Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers

With so much being thrown at teachers these days, it’s no wonder your days are filled with stress, overwhelm, fear, and thoughts of burnout. The joy that you once had when starting your teaching career may be depleting, but there’s a way to get it back! My guest on today’s episode, Jamie Sears, wrote a book, How to Love Teaching Again, that will help you implement strategies and systems to break the cycle of burnout. Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode129

We often think of poetry as something we just teach during April for National Poetry Month or in preparation for the state test at the end of the year. But in reality, poetry can be taught all year long, for poetry has all of the literary elements we teach our kids through other reading genres. In order to help you connect the two, I’m sharing how to teach the Big 5 reading skills using poetry.Grab my Poem of the Week Routine freebie here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode128

The topic of teacher burnout has been front and center in conversations for the last several years. And while you’ve probably heard other podcast episodes or read articles on the topic, I can guarantee you, this conversation is different. My guest Brittany Blackwell, who is a burnout and resilience coach, shares a new perspective on teacher burnout.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode127Connect with Brittany on Instagram @teachingmindbodyandsoul

If you’ve been with us these last few weeks, I’ve been diving into ways to make students confident on testing day, particularly with the constructed response portion of the test. However, we know that there’s more to the test than writing an essay, so students should feel empowered about the whole test when the day comes. In the last episode of the series, I’m sharing 5 strategies that will make your students confident on testing day.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode126

Welcome back to another episode of the podcast! We’re in the middle of a three part series about test prep and ways to make students feel more confident, particularly when writing a constructed response paragraph. We know that this portion of the test can be challenging for students, which is why I’ve come up with a 5-step process that will increase their confidence when writing a constructed response paragraph on test day.Check out my Constructed Response Framework Checklist here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode125

We’re getting closer to the part of the school year that all teachers dread: standardized test season. Since giving the test is inevitable, test prep becomes part of our lessons and activities that prepare our students for success. Recently, state tests have added a written portion, which adds another stressful element for students. In this first episode of the three part series, I’m sharing how to master a constructed response, which boosts students’ confidence.Check out my Sentence Writing Routine Free Sample here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode124

We’re over halfway through the school year, and the procedures and routines you established at the beginning of the year might look a little different. Students might not be pushing in their chairs, putting the art supplies away, or turning in their homework in the correct location. If this sounds like your classroom, it’s time for a revamp.Heidi and Emily from Second Story Window specialize in research based and teacher approved strategies that are guaranteed to help you be a more efficient and effective teacher. We’re taking a break from literacy and they’re here to talk about how to troubleshoot your classroom management with 5 guiding questions.Check out Heidi and Emily's Procedures & Routines Planning Guide Freebie here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode123

As students move up into upper elementary, reading can sometimes turn into a struggle with the exposure to more multisyllabic words in texts that they’re reading. Coming across big words can be intimidating for students and overwhelming to try and decode. That's why I’ve come up with a simple strategy that you can start using with your students immediately. In today’s episode, I’m sharing this strategy, my 5-step process for decoding big words.Check out my Reading Big Words Poster Freebie here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode122

Let’s start off with a big question: how many of your students struggle to read big words? If students lack the foundational skills of syllables, they’re more than likely going to struggle with multisyllabic words. And the majority of these foundational skills were taught in lower elementary, but we know it may not be mastered by the time they get to upper elementary.Therefore, by intentionally teaching syllabication, it provides students with the confidence to become proficient readers and writers. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my guide to teaching syllabication in upper elementary with a focus on why and how it should be taught.Check out my Syllable Types: Lesson Plans & Activities Bundle here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode121

Struggling readers. Unfortunately, this is a reality that all teachers face, yet many don’t know how to fix. Whether teachers weren’t taught how to teach the proper foundational skills, their district doesn’t have a reading program, or a combination of both, helping struggling readers can be a tall task. Although I enjoy talking about all things literacy, I love bringing on experts in the field to help fill your teaching toolbox. So in today’s episode, I’m talking with literacy expert Dr. Marnie Ginsberg on her reading program Reading Simplified, to help struggling readers get back on track. Download your FREE Reading Simplified Switch It game here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode120

As elementary teachers, it’s customary to teach all of the core subject areas. But have you ever thought about teaching them in a way that connects them all together? This style of teaching is called thematic planning or cross-curricular instruction. For most, teaching in this particular style is uncommon, but it provides impactful meaning for your students. To help you get started, I’m sharing what thematic planning is and my 5 simple step process to teaching with thematic units.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode119

