DESCRIPTION:

In this episode of Helping Teachers Thrive, Tem reflects on a heartfelt thank-you card from a student that captures the heart of her work: creating classrooms where learning feels fun and exciting, where students know their teacher will never give up on them, and where school feels like home. She explains why psychological safety is the foundation of real learning, how mutual respect and consistent support help students lower their guard, and why trauma-informed practice benefits both children and teachers by reducing overwhelm and burnout. A warm reminder of the quiet, powerful impact teachers make every day.

If you'd like to listen to the Q&A sessions at the end of the webinars in the Get Ready For September Master class Series, head on over to The Helping Teachers Thrive Hub where you will be able to access to full recording (link is in the valuable resources section below).

If you would like to enquire about trauma-informed training, please contact Tem at tem@helpingteachersthrive.com or book a call: https://calendly.com/tem-helpingteachersthrive/60

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Students thrive when they feel safe, supported and know their teacher has their back.
• A calm, respectful classroom culture allows students to lower their guard and focus on learning.
• Making learning fun and exciting while holding high expectations builds lasting trust.
• Even experienced teachers face difficult classes and moments of overwhelm - progress comes through strategies, observation and support.
• Trauma-informed practice helps teachers understand behaviour more clearly and protects their own wellbeing.
• The quiet impact of never giving up on students is often the most powerful thing we do.

BEST MOMENTS:

"Thank you for always making learning fun and exciting. You never give up on us, even if we are having a hard time… You make school feel like home."

"I want to create an environment where my students feel safe and supported, where they can come to me and get the advice and support that they need."

"If they feel safe in the environment, they're not going to have their guard up. They're not going to be triggered… Their mind won't be wandering on those things and they won't be able to focus on their lessons."

"That is how a student learns and thrives - when they feel safe and supported."

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

https://patreon.com/thehelpingteachersthrivehub?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-end-of-year-message-every-teacher-and/id1681843058?i=1000773950419

ABOUT THE HOST:

Since embarking on her teaching journey in 2009, Tem has been on a mission to empower students to reach their fullest potential. Specialising as a Secondary Physical Education Teacher, Tem also has experience in Special Educational Needs (SEN) as a class teacher in an SEN provision. With an unwavering commitment to helping students become the best versions of themselves, Tem believes in the power of education to shape not just academic prowess, but character and resilience. Having mentored numerous teachers throughout her career, she is not only shaping young minds but also nurturing the growth of those who guide them.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

The podcast for teachers of many years, trainee teachers or Early Career Teachers (ECTs). Join Tem as she delves into the diverse world of teaching, offering valuable insights, tips, and advice on a variety of teaching strategies to help teachers thrive as classroom practitioners.

CONNECT & CONTACT:

Email: tem@helpingteachersthrive.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/temsteachingtips

Instagram: instagram.com/temsteachingtips

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tem-ezimokhai-23306a263

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DESCRIPTION:

In this episode of Helping Teachers Thrive, Tem shares practical strategies for effective lesson planning so teachers can start the new academic year prepared, confident and free from overwhelm. She explains how to plan to the top for high attainers, build in progressive challenge tasks, use simple scaffolds that work for everyone, structuring lessons clearly and keeping planning efficient by using simple tools. Tem also covers student self- and peer-assessment to cut marking, incorporating technology, movement activities, and the golden rule: keep it simple so you protect your wellbeing and avoid burnout.

If you would like to enquire about trauma-informed training, please contact Tem at tem@helpingteachersthrive.com or book a call: https://calendly.com/tem-helpingteachersthrive/60

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Keep planning simple (KISS) - never spend hours on a single one-hour lesson.
• Plan to the top first: design progressive activities for high attainers, then scaffold down for others.
• Include a clear starter with sentence starters and word banks, plus a “challenge yourself” task for early finishers.
• Use student self-assessment and peer-marking to dramatically reduce your marking workload.
• Build a logical sequence of activities that feed into each other and include quick formative checks.
• Pre-plan 3-5 guided questions so you always have prompts ready to deepen understanding.
• Give students choice in how they present their work to increase engagement and autonomy.
• Share resources with colleagues and use technology to save time and support learners.

BEST MOMENTS:

"If you're spending three, four, five hours planning a single lesson, that's too much… In that four or five hours, you can plan multiple lessons."

