Connection is our #1 strategy to obtain cooperation and build community in our classrooms. As a motivator for positive behavior, it goes beyond short-term results to yield real, longterm change and impact.  Connection might seem like this big abstract concept, and you may be wondering, how do I get it?  It’s actually pretty simple. In fact, you’re probably already a connection expert -- you just don’t realize it! The same ways you connect with anyone in your life… that’s how you can connect with your students.So what are some ways we can build connection?Before we answer that, it’s important to consider two unique opportunities we have when we’re talking about building connection -- we have the “in the moment” responses and we have the chances to “bank it.” In this episode, we'll be digging into ways to bank connection in order to create relationships in which cooperation comes easily. Banking connection is when we’re building relationships in calm moments, when we’re fully feeding into our relationship without asking anything from it. And as we prepare to start a new school year, the importance of banking connection is at its peak as we encounter new students who don't know and therefore don't trust us. Investing in connection -- creating opportunities to build connection and “bank it” -- is so important as we start off the year -- before we find ourselves in conflict with students and parents, before academic struggles create frustration and escalated feelings, before our classroom culture evolves in ways we don't appreciate (which it can do, if we don't step in with clear leadership and communicated values!) So with that in mind, this episode shares a few ways to get you started -- investing in connection, prioritizing relationships as a classroom value, and building your classroom community!Support the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

There is - what I’m going to argue is - a myth that persists in our education system  that the best way to improve behavior is to punish misbehavior. It’s so inherently part of our society (and our own education experience), that we largely don’t even question it. In our homes:The best way to stop a kid from hitting? Time out.To reduce tantrums and whining? Tantrum (or fussing, as it was called when I was a kid) charts.To address back-talk? Grounding.In our schools:The best way to deal with classroom disruptions and disrespect? Loss of recess. Lunch detentions. To improve participation? Participation grades and zeroes.In society:The best way to prevent speeding? Tickets and fines.Of course, punishment - and the threat of it - does work for many people, maybe even most people. But it comes with its downsides - its dangers, even.In this episode, let's explore this question -- is this the best way to get the cooperation we are aiming for in our classrooms? Is punishment going to help us - teachers and students - become “partners in learning”?  And if not, what can we do instead?sincerely yours,🍄 NVSupport the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

When I first started teaching, I struggled to understand why so many of my students refused to even try. I really couldn’t fathom it. Why couldn’t he pick up his pencil and attempt to answer the question? Why did she refuse to lift her head from her desk the entire class? Why wouldn’t they stop messing around and just get the work done so we could move on?It was a huge source of frustration. Because I didn’t understand it, I didn’t know how to solve it -- and I am sure I did not always respond in the most effective ways.The reality is: learning is scary.It requires us to be vulnerable. It requires us to be OK with not knowing.It requires us to face the possibility of failure. And this poses a threat -- a threat our brains work so hard to avoid.What does that mean for our students?Ironically, it means the brain can pose a real challenge for true learning. (But it’s not hopeless!)Quick Summary: Our students’ brains are working to avoid threats, and this can affect their willingness to engage in learning activities.When our brain is busy avoiding threats, it cannot engage in learning and growing.But the good news is that for most students, they still have those innate drives left from birth -- their brains are programmed to want to improve and grow and thrive and survive better. We just have to create the conditions that make it safe to do soENTER: RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITYStudents need a safe place to take the risks involved in learning. They need a safe place to develop their thinking skills, cultivate their voice, and grow their confidence. Before you can get students into any type of active, engaged learning and thinking, you must establish strong relationships and a warm community -- because that will create the sense of safety that risk-taking and academic independence require.Support the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

