What Smart Teachers Do Before a PD Event (So It Actually Sticks) [Episode 241]

Heidi  0:00

This is episode 241 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  0:13

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  0:28

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

 

Emily  0:36

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we’re talking about how to get the most out of teacher winter talks, which is our upcoming audio summit happening in just a few days, and we’re going to share what to do before, during and after the summit, so you actually walk away with the strategies that you want and that you’ll use. We’ve also got a teacher approved tip for how to keep your best ideas visible so they don’t end up in the forgotten idea graveyard.

 

Heidi  1:03

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

 

Emily  1:11

This week, we want you to write a thank you note. It could be to a student, a co-worker, your most supportive parent, your custodian, or even a specialist who makes your day better, anyone who’s made an impression on you lately. This is obviously just a nice thing to do, but it matters beyond that, because psychologists have actually demonstrated that expressing gratitude, especially in written form, produces a lasting boost in happiness and it reduces stress.

 

Heidi  1:38

So this is good, not just for the person receiving it, but also you as the person doing it.

 

Emily  1:43

Yeah, it deepens connection, and it helps you feel better. And the beauty of thank you notes is that it’s so simple. They don’t require any grand effort. You just have to take some time and give some attention to write a few sentences and that’s it.

 

Heidi  1:55

And if you want to take this further, you can involve your students too by having them choose someone to write a thank you letter to. It could be another student, a teacher, someone at home. This type of activity helps to build that gratitude habit early. And your students need all of that good payoff too.

 

Emily  2:11

Right, and you could do it often throughout the year. It doesn’t have to just be once, and it’s such a simple thing with a big payoff. So if you like this idea or anything else we share on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star rating and review in your podcast listening app?

 

Emily  2:26

If you’re listening to this episode, chances are you are somewhere in the middle of the school year where your routines are set, the excitement has worn off a little or a lot, and teaching might feel more like a grind than a calling, and if that’s you, you are definitely not alone.

 

Heidi  2:43

No, you’re not alone. But we do have some good news. In just a few days, teacher winter talks is kicking off, and it is designed for this exact moment of the year. It is an audio only summit, which is an important choice, because no video means yes, pajamas.

 

Emily  3:01

Yes. That is literally on our registration page, and we stand by it.

 

Heidi  3:06

And this summit is full of short, practical sessions that you can listen to on the go. The goal of this event is simple. We want to help you reconnect with what’s working, find a few fresh ideas and maybe even fall back in love with teaching again.

 

Emily  3:22

Plus we’re gonna have a ton of fun at the same time, because we don’t do boring around here.

 

Heidi  3:27

No, we don’t. And today’s episode is all about how to get the most out of the summit, what to do before it starts, how to listen in a way so that these new ideas actually stick, and what to do afterwards, so that those good ideas don’t disappear into a folder that you never open again.

 

Emily  3:43

Oh yeah. We have all been to conferences and summits where we feel so inspired in the moment, and then a week later, we can barely remember what we picked up. All of our good ideas are a thing of the past.

 

Heidi  3:56

Oh, yep, yep, okay, I got a story about this. So years ago I got to attend the International Reading Association conference in Chicago. It was like a big deal. My school was receiving an award, so they sent a few of us, and it was amazing. I came home with my notebook just bursting with ideas. I had sticky notes everywhere, and I was so fired up.

 

Emily  4:16

Oh yeah, I remember, you were so jazzed after that.

 

Heidi  4:20

It was all so good. But here’s the problem. This happened in May. By the time we got back and I had, you know, shaken off the jet lag, I had maybe three weeks left in the school year, and so I looked at all these big ideas, and I thought, well, it just be a waste of energy to try and implement anything new right now, so I’m just going to save all this for the start of the next year.

 

Emily  4:41

And let me guess, did that ever happen?

 

Heidi  4:44

No, fatal mistake. By August, of course, when I’m setting up my room again, I had completely lost the momentum, like I came across my notebook at some point and flipped through it, I barely remembered why I’d been so excited about half of it, the ideas all just felt disconnected. The key details were fuzzy. The spark was just dead.

 

Emily  5:04

Oh, yes. So then those ideas went to the forgotten idea graveyard.

 

Heidi  5:08

Yep, that’s exactly what happens. And we don’t want it to happen to anyone listening to teacher winter talks. So today we are going to give you a framework for getting the most out of the summit, before, during and after, and after today’s episode, you will walk away prepared to use at least one strategy that you picked up from the summit.

