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The Secondary Teacher | Classroom Routines, Secondary Teacher Strategies, Workload Management
The Secondary Teacher | Classroom Routines, Secondary Teacher Strategies, Workload Management
This podcast is for overwhelmed secondary teachers, especially those teaching multiple preps or elective courses like CTE. It offers strategies for building effective classroom routines, managing workload, and reducing the amount of work taken home. Host Khristen Massic draws on her 10 years of experience teaching engineering, robotics, and digital media to provide practical advice. The goal is to help teachers create systems that fit the reality of a secondary classroom.
Episodes
Ep 373: Teacher Time Management Mistakes That Keep Repeating
Teacher time management mistakes that keep repeating can quietly steal your planning period, even when you already know how to do the work. On this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic explains why the answer isn’t always working faster. Sometimes, the real problem is having to start over.Links mentioned in this episode:Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: htt
Ep 372: Teacher Planning Starts With Protecting Your Planning Period
Planning period for multiple preps can turn into a daily negotiation with yourself. On The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic explains why protecting your planning period matters, then takes the next step: deciding how to use that time across every class you teach.Links mentioned in this episode:Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/sys
Ep 371: Teacher Time Management Starts With Clear Boundaries
Teacher time management starts with clear boundaries, especially when a planning period exists on the schedule but never seems to belong to planning. On The Secondary Teacher Podcast, this episode examines what happens when grading, email, printing, copying, and materials preparation take over the one block of time meant for thoughtful lesson work. The problem isn’t always a lack of time. Sometime
Ep 370: Secondary Teacher Tips Work Better With a System
If you’re constantly asking how to decide what to work on during your planning period, this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast is for you. Secondary teacher tips can help with today’s problem, but the bigger win comes from building a system that keeps you from solving the same problem again tomorrow.Helpful links mentioned in this episode:Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: http
Ep 369: Teacher Work Life Balance When You Stop Starting Over
Teacher work life balance for secondary teachers doesn’t begin with squeezing more productivity out of an already impossible workload. It begins when planning stops following you home. In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic closes the series by addressing the questions that surface when school is already underway, especially for middle and high school teachers manag
Ep 368: Unit Planning Lab- How to Apply This Beyond One Unit
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 367: Teacher Time Management Starts With One Strong Unit
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 366: Teacher Productivity Is Knowing When to Stop Planning
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 365: Secondary Teacher Tips for Planning With the End in Mind
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 364: Secondary Teacher Planning Starts With Sorting, Not Creating
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 363: Teacher Workload When Planning Stops Following You Home
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 362: Teacher Planning Is Deciding, Not Building From Scratch
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 361: Classroom Culture Teacher Planning That Lasts All Year
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 360: Back to School Q&A- What Teachers Are Really Asking Right Now
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 359: Classroom Routines That Support Classroom Culture
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 358: Start of School Year Prep for IEPs and MLL Supports
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 357: Intentional Syllabus Planning Beyond Rules and Policies
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 356: Intentional Back to School Planning That Builds Classroom Culture
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 355: Teaching Tips for Classroom Culture With Easy Class Prompts
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 354: Engaging Lessons to Build Classroom Culture in Week One
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 353: Assessment for Learning Before You Plan Your Next Unit
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 352: Teaching Strategies for Student Practice Before Assessment
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 351: Hook Lesson Ideas for Stronger Introduction Lessons
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 350: Unit Planning Steps for a Repeatable Teaching Framework
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 349: Classroom Technology Procedures for Smoother Lab Days
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 348: Classroom Routines for Students That Build Accountability
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 347: Classroom Management Routines for a Smoother Start to Class
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 346: Classroom Routines and Procedures Teacher Prep Didn't Cover
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 345: Unit Planning for Next Year Starts Before You Pick Activities
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 344: Summer Planning for Teachers Who Are Teaching Something New
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 343: CTE Teachers Need More Than "Build Relationships"
If you’re a new CTE teacher, there’s one phrase you can’t escape—build relationships. That advice might be plastered across every teaching group and comment thread, but let’s be honest: just building relationships isn’t enough in a real secondary classroom. If you’ve ever thought, “There must be something more,” you’re not alone. This episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast with host Khristen Mas
