Rubrics Cube
Measuring outcomes in the classroom is certainly no game, but just like the Rubik’s Cube, classroom rubrics demand creativity. Setting clear rubrics healps you and the students as it...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:13 — 14.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Moving Forward by Looking Backward
Curriculum Mapping embraces the concept of backward design as you set your teaching strategy around the outcomes you want to achieve by the end of the school year.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:46 — 14.8MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Participation Points
Whether it’s line leader, lunch monitor, or clean up patrol, delegating student responsibility and involvement drives engagement, leadership skills and community pride.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:26 — 15.8MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Energizing Empowerment
Sharing authority and responsibility with students can be scary, but the right level of accessibility and ownership can exponentially change the tone of classroom behavior at all ages.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:46 — 16.2MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Open Arms, Open Minds
We trained to meet and greet new students, but how do we lean in to new staff members to help them feel welcome, connected and engaged in the community?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:54 — 15.0MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Going Outside to Grow Inside
Staff retreats can be game changers for motivation and inspiration. Whether on campus or off, finding different environments and natural spaces bring new perspectives.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:09 — 15.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
The Power of Reading
Books change lives — for our students, parents and ourselves. It helps us see beyond ourselves and our immediate challenges while opening our hearts and minds to new ideas.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:53 — 16.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Love and Forgiveness
Kick off the new year with the universal themes of love and forgiveness in mind as exemplified by the devotional, Forgive Everyone Everything.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:52 — 17.7MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Facebook Forum
Jill and Colleen toss a topic out to facebook friends for feedback and insights on the issue of summer reading, summer homework and summer challenges. Join in on the...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:11 — 18.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Individualized Orientation
Going beyond the norm for anxiety challenged students to ease the transition to a new year. How to remove the barriers with storytelling, one on one support, and extra...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:07 — 16.7MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Environment and Methodology
As you prep for the start of school, explore the intersection of classroom set-up and lesson planning. What comes first? How can one serve the other? What resources are...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:00 — 15.2MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Newsletter Fatigue
Parent-teacher communication is more important than ever, but one-way digital communication like newsletters to parents can be way too easy to ignore or miss. How to create a more...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:26 — 17.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
As seen in the classic movie, bonding and personal growth will happen no matter the extent of challenges and chaos experienced during class trips. Whether it is a nature...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:27 — 17.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Summer Homework
Preventing summer learning loss is an annual challenge, made more critical coming off COVID learning loss. What’s doable, helpful, and impactful.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:12 — 15.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Teachers are people too
Running into students and school families while out and about during summer activities can be a surprise for all involved. Bringing a dose of humility and humanity can open...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:53 — 12.2MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Transitions are hard
As our adrenaline subsides with the end of the school year, embrace the exhaustion as a sign of satisfaction and completion of a job well done. Now we can...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:27 — 14.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Remember My Name
Graduation is in the air and there is no better time to embrace the results of our hard work than to help the graduating class celebrate their accomplishment and...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:37 — 14.6MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Keep or Toss
The annual ritual of what to purge and what to keep as you wrap up for the summer doesn’t have to be driven by your personality. There are many...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:52 — 15.0MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Magnetic Personalities
Great culture is the best recruitment tool for Catholic schools. Share the joy and extend the fun as God prepares the person being called to fill open teacher slots...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:03 — 13.8MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Magic 17
Seventeen minutes is the average amount of time where most students can stay focused. How does your instruction reflect this reality with something interactive or engaging along the way...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:56 — 16.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Managing Blurts
Student communication and behavior has changed so much a new term has evolved. How are we adapting as we continuously model and teach effective communication skills across grade levels...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:10 — 15.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Pre-school Prognosticators
Pre-school teachers bring a special creativity that every grade level can learn from in regard to engaging classrooms with multi-sensory approaches. Give yourself permission to be playful!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:39 — 13.3MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
1st Year Teachers
Year 1 is memorable for all sorts of reasons for new teachers. Parent engagement, lesson plans, classroom management, and everything in between creates both good and bad memories for...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:02 — 12.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
100th Day Celebrations
Embracing the unique and fun aspects of the time tested opportunity to celebrate school year progress!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:41 — 17.5MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Creating a Healthy Data Culture
Many teachers are intuitive by nature, but sometimes our greatest skill can be our biggest blindspot. Leaning into data can be the perfect compliment to help our students excel.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:59 — 15.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Accommodating Positive Behaviors
