1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,720 Heidi: This is episode 250 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:09,360 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,080 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:13,620 Heidi. 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,980 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:16,980 --> 00:00:19,920 Window, where we give research based and teacher approved 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,560 strategies that make teaching less stressful and more 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,965 effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from 9 00:00:25,965 --> 00:00:28,425 each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:28,785 --> 00:00:31,545 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:31,545 --> 00:00:32,085 the show. 12 00:00:36,405 --> 00:00:40,125 Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today for a very 13 00:00:40,125 --> 00:00:45,585 special episode. Today we are celebrating 250 episodes as well 14 00:00:45,585 --> 00:00:49,770 as our four year podcast anniversary. We will take a look 15 00:00:49,770 --> 00:00:53,430 back at our past favorites and talk about what we hope the next 16 00:00:53,430 --> 00:00:54,810 four years will hold. 17 00:00:55,590 --> 00:00:58,410 Heidi: But first, let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we 18 00:00:58,410 --> 00:01:00,750 share a quick win that you can try in your classroom right 19 00:01:00,810 --> 00:01:03,330 away. Emily, what is our suggestion for this week? 20 00:01:03,330 --> 00:01:06,870 Emily: Well, this week, try boosting your mood with a two 21 00:01:06,870 --> 00:01:10,335 for one good deed. So think about one of your teacher 22 00:01:10,335 --> 00:01:12,975 friends and a problem that you know they're struggling with in 23 00:01:12,975 --> 00:01:16,875 their classroom right now. Then you can send them a link to one 24 00:01:16,875 --> 00:01:20,055 of our podcast episodes that might have tips they need to 25 00:01:20,055 --> 00:01:21,435 manage the situation. 26 00:01:21,855 --> 00:01:25,395 Heidi: So not only are you helping out a friend, but you 27 00:01:25,395 --> 00:01:28,875 are helping us out too. Recommendations from friends are 28 00:01:28,875 --> 00:01:31,335 one of the top ways that new listeners find podcasts. So 29 00:01:31,755 --> 00:01:34,200 every time you share our podcast, it really is such a 30 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:35,580 lovely gift to us. 31 00:01:36,180 --> 00:01:38,460 Emily: Yeah, and we don't take it for granted when listeners 32 00:01:38,460 --> 00:01:41,400 enjoy our content enough to share it with others. We are 33 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,500 truly so grateful every time you do. 34 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:47,400 Heidi: And if you do that and you find that you need an even 35 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,120 bigger helpers high to just, you know, get through the day, after 36 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,580 you recommend an episode to a friend, you could swing by the 37 00:01:53,580 --> 00:01:56,445 rating section on your podcast player and consider giving us 38 00:01:56,445 --> 00:02:00,945 five stars and maybe a review. It would be our favorite gift. 39 00:02:01,245 --> 00:02:04,605 Emily: Yes, that is the traditional podcast anniversary 40 00:02:04,605 --> 00:02:09,765 gift is a rating and review. So as we've already mentioned, not 41 00:02:09,765 --> 00:02:13,245 only is today's episode special because we made it to 250 42 00:02:13,245 --> 00:02:17,085 episodes, but it also happens to be our four year podcast 43 00:02:17,085 --> 00:02:17,925 anniversary. 44 00:02:18,525 --> 00:02:21,750 Heidi: I keep trying to make podcastiversary a thing. But so 45 00:02:21,750 --> 00:02:24,150 far, Hallmark has just refused to play the game. 46 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,800 Emily: Stop trying to make podcastiversary a thing. And if 47 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,020 you were wondering about our math, you would probably be 48 00:02:31,020 --> 00:02:34,260 wondering four years, seems like it'd be closer to 200 episodes, 49 00:02:34,260 --> 00:02:37,620 but we do double episodes in the summer in recent years, so 50 00:02:37,620 --> 00:02:39,960 that's what's given us a boost in the numbers. 51 00:02:40,140 --> 00:02:42,360 Heidi: And in honor of this milestone, we wanted to do 52 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,820 something special with this episode. So we're doing 53 00:02:44,820 --> 00:02:49,125 something that we just invented, called a podcast time capsule. 54 00:02:49,425 --> 00:02:52,845 We're going to reflect on how far we've come, celebrate all of 55 00:02:52,845 --> 00:02:55,905 the good things happening now, and talk about what we hope the 56 00:02:55,905 --> 00:02:57,885 next 250 episodes bring. 57 00:02:58,545 --> 00:03:02,025 Emily: And someday, when we get to 500 episodes, we can revisit 58 00:03:02,025 --> 00:03:05,265 today's discussion and see how well we did on our goals. 59 00:03:05,745 --> 00:03:09,285 Heidi: But before we can think about episode 500, let's go back 60 00:03:09,285 --> 00:03:14,550 in time and look at how we got started in 2022. Emily and I had 61 00:03:14,550 --> 00:03:18,330 talked about doing a podcast for a long, long time before we 62 00:03:18,330 --> 00:03:21,990 actually jumped in. So Emily, how is having a podcast 63 00:03:21,990 --> 00:03:23,910 different than you imagined it would be? 64 00:03:24,450 --> 00:03:26,970 Emily: This going back in time makes me feel like we need to be 65 00:03:27,090 --> 00:03:29,610 going, do do do, do do do. Is that from Wayne's World? 66 00:03:31,830 --> 00:03:33,210 Heidi: Flashback, flashback. 67 00:03:33,450 --> 00:03:37,395 Emily: There we go. I would say that having a podcast is 68 00:03:37,395 --> 00:03:39,675 different than I imagined, because it is a lot more work 69 00:03:39,735 --> 00:03:43,455 than it seems like it should be. Because it seems like we're just 70 00:03:43,455 --> 00:03:46,215 getting together to chat for half an hour every week. How 71 00:03:46,215 --> 00:03:50,415 hard could it be? But we care a lot about making sure that this 72 00:03:50,415 --> 00:03:55,215 is a valuable use of your time. So the prep is fairly involved. 73 00:03:55,695 --> 00:03:58,860 Heidi: It really is. It takes so much time, and we love doing it. 74 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,620 It just was not the commitment we thought we were signing up 75 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,420 Emily: No, it was a big commitment for sure, and 76 00:04:01,620 --> 00:04:01,920 for. 77 00:04:04,420 --> 00:04:07,540 sometimes it also feels a little remote from the listeners, like 78 00:04:07,540 --> 00:04:10,900 we know you're out there, hello, and we hear from you sometimes, 79 00:04:10,900 --> 00:04:14,260 but we would love to hear from the listeners even more, so that 80 00:04:14,260 --> 00:04:17,860 we can make sure this podcast is as valuable to you as it can 81 00:04:17,860 --> 00:04:20,620 possibly be. What about you, Heidi, what are you thinking? 