Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies
Episodes
181. How to Get Ahead on Your Teacher Tasks for a Stress-Free Spring Break
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Spring break is almost here, and while you’re excited for the time off, the thought of catching up on work when you return can be stressful. What if...
180. Make the Most of Morning Work in Your Classroom with These 5 Tips
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Morning work is more than just busy work! It sets the tone for your day, reinforces important skills, and encourages independence. In this episode, we...
179. How to Find Fast Finisher Success: No More 'I'm Done, Now What?'
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers pour their time and energy into the major aspects of teaching, but it’s often the smaller, overlooked parts of the job that create uncertai...
178. 5 Classroom Management Tips for Taming a Chatty Class [Fan Fave]
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By this point in the school year, your class is very familiar with each other. And while you love the community aspect, it can often bring unnecessary...
177. Help Your Class Kick Bad Habits with These 5 Classroom Management Questions [Fan Fave]
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Now that you’re back to school from winter break, you might be noticing that some of your classroom procedures aren’t running as smoothly as they ...
176. Our 4 Tried and True Tricks to Reset a Rough Day of School
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Returning from winter break, teachers are well rested and ready to start the second half of the school year. But oftentimes, students come back feelin...
175. 10 Easy Ways to Prevent Behavior Problems Before They Start [Fan Fave]
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For our last episode of 2024, we wanted to share another fan-favorite episode. In this replay episode, you will gather some tools that will help preve...
174. Boost Student Engagement with Active Participation [Fan Fave]
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we wrap up 2024, we’re bringing back our top two most popular episodes—fan favorites that truly resonated with our listeners. First up, we’re...
173. Getting into the Nitty Gritty of Classroom Procedures and Routines
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s one thing we’re passionate about, it’s procedures and routines! Earlier this year, we had the chance to chat about this topic on the ...
172. The 2nd First Day of School: How to Take Advantage of the Week After Winter Break
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Along with January being the start of a new calendar year, it also allows teachers a new beginning to the school year. Both bring the opportunity for ...
171. 5 Tried and True Tips for Teaching in December
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Teaching during the month of December can be a magical time for both you and your students, but it can also be challenging! With so many interruptions...
170. How to Be a Fun Teacher Without Losing Control of Your Class
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the holiday season in full gear, we can imagine how bombarded you are with how to make everything in your classroom feel festive. And if that’s...
169. Our Best Teacher Tips for Finding Pockets of Prep Time to Get Ahead for January
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With winter break just around the corner, we want to do everything we can as teachers to be prepared and enjoy our break from school. In last week’s...
168. How Teachers Can Get a Jumpstart on a Stress-Free Winter Break
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When December hits, it seems like a long road until you’re on winter break. So when break finally arrives all you want to do is relax, spend time wi...
167. How Teachers Can Kiss the Sunday Scaries Goodbye with Kelsey from Educate & Rejuvenate
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Sunday afternoon and evening, do you ever feel anxious about the upcoming week? This recurring feeling that you’re experiencing is actually calle...
166. Making the Most of Classroom Jobs in Your Elementary Classroom
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In order for a classroom to run smoothly, sometimes it takes more than just the teacher to make it happen. Getting students involved provides them wit...
165. Keeping Students Engaged All Year Long, No Matter the Season
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that just like there are four seasons in a year, there are seven seasons in a school year? And just like there are positives and negative...
Introducing The Holiday Headstart
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have an exciting treat for you today! We're introducing you to our new podcast, The Holiday Headstart. If you like the thought and care that we put...
164. Why You Need a Classroom Carpet and How to Manage Student Behavior
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are several spots inside a teacher’s classroom that are special and impactful for students. However, none build a classroom’s culture or rel...
163. The 6 Key Ways to Boost Student Engagement Every Day
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever teachers plan their lessons and activities, besides making sure the content is right, their next priority is student engagement. We’ve talk...
162. Handling Parent Teacher Conference Headaches: Our Best Tips for Teachers
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to the profession, a lot of teachers get nervous and struggle to communicate with parents, so when parent-teacher conferences come aroun...
161. How to Get Students Actively Engaged: 5 Teacher Approved Techniques
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Raise your hand if you’ve spent time planning a lesson, but it flopped when you taught it in front of your student. We’re raising our hands high! ...
