EP. 119 Quick Ways to Find Inspiration

Welcome educators! Before we start, I want to share an excellent free tool. It is “The Ultimate Guide to a Successful School Year”. In this guide, I walk you through how you can take those nervous jitters to have undeniable confidence throughout the school year. All because you started with these basic steps in the guide. 

Download the guide at myadventuresinesl.com/ultimateguide. 

We are going to start off today’s episode with your reflection question. 

How are you currently being inspired every day?

Take a moment to reflect on this question. Think about this question and answer yourself honestly about where you stand.

You may get into a slump if you are like me and many other teachers. Sometimes it is genuinely challenging to get out of it. You may find yourself feeling uninspired and simply not feeling it.

This was me for the last year and a half! Yep, a year and a half of being in an uninspired slump. It dawned on me that I was in it at the end of last year when I took a deep look around my classroom. I realized that it looked like a hot mess. There were stacks of magazines everywhere, random feathers all over the place, and GLITTER! On top of that, the classroom library wasn’t

organized nor were any of my materials. That’s when it hit me…I was in a teacher slump.

One of the ways to get out of a teacher slump is to have an engaging curriculum. Plus it gets extra points if it is ready to print and go. That is one of the reasons why I created the Close Read Club. With the Close Read Club, you get monthly lessons with detailed lesson plans and activities. Click the link in the show notes to learn more!

After realizing my room was cluttered, I took the steps to organize and purge through April & May. Then, I committed to finding my sources of inspiration. For me that looked like attending high-quality professional developments, planning my curriculum for the upcoming school year, and following social media accounts that align with my teacher’s beliefs.

Here are some strategies that will help you get some inspiration.

1. Take a break to refresh and evaluate. This will allow you some time to think about some changes you need to make and research ways to implement them.

2. Block out time during the school year to attend conferences and/or professional development that pique your interest. This is one of the easiest ways to find inspiration. When you are looking at professional development, do not let the price deter you from signing up. A lot of districts have money just for professional development opportunities. If you see a professional development and/or a conference that interests you, ask if your school district can cover the costs.3. Find people on your favorite social media account that connects with your teacher’s beliefs. For example, I love teacher accounts that show how they are using the

science of reading, inquiry-based learning, and literacy stations in their classrooms. I do go into this knowing that not everything is perfect. I want to encourage you all to not get caught up in the aesthetics of these teacher influencers’ classrooms. Behind the scenes, they more than likely have a messy area or desk just like most of us. I do take inspiration and ideas and modify them to the needs of my classroom.

4. Join Reddit or Facebook groups based on your interests. I want to remind you to not get too caught up in the conversations to the point it prevents you from taking action.

Take action! Find some inspiration and just take action. It is not going to be perfect, but over time it will get better.

How will you be finding inspiration this month?

You can download the transcript here.