82 00:04:20,620 --> 00:04:25,285 Heidi: Well, I just could not conceive of lasting this long 83 00:04:25,285 --> 00:04:29,965 when we started. Like, back in 2022, making it to 2023 seemed 84 00:04:29,965 --> 00:04:30,625 impossible. 85 00:04:30,865 --> 00:04:31,345 Emily: Right. 86 00:04:31,345 --> 00:04:35,305 Heidi: And 100% we have only made it this long because of 87 00:04:35,305 --> 00:04:38,185 Sara and her amazing team at Podcasting For Educators. 88 00:04:38,185 --> 00:04:38,785 Emily: Yes. 89 00:04:38,785 --> 00:04:40,945 Heidi: They are the ones that handle all of the technical work 90 00:04:40,945 --> 00:04:43,825 that comes with having a podcast. Like it is, there are 91 00:04:43,825 --> 00:04:46,345 so many steps that it takes to get, just to get it into the 92 00:04:46,345 --> 00:04:49,870 player, let alone edited and fine tuned and all of that. And 93 00:04:49,870 --> 00:04:53,170 without her help, and the pressure of knowing we have to 94 00:04:53,170 --> 00:04:56,290 get her the episodes in time, we would not have stuck with this 95 00:04:56,290 --> 00:04:57,850 for probably even six months. 96 00:04:58,090 --> 00:05:00,850 Emily: Which is ironic, since we are recording this today a day 97 00:05:00,850 --> 00:05:03,010 later than it is due to her. 98 00:05:03,130 --> 00:05:04,750 Heidi: She loves us anyway. 99 00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:07,450 Emily: The pressure is what's making it so that it's not a 100 00:05:07,450 --> 00:05:08,050 week late. 101 00:05:08,050 --> 00:05:10,810 Heidi: Yes, thank you, Sara. 102 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:14,700 Emily: Well, what would you keep exactly the same from what we 103 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,200 did with the podcast? 104 00:05:16,540 --> 00:05:21,100 Heidi: Well, I I really like our format. We wanted it to feel 105 00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:25,060 like chatting with your teacher besties after school, but not 106 00:05:25,060 --> 00:05:28,600 get so lost in like tangents and asides that you didn't have 107 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,320 anything to take away. And we never take it for granted that 108 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:36,520 teachers have a limited amount of time. So we want to make sure 109 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,620 that the time you're giving us is meaningful, but, you know, 110 00:05:38,620 --> 00:05:39,040 also fun. 111 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,725 Emily: Yes. And I would say my favorite segment is the extra 112 00:05:41,725 --> 00:05:44,605 credit segment, and we've done that from the beginning, and I'm 113 00:05:44,605 --> 00:05:47,965 so glad that we've done it, because it's just a nice way for 114 00:05:47,965 --> 00:05:50,725 us to share something that we're loving, that usually has nothing 115 00:05:50,725 --> 00:05:51,625 to do with teaching. 116 00:05:51,625 --> 00:05:52,045 Heidi: Yes. 117 00:05:52,765 --> 00:05:55,525 Emily: What I like about that is, obviously it helps you all 118 00:05:55,525 --> 00:05:57,925 get to know us better, but more than that, I think it's a good 119 00:05:57,925 --> 00:06:00,325 reminder that we're more than just teachers, and all of you 120 00:06:00,325 --> 00:06:03,370 listeners are more than just teachers, too. So it's a nice 121 00:06:03,370 --> 00:06:07,090 way to end the episode on a light note that just humanizes 122 00:06:07,090 --> 00:06:07,870 all of us. 123 00:06:08,110 --> 00:06:08,470 Heidi: Yes. 124 00:06:09,250 --> 00:06:11,170 Emily: Heidi, is there anything you wish we would have done 125 00:06:11,170 --> 00:06:12,550 sooner with the podcast? 126 00:06:12,850 --> 00:06:15,790 Heidi: Well, I think it took us probably about six months to 127 00:06:15,790 --> 00:06:18,550 find the right tone. I remember, so we started in the spring, and 128 00:06:18,550 --> 00:06:21,490 I remember finally in the fall, feeling like, Okay, we figured 129 00:06:21,490 --> 00:06:25,930 this out. And at the beginning, bless our hearts, we basically 130 00:06:25,930 --> 00:06:28,855 wrote a blog post for each episode, and then we would just 131 00:06:28,855 --> 00:06:30,535 take turns reading like each paragraph. 132 00:06:30,715 --> 00:06:34,315 Emily: Yeah. And we also tried times too, where we just had a 133 00:06:34,315 --> 00:06:38,155 super loose outline, and then we would just try and spit ball it. 134 00:06:38,155 --> 00:06:40,615 But that didn't work well either. We need somewhere in the 135 00:06:40,615 --> 00:06:40,975 middle. 136 00:06:41,035 --> 00:06:44,875 Heidi: Yes, yes. But once we got more comfortable with what we 137 00:06:44,875 --> 00:06:47,935 were doing, we could have more of that conversation flow 138 00:06:47,935 --> 00:06:50,920 without feeling like it was a lecture or, you know, wandering 139 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,980 into the weeds. And if you have been with us since those early 140 00:06:53,980 --> 00:06:56,500 days, thank you for sticking around through the growing 141 00:06:56,500 --> 00:06:56,800 pains. 142 00:06:56,980 --> 00:06:59,200 Emily: And if you didn't listen to those early days, it's okay. 143 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,540 You don't need to go back and listen to them. It's fine. 144 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,800 Heidi: Okay, Emily, do you have a topic that we've covered that 145 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,200 was a total flop that you thought would be a hit? 146 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,880 Emily: Well, I couldn't think of anything that was necessarily a 147 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:15,320 flop, but I do think one of our hidden gems is our three episode 148 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:16,700 series on transitions. 149 00:07:16,700 --> 00:07:18,440 Heidi: Yes, I love those. 150 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,260 Emily: We have so much good content packed in those episodes 151 00:07:21,260 --> 00:07:23,720 that I think if you haven't listened to it, you definitely 152 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,540 should. Putting some extra thought into how you handle 153 00:07:26,540 --> 00:07:29,720 transitions actually like will have a big impact in your day. 154 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,125 So those episodes are nice hidden gems. What about you, 155 00:07:33,125 --> 00:07:33,485 Heidi? 