No. How hard is it for you to say to someone when asked to complete a task, volunteer for a committee, make copies for a colleague, or anything else in your life? For most people, it is extremely difficult. And if they do, there seems to be a wave of guilt that follows the word ‘no’, even when you shouldn’t feel guilty at all. If you’re wanting to say no and focus on yourself this year, today’s podcast is for you. I have guest Rachel Lenhart, who is a teacher life coach and host of the Chalk Full of Life podcast. Rachel joins us today to share how to say ‘no’ without the guilt. Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode118

I value teaching nonfiction text structure so much that I couldn’t fit all of the information in just one episode. Last week, in Episode 116, I explained that there are five things to consider when teaching nonfiction text structure. But since it was part 1, I only shared two of the five elements, which were the use of exemplar or mentor texts and how to use graphic organizations or visualizations. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my final three elements when it comes to explicitly teaching nonfiction text structure.Check out my text structure resources on TPT here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode117

We are starting off the new year with one of my favorite reading topics: nonfiction text structure. As literacy teachers, we put a lot of focus on students’ reading comprehension, but we don’t always think about how understanding text structure is beneficial for that skill as well. When teaching nonfiction text structure, there are five things you should consider during your instruction. Since there’s so much to unpack with this topic, I’m breaking this up into two episodes so we can fully dive into all the different aspects. We’re starting this series off with the use of exemplar or mentor texts and graphic organizers or visual representations.Check out my text structure resources on TPT here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode116

Happy 2023, friends! As this podcast celebrates 2 years, I like to reflect on the journey of this milestone, while also thinking about the goals and plans for the upcoming year. I have to admit that I’m not into making resolutions, for I tend to make them specific, which then ultimately, I end up not following through. Instead, I make a ‘more and less list’. So in the spirit of resolutions, in today’s episode, I’m sharing my ‘more and less list’ for literacy teachers.Download my Free Word of the Day: Context Clue Routine here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode115

After a long break, there’s bound to be some challenges that arise when students return. Before break, your students were in a routine and had good stamina for independent reading. But now, it’s almost like starting from the beginning all over again. To help your students regain their momentum towards independent reading, I’m sharing 5 tips to implement during your reading block.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode114

It’s our job to provide instruction to students on a variety of skills and strategies to use outside of the classroom. But it’s something special when we can do something inside the classroom that translates to an authentic experience in real life. One way to do that is through the implementation of book clubs. I’m known as a “serial book club starter”, which explains why I’m sharing tips on how to establish student independence with book clubs. Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode113

You’ve hit the halfway mark in the school year, so it’s a great time to reevaluate your literacy routines and take this opportunity to revamp your ideas. One way to do that is through your reading response activities. While students read independently, the goal is for them to think about what they’re reading, which is exactly what reading response activities do. So if you’re looking for fresh and new reading response ideas that will energize independent reading time, today’s episode will do just that!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode112

The weeks between now and winter break can be long for both teachers and students, and a time when students tend to lose focus and need more engagement. One way to regain their attention is to incorporate movement into your instructional day. In Episode 53, I shared 4 ways to incorporate movement into your literacy block, so in a way, this is part 2 of that episode. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 4 additional ways to incorporate movement into any part of your instructional day!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode111

With the new year just around the corner, we often think of this time as a fresh start and a new beginning to something that is ending. But what if we applied that same logic to every ending that occurred in our lives? After reading the children’s book The End Is Just The Beginning, you will start doing just that. Giving us more insight, I have the author of that book, Mike Bender, to help discuss how to create a positive perspective on any ending.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode110

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and being grateful and thankful, I first, am so grateful for each of my listeners on this podcast. Y’all are amazing and the reason why I get to do what I’m doing. And secondly, this time of year provides a great opportunity to reflect and evaluate your professional and personal happiness. So we’re going to take a short break from our regular literacy discussions, and focus on how to take control of your professional and personal happiness during stressful seasons of life.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode109

We’ve talked about this idea of trying to fit all these different skills into your literacy block, but with what time? It’s so difficult to designate time specifically for certain skills when you have so much to cover. So what if I told you focusing on the skill of fluency doesn’t have to take up extra time and it can be organically streamlined throughout all parts of your day? Game changer! In today’s episode, my special guest, Aylin Claahsen, is sharing powerful and practical tips to increase student reading fluency.Check out Aylin's Fluency Course here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode108

