164 | Could You Be THAT Teacher? How Connection Can Change a Student’s School Experience

The first time I held a scripted teacher's manual, it felt wrong in every way. (My team and I really did stand in front of our students and read from it.) In this episode, I'm talking about a different cause of teacher burnout: What happens when scripted curriculum, pacing guides, and endless mandates leave no room for your own creativity. If you've been wondering where the creative teacher you used to be went, this one is for you. I'll share why that creative spark isn't a bonus but the very thing that refuels you, and what it can cost when it stays buried. You'll hear stories from teachers who found their passion again, and I'll walk you through a simple four-step plan you can start this week. I'll also tell you about the overnight Teacher Art Retreat I'm hosting this January in Essex, Massachusetts — a night away to make things with your hands, be the learner for once, and head back to your classroom renewed. Check out what the Overnight Teacher Art Retreat is by going here: https://theinspiredclassroom.com/retreat

What does it really mean to be a trusted adult for your students? In this episode, I’m joined by Brooklyn Raney, author of One Trusted Adult: Building Relationships That Inspire Achievement and Success, for a conversation about one of the most important things we can offer our students: meaningful relationships with trustworthy adults. But being a trusted adult doesn't mean you have to be everyone's person. Brooklyn explains why the goal is to help students build a whole “bench” of trusted adults—and how teachers can become one of those people by being accessible, boundaried, and caring. We also talk about why building these relationships is especially important for elementary teachers, how technology has changed the way educators think about student relationships, and why healthy boundaries actually help build trust rather than getting in the way of it. In this episode, we’ll talk about:

When you're dealing with student behavior all day, it's easy to feel frustrated, depleted, even defeated — and in the middle of all that, it's easy to forget the student in front of you is a human being with something going on underneath. Today, I'm sharing three student stories that I experienced just last week! The one who never speaks up because they're surrounded by classmates who seem to know it all. The one who shut down in the corner of the room And the one in the hoodie sitting quietly and seems angry the whole class. Sometimes we approach the situation in the wrong way (like I did in my own classroom), but there are ways to turn it around! When you give yourself the opportunity to pause and RESET, great things can happen both for your kids and for you. I can't wait to share more with you in today's episode.

Let's bust five myths about teacher burnout and the recovery from burnout — the myths that keep good, tired teachers stuck including the idea that burnout is simply inevitable. (Spoiler - it's not!) Because after so many years in education, I've learned that recovery isn't just about doing less or removing yourself from the classroom. It's about having protected time to intentionally step away from what's draining you and reconnect with something that fills you back up. And for me, that includes a little creativity! In this episode, we'll talk about:

You set up group work with the best intentions. You create a solid task, explain the directions, assign roles, and maybe even make a rubric. Then five minutes in, one student is doing all the work, another has checked out, and the room is suddenly buzzing with unrelated chatter. If you've ever thought, Why does group work always turn into this?—you're not alone. In this episode, I'm sharing the real reason group work can fall apart, and it has less to do with your assignment or your grouping strategy than you might think. The missing piece is often the peer relationships underneath the group. When students don't know or trust one another, even a well-designed group task can create tension, disengagement, and behavior issues. But when students have opportunities to genuinely connect with their peers, something changes. They're more patient, more willing to work together, and more accountable to one another—not just to you or the assignment. I'll share why I used to focus so much on better group structures and strategic grouping, what I eventually realized was missing, and how intentionally building peer relationships can make group work smoother and more rewarding. You'll also get three simple steps you can use to start strengthening those relationships before your next academic group task. If group work has become something you dread—or something you avoid because you know how quickly it can turn into managing behavior—this episode will give you a different way to look at the problem.