156 00:07:33,965 --> 00:07:36,785 Heidi: Well, I'm still really salty about this. I don't know 157 00:07:36,785 --> 00:07:41,765 why I'm so mad, but back in episode 27, Emily and I talked 158 00:07:41,765 --> 00:07:44,225 about choosing a one word theme before the new school year. It's 159 00:07:44,225 --> 00:07:46,625 something we had done in January, is at the start of the 160 00:07:46,625 --> 00:07:48,725 new year, and we thought this would just like, be such a good 161 00:07:48,725 --> 00:07:53,045 fit for the new school year. And I remember we spent so many days 162 00:07:53,345 --> 00:07:56,870 trying to find a format that we thought would fit with teachers 163 00:07:56,870 --> 00:08:00,350 and the start of the school year, and it was kind of a bust 164 00:08:00,350 --> 00:08:03,590 of an episode. And I thought, Okay, well, Everyone's just 165 00:08:03,590 --> 00:08:06,110 really busy going back to school. It's fine. And we tried 166 00:08:06,110 --> 00:08:08,810 it again the following January. Nope. 167 00:08:09,230 --> 00:08:12,830 Emily: No, that just is not speaking to you all, apparently. 168 00:08:12,830 --> 00:08:13,850 And that's okay. 169 00:08:13,850 --> 00:08:16,490 Heidi: But it's so weird, it seems like something our 170 00:08:16,490 --> 00:08:19,595 listeners would be into. Maybe we'll try it again in the fall, 171 00:08:20,975 --> 00:08:23,315 or maybe, maybe we've been burned. We're just gonna walk 172 00:08:23,315 --> 00:08:23,675 away. 173 00:08:25,715 --> 00:08:27,755 Emily: And what's something about podcasting today that 174 00:08:27,755 --> 00:08:30,215 would have surprised you four years ago, Heidi? 175 00:08:30,695 --> 00:08:34,655 Heidi: Well, I think what we focus on is not what we intended 176 00:08:34,655 --> 00:08:35,195 to focus on. 177 00:08:35,315 --> 00:08:39,755 Emily: No, when we started this, we just assumed we would have a 178 00:08:39,875 --> 00:08:42,335 bunch of literacy episodes, a bunch of math episodes, just 179 00:08:42,335 --> 00:08:44,480 kind of like all through the different teaching things, and 180 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:48,260 we just didn't realize we were going to eventually, and not too 181 00:08:48,260 --> 00:08:53,240 far into it, land firmly in the classroom management, work life 182 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,840 balance, that kind of an area, which was not at all what we 183 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:58,700 thought we were going to talk about. 184 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,600 Heidi: Yeah, we just had no idea how much we enjoyed helping 185 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:04,985 teachers figure out how to manage their classes. This was 186 00:09:04,985 --> 00:09:08,105 not something that was on our radar. And the funny thing is, 187 00:09:08,105 --> 00:09:15,005 like, I don't think we have a single math episode. I also 188 00:09:15,005 --> 00:09:19,385 think we would be surprised that that pivot to like talking about 189 00:09:19,385 --> 00:09:22,985 classroom management would then springboard us into a book. 190 00:09:23,285 --> 00:09:23,765 Emily: Right. 191 00:09:23,300 --> 00:09:26,000 Heidi: So Emily and I had talked about writing a book someday, 192 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,820 but we definitely did not have any plans in the works. We 193 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,960 didn't even have a topic. And then after recording episode 194 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,260 165, I just remember saying to her, I think this might be a 195 00:09:36,260 --> 00:09:39,740 book, but that was kind of it. But a couple months later... 196 00:09:39,740 --> 00:09:42,200 Emily: No but that wasn't kind of it, because you immediately 197 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:43,340 wrote an outline for the book. 198 00:09:43,340 --> 00:09:43,820 Heidi: Oh that's true. 199 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:45,860 Emily: Because you were like, I got to do it now, while it's 200 00:09:45,860 --> 00:09:49,145 fresh, I don't know why, I'm just going to do it. And then a 201 00:09:49,145 --> 00:09:52,145 few months later, we randomly, like, heard from a publisher. 202 00:09:52,145 --> 00:09:54,725 Heidi: Yeah, they're like, Hey, do you have any book ideas? And 203 00:09:54,725 --> 00:09:58,805 we said, as a matter of fact, we do. And it was so nice to have 204 00:09:58,805 --> 00:10:01,025 an outline, because the turnaround time was pretty 205 00:10:01,025 --> 00:10:03,665 tight, so we could just be like, Here you go. Now our book's 206 00:10:03,665 --> 00:10:05,045 coming out in July. It's crazy. 207 00:10:05,045 --> 00:10:08,225 Emily: We just got the edits back two days, so we've got work 208 00:10:08,225 --> 00:10:08,585 to do. 209 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:15,080 Heidi: Okay, Emily, let's shift gears here and move into the 210 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,800 present moment. What is one thing that you wish every 211 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,260 teacher listening right now could really hear? 212 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:24,380 Emily: Oh, I would just want to tell them that you are doing so 213 00:10:24,380 --> 00:10:28,400 much better than you think you are. Teachers are often so hard 214 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,640 on themselves, but I just want you to know that you are doing a 215 00:10:31,685 --> 00:10:35,525 job that is so incredibly hard. You have to be on all day. You 216 00:10:35,525 --> 00:10:38,885 have so many students that you have to keep track of, all of 217 00:10:38,885 --> 00:10:42,905 them with their individual needs. And you really are doing 218 00:10:42,905 --> 00:10:46,325 so much, right? It's it's really easy to dwell on where we fall 219 00:10:46,325 --> 00:10:48,845 short, but the fact that you are spending your free time 220 00:10:48,845 --> 00:10:52,685 listening to a teacher podcast right now is all the evidence 221 00:10:52,685 --> 00:10:55,430 that I need for me to tell you with confidence that you are 222 00:10:55,430 --> 00:10:59,570 doing a great job. Any teacher who desires to keep improving 223 00:10:59,630 --> 00:11:02,810 every day is already knocking it out of the park, so give 224 00:11:02,810 --> 00:11:06,110 yourself a pat on the back, please. I'm certain you deserve 225 00:11:06,110 --> 00:11:06,470 it. 226 00:11:06,830 --> 00:11:08,210 Heidi: Oh, absolutely. 227 00:11:08,810 --> 00:11:11,630 Emily: And what do you know now, Heidi, about teachers or 228 00:11:11,630 --> 00:11:14,390 teaching that you didn't fully understand when you started? 