 

Emily  5:26

Okay, so let’s start with before the summit. You’ve got a few days left to get ready still, so what should teachers be thinking about, Heidi?

 

Heidi  5:34

Well, the first thing, and this might sound obvious, but it does make a huge difference, is to decide what problem you want help with. Go into the summit with one or two current pain points in mind.

 

Emily  5:46

Yeah, because when you know what you’re listening for, the right ideas are going to stand out so much faster. They’re going to find you easier, and it gives you a filter to work through all the new information you’re going to get.

 

Heidi  5:57

Right. So instead of trying to absorb everything, you can scan for what applies to your situation. And our summit covers four main areas, classroom management and behavior, literacy, instruction. and teacher wellness.

 

Emily  6:10

So ask yourself, Where am I struggling most right now? That is your filter for the whole weekend.

 

Heidi  6:16

And then once you know your filter, you can preview the session lineup with confidence that you will hear the exact tips that you need right now.

 

Emily  6:24

And that’s really important, because there are over 25 sessions. We want you to start by scanning the session titles and star the ones that speak to your needs right now. You want to make sure that you set aside time to listen to those specific sessions.

 

Heidi  6:40

So for example, if behavior is your biggest struggle right now, maybe you want to prioritize the five step behavior reset system for after break, or heart center boundaries and consequences.

 

Emily  6:51

Or if literacy feels stuck, there’s the struggling reader breakthrough or rebooting reluctant writers.

 

Heidi  6:57

And if you are running on empty, which, let’s be honest, most of us are right now, there’s five tiny tweaks to help teachers survive winter burnout.

 

Emily  7:05

Oh yeah, that sounds like a must listen.

 

Heidi  7:08

Oh yeah, for me too. Okay, so you know your problem. You scan the sessions. Emily, what else should teachers do before the summit starts?

 

Emily  7:15

Well, consider matching your sessions to your listening locations. This is where audio summits really shine, and why we were so determined to make this an audio summit, because you can multitask, and that is something we love to do when we’re learning. And since you don’t have to watch a screen, there’s no video, you can think about where you’re going to be this weekend and where you’re going to be listening.

 

Heidi  7:40

Yeah, are you going to be driving kids to practice for whatever sport is in January? I don’t even know. I was going to say soccer, but…

 

Emily  7:48

Maybe it depends where you live.

 

Heidi  7:49

Hockey?

 

Emily  7:50

There you go.

 

Heidi  7:51

Maybe you’re walking the dog, folding the laundry. When you match sessions to low brain tasks, the follow through becomes so much more likely. You’re not having to carve out special time. You’re just layering your learning onto the things you’re already doing. So make a plan for when you might want to listen with your weekend plans.

 

Emily  8:09

And then here’s a couple practical tips. You want to charge your headphones before the weekend. That is the worst when you pop open those earbuds and they’re dead. Oh, it’s the worst.

 

Heidi  8:20

Or the kids have run off with them.

 

Emily  8:22

Yes. And then make sure you know how to access the sessions, which will be on the podcast feed. Or we have a free members area, if it would be easier for you to listen from your laptop or your computer. And then here’s an important detail, with a free ticket, each session is available for only 24 hours. So you do want to think about which sessions you’re going to prioritize each day in case you run out of time to listen to them all.

 

Heidi  8:44

However, if you grab the max pass, you have lifetime access to these sessions. You can listen to these whenever is convenient or as often as you want. So there really is less pressure that way. But even then, a loose plan helps ensure that you actually check out the content that’s most relevant to you.

 

Emily  9:02

And the times that I’ve upgraded my summit ticket, when I’ve gone to lots of different summits, I’ve been the most successful when I plan to consume as much of the content as possible, when everybody else at the summit is, even if I have extended access. Because otherwise you lose any kind of urgency, and it feels like I’ll just listen to that sometime, and then you don’t. So I think if you can, prioritize doing at least some of your listening this weekend, even if you have the max pass.

 

Heidi  9:26

Yeah, there’s so much energy when everyone is getting in it together, really creates a sense of momentum to help you want to keep going and move things forward. And it’s sometimes really hard to summon that energy when you’re on your own.

 

Emily  9:37

For sure. And then the last thing you want to do before the summit is set up a simple capture system. So decide how you’re going to jot down ideas. And let’s be honest, you probably won’t be sitting at a desk with a notebook during this summit. You’ll probably be washing dishes or grocery shopping.

 

Heidi  9:54

So in that case, your options might be a notes app on your phone, a Google Doc, I love a Google Doc. A few sticky notes, or even, you know, voice memos to yourself while you listen. Find a method that’s effective for what you’re going to be doing, even if it’s not elegant.

 

Emily  10:09

And then set a realistic goal for yourself beforehand, something like, I’m going to pull one idea that I can try next week, or I’m looking for one tip for making test prep more effective.

 

Heidi  10:19

Lowering the bar for what you’re expecting of yourself actually increases the chance that you’ll use what you learn. If you go in thinking that you need to implement everything, you’ll probably end up implementing nothing. You know, ask me how I know about that.

 

Emily  10:34

I think everybody who’s listening before knows that we are all or nothing people, and we’re constantly fighting that tendency. And then one more thought, you might want to tell someone that you’re planning on listening. You could invite a colleague or a teacher friend to join the free summit with you, because this gives you some built in accountability and someone to share ideas with later.

 

Heidi  10:54

Or, you know, at the very least, tell your spouse, who will just nod absent mindedly, even though they have no idea what you’re talking about.

 

Emily  10:56

Yep. And if you don’t feel like you have anybody you can invite, or anyone you want to talk to about this, that’s where the community will be there to support you. We will help you get that accountability from all of us in the community of the summit as well.

 

Emily  11:13

Okay, so that’s before the summit. Now let’s talk about what to do during the summit. And our big theme here is listen like a teacher, not a student.

 

Heidi  11:22

Yeah, that’s such an important tip. You’re not expected to implement things exactly as the presenter describes. You’re not taking a test on this later. You are listening for concepts that fit with your personality and that you can adapt to your students in your classroom.

 

Emily  11:38

I think sometimes we hear an idea and we’re just like, well, that wouldn’t work for my class in that way that they described it. And so then we just dismiss it.

 

Heidi  11:46

Right, but you know, the presenter’s context isn’t your context, and that’s okay. Try to listen for the principle behind the strategy and then make that yours. This is about finding your comeback story, not copying someone else’s.

 

Emily  12:00

All right, so we’re listening for ideas to adapt. Now let’s take a look at the note taking. Because again, you’re probably multitasking, which means long, detailed notes might not be realistic. So instead of trying to write everything down, try to capture key phrases. Don’t sweat trying to copy down the whole paragraphs.

 

Heidi  12:18

Yeah, you’ll make yourself crazy that way. And if you have the max pass, you can always re-listen later. You have lifetime access, but you also get transcripts and implementation guides. So you really can just listen and absorb without having to worry about capturing every word. You can go back to the implementation guides and the transcripts to help you recall anything that you might need to remember later.

 

Emily  12:41

I love those implementation guides, because it gives you the big ideas and then has some space for you to add anything to it that you want to but it’s a really good starting place to remember what was in a session. And here’s something I want to add, because I think it’s kind of unexpected advice, pay attention to your emotional reactions while you’re listening, because they’re actually clues. So try to notice when you feel relief or excitement, but also notice if you feel any resistance.

 

Heidi  13:09

Yeah, relief and excitement are obvious. Those are clearly green lights. But resistance is interesting too. It often reveals what you value or what you aren’t ready to change just yet, and that’s worth paying attention to instead of just dismissing.

 

Emily  13:24

So then one last thing for the during the summit phase, pause when something clicks. Audio makes it so easy to pause for 30 seconds to just write down a quick note. Engaging that way dramatically increases your retention. And we don’t want you to forget all the good stuff you’re going to pick up this weekend.

 

Heidi  13:40

And if a session really resonates, flag it for a second listen instead of putting pressure on yourself to catch everything the first time.

 

Emily  13:47

And don’t forget to pop into the Facebook community. You can share what’s resonating, ask questions, connect with other teachers or the speakers, and all of us understand how hard mid-winter teaching can be, plus, we’re just gonna be having a ton of fun in there.

 

Heidi  14:01

Really, it’s a good time. Okay, so we have covered before and during. Now let’s talk about after the summit, because this is where most people drop the ball. You know, where the good ideas go to die.

 

Emily  14:16

Yeah, that poor forgotten idea graveyard, we’re going to avoid that. One suggestion is to sort your notes into three buckets. After the summit, maybe on Monday, since that’s a holiday, you can do a quick 10 minute pass through whatever you’ve captured, and then label each idea as one of three things—try soon, save for later, and good to know.

 

Heidi  14:34

So try soon is the stuff for the next week or two. Save for later are ideas you want to try, maybe in the spring, maybe next year, and good to know are those helpful perspectives, but maybe they’re not something that you need to act on right now.

