early primary

Ready for some easy to implement tools to help ALL of your students? Occupational Therapist, Angie Holmes, joins us today to give us useful tips on how to strengthen students' core, cross the midline, improve muscle control, improve focus, and give every student ways to improve their academic performance.  All these tips will help your students be better readers, writers, thinkers and all around happier students. Don’t miss the tips on easy ways to collect data if you have a student in the referral process and some of her go-to OT tools to help struggling students.  I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation. You are going to walk away better equipped to help your students.  Let’s start rockin’ today’s episode. Here we go.

Today’s episode is about flip signs and other tools you need for your virtual or distance learning classroom. It’s all about you getting equipped with a few simple tools so that you end your online sessions with a smile on your face.

Time Stamp:

Welcome: :06

Encouragement: :50

Virtual Learning Tools Fip Signs: 3:45

A/B Signs: 7:20

True/False: 9:35

Question/Hand: 10:15

Microphone: 12:07

Music Stand:14:37

Close:16:20

Resources Mentioned:

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/fullflip 

YouTube Live Stream: https://youtu.be/iM3TH-Lk9Zg 

 “What can I do to make sure my child is ready for kindergarten?” It's a question every kindergarten teacher has heard hundreds of times. Now more than ever parents want to make sure that their child is ready for kindergarten.

 The standard response involves reassurance and the suggestion of daily reading.  But what if there was a parent-friendly resource that would engage the up and coming kindergartner? Today we talk with Ashlie Buresh and Emily Hankins about their book “The Summer Before Kindergarten.” This teacher made and tested book is packed full of activities that will give parents a fun and easy format to help their child enter kindergarten with the skills they need for success.  No worksheets, no complicated directions, just simple fun activities developed by kindergarten teachers to answer the question, “What can I do to make sure my child is ready for kindergarten?”

Welcome: :06
The Summer Before Kindergarten: 2:13
Teacher Binder Calendar: 23:25
Closing: 28:50



The Summer Before Kindergarten by Ashlie and Emily goes on sale July 1:
https://www.summerbeforekindergarten.com/

Freebie Alert:
Teacher Binder: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/binder 
Teacher Binder Editable Calendar:https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/calendar2021
Classroom Supply Checklist: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplychecklist

Hey teacher friends. I have a tool that’s going to give you an edge or an unfair advantage going into next school year.  Using a teacher binder to organize your teacher life is one of the best things you can do to give you the edge you need to Rock This Teacher Thing.  In today’s episode, you will get a Teacher Binder Starter Kit so you can actually take action today.  The coming school year promises to be one of uncertainty but there’s one thing you can be certain about and that’s that you will be ready with the help of a teacher binder.  We’ve got work to do so let’s start rockin' today’s episode.   Here we go.   

Freebies Mentioned:
Classroom Supply Checklist: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplychecklist
Teacher Binder: https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/binder 

Should I become a teacher? Should I continue my teaching career? Becoming a teacher and staying in education is a big decision and teaching in the early primary grades isn't for everyone. 

Listen in on this conversation with Connor Kline, a male kindergarten teacher, who tells us why he decided to become a teacher and what motivates him in his teaching career.  This conversation is going to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.  

The early primary grades need more male role models like Connor.  

If you know a young person questioning a career in teaching this is definitely an episode for them.  If you are already in education, you will walk away with a new sense of mission and vision for your teaching career. 

Timestamp sections:

Grab your freebie-1:23

Connor Kline: 3:45

Closing: 35:30

Freebie https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplychecklist 

It’s Spring 2020 and school life is upside down.  Right now you are probably surviving and looking forward to better days.  Those better days are coming but we can make them even better.  Every summer teachers prep for a new school year full of promise, hope, and excitement.  But many teachers forget one critical piece that will ensure a school year in which they and their students will thrive. What is this missing link? We will find out today. (Here’s a clue… You are actually doing it right now.- Humm)

My Favorite Podcasts That Interviewed Ian Morgan Cron Author of The Road Back To You:
https://buildingastorybrand.com/episode-42/
https://andystanley.com/podcast/enneagram-for-leaders-part-1/

Looking For The Grit & Gratitude Journal mentioned in today's episode?
Click this link and get signed up to get it sent to your email inbox.