"Plan to the top. Plan with those high students in mind first… so that they don't get stalled in your lessons."

"Keep it simple. Kiss is how I remember it. Keep it simple."

"We need to reduce our workload. Get your students to mark their own starter activity… rather than having to mark it yourself."

"Do not overcomplicate it, please. That's the worst thing we can do as teachers."

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

https://patreon.com/thehelpingteachersthrivehub?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-mark-smarter-and-faster-9-top-tips-for-teachers/id1681843058?i=1000660967214

ABOUT THE HOST:

Since embarking on her teaching journey in 2009, Tem has been on a mission to empower students to reach their fullest potential. Specialising as a Secondary Physical Education Teacher, Tem also has experience in Special Educational Needs (SEN) as a class teacher in an SEN provision. With an unwavering commitment to helping students become the best versions of themselves, Tem believes in the power of education to shape not just academic prowess, but character and resilience. Having mentored numerous teachers throughout her career, she is not only shaping young minds but also nurturing the growth of those who guide them.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

The podcast for teachers of many years, trainee teachers or Early Career Teachers (ECTs). Join Tem as she delves into the diverse world of teaching, offering valuable insights, tips, and advice on a variety of teaching strategies to help teachers thrive as classroom practitioners.

CONNECT & CONTACT:

Email: tem@helpingteachersthrive.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/temsteachingtips

Instagram: instagram.com/temsteachingtips

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tem-ezimokhai-23306a263

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DESCRIPTION:

In this episode of Helping Teachers Thrive, Tem explains adaptive teaching and scaffolding - practical ways to support a wide range of learners in one lesson without creating multiple lesson plans. She shows how planning to the top (for high attainers) then scaffolding down in the moment reduces workload while helping every student access the learning. Tem shares clear techniques including modelling, breaking tasks into smaller steps, guided questioning, sentence starters, word banks, fill-the-gaps, mini whiteboards, and subtle traffic-light cards, plus the early warning signs that a student is struggling so you can step in quickly.

If you would like to enquire about trauma-informed training, please contact Tem at tem@helpingteachersthrive.com or book a call: https://calendly.com/tem-helpingteachersthrive/60

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Plan one lesson to the top (for high attainers) then scaffold down - it is far easier than planning multiple versions.
• Guided questioning starts simple for the whole class then builds, targeting higher-order questions to students who can handle them.
• Quick formative checks let you see who needs support without interrupting flow.
• Remove scaffolds gradually as students gain confidence - the goal is independence, not permanent support.
• Watch for early signs of struggle and intervene early.
• Adaptive teaching reduces workload and prevents the overwhelm of planning five different lessons for one class.

BEST MOMENTS:

"Adaptive teaching… is planning a lesson, but then adapting how we deliver our instructions, how we respond to students… rather than rigidly sticking to our plan."

"Plan your lessons with the top students in mind so that you can then scaffold to support those students that are lower attainers."

"It's a lot easier in teaching to go from the top and work your way down in lessons than to have to think on the spot and build it up."

"The key is really to remove those scaffolds as you move forwards… by the end of the lesson they might not need any of those scaffolds anymore."

"Don't ever feel afraid to just stop and reteach. If the majority of students just don't understand… stop and reteach."

VALUABLE RESOURCES:

https://patreon.com/thehelpingteachersthrivehub?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/3-key-insights-to-thrive-in-the-teaching-profession/id1681843058?i=1000685230447

ABOUT THE HOST:

Since embarking on her teaching journey in 2009, Tem has been on a mission to empower students to reach their fullest potential. Specialising as a Secondary Physical Education Teacher, Tem also has experience in Special Educational Needs (SEN) as a class teacher in an SEN provision. With an unwavering commitment to helping students become the best versions of themselves, Tem believes in the power of education to shape not just academic prowess, but character and resilience. Having mentored numerous teachers throughout her career, she is not only shaping young minds but also nurturing the growth of those who guide them.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

The podcast for teachers of many years, trainee teachers or Early Career Teachers (ECTs). Join Tem as she delves into the diverse world of teaching, offering valuable insights, tips, and advice on a variety of teaching strategies to help teachers thrive as classroom practitioners.

CONNECT & CONTACT:

Email: tem@helpingteachersthrive.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/temsteachingtips

Instagram: instagram.com/temsteachingtips

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tem-ezimokhai-23306a263

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.