The EDVERYTHING Podcast: For Everything Education

For many motivated teacherpreneurs, we strive to be successful in the classroom and online. But for so many teacher side hustlers, the latter half only takes one form, and that’s TeachersPayTeachers. Like many entrepreneurs, Brooke wanted to explore what multiple streams of income look like rather than limiting herself to the traditional classroom/TpT combo. For Brooke, the natural extension of her classroom lessons was to create and curate an Amazon Storefront. Brooke’s Instagram account, like her Amazon storefront, is all-encompassing. You won’t find just Classroom Transformation products there. Brooke realized that serving all of a teacher's needs—from providing gift guides and outfits of the day to solutions for flexible seating— would yield the greatest profit and provide teachers with #allthethings they are looking for. Stop thinking about Amazon as just the place where you shop for the next thing you need; it’s about to start looking at it as an opportunity for generating the kind of income you want while providing your fellow teachers with tried and true recommendations that they are looking for. In this episode, you’ll hear: -Why making connections on Instagram is the first step— literally -Why you shouldn’t just limit yourself to one category -How to make your Storefront turn your Wishlist into a reality -The Do’s and Don’t of starting your Amazon storefront Links mentioned: Aliana Lowe's @theyoungeducator episode  https://anchor.fm/edverything/episodes/Episode-13-How-To-Document-Your-Teaching-Journey-And-Why-Every-Educator-Should-with-Aliana-Lowe-e2olre @Teacherbestill https://www.instagram.com/teacherbestill/

As teachers, we wear many hats: educator, support system, advocate, mentor. But how many of us--even knowing the benefits--participate actively in a relationship in which we are being mentored? It goes without saying that we are big proponents of on-going professional development--after all, it's why we host The Total Teacher Summit each year. But many teachers mistakenly don't realize that being part of a mentor/mentee relationship can be an extension of that type of PD. It can be a way to combat the isolation so common in the field of education. It can be a way to take care of ourselves. And it doesn't need to take place in person. In this episode, we debunk some of the most pervasive myths about mentorship, and we focus on how to be a good mentee when your mentor is only someone you know in the digital space. Viewing those Teacher influencers we look up to on social media as mentors rather than individuals we follow reframes the conversation about who can be mentors--and we share some ideas on how to give back so these are the mutually beneficial relationships that the mentor/mentee experience should be. In this episode, you'll hear: -Why you probably already have a virtual "mentor" but you'd never put that label on it before -Why passively "liking" posts is not enough--and what you should do instead -How to ask questions in a way that truly helps the mentor Links mentioned: -Episode 30: How To Be A Good Mentor/Mentee https://anchor.fm/edverything/episodes/Episode-30-A-How-To-Guide-For-Being-A-Good-MentorMentee-e3oufk -Guest blog post link https://www.teachonamission.com/blog Ashley Bible @BuildingBookLove https://www.instagram.com/buildingbooklove/ Mandy Rice @TeachOnAMission https://www.instagram.com/teachonamission/ Macy Gilson @MacyGilson https://www.instagram.com/macy.gilson/ Cara Piper @VirtualElementary https://www.instagram.com/virtualelementaryteachers/

Make sure to tell your story; your followers want to see you. It’s the advice that we hear time and time again when it comes to Instagram. For Speech and Language Pathologist Macy Gilson, the individuals that she helps find their voice are a critical part of her story and the word she wants to spread, and nowhere is that more obvious than in her online presence on Instagram and the web. Nowadays, the word Instagram is nearly synonymous with the word influence. But what exactly are we trying to do with that influence? As a Disability Advocate, Macy has leveraged these platforms to make children living with disabilities more visible. Her feed not only shows the behind the scenes of what her life is like as a telecommuting speech pathologist but also highlights the beauty and joy present in these exceptional children living with a wide range of disabilities. Macy is on a mission to demystify difference, providing resources to help both educators and parents alike have what may initially seem like challenging conversations surrounding the topic of disability. Do those who are differently-abled feel like they have a space and a voice in your classroom? Macy provides practical, simple solutions for making sure those who are differently-abled feel represented in the classroom as well as tactics to help students focus on areas of shared similarities rather than differences. In this episode, you’ll hear: -What it’s like to be a telecommuting speech pathologist -How literature can be leveraged to increase inclusivity -How to increase the visibility of those who are disabled even in non-humanities/language-focused courses -How Macy has used Instagram to create a community for parents of children living with disabilities -How she creates an a cohesive Instagram feed even when so many of the posts aren’t directly about her or her story Links mentioned:  Macy's website including her blog, stories, resources, videos & more:  https://www.macygilson.com/ Macy's instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ Macy's facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macygilsonblog/?modal=admin_todo_tour Macy's pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/macycapen/ :