160. 4 Dismissal Routine Tips for Teachers to Calm the End-of-Day Chaos
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve made it to the end of the day smooth sailing but hit the rough waters of chaos right before your students leave. You’re tired, exhausted, a...
159. How to Set up Successful Learning Centers at the Beginning of the Year
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As you all know by now, we love having efficient and effective procedures and routines. We believe they’re the backbone of your classroom management...
158. Back-to-School Classroom Management: Are You Working Smarter or Harder?
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest struggles as a teacher, especially when you’re new to the profession, is managing your classroom. With so much going into classro...
157. Teach Consequences Like You Teach Procedures
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday this summer, we've been bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your c...
156. Starting the School Year with Surprise and Delight: 5 Easy Ideas
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you are anything like we were, one of our main goals at the beginning of the year was to build positive relationships with our students. We know th...
155. Mastering the Teacher Look for Nonverbal Classroom Management
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
154. 5 Steps for Classroom Procedure Success
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve been listening to us long enough, you know how much we love procedures. We’ve covered the importance of establishing them, how to teach ...
153. How Teachers Can Thrive During the Back-to-School Season - Our Best Strategies
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
152. The 3 Things You Need to Plan for the Best First Week of School
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked a lot over the last few weeks about how to effectively plan your first week of school. We like to think of these first few days as a la...
151. Teacher Work Smarter Tip: Plan for Inside Recess Now
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
150. Perfect Your Classroom Procedures with the Help of Our Guiding Questions
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve been with us long enough, you know how much we value procedures. We truly believe establishing clear and concise procedures and routines l...
149. Go Time: 10 Things to Do After You Get Your Class List
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
148. How to Build Positive Relationships with Your Students at Back-to-School
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At the start of every school year, we talk a lot about establishing and incorporating your ATTABOY goals into your lessons and activities during the f...
147. Teacher Approved Tips: How to Plan Ahead for Future Problems!
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
146. Never Pick up Another Stray Crayon: Why We Love Guided Discovery
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you are anything like us, we loved setting up our classrooms with all our brand-new supplies and materials. They were clean, organized, and had all...
145. Our Best Tools for First-Day Planning
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
144. How to Plug-And-Play Your First Day of School Plans
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though we’ve both been out of the classroom for a while now, we still remember the overwhelming chaos that the first day of school can bring. M...
143. The Easiest Back to School Tip
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
142. Are You Ready for the New School Year? Here’s How to Know!
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve got one question: Are you ready for the school year to begin again? While most of you are happy it’s summer and not thinking about the start...
141. A Fun and Easy Gift for Your Future Self
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
140. 8 Steps to Craft a Perfect Daily Schedule for Your Elementary Classroom
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a lot that goes into creating your daily classroom schedule. Trying to figure out how to effectively fit all the events you can’t control,...
139. Welcoming a New Team Member
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
138. Collaboration: How to Have the Best Grade Level Team in the School
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Being elementary teachers, we’re constantly working with our grade level team to enhance student learning, schedule grade level events, analyze stud...
137. 3 Helpful Tips for Setting up Your Classroom Library
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
136. Surviving a Grade Level Change: 4 Teacher Approved Tips
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Once it’s summer time, most teachers can relax knowing exactly where they’ll be when school returns in the fall. However, some teachers are prepar...
135. Treat Yourself! Make a Back-to-School Teacher Self-Care Plan
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we bring you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as tod...
134. The 10 Stages of Teacher Summer Break
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The feeling when you’ve just finished school and are officially on summer break is a feeling unlike any other. You’re sitting by the pool with no ...
133. How to Organize Your Teaching Ideas on Pinterest
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we're bringing you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon ...
132. An Easy Mindset Hack for Teachers with Kelsey of Educate and Rejuvenate
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have such a fun episode for you today! We’ve collaborated with our friend, Kelsey Sorenson, from The Educate & Rejuvenate Podcast, to do an e...
131. To-Do List Magic - How to Prioritize Your Teacher Tasks This Summer
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been discussing lately how to have a well-balanced summer as a teacher. There needs to be equal parts relaxing and preparing for the next scho...
130. The 2 Things Teachers Need to Refuel This Summer
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is just so close; you can feel it! This got us thinking there are two types of teachers in the summer. You either don’t think about school an...
