The Chalk Full of Life Podcast

Hey teacher friends! I have a treat for you! We have our very first guest on the podcast- Sara Marye. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the Science of Reading and lesson planning.    In this episode she is spilling all of her tips for making lesson planning more streamlined and efficent so you can complete your lesson plans without working past your contracted hours.    Sara Marye has over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator. She is now CEO of The Stellar Teacher Company and a literacy specialist passionate about helping elementary teachers around the world grow their students into lifelong readers. Sara's mission is to make teachers' lives a little easier by providing them with endless encouragement, effective strategies, and engaging no-fluff resources. Sara is also the host of the Stellar Teacher Podcast, where she loves to share her favorite literacy tips each week!   website: https://www.stellarteacher.com/ podcast:https://www.stellarteacher.com/stellar-teacher-podcast-with-sara-marye/ TPT store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Stellar-Teacher-Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestellarteachercompany/  

You don’t need a permission slip. But I’m going to give you one anyway. And more importantly… I’d like you to consider giving one to yourself.   Why? Because... Teachers are really good at giving evvverything to evvveryone else. But how good are you at giving yourself what you really need?   We get so caught up in going, going, going… Giving, giving, giving... And doing, doing, doing… That we keep thinking we need to Do MORE. And Be MORE. But I think what we reeeally need most often is to…   Do LESS. When you do LESS, you free up your 2 most valuable resources: Time & Energy. And when you have more Time & Energy… You’re able to show up as the best version of yourself. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. “That sounds great! I’d love to do less! I’m sooo exhausted, BUT…”   And then you could go on to give me a gigantic list of reasons why you can’t do less because there’s so much you HAVE TO DO. I get it. I’ve been there. But I’d like to offer the thought that maybe the “have to” mentality isn’t serving you. What if it’s a sneaky little thought that sounds legit, but it’s actually a form of self-sabotage?   So here’s what I’d like to recommend. If you love the “idea” of doing less, but you don’t see HOW it could possibly work for you… I’d like to invite you to consider some new thoughts.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why selfish is the new selfless when it comes to being a great teacher and showing up as your best for your family and friends. Why doing less actually allows you to be more in every area of your life - both in and out of school. How to make doing less a habit that will help you step into the best version of yourself. Follow Me On IG  Follow Me On TikTok

Do you ever get knots in your stomach over something that happened at school? Do you ever feel like you can't breathe because you can't stop worrying about test scores, evaluations, observations, changing curriculum, changing grade levels, or anything else related to school? Then this episode is for you.    In this episode you'll learn: My interpretation of what "school-induced anxiety" is and why we experience it. Why anxiety isn't the real problem. (I'll tell you what is.) 3 Options for responding to anxiety - and which one is alwasy your best choice. 4 steps to overcome any instance of anxiety in your life.

Taking a break can be HARD.   Especially when you love what you do. Whether it’s taking a sick day or a mental health day, maternity leave or a sabbatical, or committing to not bringing work home in the evenings or on the weekends.   Taking a break sounds awesome. But it’s not always as easy as it sounds.   I’m about to take a break this holiday season. A break from school and from Chalk Full of Life.    If you’re feeling like you need a break, too- I’d encourage you to listen to your head and your heart. The only person you need permission from is yourself.   In this episode, you’ll learn: How to master the art of taking a break from your schoolwork without feeling guilty. How to break free from a “Have To” mentality. How to consciously choose more of what you want in life by questioning your own thoughts and beliefs.

Is your schoolwork creeping too far into your personal life? If you’re constantly running out of time to get through #allthethings on your to-do list at school, you might wish there were more hours in a day. But would having more time for your schoolwork really solve anything? Or would you find even more things to add to your list? If you’re ready to leave more of your schoolwork at school, it might be time for a mindset makeover.   In this episode you’ll learn:   The biggest reason why your school work is stealing time away from your personal life… and it has everything to do with ONE simple priority. When you shift this priority, everything can change for you.     Four huge problems that are causing your schoolwork to take way too long to complete, and how to solve each of them.   One simple action step you can take right away to make a big difference in how you approach your schoolwork so you can begin protecting your personal time more fiercely. Follow Me On IG  Follow Me On TikTok

Do you have trouble turning off your Teacher Brain when you’re not at school? Sometimes we think way too much about school when we’re not even there. If you ever wished you could just flip the off switch on your buzzing Teacher Brain and be a little more present and in tune with the rest of your life outside of teaching, this episode is for you.   In this episode you’ll learn:   How to recognize the key differences between worrying, ruminating, and being present in the NOW - because this is the first step toward gaining control over your Teacher Brain.   What Thought Loops {or Thought Errors} are - so you can become more aware of what they’re doing to you and how you can begin to let them go.   A simple 3-step plan of action that you can get started with today to be more present at home or anywhere else when you just wanna turn off your Teacher Brain to enjoy your family, your friends, or a little more ME time. Follow Me On IG  Follow Me On TikTok

Some days I roll out of bed, get dressed, and feel like a million bucks. Other days, I curse my skinny jeans for being too skinny. 👖 And I question whether it was them or me that changed size since the last load of laundry. 🤷‍♀️ Ever feel this way? #FrustrationStation Whether we’re frustrated with something going on at school, something at home, or something about ourselves…   Our culture has a tendency to look at frustration as a negative thing. After all, frustration doesn’t feel good! 😖 So most of us try to rush our way out of frustration as fast as we can. We run to the Oreos. We binge the Netflix. We vent to whoever will listen.   Bottom Line: We seek COMFORT. But then the frustration rears its ugly head again. And again. And again. #DejaVu   So we keep trying to run away from it. Or we try to numb ourselves from the awful feeling. 🍦📺🍷   But what if there’s more to it? What if we’re missing something really good hidden underneath the frustration? What if we’re actually creating our own vicious spin cycles when we try to push it away?   What if there’s a better way to get through the frustration faster? ...And actually come out on the other side of it feeling like we’ve finally conquered it? (Rather than feeling like the frustration itself has some sort of power over us.)   Let’s look at frustrations with fresh eyes. And uncover the truth behind what’s really going on. Whether you’re feeling frustrated at school, at home, with yourself (or all of the above)... I promise you’ll know exactly what to do with your frustration by the end of the episode. And fair warning: It might surprise you.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Exactly how to move from frustration toward whatever you want most in your teacher life right now. The two types of discomfort you’ll experience when you’re frustrated (and how to know which one is helpful vs. which one is harmful.) How to consciously choose the type of discomfort that will help you realize your goals, dreams, and ambitions faster.   Join The Balanced Teacher Life Course Follow Me On IG  Follow Me On TikTok

As a teacher, your career might feel like it’s constantly in flux due to decisions that are being made #onthedaily without your input. From decisions about testing to decisions about your curriculum and everything in between… it can sometimes feel like you have little control over your job. But YOU are the professional who knows what works best in your classroom… so what do you do about the decisions that impact your daily life and career - especially when you don’t agree with them? Is feeling powerless your only option? Or is there a more useful and empowering way to respond to the decisions that are handed to you from above? In this episode, you’ll learn: What to do when your school administrators make decisions you don’t like or agree with. The 3 steps you can take immediately to go from feeling frustrated or angry to being grateful that you get to be 100% in control of your own thoughts, feelings, and actions. Why this is one of the greatest opportunities you’ll have as a teacher to grow and experience what real self-empowerment feels like.  The doors are finally open to the Balanced Teacher Life Program. Click here to check it out!  Follow Me On IG Follow Me On TikTok

Are you feeling burnt out or overwhelmed as a teacher? With a to-do list a million miles long, it’s easy to slip right into the #teachertired. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’d rather approach #allthethings from a place of calm, clarity, and confidence, let’s uncover a new approach to tackling your to-do’s with ease. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between burnout and overwhelm - and a simple test to find out which one you’re actually dealing with. 5 simple steps to regain control of your time, tasks, sanity, and energy.  Join The Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist Follow Me On IG  Follow Me On TikTok

Do you have a hard time saying No when an administrator, colleague, friend or anyone else asks you to volunteer for something you don’t really wanna do? On today’s episode, we’ll explore the negative impact saying Yes can have on you and everyone else when it’s not something you’re excited about doing. And you’ll come away with a helpful mindset reframe for how to say No without feeling guilty. So if you’re ready to become a rockstar at saying no, let’s dive on in. In this episode, you’ll learn: The hidden, scary truth of what’s really going on when you say Yes to something that you really don’t want to do. The #1 thing that matters the most when you’re deciding whether to say Yes or No to a request of your time at school or anywhere else. How to say No without feeling guilty. Why you never need to explain yourself when you say NO. Join The Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist Follow Me On IG  Follow Me On TikTok

We all compare ourselves to our peers. It’s natural. But it’s not always helpful.  On today’s episode, we’ll explore our natural inclination to keep up with the Mrs. Joneses. And we’ll uncover a few things we can do to flip the script on the Comparison Game.  So if you’re ready to end the comparison craziness, let’s dive on in. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why do we compare ourselves to others? Why is this harmful? 3 ways we can reframe the way we handle comparison in our lives. Join The Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist Follow Me On IG Follow Me On TikTok

Do you ever get knots in your stomach over something that happened at school? Or feel like you can’t breathe because you can’t stop worrying about test scores, evaluations, observations, your changing curriculum, changing grade levels or anything else related to school? Then this episode is for you. In this episode you’ll learn: My interpretation of what “school-induced anxiety” is and why we experience it. Why anxiety isn’t the real problem.  {I’ll tell you what is.} 3 options for responding to anxiety - and which one is always your best choice. 4 steps to overcome any instance of anxiety in your life. Want to join a community of teachers who are exploring what it means to live your best life in AND out of the classroom?  Join the Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist and be the first to know when the doors open!  Follow Me On IG Let’s support each other with honest conversations about not being perfect, pursuing what matters most… and doing life together.

We’ve all been there. Giving 100% to our careers. Wanting to be the best teachers we can be for our students. But then a parent says something.  Something that makes you think, “Do you even have any cluuue how hard I’m working over here?!” (And if they don’t have a teacher in their family, they probably DON’T have a clue.) But the Bottom Line is…they’re not happy with what you’re doing and they think they might have a “better idea” of how you should be doing your job. So they tell you exactly what they think and you’re left with a verbal dagger in your heart. It can happen completely out of the blue - and for just a hot minute. Or it can feel like you’re enduring an eternity of complaints all year long. Some parents may have the purest of intentions. But others may be lacking in the social graces department. Whether you’re conversing with parents in formal conferences, meetings, emails, or phone calls, developing a Mindset of Steel is an essential Teacher Survival Skill when it comes to parent communications. Not taking negative feedback personally is easier said than done. So let’s unpack exactly how to do it. In this episode, you’ll learn: The hidden reality of what’s reeeally going on in parents’ heads during parent-teacher conferences. How to reframe the way you view parents’ negative feedback about your teaching and actions - for good - so you won’t be bothered by any more stinging comments. How to protect your mental and emotional energy during parent-teacher conferences (or any other communications with parents throughout the year). Let’s support each other with honest conversations about not being perfect, pursuing what matters most… and doing life together. Join The Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist  Follow Me On Instagram  Follow Me On TikTok 

Are you living the life you thought you signed up for when you became a teacher? After my few in the classroom, I realized that I wasn’t. I thought things would be different after those first few years. I thought I wouldn’t be spending so much time on schoolwork outside of school hours. I thought my evenings would be free to do what I wanted. I thought I’d be able to enjoy my weekends without thinking about school. I thought I’d be eating healthy, exercising regularly, and living the “good life.” Instead, I was not eating as much as I should have, not getting enough sleep, lugging my gigantic school bag home every day (even over the weekend), but feeling too exhausted to be productive outside of school. Sure, there was A LOT on my plate as an elementary teacher. But my job wasn’t to blame for me not having my “perfect life” land in my lap. Because hindsight is 20/20, I can look back now and see all the thoughts, feelings, and actions that created the life I didn’t want. And If you’re feeling stuck like I was… wondering how you wound up with a different version of the life you thought you signed up for… I have great news for you. You can re-engineer your life to get exactly what you want - starting today.  Your never-ending to-do lists, difficulties with administrators, challenges with colleagues, and endless obligations at home don’t have to get in the way. You’re in charge.  You get to be the CEO of your classroom and your home. YOU get to decide how you want your life to look a year from now. 5 years from now. And 10 years from now. In this episode, you’ll learn: The #1 secret to getting EXACTLY what you want in your life - personally AND professionally - both inside AND outside of school. The 3 things you need to get crystal clear on in order stay on track with creating your most fulfilling Teacher Life. How to get started with creating a Vision, a Mission, and Core Values for both your career and your personal life.   Be the FIRST to know when the doors to The Balanced Teacher Life Open. Join the waitlist!  Want to join a community of teachers who are exploring what it means to live your best life in AND out of the classroom?  Clikck HERE to join our Chalk Full of Life Facebook Group Let’s support each other with honest conversations about not being perfect, pursuing what matters most… and doing life together.

How much of your teacher life do you spend thinking about all of your day-to-day problems? Now compare that to how much time you spend focusing on solutions. So the question is... Which one wins more of your brain space - problems or solutions? As much as we’d like to say we’re always on the lookout for solutions… if we’re being really honest with ourselves, we’d probably find that “problems” are ruling our brains without us even realizing it. We ask questions like: Why am I so tired? Why is my administrator so unfair? Why do my grade level partners have to act like that? Why can’t I keep up with all my lesson planning and grading? And the Real Problem is that those are problem-focused questions with dead-end answers. Those kinds of questions keep you swimming around INSIDE your problems. They don’t help you move OUTSIDE of your problems - which is where your best solutions are waiting for you! One of the biggest success secrets of the world’s top CEOs is staying focused on solutions. And the great news is that this kind of mindset isn’t reserved the corporate world. Training your brain to be solutions-focused can totally transform your teacher life. There’s a simple quote that says, “Where you Focus is what you’ll Find.” So if you focus on problems… guess what you’ll find? Yep… more problems! And bigger problems! But if you focus on solutions…  You’ll start finding more solutions. And better solutions. If you want to learn how to shift your brain from problems to solutions, take a listen. In this episode, you’ll learn: A simple 4-step approach to more quickly and easily solve ANY problem you might have at school, home, or anywhere else.  How to harness the power of asking the right questions to find your best solutions. How to get beyond just trying to “fix” problems that you see on the surface so you can actually solve their underlying causes - for good. Click HERE To Join The Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist Let’s support each other with honest conversations about not being perfect, pursuing what matters most… and doing life together.