Ep 342: Teacher Strategies for a 10-Minute End-of-Year Reset
Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Planning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you
Ep 341: Teacher Planning Starts Here When You Have Multiple Courses
If you’re a multiple prep teacher, you know the pain: flipping between piles of lesson plans, juggling more courses than most planning systems were ever built for, and hearing the same tired advice in every workshop—“switch things up so students don’t get bored.” In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic breaks down exactly why endlessly chasing variety in your lesson
Ep 340: Teacher Work Life Balance Without Giving Up Your Summer
Ever wrestled with teacher work life balance without giving up your summer? If the answer is yes (or a tired, edgy laugh), you’re in the right place. This episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast is for every middle and high school teacher who wants to show up to both the classroom and their real life—not just survive, but truly enjoy both.Host Khristen Massic kicks things off by laying bare the h
Ep 339: Teacher Planning With the Introduce, Practice, Produce Framework
Ever feel like you’re stuck on a hamster wheel of lesson planning, collecting more resources than you’ll ever use and never quite landing on a structure that actually makes life easier? If you’re a middle or high school teacher juggling multiple preps, listen up. This week on The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic is delivering exactly what you’ve been looking for: the introduce, prac
Ep 338: Secondary Teacher Strategies for Building Courses From Scratch
Let’s talk about a trap too many secondary teachers fall into: trying to build a better classroom by collecting endless resources. The keyword phrase “secondary teacher strategies for building courses from scratch” is everywhere—yet most of us have been taught the wrong lesson. Host Khristen Massic gets real about why having a mountain of lesson links, library folders, or shiny PDFs doesn’t set yo
Ep 337: Multiple Prep Teacher Planning: Stop Collecting Resources
Collecting resources can feel like responsible planning, especially when you are a multiple prep teacher with no curriculum map, no textbook, and a folder full of standards. But more saved ideas do not always mean more clarity. Sometimes they become another pile of decisions waiting for your teacher brain.This builds on the planning series so far: reducing summer overplanning, choosing the first u
Ep 336: Elective Teachers With Standards But No Curriculum
Having standards does not mean you have curriculum, and elective teachers know that gap better than most. A course name, a standards list, and a blank planning page are not a roadmap. They are a starting point, and being expected to turn them into sequence, pacing, assessments, and instruction is not “just planning.”This builds on the first two conversations in the series: reducing the pressure to
Ep 335: Teacher Tips for Choosing the First Unit to Plan
Choosing the first unit to plan should not feel like a guessing game, but for many secondary teachers, that is exactly where the spiral starts. These teacher tips are for the moment when every course feels urgent, every standard looks important, and your summer turns into reorganizing instead of finishing.After episode 334 challenged the idea that you need to plan everything before August, this co
Ep 334: Teacher Planning That Reduces Your Summer Workload
If teacher planning has started to feel like a summer-long apology for not being “ahead enough,” it might be time to question the whole system. Because the goal was never to build an entire year before August. The goal is to create a starting point that actually reduces your teacher workload once real students, real pacing, and real classroom needs show up.For secondary teachers, especially anyone
Ep 333: Lesson Plans Without Technology When Canvas Is Down
If you woke up to a cyber attack that knocked out Canvas and left you scrambling, this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast has exactly what you need. Host Khristen Massic dives straight into what to do when you have to plan lesson plans without technology when Canvas is down. You don’t get theory or platitudes—you get real talk and next-steps for teaching when the digital rug is yanked out fr
Ep 332: CTE Teacher Tips: End of Year Activities When Students Check Out
You know that moment when the last weeks of school hit, and you see your students checking out—mentally, physically, or both? The challenge of end of year activities when students check out feels all too real in the secondary classroom, especially for teachers balancing multiple preps. If you’re stuck between throwing on a movie no one really cares about or assigning meaningless busywork, you are
Ep 331: Teacher Burnout Prevention- The Hidden Loneliness of Multi-Prep Teaching
You can be surrounded by a sea of teachers and still feel absolutely alone. That’s the hard truth at the heart of this week’s episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast. If you’re searching for the real story behind “the hidden loneliness of multi-prep teaching,” host Khristen Massic is calling it out—plain, raw, and with a fighting spirit. This is for every secondary teacher juggling multiple preps
Ep 330: Differentiated Instruction for Multiple Prep Teachers: Plan Once, Not Three Times
Middle and high school teachers juggling multiple preps, let’s get real about “differentiated instruction for multiple prep teachers.” Somewhere along the way, most of us were told to plan for the average student—then tack on extensions for high achievers and interventions for strugglers. It sounds smart until you try living it with a full schedule and three, four, or five different classes to pre
Ep 329: Test Prep Strategies for Secondary Teachers: Teaching Students How to Take Tests
Ever wondered if the reason your students struggle on end of course exams isn’t actually about what you’ve taught them, but how they take the test? In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic tackles the real reason many middle and high school students freeze up during exams. The big idea is right there in the title: “test prep strategies for secondary teachers.” This on
Ep 328: You Don't Need More Ideas—You Need a Go-To Plan
Teachers spend hours collecting ideas for classroom routines—bookmarking activities, screenshotting games, saving posts “for someday.” The truth is, someday rarely arrives. Host Khristen Massic has been there, just like you, juggling multiple preps and thinking the solution is more fresh inspiration. But in this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, Khristen gets real: more ideas aren’t the an
Ep 327: I Stopped Googling ‘Classroom Games’—Here’s Why
Ever found yourself standing in front of your middle or high school class, eyes on you, realizing your “finished” lesson plan is running out of steam with half the period left? You’re not the only one. In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic drills deep into why so many teachers—especially those juggling multiple preps—fall into the trap of Googling “classroom games”
Ep 326: The Classroom Game Teachers Keep Coming Back To
Ever wonder why some classroom games just keep showing up in secondary classrooms season after season? The answer isn’t teacher laziness. It’s that these games actually work. Host Khristen Massic is here in this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast to lay out the truth: if you’re a secondary teacher searching for “the classroom game teachers keep coming back to,” stop reinventing the wheel and
Ep 325: Why Filler Activities Backfire (In a Secondary Classroom)
Ever tried a so-called fun end-of-class activity and ended up feeling more exhausted than you started? In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic takes aim at why filler activities backfire in a secondary classroom, and she does not hold back. If you’ve ever walked out of your classroom after ten minutes of “fun” with more side chatter, off-task students, and your energ
Ep 324: The Moment You Can Feel the Class Slipping (Secondary Classroom Routines)
When you teach middle or high school, especially as a multi-prep teacher, you know that moment. The split second you sense your class tipping away from you—the energy shifts, side conversations spark, the structure thins, and suddenly you’re facing what host Khristen Massic calls in this episode, “the moment you can feel the class slipping.” If you’ve taught longer than a week, you know that feeli
Ep 323: Why the End of Class Turns Into Chaos (Even When the Lesson Was Good)
Ever walk out of a classroom thinking, “Why does the end of class turn into chaos even when the lesson was good?” You’re not the only secondary teacher who knows that sinking feeling: the lesson was airtight, the kids were working, and suddenly, with twenty minutes left, everything derailed. In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, host Khristen Massic throws some truth at a question ever
Ep 322: Teacher Work-Life Balance — The Leave-on-Time Close-Down Routine
Teacher work-life balance isn’t just some poster quote — it’s the daily fight to leave school on time without your brain dragging the day home with you. Host Khristen Massic tackles the truth: escaping the endless open loops of grading, planning, and unfinished to-dos is the real challenge for secondary classroom teachers. You don’t magically “choose” balance; most days, you’re walking out with ch
Ep 321: Bell-to-Bell Engagement Without Burning Out
Ever felt the panic when the bell rings and there’s still an ocean of class time ahead? Bell-to-bell engagement without burning out isn’t just a catchy phrase — it’s the lifeline for secondary teachers juggling multiple preps. This episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast tackles a problem every teacher eventually faces: you planned what you thought was an airtight lesson… and your students finish
Ep 320: Copy, Paste, Prep—How to Repurpose One Great Lesson Across All Your Preps (Without Starting from Scratch)
Stop burning yourself out trying to reinvent the wheel for every class.As a secondary teacher juggling multiple preps, I used to think that engagement required fresh, new lesson plans every single time—until I figured out the magic of copy, paste, prep.In this episode, I’ll show you how to repurpose your best protocols, activities, and lesson structures across all your different subjects, saving y
Ep 319: Classroom Routines That Protect Your Planning Period
Your planning period shouldn’t vanish in a swirl of chaos and repeat questions—I’ve been there, and I know just how draining that cycle feels for secondary teachers juggling multiple preps.In this episode, I’m sharing the classroom routines that genuinely protect your focus, your planning time, and your sanity, without adding ten more things to your plate.Whether you’re drowning in student interru
Ep 318: Stop Spending Prep on Perfection (So You Can Leave Lighter)
Let me be real with you—I know what it’s like to spend your planning period tweaking, polishing, and chasing classroom perfection that never actually lightens your workload. In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, I break down the sneaky ways perfectionism eats up your prep time, especially when you’re juggling multiple preps, grading, and classroom management. I’ll share my go-to strate
Ep 317: When Prep Gets Hijacked- 15.30.60-Minute Routines That Still Let You Finish
Some days, my planning period feels more like wishful thinking than real time to get anything done—especially when you teach lab-based classes or juggle multiple preps. In this episode, I break down my go-to 15-, 30-, and 60-minute prep routines designed for those inevitable chaotic days when setup, tech problems, or urgent tasks steal your prep time. If you’re a secondary teacher looking for real
Ep 316: Pick the Anchor Task (So Prep Stops Slipping Away)
Ever sit down during your planning period, determined to tackle your lesson plans, only to end up organizing folders or chatting in the office instead? Been there! In this episode, I share how I broke my old prep-wasting habits and discovered a simple, practical system for picking one anchor task—so that planning time stops slipping away under a pile of grading and endless decisions. If you're a s
Ep 315: Your Planning Period Isn't Empty. It's Overloaded.