229 00:11:14,930 --> 00:11:17,975 Heidi: Well, when we started the podcast, I hadn't really 230 00:11:17,975 --> 00:11:21,275 considered how hard teaching is, like going off what Emily was 231 00:11:21,275 --> 00:11:25,175 just saying. When you're in it, you know you feel like you're 232 00:11:25,175 --> 00:11:27,755 being pulled in a million directions, but you don't really 233 00:11:27,755 --> 00:11:32,075 have the time to stop and think about all of the layers of 234 00:11:32,075 --> 00:11:34,955 intention that have to go into every single minute of the 235 00:11:34,955 --> 00:11:38,375 school day and just to have every student have a sharpened 236 00:11:38,375 --> 00:11:39,815 pencil at the right moment. 237 00:11:40,055 --> 00:11:40,835 Emily: Yeah. 238 00:11:41,075 --> 00:11:45,620 Heidi: That is, it requires so much thought and work, and doing 239 00:11:45,620 --> 00:11:50,540 this podcast has made me really stop and reflect on how insane 240 00:11:50,540 --> 00:11:56,180 this job is. It's like trying to play 3d chess in the middle of a 241 00:11:56,180 --> 00:11:59,600 dodgeball game, and teachers do not get anywhere near enough 242 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:00,320 credit. 243 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,200 Emily: No, they don't, and I do think that while we were in it, 244 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,420 we knew it was hard, but I actually am so much more 245 00:12:06,420 --> 00:12:09,180 protective of teachers now that we're not in the classroom, 246 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,760 because we're still so involved with everything that's going on 247 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:15,720 with teachers as we continue to serve them, and now it's not 248 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,660 about me, it's about you guys. I'm just so protective of you 249 00:12:18,660 --> 00:12:21,720 that when I ever hear anyone say anything that is slightly 250 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,180 disrespectful to a teacher. I was getting in someone's 251 00:12:24,180 --> 00:12:29,085 comments last week because they said something about screen time 252 00:12:29,085 --> 00:12:33,105 and what are the teachers even doing? And I was ready to throw 253 00:12:33,105 --> 00:12:37,005 hands, like first of all, the amount of screen time that 254 00:12:37,005 --> 00:12:39,885 happens at a school has so little to do with the teacher 255 00:12:39,885 --> 00:12:42,945 deciding what's going to be done on a device and what's not going 256 00:12:43,005 --> 00:12:46,305 to be done on a device. They got a whole earful, and they were 257 00:12:46,545 --> 00:12:50,310 like, oh, no, no, that was not a dig at a teacher. I'm like, 258 00:12:50,310 --> 00:12:54,870 Yeah, but you were! So I will always be there to elbow someone 259 00:12:55,170 --> 00:12:58,470 in your behalf if they are ever talking bad about a teacher, 260 00:12:58,470 --> 00:13:02,490 because we know how hard this is and how hard you're all working. 261 00:13:02,910 --> 00:13:05,910 Heidi: Yeah, you worry about the kids, and we'll do what we can 262 00:13:07,950 --> 00:13:09,030 to worry about you. 263 00:13:09,030 --> 00:13:09,075 Emily: That's right. So Heidi, if a brand new teacher 264 00:13:09,075 --> 00:13:11,835 discovered the podcast today, what episode would you tell them 265 00:13:11,835 --> 00:13:12,495 to start with? 266 00:13:13,335 --> 00:13:16,035 Heidi: I think I would choose episode 158, I'm sure you all 267 00:13:16,035 --> 00:13:17,595 remember exactly what one that is. 268 00:13:17,595 --> 00:13:18,735 Emily: Oh, I do definitely. 269 00:13:18,735 --> 00:13:20,895 Heidi: Yeah, I had to look it up. So don't feel bad. 270 00:13:20,895 --> 00:13:23,775 Obviously, I didn't expect anyone to remember that. But 271 00:13:23,775 --> 00:13:26,595 this is about making sure your management system is not making 272 00:13:26,595 --> 00:13:31,875 your job harder. I think it's such a good encapsulation of how 273 00:13:31,875 --> 00:13:35,220 Emily and I approach most things. Think about what you 274 00:13:35,220 --> 00:13:38,220 want to have happen, consider what it will take to get there 275 00:13:38,220 --> 00:13:41,880 and then invite your students into the process. I wish that 276 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,880 was a framework I had understood back in my early days. It really 277 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,400 would have saved me from so many headaches, because I think it's 278 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,520 something that new teachers could really benefit from. What 279 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:52,000 about you, Emily, what would you recommend to a new teacher? 280 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,020 Emily: Well, I totally cheated, because I said episode 200 which 281 00:13:56,020 --> 00:13:59,320 was like a very special episode that we did for, you know, 282 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:03,760 celebrating 200 episodes. And so we shared five of the best tips 283 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:07,540 from the first 200 episodes of the podcast. So I'm sort of 284 00:14:07,540 --> 00:14:10,480 cheating, but I already know those are, like five really good 285 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,300 tips. And so that's the episode that I would tell people to 286 00:14:13,300 --> 00:14:15,264 start with. And if you're new to our podcast and you haven't 287 00:14:15,264 --> 00:14:18,925 listened to Episode 200 yet, go start there, and then it's a 288 00:14:18,925 --> 00:14:21,745 good place too, to then you can go on some rabbit holes after 289 00:14:21,745 --> 00:14:24,505 that, after you hear those tips, you might be like, oh, I want to 290 00:14:24,505 --> 00:14:27,625 go hear more about that, or listen to that whole episode. So 291 00:14:27,865 --> 00:14:29,665 episode 200 would be my choice. 292 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,120 Heidi: It's a little bit of a choose your own adventure. Like 293 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,700 start here and then, figure out which path you need to go. 294 00:14:34,700 --> 00:14:38,300 Emily: Definitely. Well, what makes you most hopeful about 295 00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:39,500 education right now, Heidi? 296 00:14:39,900 --> 00:14:44,040 Heidi: I am so proud of how teachers are starting to push 297 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:48,300 back against the extra demands that are put on them. For so so 298 00:14:48,300 --> 00:14:52,320 long, there was this sense that if you were not murdering 299 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,920 yourself for your job, you weren't a good teacher. It's for 300 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,140 the kids, right? Remember your why. 301 00:14:58,320 --> 00:14:59,880 Emily: You're not here for the money. 