I don’t know about you, but one of the things that was difficult for me to teach to my students was writing. The act of writing causes many challenges for students, but unfortunately, it’s a skill that’s necessary in academics. And why most people just associate writing during literacy or ELA class, in reality, writing is transferable to all subject areas.Since we know writing isn’t used when just talking about literacy concepts, having students practice and develop their writing skills needs to be incorporated in other content areas throughout the day. While this might be difficult for some to grasp and put into action, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 different ideas on how you can incorporate high impact writing activities into any content area.Download our Sentence Writing Routine Resource here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode107

In the spirit of Halloween, I’ve got a treat for you today! If you’re like me, you think the same thing at the beginning of every single school year: I’m going to rock my classroom management this year! And while you might start with good intentions, it never seems to go the way you thought it would. Not to mention, holidays and other exciting events are starting to take place, which can disrupt the flow and management of your classroom. If this sounds like you, or you just need to tweak a few management techniques in your classroom, this episode is for you! On today’s episode, Dr. Lori Friesen is sharing her top smart and simple classroom management hacks for these ever changing seasons. Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipDon't forget to download Dr. Lori's Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist Freebie here!To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode106

I know I’ve said it many times before, but one of the things I love is connecting and interacting with my listeners, community at Stellar Teacher, and anyone on social media. I strive to bring you relevant content that will help you become a more effective literacy teacher. One of those ways is through the questions I get asked, which is how this three-week series started. This is our last episode in our series about writing about reading, which focuses on how to incorporate writing about reading during small groups. Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode105

Getting started is always the hardest part of any task. However, that task is so much easier to begin if we’re motivated and have a tool to get us started. This same concept applies to students and writing. As literacy teachers, you know that students struggle getting their ideas on paper formatting it in the correct way. Today’s episode is going to help with just that! In our second episode in our writing about reading mini series, I’m going to share 4 response frames that you can use when assigning a written response.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode104

One of the things I love most about what I do is interacting with the listeners within the Stellar Teacher community and helping teachers. Therefore, both of those things sparked this next mini series on the podcast. Throughout the summer and especially as school has begun, I’ve received a lot of questions in the area of writing about reading. With so much demand on this topic, we are kicking off a three week mini series on this topic in hopes to tackle your questions and provide you with information and resources you can implement in your classroom. We are starting the series off with today’s episode, which discusses 5 tips that help students improve in the area of writing about reading.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode103

"I’m a failure." Unfortunately, this is a common saying amongst ourselves as teachers and adults, along with our students. But is anyone really a failure? Absolutely not! YOU are not a failure, but you might be experiencing failure, which is a part of the human experience. So how do we change the way we view failure and share that with our students? In today’s episode, I have guest Andrea Burns who discusses ways to reframe a students’ thinking of failure using her new book Failure Friday.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode102

If you know me well, you know I love a good literacy routine! Mostly because they’re quick, purposeful, and greatly improve students’ literacy skills over time. What’s not to like?! I’m super excited because I’ve spent the better part of a year developing my new literacy routine, which I know you’re going to love. So in today’s episode, I’m going to share my high impact literacy routine on sentence structure and how it improves students’ reading and writing skills.Download our Sentence Writing Routine Resource here!Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode101

Now, we are continuing our two part mini series about lesson planning. Last week, I discussed the mindset shift that needs to take place in order to tackle writing lessons, which is the first step before moving on to practical tips regarding your lesson planning system. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 tips for creating a personalized lesson planning system.Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membershipTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode100

Here’s a question for you. Do you know how much time it takes for you to do all of your lesson planning for the week? And then, if you know how much time you’re spending, how do you feel about that number? For most of us, we’re either spending too much time or more time than we’d like to be spending. Therefore, I’m doing a two part mini series all about lesson planning. Particularly in this episode, I’m sharing 3 mindset shifts teachers should make regarding lesson planning. Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membership To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode99

How many times have you woken up sick or wanted to take a day off work, but thought it’s easier to go in than make sub plans. I’m raising my hand really high! Unfortunately, this is a common thought and action amongst teachers that needs to be changed. Here to help me give you solutions and better opportunities to take a day off is Kelsey Sorenson. On today’s episode, we’re discussing how to feel empowered and prepared when taking a sick day. Download Kelsey's Sub Planning Starter Kit Freebie here! Join us in the Stellar Teacher Reading Membership: stellarteacher.com/membership To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode98