Who doesn’t love a good curated playlist?

As we kick off the 2021 holiday season, you know you’ve got shopping, wrapping, baking, and decorating to do.

And there’s nothing like a great holiday playlist to keep you going! The Classroom Commute has got you covered!

Take me along with you this holiday season, and as you go about your holiday-ing, press play on some of the most-downloaded episodes from The Classroom Commute! Whether you’ve already heard them before or missed them the first time around, I’ve curated this list to mix in to your typical holiday playlist to keep you inspired all season long.

So, when you’re sick of hearing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” anthem for the 100th time, these episodes make a great alternative!

Check out the full playlist below. Hit play and listen away! (Or - keep scrolling to listen to individual episodes!)

Holiday Playlist: Episode 3

How to Survive a Difficult School Year

Teaching is tough. And sometimes…really tough. It’s easy to want to throw in the towel and wash your hands of the whole thing…but - you are strong. But that doesn’t mean that teaching doesn’t get the best of you from time to time. And - when you DO encounter a particularly challenging year, there are a few things you can do to help making the going a little easier! This episode is all about taking control of what you can, and learning the manage the rest.

Holiday Playlist: Episode 39

How to Deal with Overwhelm in Teaching

Yep. Teaching is overwhelming at time. With something new being thrown at you all the time (oh, hi, virtual learning…. I see you there, new reading curriculum… um, yes parent, I’d love for you to drop in unexpectedly -again!), it’s often hard to keep our heads above water. This episode gives you 3 actionable tips and strategies that you can implement the next time overwhelm rears it’s ugly head!

Holiday Playlist: Episode 41

Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction That WORKS!

This is one of my most popular episode! Reading comprehension instruction has a lot of moving parts! In this episode, I simplify the process so that you can actually make reading comprehension strategies work for your students! In this episode I walk you through a framework for teaching reading strategies to your upper elementary students!

Holiday Playlist: Episode 49

Pressing the "Restart" Button On the School Year

Let’s face it — sometimes we just get to the middle of the school year and nothing seems to be going right! Those grand plans we had at the beginning of the school year seem to be far cry from the reality of today. But, guess what? There’s nothing holding you back from pressing “restart” on the school year and getting a second chance. In this episode, I’m giving you permission. If you’re not satisfied with how the year is going, then I’ll give you some impactful ways you can get the fresh start you’re looking for!

Holiday Playlist: Episode 50

Curriculum Mapping Tips for Teachers

You can curriculum map ANY time during the school year! It’s never too late to get your long-range plans on track! In this episode, I walk you through my process for how I curriculum map for several months at a time so that you aren’t flying by the seat of your pants!

Holiday Playlist: Episode 55

Easy Tips to Boost Student Participation (& Building Classroom Community!)

If you’re longing for a classroom that feels like family AND is full of eager students wanting to participate and collaborate - then this episode is a MUST-listen! In this episode, find out how you can increase student participation, all while building a stronger classroom community!

Holiday Playlist: Episode 57

Accountable Talk: A Teacher's Guide to Encouraging Deeper & More Meaningful Talk Among Students

When it comes to having deep, meaningful conversation - the kind of talk that moves learning forward - students often struggle to keep the conversation going. When the conversation only flows in one direction, you miss out on a valuable opportunity to really dive deep into a topic. That’s where teaching students the art of accountable talk can be a game changer. When students participate in accountable talk, they can have richer and deeper conversations that go beyond surface-level thinking. In this episode, you’ll discover how you can start using accountable talk with your students!

Holiday Playlist: Episode 60

Easy Calming Strategies for Elementary Students

Before we can teach young minds, we must first teach students to tap into their feelings and emotions. Social-emotional health is the foundation for all learning so it is impetrative that we address these needs in our students before we ask them to master academics. In this episode I'm interviewing Victoria from The Mindful Apple. She's a school social worker working with elementary students and has some solid tips and strategies for classroom teachers to help their students grow their calm.

Holiday Playlist: Episode 67

Teaching Nonfiction: 5 Must-Try Ideas for the Elementary Classroom

If you’re looking for simple, yet fun ways to teach your students to effectively read nonfiction, then check out these 5 must-try ideas that come straight from my elementary classroom to yours! After listening to this episode, you’ll walk away with simple ways to make nonfiction reading fun and interactive in your classroom!

Holiday Playlist: Episode 94

3 Tips for Increasing Student Success

Fact: Education is changing. It HAS changed. And if we, as teachers want to keep up, we’ve got to reflect on our current ways of teaching and ensure that we are setting out students up for success. Listen in to learn 3 actionable tips for how you can increase student success in today’s, 21st century classroom.

Happy Holidays from The Classroom Commute Podcast!

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