When it comes to your #teachersidehustle, there are so many parts that come naturally; necessity sparks innovation which inspires great ideas and produces even better products. But when it comes to talking about those products, sometimes nothing could feel less natural. "Self-promotion" is one of the most challenging and critically important aspects of marketing that #teachersidehustle. In this episode you'll hear:  The Why of Promoting Yourself Online Building your resume for what’s next for you/crossing those other items off your bucket list Extra $ to help keep you in the classroom—and in the lifestyle to which you’d like to lead Help your fellow teachers—they need you, they just might not know it yet (or they know that they need you—they just don’t know you) Why Promoting Yourself is Easier Said Than Done Addressing those common objections Who am I to offer/promote this? I don’t think it’s ready yet—what if people don’t like it I don’t want to feel "salesy" I don’t want to feel braggy Where to promote yourself Pinterest (lives forever AND feels low risk). Step it up and join a Tribe TpT—have you maximized what is there? To your email list—do they even know you have a product? Podcasts Social media! How to promote yourself like a pro Practice your elevator pitch so you can generally explain what you offer to anyone if it happened to come up Work on your confidence—you GOT this (and while you are at it, stop playing the comparison game) Look at all your posts as an opportunity to plug -Stop making once in the blue moon product posts -Tell your story, connect it back to your product -Get guidance—EDverything Social (bonus: it will feel like your being given that permission when you follow the prompts AND by using the curated stock photos, your product will look legit!) When you feel too scared, go back to step 1 and remember why you are doing this in the first place!

If you are living the teacherpreneur lifestyle, you are potentially facing burnout on two fronts. Both teaching and entrepreneurship are time-consuming and energy-intensive efforts, evident in the high attrition rates in the field of education as well as the dismal percentage of small businesses that ever reach success. With so much to do and so much stacked against us, why are so many of making our lives that much more difficult by seeing teaching and our side hustle as separate rather than linked activities? With this simple mindset shift, we can save time and energy without making any sacrifices in terms of either career or ethics. In episode 69, we talk about how to make your school time work double duty so you won’t have to. In this episode, you’ll hear: • A simple solution for endless, authentic Instagram captions • A strategy for long-form content post ideas to put in your TpT, Etsy store, etc • Questions to consider to help you find your next great product • A trick for creating those often intimidating product lines Links mentioned: Episode 54: The New Student Welcome Wagon https://anchor.fm/edverything/episodes/Episode-54-The-New-Student-Welcome-Wagon-e6f06m EDverything Social edverything.com/edverythingsocial Total Teacher Summit edverything.com Episode 48: 3 Things We're Leaving Behind This School Year https://anchor.fm/edverything/episodes/Episode-48-3-Things-Were-Leaving-Behind-This-School-Year-e5505m Episode 33: Making Success Your Business: TpT Is A Business, Not A Hobby With Hayley Cain https://anchor.fm/edverything/episodes/Episode-33-Making-Success-Your-Business-TpT-Is-a-Business--Not-a-Hobby-with-Hayley-Cain-e41t58

We teach our students not to judge a book by its cover, but if we are being completely honest, we probably aren’t living what we preach when it comes to how we act online. Even though intellectually we realize that we may be missing out on great teaching insight in a long-form IG caption, a blog post linked to from Pinterest, or a TpT product, without an appealing visual to accompany it, it will almost certainly be overlooked. It’s time other teachers stop missing out on all you have to offer online. It’s time to get seen and heard, and it all starts with the visual message you are sending. While we certainly hope you use a service like EDverything Social to help you fill your IG feed with quality images when you need stock photos, for the rest of your posts, make it personal. After all, your followers want to see you. It’s time to get out of our comfort zones and get in front of the camera. Having two of our own brand photoshoots under our belts, we are sharing all the lessons we learned first hand so you don’t make the same mistakes on your first go-round. In this episode, you’ll hear: -What exactly to set goals around to get the most out of your photoshoot -Why a secret Pinterest board can help make your day far more successful -What to keep in mind when selecting your photoshoot site (and why scouting the location and the time of day/year need to be factored in) -The mindset shift you may need to hear so you don’t feel out of place as a model Links Mentioned: EDverything Social: https://www.edverything.com/edverythingsocial @TeacherByNaptime https://www.instagram.com/teacherbynaptime/