Ever feel like your planning period just vanishes—even though you’re hustling the whole time? You’re not alone! In this episode, I’m breaking down why your prep time actually feels overloaded, not empty, especially when you’re juggling multiple preps, major assessments, and endless grading cycles as a secondary teacher. I’ll share the biggest mistake I made for years (hello, unit collisions!) and
Ep 314: What to Focus on This Semester (So Everything Else Feels Lighter)
Ever feel like juggling multiple preps as a secondary teacher leaves you spinning your wheels—but never getting ahead? In this episode, I get real about how trying to do everything just leads to overwhelm, burnout, and never-ending to-do lists. Instead, I’ll show you how choosing just one clear focus can make your planning, grading, and energy feel so much lighter. If you’re looking for practical
Ep 313: A Gentle January Reset (Without the Pressure to Overhaul Everything)
Feeling that January pressure to overhaul everything in your classroom, especially with multiple preps on your plate? In this episode, I’m sharing why you don’t need a total reset to kickstart the new semester—no new systems, no endless planning, and absolutely no guilt. Let’s talk about how a gentle, practical January reset can actually help you breathe easier, reduce overwhelm, and keep what’s a
Ep 312: How to Reset Your Classroom Without Working Over Winter Break
Ever feel like December in the secondary classroom is pure chaos—prep periods disappearing, students bouncing between sleepy and wild, and your to-do list never getting any shorter? You’re not alone! In this episode, I’ll walk you through the exact quick resets I use during class time (not your precious winter break) to keep my multiple-prep classroom running smoothly. You’ll get actionable, time-
Ep 311: December Teaching Shortcuts That Save Time (and Protect Your Winter Break)
December can make even the most organized secondary teacher feel like surviving multiple preps is a caffeine-fueled juggling act, so in this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing my best shortcuts for grading smarter, capturing what works, and setting up one easy January anchor task—so your winter break is truly a break. If you’re searching for practical tips to protect your energy
Ep 310: Three Low-Prep Games That Keep Students Engaged in December (Without the Extra Work)
By December, we’re all running on fumes—trust me, I’ve been there! In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing my three favorite low-prep classroom games that keep middle and high school students genuinely engaged (without the extra work, guilt, or endless slide decks). If you juggle multiple preps and are looking for classroom management ideas, student engagement strategies, or
Ep 309: What I Wish Non-Multi-Prep Teachers Understood About Our Jobs
Are you a secondary teacher juggling multiple preps and wondering if anyone else truly understands what your job demands? In this episode, I dive into the invisible challenges we face—like endless mental switching, constant classroom resets, and the never-ending grading grind with different rubrics and expectations for every class. If you teach electives, feel pressure to keep enrollment up, or st
Ep 308: The Psychology Behind Why You Drop Warm-Ups First
Ever wonder why the warm-up is the first thing that falls off your lesson plan when you’re juggling three, four, or even nine preps? Trust me, it’s not because you’re lazy or disorganized—it’s decision fatigue, and there’s legit psychology behind it! In this episode, I break down why warm-ups get dropped (even though they’re gold for classroom management and formative assessment), what actually ha
Ep 307: Grading During Class Isn't Lazy — It's Smart
As a secondary teacher juggling multiple preps, you know that grading can feel endless—especially in November when survival mode hits hard. In this episode, I share how grading during class isn't lazy, it's actually the smartest time-saving move you can make to protect your evenings, reduce burnout, and give your students timely feedback that really helps them grow. If you're tired of taking stack
Ep 306: You’re Not Behind — You’re Just in November
Ever feel like you’re drowning in grading, endless parent emails, or just plain exhaustion during this wild stretch between Halloween and Thanksgiving? I get it—it’s that awkward, muddy middle of the school year where the energy from August is long gone, but winter break still seems out of reach. In this episode, I’m diving into some honest talk about what it really means to be in survival mode as
Ep 305: Overcome Burnout with 5 AI Shortcuts Every Multi-Prep Teacher Needs
Feeling buried under grading, lesson planning, and all the invisible tasks no one else sees? I get it—I’ve been there, juggling multiple preps and struggling with burnout way before AI was even an option for teachers. In this episode, I’m sharing the five AI shortcuts I wish I’d had in my classroom—quick, practical tools for secondary teachers with multiple preps that will save you hours on lesson