When I took my first teaching job, I was given a book called Never Work Harder Than Your Students. I still have the book, although I’m not sure if I actually read it, and the book really isn’t the point here -- it’s the message.Never work harder than your students.I definitely did not understand that idea when I first started teaching. In fact, I 100 percent carried the load in my classroom -- from creating the lectures or slideshows, creating the graphic organizers and question prompts, making note sheets for students, and writing test questions or reading reflections. I did it all.And I was exhausted at the end of the day. In fact, I described teaching as a job where you had to be “always on” -- “always on stage,” “always ready to perform,” “always on.”I didn’t realize that 1) this way of teaching was NOT serving my students, and 2) there were in fact easier ways to do things.In this episode, I encourage you to rethink your understanding of the roles we, as teachers, play in our students' education in order to free yourselffrom the "work" of learning (and shift that ownership where it belongs - to your students!)Support the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.” Our Joy List can only work for us if we find a way to work it into our schedule. I know — that can be easier said than done. But it isn’t impossible — we can all find ways to experience more joy, rest, relaxation, and gratitude when we make the choice to prioritize it. In this episode, I share a few reflections to help you figure out how to integrate your Joy List into your schedule — whether you’re a “plan it all out” type of person or you need a more freewheeling, flexible schedule >> listen in to explore some options. If you have trouble settling into your school breaks, vacations, or even off-time hours, you might be in the same boat as me. The Summer Joy Experiment is my exploration into easing the transition from work hours to free time hours and intentionally integrating more self-care into my schedule. Discover the "last step" in my experiment in this episode!To join the community and/or grab the workbook, join here.sincerely yours,🍄 NVSupport the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

It's time to consider all the things - big and small -  that bring you joy in this season of your life! Learn what a Joy List is, how you might go about creating yours, and explore how you can make your Joy List work for this season of your life. If you have trouble settling into your school breaks, vacations, or even off-time hours, you might be in the same boat as me. The Summer Joy Experiment is my exploration into easing the transition from work hours to free time hours and intentionally integrating more self-care into my schedule. Discover "step three" in my experiment in this episode!To join the community and/or grab the workbook, join here.sincerely yours,🍄 NVSupport the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

"I really should..." How often does that phrase fill your brain? We put so much pressure on ourselves with all of the "shoulds" and "should nots" in our lives, and behind all of the "shoulds" are stories that may or may not be true. In this episode, I am sharing the first step in my Summer Joy Experiment -- an adventure that emerged after I found myself struggling to leave work-and-hustle behind and actually take joy (and rest) in my summer break. As I explored how to embrace rest, relaxation, and joy, I realized I first needed to examine the (sometimes untrue) stories that were muddling up my attempts to actually enjoy my summer break. If you have trouble settling into your school breaks, vacations, or even off-time hours, you might be in the same boat as me. The Summer Joy Experiment is my exploration into easing the transition from work hours to free time hours and intentionally integrating more self-care into my schedule. Discover "step two" in my experiment in this episode! To join the community and/or grab the workbook, join here. sincerely yours,🍄 NVReferenced Links:Summer Joy ExperimentSupport the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

Your worth is not dependent upon what you produce, provide, or do -- did you know that? If you're skeptical, this is an episode you need to listen to. In this episode, I am sharing the "why" behind my Summer Joy Experiment -- an adventure that emerged after I found myself struggling to leave work-and-hustle behind and actually take joy (and rest) in my summer break. If you have trouble settling into your school breaks, vacations, or even off-time hours, you might be in the same boat as me. The Summer Joy Experiment is my exploration into easing the transition between work-life and my-life and intentionally integrating more self-care into my schedule. sincerely yours,🍄 NVReferenced Links:Summer Joy ExperimentSupport the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

Introducing... ME! Hey there, I'm Nicole VanTassel, host of Sincerely Yours, Intentional Teach. Before we dive into all the things I hope to share with you in this podcast, I figured we should take a moment to get acquainted. In this episode, I share with you a bit about myself and provide a peek into the beginnings of Sincerely Yours, Intentional Teach. If getting personal isn't your thing, feel free to skip this. But who knows, maybe we have something in common? sincerely yours,Support the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab

Sincerely Yours, Intentional Teach is an exploration into teaching (and living) more intentionally -- in a way that appreciates learning as the partnership it is, prioritizes the well-being of and connection amongst students and teachers, and embraces an inquiry-based, student-driven approach to teaching and learning.If you're a teacher, and you're open to exploring a more whole-child approach in your interactions with students (and figuring out how to do it while maintaining your own wellbeing!), you're in the right place. This podcast will explore topics like student behavior, classroom cultures, engaging instruction, self-driven learning, trauma-informed practices, mindfulness, self-care and teacher mental health. Sound good? If so, here's your official welcome: you belong here!Support the showSincerely Yours,Nicole VanTasselIntentional Teach ProjectiExploreScienceFind Me On Instagram:@iexplorescienceJoin The Podcast Community:iExplore Teaching & Learning Lab