Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers

Episode 324: 6 Small Group Mistakes We Made as Classroom Teachers

Small group instruction can be one of the most powerful parts of your literacy block—but it can also be one of the hardest to figure out. In this episode, Sara and Emily

Episode 323: Putting MTSS into Practice in Your Literacy Classroom

What does MTSS actually look like in your upper elementary literacy classroom? Understanding the tiers is one thing, but knowing what instruction should look like at Tier

[Listen Again]: The 3 Steps to Take This School Year If You’re Always Saying “I Wish I Had More Time”

[Listen Again] The one thing teachers wish they could have more of is time. Time to plan, time to teach, time to make copies, and time to have fun with their students. Th

Episode 322: How to Support Struggling Readers Without Neglecting the Rest of Your Class

If you have a handful of students who need intensive phonics intervention, a few who are reading well above grade level, and everyone else somewhere in the middle, you mi

[Listen Again] Dear Stellar Teacher: Our Phonics and Intervention Confessions (and What We Would Do Differently!)

[Listen Again] We’re bringing back this episode because it’s just too good not to share again! As we continue talking about supporting struggling readers, this conversati

Episode 321: Differentiation vs. Intervention: What's the Difference?

Episode 321: Differentiation vs. Intervention: What’s the Difference? Raise your hand if you have a struggling reader in your classroom. Now, keep your hand raised if yo

Episode 320: A Simple Framework for Your Tier 1 Literacy Instruction

Episode 320: A Simple Framework for Your Tier 1 Literacy Instruction When students are struggling with reading, it's easy to immediately start thinking about interventio

Episode 319: MTSS Explained: What Every Upper Elementary Teacher Needs to Know

Episode 319: MTSS 101: What Every Teacher Needs to Know MTSS is one of those education acronyms that can quickly start to feel overwhelming. What does it all actually me

Episode 318: What Kind of Teacher Do You Want to Be this Year?

Episode 318: What Kind of Teacher Do You Want to Be This Year? As a new school year begins, it's natural to think about goals. But instead of creating a long list of eve

[Listen Again] Reading Intervention Made Easy: 15-Minute Lessons for Struggling Readers in Upper Elementary

In this replay episode of The Stellar Teacher Podcast, we're giving you a behind-the-scenes look at one of our most exciting new resources—the Stellar Teacher Reading Int

317: Back-to-School Anxiety? Here's What Every Teacher Needs to Remember

Back-to-school season brings a mix of excitement and nerves for just about every teacher. Whether it's your first year in the classroom or your fifteenth, those "back-to-

315. The First Day of School Doesn't Need to Be Perfect (And That's Actually the Goal)

Part 4: New Teacher Blueprint Series The first day of school comes with a lot of pressure. Teachers often feel like they need the perfect lesson plans, the perfect activ

314. The Simple Framework for Teaching Procedures That Actually Stick

Part 3: New Teacher Blueprint Series The first few weeks of school can make or break the rest of your year—and one of the biggest factors in creating a smooth, productiv

[Listen Again] Multilingual Learner Support with Dr. Jana Echevarría and Dr. Jeannette Mancilla

In this replay episode, literacy experts Dr. Jana Echevarría and Dr. Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez share research-backed insights and practical strategies for supporting mu

313. You Don't Need to Teach 100 Procedures. Start with These

Part 2: New Teacher Blueprint Series The beginning of the school year comes with a long list of classroom procedures to teach... but here's the good news: you don't have

[Listen Again] 7 Research-Backed Strategies for Reading Success with Lindsay Kemeny

If you're working to align your literacy instruction with the science of reading, this listener favorite interview is for you! In this conversation, literacy expert and

312. How to Set Up Your Classroom (Without Overthinking It)

Part 1: New Teacher Blueprint Getting your classroom ready for a new school year can feel overwhelming. Between Pinterest-perfect classrooms, endless classroom décor ide

311. Small Group Instruction Made Simple: How to Use Data to Support Every Reader

Part 6: Your Literacy Block Series Learn how to make small group instruction purposeful and effective. Tami breaks down the five key questions about small groups: what t

310. Writing Belongs in Your Literacy Block (Here's How)

Part 5: Your Literacy Block Series In this episode of our Your Literacy Block series, Emily is talking all about writing— and why it deserves a place in every upper elem

[Listen Again] Why Reading Fluency Matters More Than You Think

Think fluency instruction is only for primary grades? Think again. In this episode, we're unpacking why reading fluency remains one of the most important—and often overl