302 00:15:00,300 --> 00:15:04,200 Heidi: Yeah, like, why are you expecting to be compensated? But 303 00:15:04,260 --> 00:15:07,485 that attitude is how we burned out a lot of really, really good 304 00:15:07,485 --> 00:15:12,045 teachers. Now we are still so far, far away from having a 305 00:15:12,045 --> 00:15:15,045 system that respects teachers like the qualified professionals 306 00:15:15,045 --> 00:15:18,825 they are. But every time a teacher says no to an 307 00:15:18,825 --> 00:15:21,285 unreasonable expectation, I think we get a little bit 308 00:15:21,285 --> 00:15:21,825 closer. 309 00:15:22,125 --> 00:15:24,705 Emily: Yeah, for sure. And one of my friends was saying the 310 00:15:24,705 --> 00:15:27,510 other day, like, are you worried about, you know, the future of 311 00:15:27,510 --> 00:15:30,030 education because of everything that's going on? And I was like, 312 00:15:30,030 --> 00:15:33,270 no, because yes, there are policies right now that don't 313 00:15:33,270 --> 00:15:36,330 align with best practices, and there are demands being put on 314 00:15:36,330 --> 00:15:39,030 teachers right now that are not fair and that don't have the 315 00:15:39,030 --> 00:15:43,710 best, students' best interests in mind, and yet, I am so 316 00:15:43,710 --> 00:15:46,290 inspired by the way that teachers are able to make the 317 00:15:46,290 --> 00:15:48,690 most of those difficult situations, because they don't 318 00:15:48,690 --> 00:15:51,375 just throw up their hands and say there's nothing they can do. 319 00:15:51,735 --> 00:15:54,855 They find ways to work within their constraints, to give their 320 00:15:54,855 --> 00:15:58,695 students the best education they can. And so I am confident that 321 00:15:58,695 --> 00:16:01,875 as long as we have smart, caring, hard working teachers, 322 00:16:01,875 --> 00:16:05,955 like we do, education is always going to improve, and I could 323 00:16:05,955 --> 00:16:09,015 never lose faith in education, because I know teachers and I 324 00:16:09,015 --> 00:16:11,535 know how much they care. I may not always have faith in 325 00:16:11,535 --> 00:16:15,240 policymakers, but I do always have faith in teachers. 326 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,720 Heidi: Oh, absolutely. Like they're going to show up with a 327 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:22,860 roll of tape and some pencils and paper, and they're going to 328 00:16:22,860 --> 00:16:25,800 make miracles happen, because that's just what teachers do. 329 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,260 Emily: And they'll keep advocating for their students, 330 00:16:28,260 --> 00:16:31,020 and hopefully, like you said, advocating for themselves and 331 00:16:31,020 --> 00:16:34,260 for the way that they deserve to be treated. 332 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,560 Heidi: Yeah, I hope, before too long, we see, like, such a huge 333 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:42,165 shift in the way we treat teachers so that we can give 334 00:16:42,165 --> 00:16:44,205 students everything that they deserve. 335 00:16:45,585 --> 00:16:48,825 Emily: So now let's shift to looking forward into the next 336 00:16:48,825 --> 00:16:52,845 future episodes of the podcast, Heidi. So what do you want to do 337 00:16:52,845 --> 00:16:55,245 with the podcast in the next 250 episodes? 338 00:16:55,419 --> 00:16:57,819 Heidi: Like you mentioned, Emily, sometimes being on the 339 00:16:57,819 --> 00:17:00,419 podcast feels a little one sided, because like we're doing 340 00:17:00,419 --> 00:17:03,419 all the talking. I don't always get to hear from our listeners, 341 00:17:03,419 --> 00:17:06,659 and I would really love to expand the sense of our 342 00:17:06,659 --> 00:17:10,139 community that we have. We want to make sure that what we're 343 00:17:10,139 --> 00:17:14,159 doing is what is most valuable to our listeners and what meets 344 00:17:14,159 --> 00:17:17,159 your needs right now. And so I hope that as we go into the next 345 00:17:17,159 --> 00:17:19,619 few years, that's something that we can continue building. What 346 00:17:19,619 --> 00:17:22,519 about you, Emily, what do you see happening for us in the next 347 00:17:22,519 --> 00:17:23,359 250 episodes? 348 00:17:23,660 --> 00:17:26,180 Emily: Well, I just hope that in those episodes we keep unlocking 349 00:17:26,180 --> 00:17:29,360 ways that teachers can elevate what matters and simplify the 350 00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:32,000 rest. So that's the tagline for the show, right? And I think it 351 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,800 sounds cute, but it actually is really everything that we stand 352 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,200 for here. It's the most accurate representation of what we're 353 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,860 trying to do, and it's because we care so much about making 354 00:17:42,860 --> 00:17:46,505 your teaching life easier. We know there are too many demands 355 00:17:46,505 --> 00:17:49,865 on you, and we want to help free you from some of that weight 356 00:17:49,865 --> 00:17:52,685 that you're under, but we also know that there are some things 357 00:17:52,685 --> 00:17:55,205 that matter a lot, and we're never going to tell you to just 358 00:17:55,205 --> 00:17:56,345 phone stuff in. 359 00:17:56,345 --> 00:17:59,585 So while we want to help you simplify everything you can, we 360 00:17:59,585 --> 00:18:03,125 also want to help you put the appropriate amount of emphasis 361 00:18:03,125 --> 00:18:06,905 on those parts of your teaching that really move the needle, and 362 00:18:06,905 --> 00:18:09,305 that might be classroom management strategies that help 363 00:18:09,305 --> 00:18:12,650 you have more time for teaching, or instructional strategies that 364 00:18:12,650 --> 00:18:16,790 help students retain what they learn, or even just ideas to 365 00:18:16,790 --> 00:18:19,790 make your day more fun, so that you can still enjoy your job 366 00:18:19,790 --> 00:18:24,170 when it's really hard. So I hope that our next 250 episodes 367 00:18:24,170 --> 00:18:26,030 delivers on that promise. 368 00:18:26,450 --> 00:18:27,410 Heidi: I love that. 369 00:18:27,379 --> 00:18:29,977 Emily: Well, what do you hope listeners say about Teacher 370 00:18:30,029 --> 00:18:31,640 Approved in another four years? 