The first weeks of school can set the tone for your entire year. In this episode, Courtney Dumas and Shannon Streett share three simple strategies to improve classroom management, streamline parent communication, and get into your content faster, without adding more to your plate.

Chapters:
00:00 Why doing less leads to more
01:39 Teach these classroom routines first
05:35 The parent FAQ every teacher needs
10:23 Map your content before school starts
13:20 Free Classroom Parent FAQ Template
14:51 One final reminder before the school year begins

🎁 Free Resource: Classroom Parent FAQ Template: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ByFzU7SF6C2w3IJNitV0J8lEfWHTWMNx/view?usp=sharing]

#BackToSchool #TeacherTips #ClassroomManagement #Edu2020

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

Welcome to the Edu20/20 After Hours Podcast… and yes, we’re ending the season with state testing. Because what better way to wrap things up than revisiting one of the most stressful and chaotic times of the school year?

In this episode, we’re sharing real stories from state testing--the kind that sound made up until you’ve actually lived through it.

We’re talking:
• The rules, the pressure, and the “did I sign in blood?” meetings
• What classrooms actually look like during testing week
• The moments where everything goes sideways (and you can’t do anything about it)
• And how teachers somehow survive it every single year

If you’ve ever made it through testing season, you already know. And if you haven’t… buckle up. Source moments pulled straight from real classroom experiences.

Chapters:
0:00 Why state testing deserves its own episode
2:22 The rules, the pressure, and the setup
4:20 What testing week actually feels like
6:38 When things go wrong (and you’re stuck)
9:32 The story we will never forget
12:01 How teachers survive testing days
14:00 The moments you can’t control
15:34 Ending the year (and season) with perspective

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com

Welcome back to the Edu20/20 Podcast… and yes, this is the season finale.

We’re talking about that very specific time of year. Testing? Done. Kids? Done.
Teachers? Definitely DONE.

And somehow, you still have weeks left. This episode is all about what to do with that time-- keeping things meaningful without making it harder on yourself. We’re sharing what we’ve tried, what worked, what didn’t, and how to use this stretch of the year in a way that still feels worth it.

There’s a mix of ideas in here:
• Trying new strategies without the pressure
• Giving students more ownership and voice
• Creative ways to revisit content without it feeling repetitive
• Projects, reflection, and actually building humans (not just finishing standards)

Chapters:
0:00 Last episode energy (and why this time of year is weird)
2:23 What to do after testing ends
3:42 Using this time to try new strategies
5:42 Creative projects that still connect to content
7:30 Letting students give feedback (and actually listening)
10:34 Making review meaningful instead of busywork
13:46 Prioritizing what actually matters
15:07 Ending the year on a high note

https://www.edutwentytwenty.com