1. No matter what planner I’ve had or lesson planning system I’ve used, I have always felt that the big tasks, the big projects I was working on as a teacher - like planning a unit, creating an assessment, planning out review and remediation, etc. - I always felt that no matter the lists I made to know what needed accomplished it just felt like I was barely keeping my head above water to get it all created and done in time.
1. Now, with Asana in my business, which absolutely applies to lesson planning and creation, then implementation in the classroom, I’m able to see when something I’m creating needs to be absolutely finished, and plan backwards, seeing where I have time available and when I’m able to work on it, and when I need to have certain aspects done in order to keep the train moving, but in ways that I’m not always thinking about only it.
2. In the classroom, if I ever wanted to implement something new and it required my creating and planning...

**Holy cow guys this is a long one, but, I have to admit, I really really loved recording this.  So, if you have to listen in chunks, that’s the beauty of a podcast, just pick right back up where you left off and it even rewinds it a few seconds for you when you’re able to click play again.

Here’s to a more intentional 2023, and a glimpse into my year-end reflection and planning process. I hope you find it helpful.

As promised, here is a link to that year-at-a-glance calendar I grabbed on Canva - it’s now a template you can use.

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER SHOW NOTES:   https://www.teachonamission.com/blog/being-more-intentional-in-2023-a-teacher-s-year-end-reflection 

SUSTAINABLE TEACHER FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sustainableteacher 

FULL FOCUS PLANNER: https://www.teachonamission.com/planner 

At the time this episode will air, we’ll be up to our eyeballs in the Christmas season - which I absolutely...

I teach teachers how to flip their classrooms, and when I do, we spend a good chunk of our focus on making their own videos. I definitely recommend making your own videos in your flipped classroom, but sometimes it can be too large of an obstacle and stops you from even starting.

If that is the case, then using another teacher's videos may be the exact solution you need.

It truly can be a beautiful, interdependent relationship that your students can thrive in and benefit from.

In this episode, we're going to talk about situations where using another teacher's videos is a must and how to go about doing it well.

5 Steps to Start Flipping Your Classroom Printable

Hey! Did you know that I have a quick start guide to flipping your classroom ready and waiting for you to download and use to your advantage when you decide it’s high time to be more effective with your students but in ways that are more sustainable for you?

Well, I do.

And it’s an easy click away at the link...

Raise your hand if you’ve ever emailed yourself information pertaining to a student so you were reminded of it later or it was at least documented somewhere that existed outside of your brain?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a pile of paper rubrics you completed after some student performance-based work that you then needed to add into your online grade book?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been asked “well, did you call the parents?” when in a meeting about an issue with a particular students’ performance or behavior.

I don’t know about you, but to me that seems like, and for me was at some point, a whole lot of physical and mental clutter in the forms of paper and unorganized thoughts I needed to recall at any given and very important moment.

I have a solution for you.

In today’s video I’m not just going to talk about “How to use Google Forms in your classroom” - nope, we’re going to get real specific and...

Have you ever Googled or looked up on YouTube the words “Why I Quit Teaching”?  Well, for research purposes for this podcast and my recently revamped YouTube channel, I have. And let me tell you, it is astounding the number of videos and posts out there that expound on this topic.

Begging for someone to listen - at social events, teachers find and talk to each other because they can relate. Everyone has had a teacher and been in school, therefore everyone can have an opinion on best teaching practices, yet no one wants to do the job.  Just look up the rates at which college students are getting degrees and certifications in education… it’s jaw dropping.

Keep fighting.  Gone are the days of the old condescending adage, those who can, do, those who can’t teach.  Guess what… it looks like almost no one can teach.  But you can teacher-friend.  You show up, and that’s better than most nowadays.  Take pride in...

I bet this title made you think - woah, what’s happening here Mandy? You are all about the flipped classroom - and you’re not wrong.  I still stand by the statement I made on a recent Youtube video that the flipped learning model is the BEST way for 90% of teachers to be effective with their post-pandemic students in ways that are sustainable for them.

So, why am I all done with it then?

Yes, let’s talk about that and more in today’s episode.  Here we go.

Why I'm All Done With the Flipped Classroom

1. Quick story time - I am working with teachers at a local middle school, delivering PD on a monthly basis during their students’ early release time and although we talking about the flipped classroom, we’re talking more about using the flipped learning model in ways that work inside each of their classrooms but that also allow them to breathe and be more sustainable in their daily teaching lives.
1. My husband asked - wait I thought you...

There's nothing that makes me feel old like talking about when I started teaching, and in this case, when I started my teacher YouTube channel as a second year teacher.

But why?  Why would I do that as a second year teacher?  Why would I put myself and my teaching out there for the whole world to see?  What's the purpose?  And what happened when I did.

These are all questions I'm answering in this week's YouTube Video, "Why I Started a YouTube Channel for My Classroom | Why You Should Too".

1. I flipped my classroom - simple as that.  By why did I do that?
1. Needed to not be the only person in the room with the answer - maybe having the video accessible would empower them to find the answer for themselves in a way that they felt compelled to use
2. I needed more classroom time - simple as that - to do the things that lit me up and lit up my students, sometimes, for the most part.
3. Now, some people are going to comment below and say things like...

Quick question for you… when you were in college as a pre-service teacher, making your preparations to become a teacher, taking all your education classes, did you ever take a class on how to lecture?

Me neither.

Another question, when you were assigned to make plans for an entire unit, like a curriculum map for a unit in one of those college classes, did you plan to lecture in class 80%+ of the time and say that out loud to your class?

Yeah, me neither.

That’s because as a pre-service teacher you were being trained on how to best help your students through the learning process, you spent thousands of dollars on your education to become the expert on the learning process, and now that you are actively in the classroom, let’s face it… you’re an overpaid lecturer if that’s all you do.

Oh man.  I may have just ticked off a lot of people, but let me explain real fast.

I don’t believe lecturing is bad.  Seriously, I don’t. ...

The most common question I get from teachers about making a more sustainable classroom or flipping their classroom is “Where do I start?”

You may be asking yourself this question before even considering if flipping your classroom is something you want to do, and I think you are absolutely justified in doing so because you want to know if it will be worth your time.

Well, when I answer this question, and what I’ll lay out for you in this episode is the fact that how you start your classroom is not just the answer to how you get started with step one, it’s also the exact thing you should be focusing on for each and every step you take and decision you make in your flipped classroom. 

What that means is that when you take this first step toward flipping your classroom, you’re also helping your future self by making each and every other step in the flipping process that much easier to take - saving you time and headache in the process.

After listening...

Welcome back to the Sustainable Teacher Podcast, or welcome for the first time if this is the first episode of the show that you’re listening to.  Either way, I’m so happy to have you listening in.  And I’m going to start off by saying that this episode will be a healthy dose of tough love.

I have all the love for my people - and my people are teachers.  They are educators through and through, and I love them.  But I also have tough love for you today. And I’ll say that a dose of tough love might not be exactly what you want today. Heck, it might not be what you need, because you really need an open ear to vent to.  And that’s healthy as well, but unfortunately, on this platform I can’t be that listening ear, so I encourage you to go and find it.  We have our Sustainable Teacher Podcast private community on Facebook that you are welcome to join and find a safe place to vent and express your concerns.  Be sure to...