1 00:00:01,020 --> 00:00:03,780 Heidi: This is episode 224 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:05,220 --> 00:00:09,600 You're listening to teacher approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,320 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:13,860 Heidi. 5 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,220 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:17,220 --> 00:00:20,220 Window, where we give research based and teacher approved 7 00:00:20,220 --> 00:00:22,800 strategies that make teaching less stressful and more 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,265 effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from 9 00:00:26,265 --> 00:00:28,665 each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:29,025 --> 00:00:31,785 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:31,785 --> 00:00:32,385 the show. 12 00:00:37,005 --> 00:00:40,185 Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:40,185 --> 00:00:43,365 episode, we're talking about how to help your students build 14 00:00:43,365 --> 00:00:46,905 their learning stamina, plus we've got a teacher approved tip 15 00:00:46,950 --> 00:00:48,690 for elevating your sub plans. 16 00:00:49,110 --> 00:00:52,050 Heidi: But first, our try it tomorrow. Emily, what is our 17 00:00:52,050 --> 00:00:53,490 quick win for this week? 18 00:00:53,610 --> 00:00:57,510 Emily: Okay, so tomorrow, when kids are working, try narrating 19 00:00:57,510 --> 00:01:01,350 positive things that you see, but make it about the effort, 20 00:01:01,350 --> 00:01:04,470 not the outcome. So instead of, 'you're doing great,' try 21 00:01:04,470 --> 00:01:07,470 saying, 'I see someone trying two different ways to figure out 22 00:01:07,470 --> 00:01:11,235 that problem to make sure they got the same answer.' This takes 23 00:01:11,295 --> 00:01:14,955 two seconds, but it shows everyone what you value, and 24 00:01:14,955 --> 00:01:17,955 encourages them to keep working hard. 25 00:01:18,375 --> 00:01:21,375 Heidi: This seems so minor, but it's a really powerful shift. 26 00:01:21,675 --> 00:01:25,155 Kids need to know what good work actually looks like. 27 00:01:25,155 --> 00:01:28,395 Emily: If you like this idea or anything else we share here on 28 00:01:28,395 --> 00:01:30,975 the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star 29 00:01:30,975 --> 00:01:33,960 rating and review in your podcast listening app? 30 00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:37,980 Heidi: All right, imagine it's the second week of school. 31 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,920 You've planned a beautiful, independent writing lesson, 32 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:43,920 you've explained the directions clearly, modeled what good work 33 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,780 looks like, and confidently sent your students off to write. And 34 00:01:48,780 --> 00:01:50,580 I bet you can guess what happens next. 35 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,080 Emily: Well, let me think, probably about three minutes in, 36 00:01:55,125 --> 00:01:59,265 half the class is at the pencil sharpener, two kids are done 37 00:01:59,265 --> 00:02:02,685 with work already that should have taken them 20 minutes, and 38 00:02:02,685 --> 00:02:05,745 someone's having a sudden shoe emergency that apparently cannot 39 00:02:05,745 --> 00:02:06,105 wait. 40 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,920 Heidi: Exactly. If you have ever asked your students to work 41 00:02:10,920 --> 00:02:15,000 independently for 15 minutes in those first days of school, you 42 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,540 know exactly what we're talking about, the wandering eyes, the 43 00:02:18,540 --> 00:02:22,080 bathroom requests, and suddenly everyone's water bottle is 44 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:23,160 desperately empty. 45 00:02:23,700 --> 00:02:26,580 Emily: Yes, and it's not that your students don't want to 46 00:02:26,580 --> 00:02:29,625 focus. It's just that many of them are still in summer brain 47 00:02:29,625 --> 00:02:32,985 mode. So their attention spans are shorter. They're adjusting 48 00:02:32,985 --> 00:02:35,445 to new routines and expectations, and they're just 49 00:02:35,445 --> 00:02:38,625 not used to sustained focus anymore. 50 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,960 Heidi: And that is assuming that they ever had the skills to 51 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,340 focus to begin with. But rather than pushing through hoping it 52 00:02:46,340 --> 00:02:50,540 will get better, what if we took a more proactive approach? What 53 00:02:50,540 --> 00:02:53,420 if we treated stamina not as something kids either have or 54 00:02:53,420 --> 00:02:56,960 don't have, but as a skill we can teach and grow, just like 55 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:57,500 reading or math. 56 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,860 Emily: We don't expect kids to multiply two digit numbers 57 00:03:00,860 --> 00:03:03,845 without teaching them how, right? So why do we sometimes 58 00:03:03,845 --> 00:03:07,145 expect them to focus for extended periods without 59 00:03:07,145 --> 00:03:11,285 explicitly building that capacity? And that's exactly 60 00:03:11,285 --> 00:03:14,765 what we're going to talk about today. And Heidi, kick us off. 61 00:03:14,765 --> 00:03:16,685 You've got a good example of this, right? 62 00:03:17,465 --> 00:03:20,645 Heidi: I do. Well I hope everyone is comfy, because we 63 00:03:20,645 --> 00:03:24,485 are starting with a story time, and I so wish right now that I 64 00:03:24,530 --> 00:03:28,430 could do a Sofia Petrillo impression, but you're just 65 00:03:28,430 --> 00:03:31,670 gonna have to imagine me with gray curls and a wicker purse. 