Ep 304: Keeping Your Balance- Staying Sane When You’re Juggling Too Many Preps
Ever feel like you’re juggling way too many classes, lesson plans, and expectations as a secondary teacher with multiple preps? In this episode, I’m sharing real talk about finding balance—no superhero moves required! I’ll show you three sanity-saving strategies (think boundaries, batching, and mistake-proofing routines) that helped me survive teaching three or more preps year after year. We’ll ch
Ep 303: The Mid-Semester Slump- 3 Teacher-Tested Routines to Get Back on Track
Hey secondary teachers juggling multiple preps, feeling that mid-semester slump hit hard? You’re not alone! In this episode, I dive into why October exhaustion is totally normal (spoiler: decision fatigue is real) and share three teacher-tested routines that helped me beat burnout while still keeping up with planning, grading, and all those endless to-dos. If you’re overwhelmed by grading stacks,
Ep 302: Why October Always Feels Like Drowning (and 3 Ways to Catch Your Breath)
Ever feel like October is when the wheels start falling off as a secondary teacher with multiple preps? I get it—grading stacks up, your email never ends, and the pressure to do it all leaves you feeling underwater. In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing three simple, practical strategies to help you breathe again: time-tracking tips, boundary-setting scripts, and ways to tr
Ep 301: Overwhelmed? How to Simplify Your Multi-Prep Workload in October
Feeling buried under grading, lesson planning, and endless to-dos as a secondary teacher with multiple preps this October? You’re definitely not alone—I’ve been there too, and research backs up just how overwhelming this time of year can be. In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing the top three strategies that helped me survive the chaos: learning to prioritize what matters m
Ep 300: “Design for the Top, Support Everyone”
Are you overwhelmed juggling multiple preps, endless differentiation, and the needs of every student in your secondary classroom? In this episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing my go-to strategy for planning smarter, not harder—by designing lessons for your top students and supporting everyone else with simple, effective systems. If you’re searching for ways to differentiate without
Ep 299: Routines That Save You When the Chaos Hits
Ever feel like juggling multiple preps in secondary teaching just means more chaos and less control? Trust me, I’ve been there! In this episode, I’m sharing the exact routines that have saved my sanity (and helped dozens of teachers I’ve coached) when everything goes sideways—no Pinterest-perfect solutions, just real strategies like sustainable planning period rituals, bell ringers YOUR brain actu
Ep 298: The Cell Phone Ban Is Here—Now What?
If you’re juggling multiple preps and wondering how to handle your school’s new cell phone ban (especially now that it’s actually becoming law in some states), this episode is for you. I’m sharing real talk about what this shift actually means for your daily routines, classroom management, and that already-overflowing to-do list. As someone who’s been a teacher, assistant principal, and now a pare
Ep 297: “Would You Rather…Plan 3 Preps with One Hour?”
Hey there, fellow secondary teacher juggling three (or more!) preps with barely enough time to catch your breath—this episode is for you. I know what it’s like to stare down one planning period and wonder how to create warmups, handle those “dead” minutes, and keep every class on track without losing your mind. In this episode, I’m sharing my go-to “Would You Rather” strategy—not just as a fun ice
Ep 296: One Strategy, Three Subjects- The Secret to Multi-Prep Sanity
Ever feel overwhelmed juggling multiple preps and wishing you didn’t have to start lesson planning from scratch for every single subject? In this episode, I’m sharing my secret sanity-saver as a multi-prep secondary teacher: how one simple classroom routine—the gallery walk—became my go-to strategy to save time and cut down on decision fatigue across very different classes. Whether you teach engin
Ep 295: The Planning Period Isn’t Enough—But This Reset Changes the Game
Ever sit down during your planning period—maybe with three or more different classes to prep for—and end up stuck, overwhelmed, or just tidying your always-cluttered desk? I’ve been there! In this episode, I get real about what it’s like trying to survive as a secondary teacher juggling multiple preps, surrounded by decision fatigue, constant interruptions, and that never-ending grading pile. But
Ep 294: The Secret to Productive Planning Periods from Day One
Feeling like your planning periods are slipping through your fingers already? In this episode, I’m sharing my tried-and-true system for structuring your first 10 planning periods so you can actually get ahead—not just scramble from one class to the next. If you’re a secondary teacher juggling multiple preps and trying to avoid those email rabbit holes, hallway wanderings, or last-minute lesson pla
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