Whether you are looking to make an impact in the classroom or on social media, being a teacher is all about making connections.  But in order to do that, you need to put yourself out there, and though that may sound simple, for many of us, that act is no easy feat.  In a helping-oriented industry, it can seem like talking about yourself is a way of putting yourself first, but that isn’t accurate. Those who already want to learn from you will only like and trust you more when you let them know who you are on a deeper level while those who may have initially been less intrinsically motivated might have interest in the subject matter you teach sparked by discovering you share similar tastes in something else. Often we only think about getting to know our students and having them get to know us in return as something to dedicate time to at the beginning of the school year. But even months in, it isn’t too late; in fact, it may even be the ideal time now that students are no longer overwhelmed with the multitude of new faces to learn. Long after Meet The Teacher packets have been lost and Back to School Night seems like a distant memory, there are plenty of strategies and opportunities for us to infuse more of our personality into each lesson, getting students more invested in our class and more connected on a personal level.  From working small jokes or references into your regularly scheduled lessons to being conscientious of how you present yourself during spirit days, we want you to incorporate aspects of what matters to you without making the class, day, or lessons about you. While you may be making the effort IRL, are you doing the same on IG?  So often we assume that because we want to add value that everything we post needs to be academic or classroom-centered but that would ignore the critical human element that you know is necessary to make true learning work. It’s time to let the perspective and personality behind each lesson shine, in the classroom and online. In this episode, you’ll hear: -How bell ringers present an easy opportunity to put a little bit of you (as in your bitmoji) into your regular warm-up activity -Why you need to get involved in school activities like spirit days as an easy win and ice breaker -About a simple test to put your IG feed through to see if you are showing up recognizably as “you” -About the free guide that we made to help you come up with and remember the personal stories to share on Instagram (and how to get your hands on it) Links mentioned: Total Teacher Summit:  https://www.edverything.com/totalteachersummit Edverything Social:  https://www.edverything.com/edverythingsocial Aliana Lowe:  https://www.instagram.com/theyoungeducator/ Kayla Dessert:  https://www.instagram.com/sweetestteacher/ Haylee Harwick:  https://www.instagram.com/hellomrsharwick/

Even with an increase in emphasis on career and college readiness, when will we ever use this is one of those perpetual complaints we hear from students.  It can be difficult to find time to meet all the standards while preparing students for standardized tests, leaving little room for covering some of the real-world skills that we know students need-- but don’t know where along the way they will learn them.  But Thom Gibson proves that we can cover some real-life financial literacy no matter what age group or subject you teach, all the while improving classroom management, students’ responsibility, and even saving you, the teacher, valuable time. Thom is an award-winning middle school math teacher who realized the potential of creating a classroom economy that goes far beyond having rotating students fulfill a generic role each week.  Thom has customized the jobs-- and salaries-- that can be earned for each position, ensuring that he has incentivized students and covered tasks that help his classroom run more smoothly (never connect your own device to the projector again!

When a lesson is going really well, it seems like time absolutely flies by. But how often have we had that same sensation, not knowing where the time went, when our daily prep period comes to an end--yet you have nothing to show for it? We want to instill time management skills in our students, but if we are being truly honest with ourselves, we don’t always use our own as strategically as possible.  When unexpected parent emails, makeup exams, and copying machine jams come up, we too often resort to dealing with what is urgent and not what should be a priority.  We’ve heard all the suggestions about setting boundaries and we want to bring home less school work, but how we can do that effectively when required meetings after school or providing extra help claims that chunk of time as well?  Add in the desire to grow your teacher side hustle account after the bell rings, and it can seem like there is no time at all left. While actually getting more time is impossible, a handful of mindset shifts, online tools, and smart techniques can help you make the most of the time you do have, making those 2020 goals within reach. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why letting go of perfectionism is a vital first step for implementing almost any time-saving strategy How templates can be the time-saver you need for regular interactions at home-- and how to keep those organized The free website for lesson planning that helps you stay standards focused while saving time What a social media scheduler is-- and how to pick one without getting overwhelmed The monthly social media template pack, by teachers, for teachers, so you never post on Instagram without a plan again Links mentioned: EDverything Social https://www.edverything.com/edverythingsocial Ashley Bible @buildingbooklove https://anchor.fm/edverything/episodes/Episode-63-Wonderful--Wonder-filled-Classrooms-for-Any-Age-Group-with-Ashley-Bible-e9kcgn Amy Porterfield’s Interview with Atomic Habits author James Clear  https://www.amyporterfield.com/2019/12/295/ Total Teacher Summit talk: Permission Slips for Perfectionists https://www.edverything.com/totalteachersummit Asana https://asana.com/ Trello https://trello.com/en-US Pomodoro timer https://tomato-timer.com/ Tailwind https://www.tailwindapp.com/ Buffer https://buffer.com/ Later https://later.com/ Lesson Planner https://www.commoncurriculum.com/

