can tell she has spent a lot of time in the classroom. Her tip reframes this January wobble not as a problem, but as part of the learning process.

 

Emily  21:52

Meg’s teacher winter talk session zooms out to show how moments like this fit into a bigger picture of student thinking and growth.

 

Heidi  22:01

And if your January feels heavy or slow this year, that perspective is really grounding. And if you need another tip, perfect for this time of year, keep listening, because you know what else January brings? Sickness and sub plans.

 

Trina  22:15

Hey, Teacher Approved listeners. I’m Trina Deboree from Trina Deboree Teaching and Learning and the podcast One Tired Teacher. And I spent 27 years in the classroom, mainly as a second grade teacher, but also as a media specialist, and I was that teacher who used to come to school sick because writing sub plans felt harder than actually teaching.

 

Trina  22:38

Here’s the simplest shift I want to share today. Stop thinking of sub plans as something you do when you’re sick, and start thinking of them as something you set up once to protect your future self. Most teachers don’t avoid sub plans because they’re lazy. They avoid them because they’re exhausted, and when sub plans live only in your emergency brain, they never get done.

 

Trina  23:06

Instead, here’s the easy win. Pick one calm afternoon, not a sick day, a calm afternoon. Does it exist? Yes, I believe it does. And create a basic, reusable sub binder, just your schedule, your class list, a short note to the sub and a couple of flexible activities that work any day of the week. That’s it. Not cute, not fancy. Just ready. That one small shift turns sub plans from panic mode into a safety net.

 

Trina  23:40

In my winter teacher talk session, the sub survival system, how to plan once and rest easy all year, I share the full framework, including how to keep sub plans simple, stress free and guilt free, even during the busiest seasons. If you’ve ever dragged yourself to school because the thought of sub plans felt overwhelming, this session is for you. I’m so excited to connect with you during the summit. You can find me at trinadeboreeteachingandlearning.com, and if you like real talk and practical support for tired teachers, I’d love to have you listen to my podcast, One Tired Teacher. Take care of yourself, your future self will thank you.

 

Heidi  24:22

I love how much compassion there is in Trina’s reframe.

 

Emily  24:25

Yeah, this really does reframe sub plans as an act of care for your future self, especially when that future self might have strep throat.

 

Heidi  24:34

Yeah, the strep throat, that always took me down at least once a year.

 

Emily  24:38

Oh, it’s the worst.

 

Heidi  24:39

Trina’s summit session, the sub survival system, will show you how to build that safety net once, and then you can stop carrying sub plan stress around all year.

 

Emily  24:48

And speaking of taking care of yourself, our last summit speaker preview is someone we love collaborating with. Our buddy Kelsey Sorenson from educate and rejuvenate has hosted teacher conferences for five years. And she always brings this grounded permission giving energy to our summit as well.

 

Heidi  25:05

Her tip isn’t a strategy or a hack, it’s more of a perspective shift, and honestly, it might be exactly what you need to hear right now.

 

Kelsey Sorenson  25:13

Hey, Teacher Approved listeners. My name is Kelsey Sorenson. I am a certified life coach, former classroom teacher, current homeschooling mom of three, and founder of educate and rejuvenate. You might know me from the book, the podcast or Instagram, all of that same name, educate and rejuvenate. We’ve also hosted a event for teachers for the past five years. So if you’ve been to one of our educate and rejuvenate conferences, hello, I’m so excited to see you over at teacher winter talks as well. Heidi and Emily and I love collaborating on our events, so so much fun.

 

Kelsey Sorenson  25:45

I want to offer you something today, not a productivity hack, not another classroom strategy. You’ll be getting plenty of those, but a perspective shift that has completely changed how I move through the season. Because let’s be real. Winter can feel really heavy. The holidays are over, the to do list doesn’t disappear. It’s darker, colder, quieter, and it’s easy to start thinking, Why do I feel like this? What’s wrong with me? And here’s the truth, what if nothing is wrong with you at all? You are just in winter.

 

Kelsey Sorenson  26:16

Literally, winter is not a season of blooming, it’s a season of rest, of a slowness of quiet, unseen growth. So let’s pause and really sit with that. And see how we can sit with that analogy as teachers, because we are conditioned to go, go, go, to hold it all together every day, every season, we rarely let ourselves let up until we hit a break, literally like winter break or summer break, and we crash and we’re already burned out.

 

Kelsey Sorenson  26:44

But what if we allowed for seasonality, even within the school year? What if we could still have a time to pull back, simplify and get intentional about what matters most? Think about it. Trees aren’t blooming right now, not because they’re broken, but because they’re wise. They’re conserving energy, they’re preparing, they’re doing the invisible work that makes spring possible. And you are allowed to do the same. You are allowed to slow down, to simplify, to take things off your plate. You’re allowed to stop fighting winter and be like, Oh, I’m feeling the winter blues, and start working with it.

 

Kelsey Sorenson  27:18

Maybe that means not changing the bulletin board this month, or using AI to streamline your lesson planning, or finally, signing up for that meal service so dinner doesn’t drain you after a long day. And that is the mindset shift that I want to leave you with today, not to fix yourself, but to give yourself permission.

