Hey there. I wanna thank you for being such a loyal listener to The Real Teacher Talk podcast. We're going on a brief hiatus, but I'd still love to connect with you.

The best way to do that is over on Instagram at Easy Teaching Tools, our website, EasyTeachingTools.com, or by Email.

And the bonus of that is when you sign up, you'll get tips to get organized with your lesson planning by going to EasyTeachingTools.com/LessonPlanningPod

I can't wait to continue collaborating on those three different platforms.

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.

Are you ready to get your life back?

As we look forward to all things 2023, This week we decided to drop back to our very first interview on Real Teacher Talk, I sat down with Sabrena Brooks, a busy teacher and mama to talk about how she balances school with her life and the tools she uses to make it happen.

Sabrena Brooks is a mom of two active boys with a baby girl on the way. She is a lover of camping and music, and wife to a special education para-educator by day and chef by night. Her teaching career includes kindergarten for one year, 1st grade for five years, and kindergarten ESL for one year. She has a master's degree in Teaching and Learning and was the distance learning teacher for 1st grade during the 2020-2021 school year.

Sabrena realized she needed help when she was staying at school every night until 6:30 and showing back up by 7 in the morning. She had no semblance of balance in her life. That’s when she joined my program Easy Organization Tools where I show teachers how to consistently leave school prepared at contract time so that they can be more fully present in their life.

Topics We Cover in This Episode: 

• What Sabrena’s life looked like before the program
• Sabrena's experience in the Easy Organization Tools program
• How her life changed after she implemented what she learned
• How the program alleviated the teacher/mom guilt
• How Sabrena uses the tools in the program in her home as well

The organization tools Sabrena learned made all of the difference. She went from being a stressed-out, overworked teacher with no work-life balance to being a happy mom and teacher. She’s now able to be there for her kids and be fully present in her home life.

If you are ready to have a better year than you had last year and finally get your life back the way Sabrena did, make sure to join the 3 PM Teacher Training. You’ll learn how to consistently leave school prepared and on time without bringing work home!

Resources Mentioned:

Follow Sabrena on Instagram

Join the 3 PM Teacher Training

Additional Resources:

Follow the Podcast

Follow Along on Facebook 

Follow Along on Instagram 

Are you following my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss any future episodes! Click here to follow on Apple Podcasts

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.

Some people call them the Sunday blues. Some people call them the Sunday Scaries. Others just flat-out say, “I am dreading going to work tomorrow.”

Whatever you call it, if you’ve had this experience, you aren’t alone! All sorts of people, teachers included, can feel this way on Sunday evenings.

Although this feeling is normal, I am passionate about helping teachers enjoy their lives both inside and outside of the classroom! In this episode of Real Teacher Talk, I’m chatting about three simple things you can do this week to alleviate the Sunday blues.

Resources Mentioned:
My blog post about the Sunday night blues

Additional Resources:
Follow the Podcast
Follow Along on Facebook
Follow Along on Instagram 

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.

If the thought of student loan debt makes you want to crawl into a hole and hide, this episode is for you!

Student loan debt is overwhelming for anyone, but especially for chronically-underpaid teachers.  If you’re in the boat of feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone.

In this episode of Real Teacher Talk, I sat down with student loan expert, Meagan Landress McGuire to discuss how to get started tackling this daunting topic.  We chat about how to navigate between your different loan forgiveness options, what the new forgiveness program could mean for you, and how to possibly get a refund on loans you’ve already repaid.  She also mentions how to get more support if you’d rather just hand things over to someone else!

Teaching is hard enough without having to add a whole other burden to your plate. My hope for this episode is that you feel supported and less alone when it comes to thinking through student loan debt and forgiveness options! I’m always cheering you on!

Resources Mentioned:
Where to connect with student loan experts like Meagan
Student Loan Planner Youtube channel
Student Loan Planner podcast
Blog category about student loans for teachers

Additional Resources:
Follow the Podcast
Follow Along on Facebook
Follow Along on Instagram 

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.

Last week we chatted about how to handle it when you’re struggling with one specific coworker or team member.

Today, we’re going to go a little bit deeper and discuss what to do if the environment you’re in becomes too toxic. Maybe it’s too much negativity, or maybe your environment is swinging the other way to toxic positivity!

Cattiness, bullying, gossiping, and retaliation are the kinds of things I’m referring to in this episode.

In this episode of Real Teacher Talk, I’m sharing five tips for how to handle it when you’re in the thick of it, and some advice for how to move forward.  As difficult as it can seem, when you’re in a toxic working environment, you’re in the perfect position to really think about what you want your next steps to be.

I can’t wait to connect with you over on Instagram after you listen to the episode!

Additional Resources:
Follow the Podcast
Follow Along on Facebook
Follow Along on Instagram 

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.

Do you have a coworker at your school that just really irritates or bothers you? I’m not talking about the coworkers that are outright mean or offensive, but the sort of coworker that just gets under your skin.

I bet you have at least one person coming to your mind! We all have them. It can definitely be a challenge working with someone who you struggle to get along with, but many times we have to!

In this episode of Real Teacher Talk, I’m sharing six things you can do to help you deal with those difficult team members.  I talk about things I’ve tried that have worked for me, what to do if the work environment becomes too toxic, and ways to recenter if you’re feeling challenged or triggered by a coworker’s behavior.

Resources Mentioned:
www.easyteachingtools.com/fallpurgepodcast

Additional Resources:
Follow the Podcast
Follow Along on Facebook
Follow Along on Instagram 

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.

I’m doing things a bit differently this episode, and I’m opening up about the hardest teaching year I’ve had so far in my career.

I explain the different factors that worked together to make it a perfect storm, and why I want to go back to the classroom with a refreshed and new perspective.

In this episode of Real Teacher Talk, I get vulnerable and share things that went on my last year of teaching (so far) both in my personal life and my professional life that contributed to it being a terrible year. I talk about some things I would have done differently, and share what I’ve learned since taking my leave of absence. A lot has changed in my life since that year!

While difficult years are simply a reality for anyone, I want to remind my listeners that these challenges are temporary and it won’t always be this hard.

Additional Resources:
Follow the Podcast
Follow Along on Facebook
Follow Along on Instagram

*Content warning relating to infertility/pregnancy loss.

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.

We aaaaaaaall have them in our classes. THOSE parents. You know exactly which parents I’m talking about.

The ones who email you at all hours of the day and night, the ones who question every single decision you make, the ones displeased with every paper sent home.  Dealing with sassy parents and guardians can be super stressful. But, it doesn’t have to be!

In this episode of Real Teacher Talk, I dive into this topic and discuss where this behavior might be coming from, how to see these parents and guardians through a different lens, and how to navigate tricky conversations. I also chat about simple ways to adapt what you’re already doing to clear up potential misunderstandings, and how to build trust.

While sassy parents and guardians can be a challenge, the families of our students are a critical piece of the puzzle for student success! When we can successfully navigate these relationships, we help set our students up for a positive school experience.

Resources Mentioned:
What Teachers Wish Parents Knew blog post

Additional Resources:
Follow the Podcast
Follow Along on Facebook
Follow Along on Instagram 

Register for the 3 PM Teacher Training at www.easyteachingtools.com/3pmteacher!

I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple and a rating on Spotify!

I read each of them, and they help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear! Plus, you get to pay it forward because it will allow other teachers like you to find the podcast!

Click here to review, then select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.