Those in education know that teacher attrition rates are alarmingly high. Inadequate preparation, unrealistic expectations, and little support early on are only a fraction of why people flee from the field. With meager salaries, long hours of lesson planning and grading, and the ever-changing standards and requirements on one hand and the seemingly endless opportunities presented by the internet on the other, the lure of leaving the classroom behind seems a pull too strong to resist, removing some of the best from this career path. Mandy is on a mission to help great teachers right where they belong—in the classroom—while still achieving financial success and the larger impact they crave. Mandy got her start in the online space on YouTube, teaching other educators how to implement a flipped classroom experience. She took what she had learned teaching high schoolers AP Psych using a flipped-classroom approach and turned these insights into actionable steps. From there, Mandy wanted to help her fellow AP instructors, giving them their own time back while still helping students achieve those coveted high test scores. Mandy began a membership website and explains how others can take their content area expertise and do the same. In this episode, you’ll hear: -Why the flipped classroom approach is student-centered and student serving -How to flip your classroom—without getting overwhelmed -Why opt for a membership site instead of simply posting one-off resources for TpT Links mentioned:  Mandy's website:  https://www.teachonamission.com/ Mandy's Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/teachonamission/ Mandy's TpT store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Login?f=/Sellers-Im-Following/Add/Teach-On-A-Mission Mandy's YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttXcluf-plubOEa-84d9aA/

As educators, our goal is to have students learn, but what does learning actually look like? English teacher and workshop creator Ashley Bible has always felt like real learning doesn’t have the traditional look of students quietly sitting at a desk in rows; in fact, nowadays you’ll find her students striking yoga poses while performing close readings and creating art inspired by the literature instead of always writing about it. While her strong pedagogical beliefs didn’t align with the first district she was hired by and ultimately ended up costing her that position, Ashley’s ability to add the element of the unexpected to the high school English classroom appeals to students and is at the core of the resources she now designs and the professional development she offers for fellow educators. In our conversation with Ashley, we discuss how utilizing our creativity (and asking students to do the same) doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice high standards or deeper, critical thinking. By reframing the same task in a slightly different way, we can spark students’ interest and make them feel like engaging with the content can be challenging while also being fun or relevant. In this episode, you’ll hear: -The exact, devastating feedback that Ashely received that no first-year teacher wants -How the vibe from a children’s bookstore inspired Ashley to network with like-minded educators— and eventually create an annual, in-person workshop for teachers -Why experiencing wonder shouldn’t be reserved for the elementary school crowd -A completely free, nearly zero prep time method of creating a classroom transformation -An easy to follow framework for adding wonder into any lesson— regardless of subject matter or grade level Links mentioned: Ashley's website: https://buildingbooklove.com/ Ashle'ys TpT store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Building-Book-Love Ashley's blog:  https://buildingbooklove.com/blog/