371 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,540 Heidi: I want it to be something like, Oh, I knew you gals would 372 00:18:34,540 --> 00:18:39,040 have just the tip I needed. Obviously, after 250 episodes, 373 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:43,060 we have a pretty robust library of content. So hopefully, with 374 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:48,160 250 more episodes, we can cover every possible question anyone 375 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:52,240 might have. It's just always so nice when someone asks us a 376 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,925 question, and we'd be like, oh yeah, we have a whole deep dive 377 00:18:54,925 --> 00:18:56,605 on that in this episode here. 378 00:18:56,785 --> 00:19:01,585 Emily: Why yes, we have a three part series about that. I just 379 00:19:01,585 --> 00:19:05,125 hope that they will say that the ideas we have shared have helped 380 00:19:05,125 --> 00:19:09,505 them remember why they love teaching. So I just hope that 381 00:19:09,505 --> 00:19:12,445 we've somehow helped reduce even a little bit of the burden 382 00:19:12,445 --> 00:19:16,165 that's been placed on them as a teacher, and that really that 383 00:19:16,165 --> 00:19:18,625 we've always made it worth your time to listen to our episodes, 384 00:19:18,670 --> 00:19:20,350 that we never waste your time here. 385 00:19:20,590 --> 00:19:24,310 Heidi: Yes, absolutely. So as we look ahead to the next four 386 00:19:24,310 --> 00:19:26,650 years, Emily, what do you hope that we could say about the 387 00:19:26,650 --> 00:19:28,450 podcast by episode 500? 388 00:19:29,050 --> 00:19:31,630 Emily: I mean, is it too much to say that I hope we're the number 389 00:19:31,630 --> 00:19:34,690 one podcast in education by episode 500? 390 00:19:36,130 --> 00:19:40,330 Heidi: No, let's do it. Do you know what my goal is? 391 00:19:40,390 --> 00:19:41,290 Emily: Let's hear it. 392 00:19:41,410 --> 00:19:43,750 Heidi: I want to hit a million downloads. 393 00:19:43,750 --> 00:19:46,375 Emily: I mean, obviously, like, those things would be so 394 00:19:46,375 --> 00:19:48,835 exciting to say, because they would be such a fun achievement 395 00:19:48,835 --> 00:19:51,475 for us. But like, more than anything, I know that we both 396 00:19:51,475 --> 00:19:54,295 hope for those things because we want to reach more teachers, 397 00:19:54,415 --> 00:19:56,455 that like, we're passionate about what we're doing here, and 398 00:19:56,455 --> 00:19:59,095 we really want to help as many teachers as we can with the 399 00:19:59,095 --> 00:20:00,715 ideas that we're sharing here. 400 00:20:01,015 --> 00:20:04,195 Heidi: Yes, that's always what it comes down to for us is, 401 00:20:04,555 --> 00:20:08,440 like, yeah, that's fun to see the growth. But we really, 402 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,100 really want to have that sense of, you know, just being the 403 00:20:12,100 --> 00:20:16,420 teacher bestie that you can turn to in a rough moment and like, 404 00:20:16,420 --> 00:20:20,320 we get it and we can help you through the next steps. It's 405 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,820 what makes all of the hard work worth it every week, because we 406 00:20:24,820 --> 00:20:26,125 just we can picture you listening in your cars on your 407 00:20:26,125 --> 00:20:29,785 way to work or while you're walking your dog, or, you know, 408 00:20:29,845 --> 00:20:33,565 packing up your classroom at the end of the school day, and we 409 00:20:33,565 --> 00:20:36,025 want to be there for you, cheering you on and helping make 410 00:20:36,025 --> 00:20:38,065 this job a little more manageable. 411 00:20:39,020 --> 00:20:42,080 Emily: Okay, so we always end the episode with a teacher 412 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,420 approved tip and some extra credit. So we're going to 413 00:20:44,420 --> 00:20:48,260 revisit some of our favorites. Which tip from the past four 414 00:20:48,260 --> 00:20:50,300 years is your favorite, and why, Heidi? 415 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,420 Heidi: Okay, well, I'm picking a tip that we discussed in episode 416 00:20:53,420 --> 00:20:57,380 26 because I don't think enough people believe us when we say 417 00:20:57,380 --> 00:21:01,040 it's one of the best management hacks that we've discovered, and 418 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,845 that is to turn your students' desks backwards. 419 00:21:03,965 --> 00:21:05,345 Emily: Yes. 420 00:21:05,345 --> 00:21:08,585 Heidi: The most efficient problem solving is preventing 421 00:21:08,585 --> 00:21:12,665 problems from starting in the first place. And if the desks 422 00:21:12,665 --> 00:21:15,065 are turned around, kids can't play around in there during 423 00:21:15,065 --> 00:21:17,885 lessons, nothing is getting lost. You never have to take 424 00:21:17,885 --> 00:21:21,725 class time to clean out desks. And if you're like, Okay, that 425 00:21:21,725 --> 00:21:24,065 sounds so impractical, like, where do they keep everything? 426 00:21:24,065 --> 00:21:26,870 Well, Emily and I did it. We gave each student a pencil box 427 00:21:26,870 --> 00:21:30,470 for their basic supplies, and then notebooks and folders were 428 00:21:30,470 --> 00:21:34,430 kept in stacking Sterilite drawers, specifically Sterilite 429 00:21:34,430 --> 00:21:35,210 because they're sturdy. 430 00:21:35,270 --> 00:21:35,750 Emily: Right. 431 00:21:35,870 --> 00:21:39,350 Heidi: On the counter. And then the day's table captain would 432 00:21:39,350 --> 00:21:41,810 bring the drawer to the table with the materials for that 433 00:21:41,810 --> 00:21:44,810 lesson, and then it was just all put away. Nothing got lost. 434 00:21:45,110 --> 00:21:47,510 Everything held up all year long, because things weren't 435 00:21:47,510 --> 00:21:51,635 getting crammed into the desk. Now, we did have to sacrifice 436 00:21:51,635 --> 00:21:54,875 some counter space for the drawers, but honestly, it was so 437 00:21:54,875 --> 00:21:55,655 worth it. 438 00:21:55,775 --> 00:21:56,915 Emily: Oh so worth it. 439 00:21:56,915 --> 00:21:59,375 Heidi: And then I'd always start the school year with my kids in 440 00:21:59,375 --> 00:22:01,895 tables, but I rarely ended that way, because I usually had to 441 00:22:01,895 --> 00:22:05,075 spread them out some more. So when that would happen, I would 442 00:22:05,075 --> 00:22:07,835 start to let them keep stuff inside their desks, but the 443 00:22:07,835 --> 00:22:09,215 desks were still turned around. 