 

Emily  14:48

Most ideas will land in save for later or good to know, and that’s fine. You can’t change everything in your room at once. This sorting process just helps you see clearly what actually belongs in try soon so you can focus your limited energy there.

 

Heidi  15:02

Okay, so once you’ve sorted your notes, now, pick one thing to try right away, maybe a new transition routine, or a phrasing change, or a small scheduling shift. So the summit ends Monday, and if you are in the US, that’s actually a holiday. So that makes Tuesday your launch day.

 

Emily  15:20

And we are serious about choosing one thing to try on Tuesday and not leaving it as a I’ll do that soon, because sometime soon is how ideas end up in the graveyard. So the longer you wait, the more that great idea fades. Attach your one thing to a real moment, like I’m going to try this right after morning meeting, or I’ll use this during writing time on Tuesday.

 

Heidi  15:41

And this is where I wish I could go back and talk some sense into Chicago Heidi, because I had three weeks. Those were three weeks I could have tried something. And in fact, trying something would have been a great fit for the end of the year, because I could have just tested things out without having to fully commit to them.

 

Emily  15:58

Yeah, or even just tried part of something.

 

Heidi  16:01

Yeah, like I didn’t need to overhaul my whole reading block. I could have tried one new data tracker or one different way of doing partner reading. But it was just easy, I was tired, I convinced myself it wasn’t worth doing any of it because I couldn’t do all of it, the story of my life. And then I lost everything.

 

Emily  16:17

So please, we’re begging you, commit to this. Help us help you by starting something on Tuesday, even if you can only do part of the idea, even if you can’t fully implement the new routine yet, you can try one suggestion from one presenter.

 

Heidi  16:34

Yeah, partial start is a million times better than a perfect plan that you never begin. So the goal is simple, by Tuesday afternoon, make sure you have taken one action connected to what you’ve learned.

 

Emily  16:46

And if you want to create some more accountability, share what you learned with a teacher friend or your students and tell them I heard something really cool at this summit. I want to try it.

 

Heidi  16:56

Sharing your intention increases your commitment to actually following through, plus, you might inspire someone else or get some helpful feedback.

 

Emily  17:03

And we want to hear about it in the summit Facebook group too. That community is there to support you through putting these ideas into action.

 

Heidi  17:11

And then, this is really important, give yourself permission to let some good ideas go. Not everything needs to be implemented right away.

 

Emily  17:20

Yeah, even if it’s a great idea, if it isn’t right for this season, you can just consciously put it in that save for later bucket and release it without guilt.

 

Heidi  17:28

Yeah, our goal isn’t to use everything. It’s to use what fits where you are right now.

 

Emily  17:34

And remember, if you have the max pass, those sessions aren’t going anywhere, you can come back to them in March or May, or whenever you’re ready.

 

Heidi  17:42

And speaking of the max pass, there is another bonus I want everyone to know about for after the summit. Anyone who upgrades gets to join us for implementation week in the Teacher Approved Club.

 

Emily  17:53

I’m so excited about this. We’re going to help you take your favorite ideas from the summit and make a plan and put them into action with some accountability and encouragement. It will be the best way to put a bow on the whole summit experience, and it will also be low lift. We’re just going to be doing a little bit that week. We’re not going to make you commit to hours every day to get stuff done. It will just be a little task every day to help you put these ideas into action.

 

Heidi  18:18

Okay, let’s do a quick recap. Before the summit, know your problem, preview with intention, match your sessions to your listening spots, and set up a simple capture system.

 

Emily  18:29

And then during the summit, listen for ideas to adapt, make notes manageable, notice your emotional reactions, even the resistance. Pause when something clicks, and connect with us in the community.

 

Heidi  18:41

And then after the summit, sort your ideas into three buckets. Pick one thing, start it Tuesday, even if you can only do it partially, and then share it out loud for accountability and you can just release the rest.

 

Emily  18:54

So if you haven’t registered yet, grab your free ticket at secondstorywindow.net/teacherwintertalks. This runs January 17 through the 19th, and we will put a link to the show notes as well.

 

Heidi  19:06

And if you want lifetime access, plus bonus sessions and implementation guides, plus your access to implementation week, grab that Max pass. You will see all of the details after you register.

 

Emily  19:18

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 tip builds on something we’ve been talking about, how to keep what matters visible so that your ideas don’t disappear.

 

Heidi  19:30

Well, the biggest reason summit learning fades isn’t because our notes weren’t good enough. It’s that we never look at those notes again. Raise your hand if you’re guilty here.