Whether it is helping us save time, adding an interesting new spin to an otherwise routine classroom activity, or allowing us to make our classrooms a little greener, we can’t get enough of technology. Hardly an episode goes by when we don’t reference at least one piece of technology we’ve been using, but in today’s episode, tech takes center stage. In today’s episode, we count down our tried and true favorite tech things of 2019. While we certainly aren’t abandoning our perpetual go to’s (Socrative and Kahoot will always have a place in our lesson plans!), we want to bring some new-to-us pieces of tech to your attention this holiday season. As winter break draws nearer and attention spans (for you and your students) become a little shorter, these websites and apps will keep your students engaged and focused until the last bell rings. In this episode, you’ll hear: -Why the time before the upcoming holiday season is the perfect time to introduce these new tech items to your class -A language teacher’s answer to finding a safe space for authentic, real-time chat -An app that allows you to bring oral presentations into the 21st century— and gives you a format students will feel familiar with -Two new review games to help you mix things up (whether you need students to value accuracy or you need an added fun element on that given day) -The must-have teacher app for managing BYOD iPads Links mentioned: Episode 5: 5 Mistakes Your Making When Teaching Vocabulary https://www.edverything.com/podcast/2019/mistakes-when-teaching-vocabulary Episode 47: How To Create a Virtual Summit https://www.edverything.com/podcast/2019/how-to-virtual-summit-j8j5f-2yhen Ashley Bible's perspective on lesson planning and student engagement:  https://buildingbooklove.com/ Cult of Pedagogy's Technology List  https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/ed-tech-tools-2019/

Now more than ever, teachers have a lot on their plate. In addition to the regular responsibilities of lesson planning and grading, additional pressures to foster classroom community, focus on student wellness, increase standardized test scores, and keep up with the competitive Instagram teacher community can leave anyone feeling stressed and pulled in many different directions. But Melissa wants to help teachers feel more in control, helping them use their time more effectively by offering high quality, research-based curriculum products and actionable advice so teachers no longer just get by but truly thrive in the classroom each and every day. Melissa is the curriculum designer behind Teacher Thrive. Melissa explains how her foray into curriculum design happened organically, long before she had even heard about TeachersPayTeachers and while she was very much in the trenches of the classroom herself. What was a gig to craft curriculum for her district ended up aligning with her stage of life all the better, and Melissa has never looked back. Now, Melissa’s blog and shop allow her to reach even more teachers, giving them the tools they need inside the classroom and the advice they need to hear. While Melissa has crafted curricula for many different areas, Melissa deep dives into strategies for reading fluency, providing tips that can be immediately implemented no matter what grade level or subject you teach. In this episode, you’ll hear, -How your own district may be just the place to start when designing curriculum -Why teacher wellness (and particularly your sleep) play a big role in your success in and out of the classroom -What exactly reading fluency means—and the strategies you can use in your classroom to promote reading fluency Links mentioned:  Melissa's website, blog, and ready-made downloads https://teacherthrive.com/ Melissa's Choral Reading freebie download https://teacherthrive.com/2019/10/choral-reading-and-reading-fluency.html

Episode 60 is here— and with it, we have a very special guest! Leadoff Total Teacher Summit presenter and absolute organization guru Kelly Jackson comes to us all the way from Germany to give us her best advice when it comes to getting your classroom in order— and keeping it that way. In our interview with Kelly, we chat all about how to troubleshoot common trouble areas in the classroom in terms of organization. Whether you work with little kids or big kids, students (and teachers!) require a lot of stuff— and it is up to you to make sure it all has somewhere to call home. Kelly explains how classroom organization isn’t a matter of vanity, but a necessity, showing that organization and classroom management go hand in hand. Kelly provides practical, actionable tips to get your classroom in order because after all, a classroom in working order is classroom where students can actually work! In this episode, you’ll hear: -Why organization isn’t a 'set it and forget it' item on a teacher’s back to school list -Why ANY teacher can get organized, no matter your personality type -Why you need to be organized no matter what grade level you teach— and what high school educators can learn from their elementary school teaching peers Links Mentioned: Kelly's website The Total Teacher Summit Episode 50: 5 Rules of Thumb for the Traveling Teacher Ep. 55 we were featured on Kelly’s podcast

For many new mothers, heading back to the classroom after maternity leave presents new challenges and many changes. Tune in as Danielle shares her experience and major takeaways from the lense of a new mom and experienced teacher.  In this episode, you'll hear how Danielle:  Broke bad habits Created more realistic timelines/expectations for herself and her students  Developed more strategic, streamlined grading  Leveraged technology  Utilized resources others have already made  Links mentioned:  The grading system created by Emily Aierstok of @readitwriteitlearnit  https://www.instagram.com/readitwriteitlearnit/ Resources created by Ashley Bible  https://buildingbooklove.com/ Podcast episode featuring Nicki Dingraudo  https://anchor.fm/nicole-clark/episodes/Episode-17-How-To-Make-A-Solid-Sub-Plan-in-20-Minutes-or-Less-with-Nicki-Dingraudo-e2vc9f