129. End-Of-Year Reflection for Teachers: 18 Questions to Ask Yourself
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As teachers, we're always trying to find different ways to improve our instruction, activities, lessons, and classroom management to better benefit ou...
128. Back to School Boost: Do These 3 Things Now to Prep for Next School Year
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the end of the school year quickly coming to an end, you’re probably thinking, Yes, I’m finally done and don’t have to worry about school a...
127. 10 Ways to Motivate Students at the End of the Year
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At this time of the school year, we all can feel it happening in our classrooms: our students are doing sloppy work, having decreased participation, s...
126. Retaining Learning and Supply Organization
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love hearing from all of you, especially when it comes to ways we can help give you a teacher-approved solution to a teaching headache or struggle ...
125. Why Theme Days Will Save You at the End of the School Year
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the combination of end-of-year testing being over and the thought of summer break being just around the corner, it’s hard to engage your studen...
124. Spring Fever: 3 Tips to Help Your Spring Classroom Management
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With spring finally here, you’re enjoying the nicer weather, the sun is shining, your overall mood is better, and you can start to see the light at ...
123. 2nd Anniversary: Our Best Teacher Approved Tips, Ideas, and Favorites
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s our podcast anniversary! We’ve been creating episodes that are full of strategies, ideas, and actionable tips that you can use in your classr...
122. 20 Best Teacher Approved Tips for Surviving Testing Season
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers prepare all year for their students to take the end-of-year standardized test. This can cause teachers and students to feel stressed, overwhe...
121. How to Plan Your Test Prep Around What Content Matters Most
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the end-of-year standardized tests quickly approaching, it’s time you start thinking about what kind of test review you’re going to do and ho...
120. Supporting New Teachers with Ashleigh from Rainbow Skies for New Teachers
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you remember what it was like in your first year or two of teaching? We remember the late nights and early mornings, the struggle to find the most ...
119. Chatty Class Management: 5 Ways to Handle a Talkative Class
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s now the beginning of March, so you definitely know the dynamics and personalities of your class. And for some of you, you have the pleasure of ...
118. 5 Quick Reading Fluency Lessons You Can Teach in 5 Minutes or Less
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As determined over the last few episodes, a student’s fluency foundation is critical to their success in reading. However, sometimes, as teachers, w...
117. Mid-Year Freeze: Why Student Reading Fluency Might Be Stuck
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During the first semester of the school year, your students excelled and made progress as it pertained to reading. But you’ve noticed recently that ...
116. Level Up Your Fluency Instruction: Say No to These 5 Common Teacher Mistakes
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love sharing our knowledge, experience, advice, and practical tips with you each week, especially when it’s a topic we love talking about. Over t...
115. How to Make Leap Day a Memorable Day in Your Elementary Classroom
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When events only happen once every few years, or in this case every four years, it creates a unique opportunity to learn about and celebrate it in you...
114. Elementary Teacher Questions Answered Part 1
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we have challenges as teachers, we often feel like we’re the only one who is experiencing it or if we reach out for help it shows weakness. But...
113. Best Practices for Teaching Fluency
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have a special episode for you! Last summer we were on The Literacy Lounge Podcast with Ciera Harris where we had a wonderful conversation involvin...
112. 5 Podcasts for Elementary Teachers That We Know You'll Love!
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We believe one of the best ways to learn new skills, strategies, and tips is through professional development. And now with so much at our fingertips,...
111. January Jumpstart: 8 Reflection Questions to Help Teachers Start the New Year Strong
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As you head back to school after a relaxing winter break, we wanted to help prepare you to start your year strong and on the right track. Just like yo...
110. Our Favorite Indoor Recess Ideas
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, it’s that time of year when the weather where you live can either produce snow, ice, rain, freezing temperatures, or poor air quality (dependi...
109. Our Christmas Must Read Books
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You all know we’re big fans of picture books, and with so many amazing Christmas-themed books out there, it’s hard to pick which ones to read to y...
108. How to Troubleshoot Classroom Management Issues
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You all know how much we love talking about classroom management and sharing tips to help you become more successful and effective in this area. Well ...
107. Get Ahead For January Now With 4 Easy Steps
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know that your brain is focused on surviving these last few weeks until break and your to-do list might be a mile long. And while it’s going to s...
106. The December Survival Kit: 3 Essential Tips to Help Teachers Thrive
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The weeks leading up until winter break can be a challenging time for teachers. There’s a lot of unstructured time, themed activities, and special e...