66 00:03:31,850 --> 00:03:36,410 Emily: Picture it. And if you're too young to get that reference, 67 00:03:36,410 --> 00:03:40,910 first of all, how dare you. And we probably seem so old to you 68 00:03:40,910 --> 00:03:43,430 right now that you do think we have gray hair and wicker 69 00:03:43,430 --> 00:03:44,030 purses. 70 00:03:45,050 --> 00:03:46,370 Heidi: So rude. 71 00:03:46,900 --> 00:03:51,100 Emily: I mean, the gray hair may be accurate. It's not fully gray 72 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:54,280 though, we are taking care of that, but I do not have a wicker 73 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:55,840 purse, thank you very much. 74 00:03:55,299 --> 00:03:59,097 Heidi: Although, is it bad if I say I saw one the other day 75 00:03:56,260 --> 00:04:05,320 Emily: Oh, shoot, let's just give up. Let's move to Florida. 76 00:03:59,170 --> 00:04:02,019 online, and I thought, Oh, that's cute. 77 00:04:06,740 --> 00:04:11,360 Heidi: All the cheesecake we can handle. Well, picture it. 78 00:04:11,420 --> 00:04:16,220 Sicily. I mean, my second grade classroom. It's the first week 79 00:04:16,220 --> 00:04:19,820 of school. We have made it to day three, and I have been 80 00:04:19,820 --> 00:04:23,180 working through my attaboy back to school goals. One of my 81 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:25,820 biggest teaching goals in the first week is to get students 82 00:04:25,820 --> 00:04:28,220 used to the learning routines that we will be using all year 83 00:04:28,220 --> 00:04:32,585 long, like how to spend silent reading time actually reading. 84 00:04:33,125 --> 00:04:35,225 Emily: Yeah, the eternal challenge. 85 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,860 Heidi: Oh, no joke. But I did find a secret weapon in the 86 00:04:39,860 --> 00:04:43,280 daily five book. There are suggestions in that book that I 87 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:47,360 do disagree with, but the stuff that is good is so good that it 88 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,660 completely changed my teaching, and the author system for 89 00:04:50,660 --> 00:04:53,660 launching reading time is really some of their best stuff. So 90 00:04:54,020 --> 00:04:57,980 here's what I would do. I gathered my new little second 91 00:04:57,980 --> 00:05:00,905 graders back at the carpet for a chat. We would talk about the 92 00:05:00,905 --> 00:05:03,905 value of focus, and then I would give each student a stack of 93 00:05:03,905 --> 00:05:07,265 books and place them in their reading spots. Now eventually, I 94 00:05:07,265 --> 00:05:09,725 would let them choose their own books and spots, but that came 95 00:05:09,725 --> 00:05:12,905 later. Once everyone was settled, I went back to my 96 00:05:12,905 --> 00:05:15,425 table, because that's where I would normally be during reading 97 00:05:15,425 --> 00:05:19,265 time, and I pretended to be busy with paperwork, but really I had 98 00:05:19,265 --> 00:05:23,030 my stopwatch running and I was covertly scanning for the first 99 00:05:23,030 --> 00:05:24,530 sign that someone was off task. 100 00:05:25,310 --> 00:05:28,130 Emily: Oh, and those kids think they're being so sneaky while 101 00:05:28,130 --> 00:05:31,370 they're secretly wasting time, but you're on to them. 102 00:05:31,670 --> 00:05:34,970 Heidi: Every time, they can't get it past me. Those kids are 103 00:05:34,970 --> 00:05:39,530 about as subtle as a stampede. As soon as I spotted someone 104 00:05:39,590 --> 00:05:43,310 looking around the room or building a tent out of books, I 105 00:05:43,310 --> 00:05:46,655 stopped my timer and I called the class back to the carpet. No 106 00:05:46,655 --> 00:05:49,595 matter how long they managed to read, even if it was just one 107 00:05:49,595 --> 00:05:54,575 minute and 48 seconds, I was super pumped, because it is all 108 00:05:54,575 --> 00:05:58,895 uphill from here. I told the kids all of the awesome things I 109 00:05:58,895 --> 00:06:02,135 noticed them doing. Next we talked about the ways to get our 110 00:06:02,135 --> 00:06:05,495 minds back on track if we lose focus. And then came the big 111 00:06:05,495 --> 00:06:10,700 question, were they ready for round two? We set a goal for how 112 00:06:10,700 --> 00:06:12,860 long they thought they could focus, and because they're 113 00:06:12,860 --> 00:06:15,680 overachievers, they would immediately jump to 10 minutes. 114 00:06:16,140 --> 00:06:18,240 Emily: Why did they do that? They think, they always think 115 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,080 they're ready to take on this, like, enormous challenge. I was 116 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,240 like, Guys, you couldn't even do two minutes. 117 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,440 Heidi: That's why second graders are the best. They just have no 118 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:28,280 grip on reality. 119 00:06:28,280 --> 00:06:30,920 Emily: That's what makes them so lovable. 120 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,860 Heidi: Yes, definitely. So I would suggest something a little 121 00:06:34,860 --> 00:06:39,240 more doable. Like, okay, we made it one minute and 48 seconds. Do 122 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,120 you think we can try for two minutes, and if we can keep 123 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:47,040 going, maybe we'll get to ten. So armed with their new resolve, 124 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,380 the kids went back to their reading spots, and I went back 125 00:06:49,380 --> 00:06:52,620 to my table. The timer started again, and I got my paperwork 126 00:06:52,620 --> 00:06:56,325 out again, and then as soon as I spotted someone off task, the 127 00:06:56,325 --> 00:06:59,385 timer stopped. I had the kids put away their books and then 128 00:06:59,385 --> 00:07:00,345 come back to the carpet. 129 00:07:01,020 --> 00:07:04,500 This was the end of reading time for the day, and they were eager 130 00:07:04,500 --> 00:07:07,860 to hear how well they had done. And even if they only beat their 131 00:07:07,860 --> 00:07:11,460 previous time by a few seconds, it was still a celebration. We 132 00:07:11,460 --> 00:07:13,920 wrapped things up by reflecting on what they had done to keep 133 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,740 their minds on their books, and we marked the day's progress on 134 00:07:16,740 --> 00:07:21,060 a bar graph. That visual really made a huge difference. Suddenly 135 00:07:21,060 --> 00:07:24,165 they could see, oh, today we made it two minutes. I bet we 136 00:07:24,165 --> 00:07:28,545 get to three minutes tomorrow. It turns stamina into a class 137 00:07:28,545 --> 00:07:31,305 challenge, almost like leveling up in a video game. 138 00:07:31,785 --> 00:07:33,525 Emily: I love that, especially because they're all working 139 00:07:33,525 --> 00:07:37,365 together for the goal. Now, this wasn't something you did all 140 00:07:37,365 --> 00:07:38,205 year, though, right? 141 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,240 Heidi: Oh, no. I think we all would have gotten real sick of 142 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,900 that real fast, but I repeated that process every day until 143 00:07:44,900 --> 00:07:48,380 they could focus for about 10 minutes straight. After that, I 144 00:07:48,380 --> 00:07:51,800 would keep slowly building their on task stamina, but we didn't 145 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:55,520 stop in the middle and discuss it anymore. So that was my grand 146 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,000 experiment with reading stamina, basically just me trying to 147 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,025 trick a bunch of eight year olds into believing that sitting 148 00:08:01,025 --> 00:08:04,565 still and reading silently was the coolest new sport in town. 149 00:08:05,165 --> 00:08:09,365 But you know what? It worked. It worked every year. By October, 150 00:08:09,425 --> 00:08:11,885 that same class that could barely manage two minutes at the 151 00:08:11,885 --> 00:08:15,065 start was reading independently for 20 or 30 minutes. I 152 00:08:15,065 --> 00:08:18,245 sometimes had classes that could read for 40 minutes. But it 153 00:08:18,245 --> 00:08:22,925 didn't happen all at once. We built it day by day, celebrating 154 00:08:22,985 --> 00:08:25,490 every small victory along the way until they got where they 155 00:08:25,490 --> 00:08:26,210 needed to be. 156 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,200 Emily: Oh, I love it so much. And this is a great story on its 157 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,100 own, but the best part is that these same principles that got 158 00:08:34,100 --> 00:08:37,280 your kids reading longer can apply to any part of the school 159 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,940 day. That could be math practice, writing time, we know 160 00:08:40,940 --> 00:08:44,900 how writing stamina can be so low, centers, even making sure 161 00:08:44,900 --> 00:08:46,940 your mornings are efficient and effective. 162 00:08:46,940 --> 00:08:51,245 So let's break down five reasons why this approach to reading 163 00:08:51,245 --> 00:08:55,265 stamina worked, and more importantly, how you can apply 164 00:08:55,265 --> 00:08:57,365 these same ideas to any time of day. 165 00:08:57,965 --> 00:09:01,265 Heidi: I think the first big takeaway here is that kids need 166 00:09:01,265 --> 00:09:04,925 the language to talk about stamina. If we just say, try 167 00:09:04,925 --> 00:09:08,705 harder, or pay attention, that really doesn't mean anything. 168 00:09:09,305 --> 00:09:12,965 But when I started talking about it like training a muscle, it 169 00:09:12,965 --> 00:09:16,010 clicked. I could tell them, alright, we're building our 170 00:09:16,010 --> 00:09:18,710 reading muscles today. Every time you practice, you go a 171 00:09:18,710 --> 00:09:21,230 little bit longer and you get a little bit stronger, and 172 00:09:21,230 --> 00:09:23,690 suddenly they weren't just, you know, doing reading time they 173 00:09:23,690 --> 00:09:26,630 were training. And who doesn't want to feel like they're 174 00:09:26,630 --> 00:09:27,410 leveling up? 175 00:09:27,980 --> 00:09:30,500 Emily: Yeah, and the key to making this stick is to use kid 176 00:09:30,500 --> 00:09:34,460 friendly language. Defining stamina as the ability to stick 177 00:09:34,460 --> 00:09:38,240 with something, even when it takes time or feels hard, is 178 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,320 something they can understand. We want kids to see that stamina 179 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,560 is a skill they can develop, just like learning to read or 180 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:47,740 ride a bike, and that same principle can apply to any 181 00:09:47,740 --> 00:09:48,220 subject. 182 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,660 Heidi: It's important to make struggle visible and normal in 183 00:09:51,660 --> 00:09:54,240 your classroom by openly addressing it with your 184 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,720 students. You can start by having a conversation. Help them 185 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:01,020 understand that struggle is the time whenearning is happening. 186 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,660 You can ask students to share times when they've had to work 187 00:10:03,660 --> 00:10:06,300 hard to learn something, and then work together to create an 188 00:10:06,300 --> 00:10:09,300 anchor chart that defines what to do when you're stuck. 189 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,705 Students might suggest things like try a different way, ask a 190 00:10:12,705 --> 00:10:15,525 friend, look for examples, or take a break and come back. 191 00:10:15,525 --> 00:10:18,825 Emily: It's also helpful to include what not to do, things 192 00:10:18,825 --> 00:10:22,305 like running away to the bathroom, asking to get water 193 00:10:22,305 --> 00:10:25,965 when your bottle is already full, or just sitting there 194 00:10:25,965 --> 00:10:26,685 doing nothing. 195 00:10:27,799 --> 00:10:30,079 Heidi: Yeah, and for some reason, students are often 196 00:10:30,079 --> 00:10:32,899 surprised that we have picked up on these patterns. 197 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:34,340 Emily: What? How did she know? 198 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,920 Heidi: Yeah, they think they're so sneaky. But naming those 199 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:42,880 little tricks helps everyone be more aware. The goal is to 200 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,880 normalize struggle and give students concrete strategies for 201 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:47,560 working through difficult moments. 202 00:10:48,580 --> 00:10:51,580 Emily: The second lesson from Heidi's story is to start small 203 00:10:51,580 --> 00:10:55,000 and make progress visible. And this might be the most important 204 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,700 principle of all. It's easy to think that kids should be able 205 00:10:57,745 --> 00:11:00,685 to do something by this age, but as we all know, that doesn't 206 00:11:00,685 --> 00:11:01,525 mean they can. 207 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,660 Heidi: We have to meet them exactly where they are, which, 208 00:11:04,660 --> 00:11:07,660 you know, in my case, was one minute and 48 seconds, and then 209 00:11:07,660 --> 00:11:10,660 we can build from there. Starting small lets students 210 00:11:10,660 --> 00:11:14,560 feel successful early, which is incredibly motivating. It's also 211 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:17,920 important to know when to stop pushing for the day. As soon as 212 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:23,426 my students were done with their second attempt, we were done 213 00:11:23,426 --> 00:11:23,884 with reading time for the day. I didn't want it to become a 214 00:11:23,884 --> 00:11:26,305 chore, so I ended things on a high note, even if it was only 215 00:11:26,305 --> 00:11:29,725 four minutes long, and we celebrated any progress and 216 00:11:29,725 --> 00:11:30,805 added it to our graph. 217 00:11:31,460 --> 00:11:34,340 Emily: The clear visual of the graph makes this process so 218 00:11:34,340 --> 00:11:37,760 motivating for students. As each day's bar gets colored in, they 219 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,720 have clear proof of their improvement, and it motivates 220 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:42,520 them to want to keep trying. 221 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,400 Heidi: Unfortunately, success probably isn't going to be a 222 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,580 straight line. Some days we'll have setbacks, and that's 223 00:11:48,580 --> 00:11:51,280 totally okay. We want students to know that we can learn from 224 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,700 mistakes too. So when this happens, have your students talk 225 00:11:54,700 --> 00:11:57,460 about what went wrong and ask them to make a plan for what 226 00:11:57,460 --> 00:11:58,480 they can try tomorrow. 227 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,900 Emily: Starting small and visually tracking progress 228 00:12:01,900 --> 00:12:04,840 really does work for any subject. You can use the same 229 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,245 process to build writing stamina, math persistence and 230 00:12:08,245 --> 00:12:11,185 getting kids focused during morning work time. The key is 231 00:12:11,185 --> 00:12:13,885 making the increment small enough that success feels 232 00:12:13,885 --> 00:12:17,665 achievable. Don't jump from two minutes to 10 minutes. 233 00:12:17,845 --> 00:12:19,645 Heidi: Even if they think they can make that jump. 234 00:12:19,645 --> 00:12:22,705 Emily: Yes, don't let them do it. Each small victory builds 235 00:12:22,705 --> 00:12:24,985 confidence for the next challenge, so you want to make 236 00:12:24,985 --> 00:12:27,265 it easy for them to have those victories. 237 00:12:27,985 --> 00:12:31,150 Heidi: And then make sure you're celebrating. Did your class make 238 00:12:31,150 --> 00:12:34,690 it four whole minutes today? Add it to the chart and do a little 239 00:12:34,690 --> 00:12:37,990 happy dance. Those moments help stamina feel like a group 240 00:12:37,990 --> 00:12:39,190 achievement instead of a chore. 241 00:12:39,190 --> 00:12:42,070 Emily: And didn't you have a Facebook memory pop up the other 242 00:12:42,070 --> 00:12:45,550 day that was like, my students read for three whole minutes 243 00:12:45,550 --> 00:12:47,230 today, and we're celebrating, right? 244 00:12:49,150 --> 00:12:50,890 Heidi: We take our wins where we can get them. 245 00:12:52,630 --> 00:12:55,195 Emily: The third takeaway for building learning stamina is to 246 00:12:55,195 --> 00:12:58,855 use breaks strategically. Every time Heidi called the class back 247 00:12:58,855 --> 00:13:02,515 together after a timed round of reading, she gave their brains a 248 00:13:02,515 --> 00:13:05,095 chance to reset. They had just spent a few minutes 249 00:13:05,095 --> 00:13:08,635 concentrating really hard, and that quick pause and movement 250 00:13:08,635 --> 00:13:11,095 let them hit the reset button on their attention. 251 00:13:11,695 --> 00:13:14,395 Heidi: Plus taking strategic breaks teaches students that 252 00:13:14,395 --> 00:13:17,140 focus isn't just about gritting your teeth and pushing through. 253 00:13:17,680 --> 00:13:20,980 Sometimes the best way to maintain stamina is to pause, 254 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,580 breathe, and then jump back in. And that is such a valuable 255 00:13:24,580 --> 00:13:27,640 lesson for kids to learn, and probably for some grown ups to 256 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:28,180 learn too. 257 00:13:28,900 --> 00:13:31,900 Emily: And it's actually easy to build these focus resets into 258 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:35,500 any subject. If students are working on a long writing piece, 259 00:13:35,500 --> 00:13:38,725 plan strategic pauses where they can share a sentence with a 260 00:13:38,725 --> 00:13:42,325 partner, or do a quick stretch, or have them twist and turn in 261 00:13:42,325 --> 00:13:44,125 their seats between math problems. 262 00:13:44,725 --> 00:13:47,365 Heidi: And luckily, there are a lot of creative ways to add 263 00:13:47,365 --> 00:13:48,685 movement and breaks to your day. 264 00:13:48,685 --> 00:13:52,885 Emily: Yeah, a great desk break is having students gently press 265 00:13:52,885 --> 00:13:56,245 their palms together in front of their chests and holding it for 266 00:13:56,245 --> 00:13:59,425 three seconds. It's simple, but an effective reset. 267 00:14:00,025 --> 00:14:03,490 Heidi: You can even do something like desk cycling. Ask students 268 00:14:03,490 --> 00:14:06,370 to hold onto the sides of their chairs and then pedal their legs 269 00:14:06,370 --> 00:14:09,490 as if they're riding a bike. Or you can use an imaginary paddle 270 00:14:09,490 --> 00:14:13,210 to paddle a canoe, just make sure that students switch sides, 271 00:14:13,210 --> 00:14:15,790 or their imaginary canoe is just going to go in imaginary 272 00:14:15,790 --> 00:14:16,270 circles. 273 00:14:16,270 --> 00:14:19,450 Emily: I know, we need to teach them proper canoeing skills if 274 00:14:19,450 --> 00:14:23,830 we're going to bother at all. There really are endless ways to 275 00:14:23,830 --> 00:14:27,115 build in movement without losing control. You could do wall push 276 00:14:27,115 --> 00:14:30,055 ups, chair yoga, silent disco. 277 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:32,460 Heidi: What's a silent disco? 278 00:14:32,780 --> 00:14:37,820 Emily: Oh, it's where you say silent disco, and then kids 279 00:14:37,820 --> 00:14:40,340 dance like they're hearing music, but it's totally quiet. 280 00:14:41,300 --> 00:14:44,840 Be hilarious, and get the wiggles and the giggles out 281 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:46,520 without too much chaos. 282 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:49,640 Heidi: I bet they love that. And if you want an easy way to 283 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,880 incorporate strategic breaks into your daily routine, we've 284 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,640 got dozens of brain breaks that you can use. 285 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,425 Emily: Probably hundreds, actually. 286 00:14:57,425 --> 00:15:01,025 Heidi: There's so many. We split them into three categories. 287 00:15:01,025 --> 00:15:03,845 Breaks for when kids need to calm down, breaks for when kids 288 00:15:03,845 --> 00:15:07,025 need to focus, and breaks for when kids need some energy. So 289 00:15:07,085 --> 00:15:09,965 you can find exactly the right activity for your class. 290 00:15:10,445 --> 00:15:12,725 Emily: The nice thing about our brain breaks is that they can be 291 00:15:12,725 --> 00:15:15,845 done without technology, so you can use them anytime and 292 00:15:15,845 --> 00:15:18,485 anywhere they're needed. You just print off the cards you 293 00:15:18,485 --> 00:15:21,350 want and keep them where they're easy to grab any time of day. I 294 00:15:21,350 --> 00:15:24,170 like to just put like a metal ring in the corner for each 295 00:15:24,230 --> 00:15:27,170 deck, and you can check out our brain breaks at the link in the 296 00:15:27,170 --> 00:15:27,770 show notes. 297 00:15:28,339 --> 00:15:31,339 Heidi: No matter what kind of break you do, a good idea is to 298 00:15:31,339 --> 00:15:34,939 wrap things up with a clear transition back to focus mode. 299 00:15:35,419 --> 00:15:38,779 Try having students stretch and breathe for a few seconds, or 300 00:15:38,779 --> 00:15:42,279 have them do an energy check in, ask them to pay attention to how 301 00:15:42,279 --> 00:15:44,499 they feel at the end of the break. Now you don't have to 302 00:15:44,499 --> 00:15:47,499 discuss this. It can just be a moment of silent reflection 303 00:15:47,499 --> 00:15:48,699 before getting back to work. 304 00:15:49,740 --> 00:15:52,260 Emily: Okay, the fourth lesson from Heidi's reading launch is 305 00:15:52,260 --> 00:15:56,640 to give students tools to manage their focus. We often equate 306 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,460 focus with willpower, but really it's more about having 307 00:15:59,460 --> 00:16:02,880 strategies. Helping students recognize when their focus is 308 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,580 drifting is a powerful gift. 309 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,580 Heidi: And one tool that even adults can use to help reset 310 00:16:08,580 --> 00:16:11,640 their focus is to take a breathing break. If it feels 311 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,045 like your mind has a mind of its own, pause for a second for a 312 00:16:15,045 --> 00:16:18,645 few calming breaths, and notice how your attention resets. 313 00:16:19,125 --> 00:16:22,425 Emily: Another idea is to extend the discussions about stamina to 314 00:16:22,425 --> 00:16:26,085 discussions about focus. Put it in kid friendly terms, maybe 315 00:16:26,085 --> 00:16:29,085 create an anchor chart about what it feels like and looks 316 00:16:29,085 --> 00:16:32,325 like when your mind wanders. Include examples like, you 317 00:16:32,325 --> 00:16:35,250 realize you've been looking at the same page for a while, or 318 00:16:35,250 --> 00:16:37,530 you catch yourself thinking about lunch instead of your 319 00:16:37,530 --> 00:16:38,130 story. 320 00:16:38,670 --> 00:16:41,250 Heidi: There are also lots of practical supports that teachers 321 00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:44,970 can give. A visual timer makes work time feel more concrete 322 00:16:44,970 --> 00:16:47,310 because kids can tell exactly how long they have left for 323 00:16:47,310 --> 00:16:50,250 their math assignment. Or you can try teaching students some 324 00:16:50,250 --> 00:16:52,770 reminders that they can repeat to themselves, like, good 325 00:16:52,770 --> 00:16:56,190 writers keep trying. This gives kids encouragement to push 326 00:16:56,190 --> 00:16:57,030 through a tough moment. 327 00:16:57,615 --> 00:16:59,955 Emily: The key is teaching students that when they feel 328 00:16:59,955 --> 00:17:02,895 their focus slipping, they're not helpless. They have a 329 00:17:02,895 --> 00:17:05,895 toolbox of strategies to try. This helps them see 330 00:17:05,895 --> 00:17:09,375 concentration as a muscle that they can strengthen one choice 331 00:17:09,375 --> 00:17:09,915 at a time. 332 00:17:10,980 --> 00:17:13,560 Heidi: The final lesson we want to talk about today is including 333 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,740 reflection and goal setting in your stamina building process. 334 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,920 Until my students were up to about the 10 minute mark, we 335 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,120 would debrief together at the end of reading time, and I would 336 00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:25,640 ask them questions like, what went well today? What was tricky 337 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,400 for you? How did you handle it when your mind started to 338 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,040 wander? And what should we try differently tomorrow? 339 00:17:31,580 --> 00:17:34,400 Emily: And I think that discussion piece is key. It's 340 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,280 easy to skip over because we feel the pressure to move on 341 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,120 with the day. You can keep things quick, though even a 342 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:43,600 couple of minutes will do the trick. But it is so important to 343 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:47,020 help students notice what works for them and what doesn't, and 344 00:17:47,020 --> 00:17:49,900 it builds that sense of we're all working on this together. 345 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,020 Heidi: After kids share their insights, you can wrap up the 346 00:17:53,020 --> 00:17:55,840 lesson by graphing their progress and then deciding 347 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,020 together what to aim for tomorrow. If you had a rough 348 00:17:59,020 --> 00:18:02,440 day, you might need to keep the same goal, or if progress is 349 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,820 slow, maybe just add 30 seconds. We want students to be proud of 350 00:18:06,820 --> 00:18:09,400 how they're improving, even if it's just a little at a time. 351 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,985 Emily: This reflection piece is so easy to build into any 352 00:18:12,985 --> 00:18:16,765 subject. Wrap up math by asking what was one part that stretched 353 00:18:16,765 --> 00:18:20,185 your brain today? Or after group work, what helped you stay 354 00:18:20,185 --> 00:18:23,845 focused on your team's task? Those conversations are where 355 00:18:23,845 --> 00:18:25,285 the real learning happens. 356 00:18:25,285 --> 00:18:28,165 Heidi: As you're working on stamina building with your own 357 00:18:28,165 --> 00:18:31,405 students, an important thing to keep in mind is that your 358 00:18:31,405 --> 00:18:34,825 neurodivergent learners might need specific accommodations in 359 00:18:34,825 --> 00:18:38,650 order to be successful. Breaking tasks down into smaller chunks, 360 00:18:38,650 --> 00:18:42,130 providing movement breaks more often, or offering alternative 361 00:18:42,130 --> 00:18:44,350 seating options can be essential supports. 362 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,440 Emily: But the good news is that these stamina building 363 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,380 strategies we've been talking about are exactly the kinds of 364 00:18:50,380 --> 00:18:54,280 support that all kids need, including your neurodivergent 365 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:58,300 learners. Teaching focus as a skill, making progress visible, 366 00:18:58,300 --> 00:19:01,680 providing tools and strategies, this benefits everyone. 367 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,580 Heidi: And not only does it work for all of your kids, it works 368 00:19:05,580 --> 00:19:09,420 for all of your subjects. Use these same principles to build 369 00:19:09,420 --> 00:19:13,260 writing stamina, math stamina, listening stamina, just adjust 370 00:19:13,260 --> 00:19:15,120 the specifics to match your different goals. 371 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,780 Emily: So to recap, our five key principles for building learning 372 00:19:18,780 --> 00:19:21,960 stamina. First, give students the language to understand 373 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,320 stamina as a skill that they can develop. We're building our 374 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:29,760 reading muscles. Second, start ridiculously small and make 375 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,540 progress visible through tracking and celebration. Third, 376 00:19:33,540 --> 00:19:37,260 use breaks strategically to help students reset their attention. 377 00:19:37,860 --> 00:19:41,265 Fourth, give students concrete tools to manage their focus when 378 00:19:41,265 --> 00:19:45,105 it starts to drift. And fifth, build in reflection and goal 379 00:19:45,105 --> 00:19:48,405 setting so students become aware of their own learning patterns. 380 00:19:49,245 --> 00:19:51,945 Heidi: Your students are capable of so much more than they 381 00:19:51,945 --> 00:19:55,605 realize. With your guidance and the systematic approaches, they 382 00:19:55,605 --> 00:19:58,905 can grow their stamina day by day until they're tackling big 383 00:19:58,905 --> 00:20:03,210 projects, sustained reading, and challenging work like pros, and 384 00:20:03,270 --> 00:20:07,170 we promise it will happen, even if they can only handle one 385 00:20:07,170 --> 00:20:09,210 minute and 48 seconds right now. 386 00:20:09,210 --> 00:20:11,790 Emily: And we would love to hear how you help your students build 387 00:20:11,790 --> 00:20:14,730 learning stamina. Come join the conversation in our Teacher 388 00:20:14,730 --> 00:20:16,110 Approved Facebook group. 389 00:20:16,110 --> 00:20:19,710 Now, it's time for this week's Teacher Approved Tip of the 390 00:20:19,710 --> 00:20:22,350 Week, where we share an actionable tip to help you 391 00:20:22,350 --> 00:20:26,115 elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week's 392 00:20:26,115 --> 00:20:30,255 teacher approved tip is to leave a happy surprise for your sub. 393 00:20:30,495 --> 00:20:31,635 Tell us more about it, Heidi. 394 00:20:31,695 --> 00:20:35,475 Heidi: Well, now that everyone has been back in germ central 395 00:20:35,475 --> 00:20:38,715 for a few weeks now, you might be coming down with your first 396 00:20:38,715 --> 00:20:43,635 cold, and our apologies if that is the case, hopefully your sub 397 00:20:43,635 --> 00:20:47,640 binder is ready to go and the copies are easy to make. But if 398 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,700 you have vending machines at your school, one thing you might 399 00:20:50,700 --> 00:20:53,940 want to do is leave behind some quarters so your sub can get a 400 00:20:53,940 --> 00:20:57,360 little treat. For me in my sub binder, I had a little zipper 401 00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:00,180 pouch with a sticky note that said something like, Thanks for 402 00:21:00,180 --> 00:21:03,420 your help today, grab a soda on me, and then I just had four 403 00:21:03,420 --> 00:21:06,540 quarters in there. Now, of course, this assumes you can 404 00:21:06,540 --> 00:21:10,200 still get a soda for four quarters. I haven't been to a 405 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,065 vending machine in a while. 406 00:21:13,125 --> 00:21:17,205 Emily: Who knows, maybe you need eight quarters these days. And 407 00:21:17,205 --> 00:21:19,485 obviously this is totally optional, but everyone 408 00:21:19,485 --> 00:21:21,945 appreciates a thoughtful gesture, and if it happens to 409 00:21:21,945 --> 00:21:24,705 motivate the sub to follow your plans with a little more 410 00:21:24,705 --> 00:21:28,005 attention than before, then that would be a win for everyone. 411 00:21:29,445 --> 00:21:33,108 Heidi: To wrap up the show we are sharing what we're giving 412 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,600 Emily: I'm giving extra credit to my cell phone carrier, which 413 00:21:33,108 --> 00:21:33,138 extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra 414 00:21:33,138 --> 00:21:33,141 credit? 415 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:40,320 is called Visible. About 18 months ago, I decided to switch 416 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,260 carriers because I was just so sick of how much money I was 417 00:21:43,260 --> 00:21:47,040 paying for my Verizon plan. After doing some research, I 418 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,660 discovered there were lots of low cost options, but Visible 419 00:21:52,020 --> 00:21:55,980 jumped out to me because it is a affordable carrier that's owned 420 00:21:55,980 --> 00:22:00,345 by Verizon and uses their same network. So it was basically a 421 00:22:00,345 --> 00:22:04,185 no brainer to switch, and I have loved it. I haven't noticed any 422 00:22:04,185 --> 00:22:07,425 difference in my service. I was nervous to switch to a totally 423 00:22:07,425 --> 00:22:09,765 different company that I didn't know how the coverage would be 424 00:22:09,765 --> 00:22:13,785 in my area, but switching from Verizon to Visible was no 425 00:22:13,785 --> 00:22:14,205 different. 426 00:22:14,205 --> 00:22:18,705 So that was really nice, and I think I was paying like at least 427 00:22:18,705 --> 00:22:23,250 $70 before, and now I'm paying $30 a month for unlimited 428 00:22:23,250 --> 00:22:27,510 minutes and data, just like I was getting before. So I will 429 00:22:27,510 --> 00:22:30,450 put a link in the show notes, and I think you get a $20 430 00:22:30,450 --> 00:22:33,210 discount if you use that code, and I believe you can combine it 431 00:22:33,210 --> 00:22:36,210 with whatever their special introductory offer is too, which 432 00:22:36,210 --> 00:22:39,510 is nice, because they always have great sign up offers. So 433 00:22:39,690 --> 00:22:43,875 this is not sponsored. I just was thinking today how nice it 434 00:22:43,875 --> 00:22:46,935 is to be paying so much less for my cell phone carrier these 435 00:22:46,935 --> 00:22:47,415 days. 436 00:22:47,835 --> 00:22:50,355 Heidi: Okay, I have to get on that. Every time I pay my bill, 437 00:22:50,355 --> 00:22:53,055 I think, Okay, I've gotta, I gotta figure out that switch. So 438 00:22:53,295 --> 00:22:54,795 this is motivating me. 439 00:22:54,795 --> 00:22:59,175 Emily: Yep, I'll send you the referral link, and then you can 440 00:22:59,175 --> 00:23:01,575 join my circle. I think even though we're not on the same 441 00:23:01,575 --> 00:23:03,735 plan, that's another thing they have where you can save, 442 00:23:03,975 --> 00:23:07,140 everybody on the in the circle saves $5 a month. 443 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:08,220 Oh, that's cool. 444 00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:11,100 If you have like other people who are Visible. I think that's 445 00:23:11,100 --> 00:23:14,160 how it works. Don't quote me on it if, if that's not how it 446 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,340 works. But I just, I just read about it today when I was 447 00:23:17,340 --> 00:23:20,460 looking for the link. So anyway, check it out. I'll put the link 448 00:23:20,460 --> 00:23:23,580 in the show notes. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi? 449 00:23:23,580 --> 00:23:26,460 Heidi: Well, my extra credit goes to my Kindle page turner 450 00:23:26,460 --> 00:23:29,325 remote. I think mom gave it to me for Christmas. 451 00:23:29,325 --> 00:23:32,025 Emily: Yeah, that's why I have one. So I'm assuming yes. 452 00:23:32,085 --> 00:23:34,845 Heidi: And, I mean, of course, it's always nice to get a 453 00:23:34,845 --> 00:23:37,245 present. But I was a little skeptical at first, because 454 00:23:37,725 --> 00:23:40,365 turning a page on an e reader is literally just tapping the 455 00:23:40,365 --> 00:23:45,885 screen. I'm lazy, but I'm not that lazy. But I am hooked on 456 00:23:45,885 --> 00:23:50,145 this thing now for two reasons. First, now I don't have to hold 457 00:23:50,145 --> 00:23:53,550 the Kindle up. I can just, like, prop it up or use a stand, and 458 00:23:53,550 --> 00:23:56,250 that's nice, because I do have arthritis in my thumbs, and 459 00:23:56,250 --> 00:23:58,650 holding things can actually create a lot of pain. 460 00:23:58,650 --> 00:24:02,070 Emily: Hey, we were just telling them we're not old. We don't 461 00:24:02,070 --> 00:24:05,850 want to admit that we both have arthritis. Don't tell people 462 00:24:05,850 --> 00:24:07,110 that, it's our secret. 463 00:24:07,110 --> 00:24:09,450 Heidi: Should I tell them I was diagnosed with arthritis in my 464 00:24:09,450 --> 00:24:10,230 hands in my 20s? 465 00:24:10,290 --> 00:24:11,370 Emily: No, shush. 466 00:24:11,370 --> 00:24:17,415 Heidi: But the second reason I like that remote, it's not 467 00:24:17,415 --> 00:24:20,235 because of old, but it's because I can get all snuggly while I 468 00:24:20,235 --> 00:24:20,715 read. 469 00:24:20,895 --> 00:24:22,215 Emily: I know I love it. 470 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,000 Heidi: You don't have to have one hand out in that chilling 471 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,940 room temperature air. You can just pull a blanket all the way 472 00:24:27,940 --> 00:24:31,600 up and keep reading. So if you're also a little snuggly 473 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,180 reader, there is a link to a remote in the show notes. I 474 00:24:34,180 --> 00:24:37,240 don't think it's the same model we have, but there's a bunch on 475 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:37,600 Amazon. 476 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,360 Emily: I think they all pretty much function the same. But I 477 00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:44,500 co-sign this extra credit. It is very handy to have if you are a 478 00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:46,885 Kindle reader who likes to read in bed, especially. 479 00:24:47,665 --> 00:24:50,665 Heidi: That is it for today's episode. Remember, building 480 00:24:50,665 --> 00:24:54,025 stamina is a marathon, not a sprint. So start small, stay 481 00:24:54,025 --> 00:24:56,245 consistent, and celebrate every bit of growth. 482 00:24:56,665 --> 00:24:59,245 Emily: Come share your stamina building wins in our Teacher 483 00:24:59,245 --> 00:25:02,485 Approved Facebook group. We love hearing what's working in your 484 00:25:02,485 --> 00:25:02,905 classroom. 485 00:25:03,505 --> 00:25:06,625 Heidi: And don't forget our Teacher Approved tip to bribe 486 00:25:06,625 --> 00:25:08,125 your sub with some quarters. 487 00:25:10,345 --> 00:25:14,170 We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi. 488 00:25:14,230 --> 00:25:17,530 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 489 00:25:17,530 --> 00:25:20,050 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 490 00:25:20,050 --> 00:25:20,470 episode. 491 00:25:20,950 --> 00:25:23,230 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 492 00:25:23,230 --> 00:25:26,470 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 493 00:25:26,650 --> 00:25:27,310 Bye for now. 494 00:25:27,310 --> 00:25:28,270 Emily: Bye.