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/G&G 

Time Stamp For Your Listening Pleasure- 
Intro:  :40

You Are Not Ordinary- This is how I know: 6:13

Idea 1- Know Yourself With Enneagrams 10:20

Idea 2- Fill Your mind with the good stuff. Using Podcasts. 13:02

Idea 3- Get Spiritual 17:10

Idea 4- Go Beyond Creative 20:28

Idea 5- Celebration 22:00

Bonus Idea- Environment and the Old You.  24:06

Big Announcement: 25:53

We know that movement is essential in the early primary classroom. In today’s episode Renae Myers, a first-grade teacher, gives us insights into how to use movement to assist students in the task of focus. She’s done some great research on how movement benefits her students and when and what kind of movement has worked best in her first-grade classroom.

Also, grab your 200+ Classroom Supply Checklist made especially for the early primary classroom.  Use it when you are doing your ordering for next year.  Pass it onto a first-year teacher to help with the question “What do I need to order for my classroom?” 

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/supplylist200 

Welcome: 1:05
Renae Myers: 3:30
Supply Checklist: 13:50
Good Bye: 18:40

Last in a series, you will get the last 3 of 12 strategies to make amazing videos for your students.  After today you are more than equipped to make videos they need and deserve. You are adding a special time to their academic experience and they will be talking about it in the years to come.  Truly, you are making a special impact on their lives.  Let’s make it as joyful, engaging and effective as possible.  You can do this. 

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/videoguide

Teaching effective online lessons to your students requires a different set of engagement skills.  You don’t want to make boring videos. Today we continue with the solution to boring videos. Using these next 3 strategies you will be making videos like a pro. Start making videos today that bring engagement and joy to your students. We will review the first 3 strategies from part 1 and then dive in with 3 more in today’s part 2 episode.

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/videoguide

Sharing YouTube Videos can be unsafe. There are so many opportunities for your students to view inappropriate content and you don’t want to be the one who provides that kind of experience.  But what do we do?  YouTube is an amazing resource.  

SOLUTION!!! Today we look at 4 options for providing safe ways for students to engage with a YouTube video. I will give you my favorite tool. Then guide you through 3 easy and quick steps to take before you send a youtube video link to your students.

This is a tool you'll turn to again and again.

 I’ve made a quick Safely Share YouTube Checklist pdf of this easy process.

Go To https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/rockin-this-teacher-thing-episode-6/ for show notes and the free printable.

Making instructional videos for your students is easier than you think.  These 6 tips introduce you to making videos, for your students, that they will want to watch again and again.  Make sure to download the free "Instructional Video Cheatsheet- Easily Create Videos For Primary Students" PDF

We will be doing a series of episodes to help you meet the needs of your early primary students while you teach them from home.  Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss this important information.

For more info and resources go to the shownotes at  https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/rockin-this-teacher-thing-episode-5/

Trailer- Hello teacher friends. It’s Angie, inviting you to an episode of Rockin’ This Teacher Thing podcast show.  

Listen, if you are a kindergarten or first grade teacher,  Rockin’ This Teacher Thing podcast show is for you. Being a teacher in an early primary classroom has its own set of challenges. 

It’s a fun job but let’s face it sometimes we need a quick little something-something to keep us going and at  RTTT podcast show we are here to encourage, equip and energize you.  

No one can do this job alone. 

That's why we’ll have teacher guests, who are just like you, deep in the trenches, bringing you insights into what’s working in their teacher life as well as other other professionals outside the classroom who will give you tools and tactics to make your teacher life a little bit easier.  

 Every episode will help you banish exhaustion, eliminate chaos and capitalize on engagement and learning.

I’m dedicated to keeping it simple, effective and fun.  So let’s get started Rockin’ This Teacher Thing.

*****Rockin' This Teacher Thing is a service of Making The Basics Fun.
Find show notes, complete episodes and resources at:
www.makingthebasicsfun.com/podcast

#001- Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers, this one is for you.  A podcast just for you and your specific teacher needs.  It’s episode 1 of 1 million and we are talking about Attention Getters in your classroom.  You need them but sometimes they get stale and ineffective.  Here are some tips to freshen up your attention getters and use them to teach content.  

If you'd like to get the links for the freebie and the show notes for this episode head to:

https://www.makingthebasicsfun.com/welcome-to-rockin-this-teacher-thing-episode-1/

I hope you enjoy this first episode.