105. Festive Fun in December: Engaging Holiday Activities to Do With Your Class
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The magical feeling that the holidays bring is an opportunity you can’t miss to celebrate and participate in your classroom. With the arrival of Dec...
104. From Chaos to Calm: 5 Techniques for Managing Classroom Behavior in December
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the joy and fun that the holidays bring, it can also create chaos and escalated behaviors in the classroom. Our last three episodes focused on cl...
103. When to Use Rewards to Boost Your Behavior Management - And When Not To
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The last two weeks we’ve discussed classroom management and how to prevent and anticipate issues that may arise. And while we’d like to think our ...
102. Classroom Behavior Problems: How to Plan Ahead to Handle Them Effectively
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dealing with classroom behaviors is just part of the job, but that doesn’t mean we should just sit back and wait for them to happen. Instead, we wan...
101. 10 Easy Ways to Prevent Behavior Problems Before They Start
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With school in session for a while now, you might be seeing some behavior issues starting to creep up that weren’t there before. And instead of just...
100. The Teacher Approved Starter Kit: Our 10 Favorite Episodes!
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Well, friends, we did it! The Teacher Approved podcast has finally made it to 100 episodes! This was always a dream of ours to do, so we wanted to thi...
99. Get Students Engaged With 3 Types of Active Participation Strategies
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When creating lessons and activities, we’re always striving for them to be engaging and promote active participation in the classroom. However, acad...
98. 5 Reasons Your Attention Signal Isn’t Working and How to Improve It
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know that classrooms vary by teacher, school, and districts, but one thing every classroom has in common is a need for attention signals. Whether y...
97. 3 Secrets For Using Your Classroom Seating Arrangement to Boost Classroom Management
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We believe your greatest classroom management tool is something that you do in your classroom, but don’t necessarily think of it as managing your cl...
96. How to Plan an Amazing 2nd Grade Class Halloween Party
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With holidays on the horizon, as teachers we know that one thing is about to appear in our classrooms: class parties. And although kids love party day...
95. 4 Must-Have Characteristics of Your Classroom Morning Routine
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The bell finally rings and your students are walking down the hallway excited to enter your classroom for the day. Once your students arrive, is it co...
94. A Great Day Before School Even Starts: Your Perfect Teacher Morning Routine at School
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As you step into your classroom, are you calmly setting things up for the day or are you frantically running around doing last minute tasks before the...
93. Teacher Morning Routine: 10 Tips for Creating Your Perfect Plan
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As a teacher, did you know you actually have 3 different morning routines? While two of them occur when you arrive at school, the first routine is wha...
92. Teacher Approved Tips: Teaching Recess Games and How to Save Time
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we bring you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as tod...
91. Start Your Day Strong: Top Tips for Maximizing Your Morning Work
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You all know we love routines and procedures, but one thing we might love more, which helps solidify your morning routine, is incorporating morning wo...
90. Teacher Approved Tips: Make Hallway Behavior Management Fun and Classroom Escape Rooms
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we bring you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as tod...
89. Hallway Behavior Management: 4 Essential Plans for Improving Hallway Classroom Management
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When thinking about teaching procedures and routines, you often just think about the ones associated within your classroom. However, one of the most i...
88. Teacher Approved Tips: Make a Class Handshake and Incorporate Daily Writing Time
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we bring you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as tod...
87. 4 Important Ways to Build Classroom Community at Back to School
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the beginning of the year, it’s tempting to want to jump right into academics with math centers and literacy groups. And while we find academics ...
86. Teacher Approved Tips: Choosing a One-Word Theme for the School Year
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we bring you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as tod...
85. 10 Tips for New Elementary Teachers at the Start of the School Year
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine this. You just finished your teaching degree, landed your first teaching job, and stepped into your classroom for the first time. You’re so ...
84. Teacher Approved Tips: Turn Student Desks Backward and Incorporating SEL Into Daily Routines
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every Thursday, we bring you a weekly bonus episode highlighting new and favorite teacher-approved tips you can apply in your classroom as soon as tod...
83. Classroom Setup Tips For Success: 8 Guiding Questions for Designing Your Space
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As novice teachers, we thought setting up our classroom was just making it look cute with our newest theme and filled with brand new organization tray...