 

Emily  19:41

It’s just us raising our hands.

 

Heidi  19:43

You know, a week later, we can barely remember what we listened to. The notebook goes in a drawer, the Google doc gets buried, and that’s the end of it. So here is how to beat that. First, choose one home for your best ideas. Pick a spot that you already look at regularly. Maybe that’s your plan book, you can put a sticky note on your desk, a notes app, if you actually use your notes app, or you could even send yourself an email.

 

Emily  20:07

The key is already look at regularly, because if you don’t naturally see it, you won’t use it. And then create a try this soon shortlist. This is different from your raw notes. Pull three to five ideas from the summit and rewrite them as actions. So instead of writing, “invite questions,” write, “end lessons by asking students what questions they have.” This turns inspiration into something your brain recognizes as doable.

 

Heidi  20:32

That’s so important, because it’s easy to let a good idea get lost in the fog of I’m not sure how to put this into practice. So you’re going to make a clear, specific step. And then third, we want to attach those ideas to what’s already happening in your room. So try asking yourself, where in my day would this fit? Ideas stick best when they are linked to something that’s already happening. So maybe, I will try this new transition when we line up for lunch, or I’m going to add this to my Friday reflection time. This way you’re not adding something new to your to do list, you’re just layering on what’s already there.

 

Emily  21:05

And finally, set a revisit reminder. Schedule a reminder in your phone for two or three weeks after the summit to look back at your notes. Fresh eyes can help you catch things you forgot about, and you might be ready for a save for later idea by then.

 

Heidi  21:18

And if you have the max pass, this is a great time to re-listen to your favorite session with new perspective. You’re going to hear things that you missed the first time.

 

Emily  21:27

And the whole point of this tip is to bridge the gap between I learned something great to I actually use this idea in my classroom.

 

Heidi  21:33

And please come share your favorite summit takeaways in the Teacher Approved Facebook group afterward. We would love to hear what resonates with you, and maybe you’ll pick up some great new ideas from other people sharing what they loved.

 

Heidi  21:44

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

 

Emily  21:55

I’m giving extra credit to monochromatic coloring books. So I got hit with a Facebook ad, as you do, and then it followed me all over the internet, until I bought one, and it was a Christmassy one, and I, of course, did not use it every day in December. I knew that I wouldn’t, but I used it a lot, way more than I have ever done any coloring recently. What attracted me to this was the simplicity of like, you just pick one color, and you color that page. Like, I wanted it to be mindless, I wasn’t really looking for the creativity side of it. So this was perfect for me. And then my youngest daughter got me a new one for Christmas, so I have a non Christmas one waiting for me to use. So this is a fun way to do some hands on coloring, doing something with your hands, you know, is so much more relaxing. But if you don’t want to have to make decisions, or you’re not in the mood to be creative, this is right up your alley.

 

Heidi  22:38

Yeah, that’s been my downfall with coloring. It’s like, I don’t want to have to think about it, just, I want something to do that’s not scrolling my phone. So, that sounds like a perfect win.

 

Emily  22:47

Yeah. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

 

Heidi  22:49

Well, my extra credit goes to the hearthbound candle from Good Dot Store. This was a Christmas present from Emily’s daughter, and I love it. The scent is brown sugar fig and redwood moss, and it smells exactly like that. It really has an amazing scent, but I love that it’s not too strong, because you know how sometimes it can really give you a headache, this is perfect.

 

Emily  23:05

Yeah.

 

Heidi  23:05

And it has a wood wick, so it’s got that extra cozy fire popping noise.

 

Emily  23:13

I love that.

 

Heidi  23:14

So I will link to the shop in the show notes. But I don’t see this particular candle in stock right now, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye out for. And if you aren’t aware, Good Dot Store is John and Hank Green’s online shop, where all the profits go to funding a maternity hospital in Sierra Leone. So not only do you get an amazing product, you’re actually doing a lot of good when you buy it.

 

Emily  23:37

Yes, I love it. So good.

 

Heidi  23:40

That is it for today’s episode. Use the before, during, and after strategies we shared today, and we promise you will walk away from our summit with ideas that you actually use, not just, you know, inspiration that fades, another notebook in the notebook graveyard.

 

Emily  23:56

Teacher Winter Talks runs January 17 through 19th, and we really hope to see you there. The link is in the show notes, so go grab your free ticket.

 

Heidi  24:05

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

 

Emily  24:09

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  24:15

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  24:22

Bye.