The Joyous Classroom

Ep. 27: Tips for March Madness & Test Prep Season

Join Angela & Brandy, two veteran teachers, as they share practical, uplifting strategies to survive testing season and pre and post-spring break without losing your joy. Learn the five biggest mistakes to avoid, five actions to replace them, and quick pre- and post-break routines to reset your classroom.
Topics include pacing vs. pushing, using data to target gaps, teaching student responsibility, visualization and gamified review ideas, movement breaks, and simple self-care tips to keep both teachers and students calm and engaged.

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Ep. 26: Bring Clarity to Your PLC’s with Guest Casey Watts

Join host Brandy (sans Angela tonight) as she explores how clarity transforms teams, PLCs, and classrooms. Casey Watts, author of The Craft of Clarity, shares practical strategies to move from faux collaboration to authentic teamwork, ask the right questions, reduce resistance, and celebrate meaningful wins—so educators can find purpose, capacity, and joy.
Catching Up with Casey Podcast: Why Are People So Difficult? 

Ep. 25: From Chicks to Conferences: Finding Joy During Teacher Exhaustion

Two veteran teachers share a candid episode about post-conference exhaustion, hatching chicks, and the pressure of STAAR testing season. They reflect on passionate moments from TCEA, creative workshop ideas (including a choose-your-own-adventure PD), and how their practical, no‑prep strategy workshops give teachers ready to implement activities that they can take back to the classroom.
Listeners are invited to connect via thejoyousclassroom.com, join the Facebook group, or email help@thejoyousclassroom.com with future podcast topics, comments, questions, or even for PD at your school or one on one.
The hosts encourage reviews and shares to help spread joy and support educators everywhere. They give a BIG SHOUTOUT to all of those educators from across the globe who have been listening to The Joyous Classroom podcast! 

Ep. 24: Small Moments, Big Joy: Finding Light in January

Two veteran teachers share how tiny wins — shorter weeks, homecoming fun, a simple STEM night, and presenting at TCEA — bring joy during a chilly January.
They also reflect on students facing hardship during school closures, the importance of community and caring adults, and encourage educators to look for one small joyful moment each day.

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Message us at: hello@thejoyousclassroom
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Ep.23: Scoot, Roll, Build: Creating Classroom Joy with Games & Engineering

A bonus solo episode celebrating "Joy in January" with short, heartwarming classroom moments including poetry debates, an audiobook read-aloud of Harry Potter, math games (scoot and dice multiplication), and a hands-on cardboard robot engineering project that practices area and perimeter.
We invite you to a FREE evening Zoom every Monday from January 19th - April 6th as we kick-off The Joyous Journey course — a faith-centered class on finding more joy, gratitude, and healthier habits for this year. Rewrite your year with us in a supportive community where we share our lives, our goals, encourage & support each other, and celebrate the small wins along the way. As always, we’d love for you to join The Joyous Classroom fb group AND share feedback on how the podcast has inspired you,  and leave us a 5⭐️ review to help us grow the podcast and serve you even better! The Joyous Classroom fb Group: 
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ANczvoTds/?mibextid=wwXIfr
The Joyous Journey fb group: (links to the zoom will be posted there)
https://fb.me/g/3MjWajXyX/k2QqIvDo
Reach us at: Help@thejoyousclassroom.com 
Website: https://thejoyousclassroom.com/
 

Ep. 22: Joy in January: Permission to Begin Again

In this episode, veteran teachers Angela & Brandy reframe January as a month of permission to begin again, not pressure. They discuss slowing down to reconnect with students, reteaching routines, and using small, intentional steps to build momentum for the rest of the year.
Practical ideas include community-building activities, goal-setting with students, and simple classroom projects. The hosts also invite listeners to join a 12-week Joyous Journey Bootcamp focused on mindset, gratitude, achievable goals, and supportive community.
The Joyous Journey Bootcamp Link
 

Think Alouds Made Easy: Build Readers Who Write with Confidence

Join veteran teachers Angela and Brandy as they unpack insights from Kristina Smekens on the power of read-alouds, think-alouds, and scaffolded writing. Learn practical, classroom-ready strategies—start small, model thinking voices, use pictures and cross-modal experiences, and teach students to choose the best text evidence.
This episode shows how making thinking visible turns readers into confident writers and offers simple steps teachers can implement tomorrow to create a more joyous classroom.
Smekens Reading Comprehension: https://www.smekenseducation.com/reading-comprehension-strategies/
Smekens Free Resources: https://www.smekenseducation.com/free-resources/

E20:Hit the Reset: Simple Classroom Refreshes That Work

Angela and Brandy discuss practical, and quick ways teachers can reset their classrooms at the end of the first grading period. From visiting other rooms for fresh ideas to re-establishing routines, positive behavior incentives, and small organizational systems that save time, you’ll be set to make the most out the next part of your year. 
The episode emphasizes starting small, prioritizing high-impact changes, balancing expectations with relationships, and sharing tips to renew teacher energy and classroom culture.
Random Name Picker: Claw Machine & More: https://www.online-stopwatch.com/random-name-pickers/crane-machine-name-picker/full-screen/
 

Heartfelt Classrooms: Nikki Jordan on Relationships, SEL, and Teacher Joy

Hosts Brandy and Angela open with light Halloween jokes before welcoming Nikki Jordan, an alt-certified teacher turned entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, consultant, personal business coach, and founder of Confidence at Any Size.
Nikki shares her journey into education, her belief in building authentic relationships with students and colleagues, and practical social-emotional strategies—like greeting students at the door and 60-second intentional moments—that improve classroom culture, behavior, and learning.
She also describes her workshops (Art of Teaching, Art of Mentoring, From Vision to Victory) and where listeners can connect with her on social media.
Connect with Nikki: 
Fb: https://www.facebook.com/share/16UtwGjfgP/?mibextid=wwXIfr
IG: https://www.instagram.com/confidenceatanysize?igsh=YWxiN3gzejRlbHYx
LN:@nikkiordan or @nikki-jordan-dfwWorkshop From Vision to Victory: https://www.confidenceatanysize.com/event-details/from-vision-to-victory-2026-planning-experience?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwNuVglleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp1X0Ty9eILQEoalHdm2gTqiG4oS7JuVnbnRgSTmhvQsCcL4RNtYnuDCzOCL5_aem_thz1cIJCZJzl-Wxfb0b_Ag
 

Beat the ECR Blues: Creative Strategies for Stronger Student Writing

Veteran teachers Angela and Brandy share joyful, research-backed strategies to make writing less scary and more effective—especially for Texas ECRs.
Learn quick creative writing routines like Color Your Sentence, Spoken Word, Figurative Language Friday, and the Because–So–Which Means expansion technique for depth, PLUS organization ideas like storyboard planning to build voice, clarity, and stamina in student writing. See how building classroom community with peer “WOW” cards and leaning into spotlighting student work can lead to joy as a pathway to rigor, increased participation, and better student writing. 
Leave us a note, or join our fb group and share how these ideas helped your classroom sparkle at writing!
We'd love to have you join us at The Joyous Classroom on fbWriting Strategies Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eoMxH0gPJ1R1_gLee4hVSRs0Ce6DgG_d5zmYNUBA3uI/edit?usp=sharing