Natalie and Christine are parents who teach and teachers who parent. They talk about situations where they have had to put away their teacher hat when talking to their own child's teachers. They also discuss the challenges of teaching students whose parents are also teachers. Hosts:Natalie McIntoshChristine Hurtt Sound Engineer:Brent Kneipp

Natalie reads a post from a first year teacher and some of the comments it received. Christine and Natalie discuss their own first year experiences and offer up some words of encouragement and guidance to those struggling in their first year of teaching.

Christine and Natalie discuss their experiences with both planned and unplanned absences and the struggles of being away from the classroom. What do good sub plans look like? How do you set up the sub for success? How do you cope with your return to the classroom when nothing seems to have been accomplished? And HOW do you remove the coin from your classroom floor that a student decided to glue down when you were out absent that one day? Listen in and see if there is anything you can use in your own classroom.

Christine and Natalie talk about both the good and the (ahem) not-so-good in dealings with school administrators. We ponder how we, as teachers, can apply some of this feedback to our own classrooms. Join us!

It is not all naps, massages, and pedicures! Christine and Natalie talk about their own specific ways of practicing self care and discuss the obstacles and mindsets that can keep teachers from putting themselves on the list!

Vulnerable Decision Points are instances where a decision is to be made, but the circumstances are not ideal for making the best decision. Confused? Well, take a listen as Natalie and Christine discuss examples of vulnerable decision points and what you can do to push through to making the right decision. Email us at [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noteacherleftbehindpodcast Instagram: no_teacher_left_behind Hosts:Natalie McIntoshChristine Hurtt Sound Engineer:Brent Kneipp

We talk a lot about "teacher burnout," but Christine proposes this terminology "blames the victim" and what is really happening to teachers is something called "Moral Injury." Come inside and listen as Christine and Natalie talk about what moral injury is and how it affects teachers. Email us at [email protected] Hosts:Natalie McIntoshChristine Hurtt Sound Engineer:Brent Kneipp

End of the school year means end-of-the-year Standardized Testing. Christine and Natalie ponder the implications of parents "opting out" of these tests as well as other questions that arise from high stakes testing. Email us at [email protected] Hosts:Natalie McIntoshChristine Hurtt Sound Engineer:Brent Kneipp

As the school year winds down, Natalie and Christine talk about the difficulties of holding the line with students when exhaustion and stress set in. Which battles are worth fighting? And when do we err on the side of sanity?  Email us at [email protected] Hosts:Natalie McIntoshChristine Hurtt Sound Engineer:Brent Kneipp

Teaching comes will many challenges and it can become easy to dwell on the parts of the job that bring us down. To bring focus back, Natalie and Christine share why they love teaching. Hosts:Natalie McIntoshChristine Hurtt Sound Engineer:Brent Kneipp