444 00:22:09,335 --> 00:22:12,320 Emily: Right. So, yeah, if their desk is, like, not pushed up 445 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,080 against another one, it can still be backwards, and then 446 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,600 they just have to walk around to get stuff out of it, but then it 447 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,100 prevents them from playing in it. 448 00:22:19,100 --> 00:22:21,080 Heidi: Yeah, or they get really good at, like, reaching over, 449 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,600 you know, and be like, I know what my morning workbook feels 450 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,180 like, and they just pull that out. Or, you know, it just 451 00:22:26,180 --> 00:22:30,800 solves so many problems. And yes, it is unconventional, but 452 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,800 it saved me from having to monitor everything that was 453 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,965 happening in everyone's desks all day long for nine months. It 454 00:22:36,965 --> 00:22:38,885 was worth it. I will take that every single time. 455 00:22:39,380 --> 00:22:42,920 Emily: Yeah, and I had something at least one year that I needed 456 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,500 them to keep in their desk because I didn't have enough 457 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,720 drawers for it, or something like that, and it was something 458 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,540 that we only needed, like once a day at the most, maybe not even 459 00:22:50,540 --> 00:22:53,720 every day. And so we just would slide the desks apart and reach 460 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,900 in from the middle, like there are ways to make it work. Where 461 00:22:56,900 --> 00:23:01,220 there is a will, there is a way, and it's worth it for all of the 462 00:23:01,220 --> 00:23:02,720 management headaches that you avoid. 463 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,165 My fourth grader was just telling me that she got in 464 00:23:05,165 --> 00:23:09,185 trouble because she was messing around in her desk, because they 465 00:23:09,185 --> 00:23:11,705 were moving desks later in the day, and she knew that her desk 466 00:23:11,705 --> 00:23:14,345 was a mess, and so she was like, trying to, like, organize stuff 467 00:23:14,345 --> 00:23:16,625 in there during a lesson. And I thought, well, you know, the 468 00:23:16,625 --> 00:23:22,265 desk didn't have anything in it and was turned around. The 469 00:23:22,265 --> 00:23:23,382 teacher wouldn't even have to deal with that. Which is not a 470 00:23:23,382 --> 00:23:25,370 criticism of the teacher, by the way, like that's just a, I just 471 00:23:25,370 --> 00:23:29,090 wish that teachers had this idea and would give it a try to avoid 472 00:23:29,090 --> 00:23:31,790 that extra stress and time waster. 473 00:23:31,790 --> 00:23:34,490 Heidi: Well and even if it's not something you feel like you can 474 00:23:34,490 --> 00:23:38,450 take on all year long, maybe in the last quarter of the school 475 00:23:38,450 --> 00:23:41,150 year, it might be worth it, just to eliminate some of those 476 00:23:41,150 --> 00:23:44,330 spring headaches when everything's just a little 477 00:23:44,330 --> 00:23:48,095 rougher this time of year. Like, okay, I'm not gonna fight this 478 00:23:48,095 --> 00:23:50,495 battle anymore. We're turning the desks around, and we'll just 479 00:23:50,495 --> 00:23:52,055 make it work for the last few weeks. 480 00:23:52,175 --> 00:23:53,075 Emily: Yeah, for sure. 481 00:23:53,075 --> 00:23:56,135 Heidi: Okay, Emily, which tip did you pick and why? 482 00:23:56,375 --> 00:23:58,955 Emily: Well, I picked, it's from episode 88 and it's having a 483 00:23:58,955 --> 00:24:02,675 class handshake. So, this is one of my favorite little traditions 484 00:24:02,675 --> 00:24:05,975 that I did with my students, and they loved being involved in 485 00:24:05,975 --> 00:24:08,375 making up the handshake at the beginning of the year. So that 486 00:24:08,375 --> 00:24:10,955 was good for building our community. Sometimes they were a 487 00:24:10,955 --> 00:24:13,820 little long, but then it just felt like our own little insider 488 00:24:13,820 --> 00:24:17,600 secret for the rest of the year. And sometimes we would do it as 489 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,600 our greeting during morning meeting, and then at the end of 490 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,940 the day, I always stood by the door and on their way out, they 491 00:24:22,940 --> 00:24:26,540 could do a hug, a handshake or a high five on the way out the 492 00:24:26,540 --> 00:24:29,480 door, and many of them would want to do our secret handshake 493 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,480 on the way out. So I got good at doing it fast. It's just a 494 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,285 really small way to build classroom community, but it's so 495 00:24:35,285 --> 00:24:36,065 simple to do. 496 00:24:36,725 --> 00:24:39,065 Heidi: And while we're talking about preventative behavior 497 00:24:39,065 --> 00:24:43,145 management, a strong student teacher relationship is one of 498 00:24:43,205 --> 00:24:48,125 the easiest, most reliable ways to prevent classroom management 499 00:24:48,125 --> 00:24:50,645 problems, because when students feel like their teacher sees 500 00:24:50,645 --> 00:24:54,425 them and values them as an individual, they're more willing 501 00:24:54,425 --> 00:24:58,205 to cooperate with what you're asking of them. And so something 502 00:24:58,250 --> 00:25:02,690 like that. Yeah, it's a hassle to have to set up and manage, 503 00:25:03,050 --> 00:25:07,370 but it buys you so much goodwill and so much buy in that you 504 00:25:07,370 --> 00:25:10,130 almost couldn't pay for that kind of benefit. 505 00:25:10,250 --> 00:25:11,270 Emily: Yeah, for sure. 506 00:25:11,270 --> 00:25:15,110 Heidi: All right, Emily, what is an extra credit that you still 507 00:25:15,110 --> 00:25:17,270 stand by after all these years? 508 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:21,980 Emily: All right. In episode 124 I shared about my new puzzle 509 00:25:21,980 --> 00:25:27,440 table, and it is my favorite thing that I own. I use it all 510 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,260 the time. I was just using it this afternoon working on a 511 00:25:30,260 --> 00:25:35,000 puzzle, and I guarantee I have done so many more puzzles since 512 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,580 I got this table, because everything's contained on the 513 00:25:37,580 --> 00:25:40,760 table. I can just take that off of my kitchen table easily when 514 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,785 we need to use the table and then put it back on. 515 00:25:42,785 --> 00:25:47,405 And being able to have, like an easy, contained place for it 516 00:25:47,405 --> 00:25:50,105 makes it easy to just always have a puzzle out. And I 517 00:25:50,105 --> 00:25:54,965 especially like mine, because it swivels, but not just swivels, 518 00:25:55,265 --> 00:26:00,185 it also tilts, so I can tilt it up, which was especially 519 00:26:00,185 --> 00:26:03,545 helpful. Last year, I was working on a puzzle, like, I 520 00:26:03,545 --> 00:26:06,650 think it was like a Rifle Paper Co one that was like a New York 521 00:26:06,650 --> 00:26:12,290 Street in spring, and so the whole top third was, like, pink 522 00:26:12,290 --> 00:26:16,430 blossoms on trees, and they were, this was so hard, like, it 523 00:26:16,430 --> 00:26:21,050 was all the same. It was so hard to do. And I was just like ready 524 00:26:21,050 --> 00:26:22,490 to just quit this stupid puzzle. 