Being a teacher is a lot like being a CEO. Think about it. CEOs make 1000s of decisions every day. So do teachers. CEOs guide their teams to reach huge goals. Teachers guide their students to reach their highest potential. CEOs thrive when they know their businesses are making a difference in the world. Teachers thrive when they know they’re making an impact on their students’ lives. What’s the biggest difference between a CEO and a teacher? You might be tempted to say it’s the difference in salaries… but I’d like to suggest something else that’s even more important. CEOs operate with a vastly different mindset than a typical teacher when it comes to “problems.” In fact, the way CEOs think about problems is very different than how most people on the planet approach their problems. In this episode, and the next two episodes to come, we’re going to explore what a “CEO Mindset” looks like - and how adopting a few simple shifts in thinking can make a huge difference in your teacher life. In this episode, you’ll learn: What teachers’ biggest (hidden) Problem is when it comes to “problems” in the classroom and at home.  How to create a healthier, more effective “Problem Philosophy” with 3 mindset shifts that can completely change how you approach your problems… and come out on the other side with way better results. A 24-Hour Problem Assessment you can try out on your own to discover what kind of impact your problems are really having on your day-to-day life. Let’s support each other with honest conversations about not being perfect, pursuing what matters most… and doing life together. CEOs are problem solvers. So are teachers. Sign up for The Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist https://www.chalkfulloflife.com

Are you struggling with Teacher Guilt? Wifey Guilt? Mama Guilt? Friend Guilt? #AlltheGuilts? Let’s take an honest look at what guilt really is, why you’re experiencing it, and how to overcome it. In this episode you’ll learn: How to define guilt for what it really is. Why guilt is so prevalent and harmful for teachers. The practical steps you can take to keep yourself from feeling like you’re not doing enough or being enough for everyone. Join the Balanced Teacher Life Waitlist  www.chalkfulloflife.com

Is it actually possible for teachers to shift from busy to balanced? My answer is yesss! Let’s talk about the #1 strategy you can use to win your tug-of-time battle. In this episode you’ll learn: Why we need to redefine the terms “busy” and “balanced.” How your survival brain turns time management into an internal tug-of-war. The best strategy for owning your time to create the life you want. www.chalkfulloflife.com 

Ever feel like you’re just not showing up the way you want to... at home, school, or anywhere else? You know you could be so much better with your kids at home or your students at school… but for some reason, you’re feeling like the opposite of the best version of yourself in certain situations. Maybe your kids are acting crazy at bedtime, and you wish they would put you to bed instead of the other way around. Your energy is low. Your patience is thin. And you find yourself having some “not-so-proud moments” in parenting. Or maybe you feel like you’re losing it at school. You can’t believe you’re sliding toward the Dark Side of snapping at your students or getting grouchy with your colleagues. Well, don’t worry. The best version of yourself IS still alive and well. You might just need to get reacquainted with her. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to identify what the best version of yourself actually looks and feels like. Exactly what causes you to feel like your best self (no matter what your circumstances may be).  How to start feeling more like your best self in your most challenging situations. Wanna join a community of teachers who are exploring what it means to live your best life in AND out of the classroom?  Join our Chalk Full of Life Facebook Group  Let’s support each other with honest conversations about not being perfect, pursuing what matters most… and doing life together.

Stress can be a daily struggle for any teacher who cares about giving her best at school each day. But is it something you just have to get used to and live with? Or is there a way to transform your stress into empowerment? With the right tools and mindset, I believe you can learn how to overcome your stress faster than ever before, and enjoy sooo much more of your everyday life.  In this episode, you’ll learn: The surprising truth about what school-related stress really IS and what it isn’t. A new definition of stress that will completely change the way you think about it. Whether you should avoid stress, embrace it, or manage it. How to shift from feeling stressed to empowered in 4 quick, actionable steps. CTFAR Model  Want to join a community of teachers who are exploring what it means to live your best life in AND out of the classroom?  Join our  Chalk Full of Life Facebook Group  Let’s support each other with honest conversations about not being perfect, pursuing what matters most… and doing life together.