When done well, sharing tips and hints about students from teacher to teacher as they move from grade to grade can be a game changer for helping students succeed...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:03 — 15.2MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
The Joy of Animals
There is a new openness to animals engaging and expanding the learning experience with their general presence as an interventionist or as an actual part of the lesson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:56 — 15.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Dance the Night Away
80’s, 90’s and now. How relationships and culture changed as seen through school dances and social events.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:13 — 14.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Emergency 101: Language Arts Subs
Teachers don’t get days off, but emergencies still happen and it pays to be prepared with timeless tools and exercises. Specific to Language Arts class, hear more about writing...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:11 — 15.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Emergency 101: Math Subs
Teachers don’t get days off, but emergencies still happen and it pays to be prepared with timeless tools and exercises. Specific to math class, hear more about fun thinking...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:19 — 16.9MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Emergency 101: Science Subs
Teachers don’t get days off, but emergencies still happen and it pays to be prepared with timeless tools and exercises. Specific to science class, hear more about easy conversation...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:39 — 16.0MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
A Day in the Life: Teacher Interviews
The magic sauce of any school culture is based on connections with parents. Hear ideas for making schools a place of comfort and support for parents as well as...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:54 — 13.6MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
A Day in the Life: Teacher Interviews
The teachers lounge is a place to celebrate each other and build a culture of camaraderie among teacher peers at the school.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:55 — 12.3MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
A Day in the Life: Teacher Interviews
Character development is a priority for every school at every grade. Hear a creative, expandable solution for focusing it through a Catholic lens so it has a lifelong, faith-filled...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:39 — 11.9MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
A Day in the Life: Teacher Interviews
Shifting from education to application to keep students engaged between spring break and the end of the school year. Make learning about the student while helping them find God...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:25 — 22.6MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
A Day in the Life: Teacher Interviews
Drama, drama, drama. Harnessing and inspiring student energy and passion through theatre and the arts in elementary school.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:52 — 15.0MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
A Day in the Life
High energy, “teacher on the street” conversations with engaging practitioners on the exhibit floor of NCEA 2023. Hear from a principal about school culture and one teacher’s creative teaching...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:14 — 19.6MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Conference Connections
How to make the most of speakers, workshops and conferences. Best strategies for maximizing the learning and camaraderie at teacher gatherings.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:01 — 15.2MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Saving the Environment
Space matters when it comes to learning. It can be fun to create the ultimate Pinterest worthy classroom, but magic happens when the environment is perfectly suited to the...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:54 — 15.0MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Sage on the Stage
It can be scary to give up control in the classroom, but we also know the ideal teaching methodology is giving students the opportunity to teach themselves and each...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:39 — 14.7MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Running to Community
The pressures of school sports can be legendary, especially with the rise in club sports and specialization, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Building community while maintaining...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:40 — 13.3MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Feeding the Fish
Conversation and participation can be a challenge for any classroom, but Ashley Schoeller uses the concept of a fishbowl to create robust, yet controlled interaction and engagement.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:21 — 15.6MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Voice and Choice
When given the chance, students can thrive when allowed to participate in their learning environment. What if you challenged your class to “Choose a seat where you can learn...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:10 — 15.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Describe and Guess
Show and tell takes on a new spin with fellow student trying to guess the special item using their inquiry skills.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:36 — 16.0MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Robust Cross Curricular Learning Techniques
Catholic Teachers’ Lounge hosts Jill Annable and Colleen McCoy-Cejka welcome curriculum expert and Mr. Roger’s protégé, Joellyn Cicciarelli, to the lounge for a special deep dive discussion. Mixed with...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:14 — 44.4MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
We are an Easter People
Keeping the focus on Easter Joy during the busy, hectic and anxiety driven whirlwind countdown toward the end of the school year.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:50 — 14.9MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Artistic Expression
Art can transform student understanding and appreciation of not just faith, but a multitude of topics, including science, history and reason.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:42 — 16.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Sister Act
Experiences with nuns can run the gamut between eccentric, interesting and demanding, but their dedication and faith is always unmatched. What has been your experience with sisters?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:08 — 18.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Passion for Palms
Traditions of the church can bring structure and comfort throughout the year. This is especially true for Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:25 — 13.0MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More
Lessons Learned
Building on outcomes and evidence of learning, now you can start mapping out instruction time and lesson plans. Like little clocks, kids love patterns of consistent and predictable learning...
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:00 — 15.1MB)
Subscribe or Follow Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More