525 00:26:22,490 --> 00:26:26,330 But the fact that I could tilt it up to work on it saved me, 526 00:26:26,330 --> 00:26:29,135 because it was the hunching over trying to reach the top part of 527 00:26:29,135 --> 00:26:31,295 the puzzle, because I don't really like to work upside down 528 00:26:31,295 --> 00:26:34,895 if I don't have to. Tilting it up saved my back and made it so 529 00:26:34,895 --> 00:26:38,075 I could finally finish this stupid puzzle that I will never 530 00:26:38,075 --> 00:26:41,495 do again because those blossoms almost ruined my life. But 531 00:26:41,915 --> 00:26:44,975 puzzle table, it's worth it and and there are a lot of swivel 532 00:26:44,975 --> 00:26:48,215 ones out there, but I actually think having the tilt feature is 533 00:26:48,215 --> 00:26:51,440 worth the upgrade, so I will link to it in the show notes. 534 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,320 Heidi: And yours has like, little cool drawers, so if you 535 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,620 want to start sorting pieces by color, you can have them out of 536 00:26:57,620 --> 00:27:01,520 the way, but still organized. It's really a handy dandy little 537 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:02,060 device. 538 00:27:02,060 --> 00:27:04,760 Emily: So good. And I got one that has, like, some of them are 539 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,840 just plain wood, but I got one that has, like, a little bit of 540 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,840 a felt, doesn't feel like the right word, like a textured 541 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:12,487 lining, and I find that so much more pleasant. It kind of holds 542 00:27:12,487 --> 00:27:17,225 the pieces together, especially since you're if you're going to 543 00:27:17,225 --> 00:27:20,525 tilt it up, that keeps it kind of in place. Yes, the only thing 544 00:27:20,525 --> 00:27:23,885 is, after every puzzle, I have to get out the lint roller and 545 00:27:23,885 --> 00:27:28,205 run it all over to get all the puzzle dust off, because any 546 00:27:28,265 --> 00:27:31,985 hardcore puzzler like myself knows what a trial puzzle dust 547 00:27:31,985 --> 00:27:34,625 is, and some puzzles are worse than others. 548 00:27:34,685 --> 00:27:35,645 Heidi: Interesting. 549 00:27:35,645 --> 00:27:37,745 Emily: If you redo a puzzle, it's a lot better because you 550 00:27:37,745 --> 00:27:40,130 usually have gotten all the dust out of it. But the first time 551 00:27:40,130 --> 00:27:43,010 you do a new puzzle depending on the brand, sometimes they are so 552 00:27:43,010 --> 00:27:43,670 dusty. 553 00:27:44,270 --> 00:27:45,650 Heidi: I had no idea, whole new world. 554 00:27:45,650 --> 00:27:48,770 Emily: Yep. What's your extra credit you stand by? 555 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:53,940 Heidi: I've got a two for one, because these two things 556 00:27:53,940 --> 00:27:58,620 together have saved my life. Only kind of exaggerating. So 557 00:27:58,620 --> 00:28:03,780 these are the Luminette 3 light therapy glasses, and magnesium 558 00:28:03,780 --> 00:28:09,360 L-threonate. So they have saved my sleep. I was having such a 559 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:11,625 hard time falling asleep at night, and one of the reasons 560 00:28:11,625 --> 00:28:15,645 behind that is that you need early morning light into your 561 00:28:15,825 --> 00:28:20,685 eyeballs to reset your circadian rhythms, but it's really hard to 562 00:28:20,685 --> 00:28:22,665 go outside for a half an hour in the morning. 563 00:28:22,785 --> 00:28:25,065 Emily: Especially as, like, a non morning person, and you 564 00:28:25,065 --> 00:28:27,285 don't have to run any kids anywhere. So there's not, like, 565 00:28:27,285 --> 00:28:30,225 a reason that you're out and about in the sun in the morning, 566 00:28:30,225 --> 00:28:30,945 like I am. 567 00:28:31,125 --> 00:28:33,105 Heidi: Or you know, if you're driving, you want to have 568 00:28:33,105 --> 00:28:35,790 sunglasses on so you don't hit anyone on the road. And that 569 00:28:35,850 --> 00:28:39,510 defeats that. Or if you're, you know, different times a year, 570 00:28:39,570 --> 00:28:41,910 sometimes the morning might be sunny when you're out, sometimes 571 00:28:41,910 --> 00:28:45,030 it's not. These glasses just make it so convenient. Put them 572 00:28:45,030 --> 00:28:47,430 on, I get up in the morning, put them on right away. I can get 573 00:28:47,430 --> 00:28:50,130 ready in the morning with them on. I look ridiculous, but it's 574 00:28:50,130 --> 00:28:53,010 fine. It just shines like a little light in your eyeballs. 575 00:28:53,010 --> 00:28:53,790 It's not bad at all. 576 00:28:53,790 --> 00:28:59,115 And then I also started taking magnesium L-threonate, 577 00:28:59,115 --> 00:29:02,475 specifically that form of magnesium, and now I can 578 00:29:02,475 --> 00:29:04,695 actually stay asleep. So the glasses let me fall asleep. 579 00:29:04,695 --> 00:29:08,175 Magnesium keeps me asleep because it stopped my restless 580 00:29:08,175 --> 00:29:11,715 legs, like I would be up for hours and hours every night, 581 00:29:11,715 --> 00:29:17,535 trying to, like, stop doing Irish jigs in my bed. But with 582 00:29:17,535 --> 00:29:20,595 the magnesium, I have hardly had any problems. So those two 583 00:29:20,595 --> 00:29:22,740 things together have saved my life. And if you have sleep 584 00:29:22,740 --> 00:29:25,380 issues, definitely worth checking out. I put links to 585 00:29:25,380 --> 00:29:27,240 both of them in the show notes. 586 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,880 Emily: And if you didn't know before now, now you know that we 587 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:36,780 are perimenopausal aged, with our puzzles and our magnesium. 588 00:29:38,340 --> 00:29:41,100 Heidi: Well, that is it for today's episode. Whether you 589 00:29:41,100 --> 00:29:45,345 have been here since day one or today was your first episode, we 590 00:29:45,345 --> 00:29:48,765 are so grateful to you for joining us, and hopefully you're 591 00:29:48,765 --> 00:29:51,885 ready to keep with us in seeing what the next four years hold. 592 00:29:51,885 --> 00:29:57,645 We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi. 593 00:29:57,705 --> 00:30:01,005 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 594 00:30:01,005 --> 00:30:03,525 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 595 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,720 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 596 00:30:03,525 --> 00:30:03,945 episode. 597 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,960 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 598 00:30:10,140 --> 00:30:10,800 Bye for now. 599 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:11,760 Emily: Bye.