 

Kelsey Sorenson  27:35

And inside of my winter talk session, it’s called five tiny tweaks that help teachers survive winter burnout, I’ll walk you through some practical, doable ways to support your energy, your nervous system and your time right now. And if you grabbed the max pass, don’t skip the bonus. I’m sharing my burnout to balance audio series, my full coaching framework, plus access to an AI coaching tool I built specifically for teachers. But for now, take this with you. You are not behind. You’re not failing. You are in winter, and this is a season to simplify.

 

Emily  28:08

That is such a helpful tip. We all could use the permission to be more gentle with ourselves in the winter.

 

Heidi  28:15

Yeah, if this season feels heavier than you expected, you are definitely not alone. Kelsey’s teacher winter talk session offers small, supportive ways to care for your energy during this season.

 

Emily  28:26

If winter burnout feels real right now, that session and the bonus she’s sharing are a beautiful place to start.

 

Heidi  28:33

So that is our sneak peek of the teacher winter talks, seven speakers, seven tips you can start using this week.

 

Emily  28:41

But remember, these are just the teasers. Each of these educators has a full session with so much more depth waiting for you, plus we’ve got so many other speakers that you haven’t even heard from yet.

 

Heidi  28:52

Teacher winter talks is completely free to attend. Come learn, low effort, big reward strategies to help you prevent mid year burnout and reignite your teaching spark with practical, bite sized audio tips you can listen to on the go and use right away.

 

Emily  29:08

You can head to secondstorywindow.net/teacherwintertalks, or head to the link in our show notes to grab your free ticket. And if you want lifetime access plus bonus resources for each speaker, you will want to upgrade to the max pass after you sign up.

 

Heidi  29:24

We cannot wait to see you there. We are going to have so much fun.

 

Emily  29:28

Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week’s teacher approved tip is to design your seating for speed. I have a need for speed, Heidi, tell us about this one.

 

Heidi  29:43

Well, one thing that Emily and I often recommend doing mid year is adjusting your seating arrangement. However, before you start figuring out where everyone is going to sit, take time to figure out one important detail. How quickly can you get to any desk? Proximity to the teacher is the number one deterrent to off task behavior. So your goal with your seating arrangement is to be able to reach any seat in the fewest possible steps.

 

Heidi  30:10

So that means designing for walkways, and probably not perfect rows, because if you have to walk all the way around the perimeter of your desks to reach that back corner where the kids are talking, you’re going to do it less often, and when you’re tired, that means you’re just going to default to calling out instead of walking over and actually dealing with the problem.

 

Emily  30:29

Designing your seating like this might seem unimportant, but clear paths help you circulate more and manage behavior quietly, and the real bonus is it cuts down on the amount of walking you have to do, and your feet will thank you for that, for thinking of them.

 

Heidi  30:44

If you want to learn all about our strategy for using your classroom seating arrangement for maximum impact, you definitely want to sign up for the teacher winter talks. On top of the 25 amazing sessions, Emily and I will be doing a three day live challenge to help you create a seating chart that works as one of your strongest classroom management tools. In just a few minutes a day, during this challenge, you will walk away with your own seating chart tailored to address your specific classroom needs.

 

Emily  31:14

So head to secondstorywindow.net/teacherwintertalks to grab your free ticket to join us on January 17 through 19th, 2026, and you can join us for the three day challenge too.

 

Heidi  31:28

To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

 

Emily  31:35

My extra credit goes to K18 dry shampoo. So I have seen this recommended all over the place, and I finally gave it a try when I, like, found a Black Friday deal. The rumors are true, guys. It’s amazing. It’s way better than any other kind of dry shampoo that I’ve tried. And it isn’t the cheapest, but I do feel like a little goes a long way. So like, in the long run, I don’t feel like it’s that expensive.

 

Heidi  31:56

Oh, that’s good to know. I’m gonna have to be on the lookout for that.

 

Emily  31:59

Yeah, for sure. What are you giving extra credit to?

 

Heidi  32:01

So my extra credit goes to some new pens that I just got. They are the Tul (T-U-L) retractable gel pens. My preferred pen is the muji 0.5, long time devotee of the Muji.

 

Emily  32:17

It’s true.

 

Heidi  32:18

But those pens, I found they don’t write well on post it notes, and that is so frustrating. I’ve had to keep other pens around, so I thought I would give these a try. And these Tul pens are great. They write so smoothly. And now I’m trying to decide if I need to get the pretty colored ones too.

 

Emily  32:32

I think you definitely do.

 

Heidi  32:34

Well I will put a link to the pens in the show notes in case you also need some new office supplies to get you through January.

 

Emily  32:41

That is it for today’s episode. Make sure to sign up for teacher winter talks, and there is a link to that in the show notes. We would love for you to join us. We’re going to have so much fun.

 

Heidi  32:54

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

 

Emily  32:57

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  33:04

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  33:11

Bye.