The Teaching Toolbox - A Podcast for Middle School Teachers

100. A Season of Rest

We’ve covered a lot in our 100 episodes, but now in our third season, we have decided to take a break, to re-energize, re-focus, and re-evaluate. We hope you’ve enjoyed

99. Avoiding Perfectionism

Today, we’re unpacking how perfectionism shows up in our work, what it costs us, and how to aim for purposeful progress instead of polished perfection. Because your stude

98. When Behavior Strategies Don't Work

We’ve all been there—you're using your go-to behavior strategy... maybe proximity, a private redirection, or a behavior chart—and the student either ignores it, rolls the

97. Reluctant Learners

Reluctant learners aren’t new—but in today’s classrooms, they’re showing up in new ways. Maybe it’s disengagement. Maybe it’s anxiety. Maybe it’s resistance that masks a

96. Classroom Jobs

When you think of classroom jobs, you probably picture elementary students passing out papers or feeding the class pet. But what about middle schoolers? Can classroom jo

95. Formula Cheat Sheets

In a world where information is just a click away, are we doing students a disservice by banning cheat sheets… or are we setting them up to fail when they don’t have form

94. Organizing Student Supplies

Today, we’re diving into a quick supply survival episode: what you actually need for middle school students, how to store it all without losing your mind, and how to make

93. Inclusion Services

When students leave class for different services—like pull-out interventions or ELL support—it’s a great resource. But it can also mean missing key classroom moments and

92. Communicating With Parents

In this episode, we’re breaking down how to make parent communication more strategic, sustainable, and supportive for everyone involved. We’ll talk about why it matters,

91. BTS: Organizational Ideas & Systems

Ever feel like the first few weeks of school are a tornado of papers, emails, meetings, and missed to-dos? You are not alone. But what if you could start the year with sy

BONUS | Meal Prep for Teachers [Summer Rewind Series - ep 40]

Today we’re throwing it back to Episode 40, where we chatted about one of the ultimate teacher survival tools—meal prep. If you’ve ever found yourself eating dry cereal o

BONUS | Student Expectations and Neatness [Summer Rewind Series - ep 46]

We’re rolling into late July with a replay of Episode 46—this one’s all about setting clear student expectations, encouraging neatness, and building those essential class

BONUS | What to Do on the First Days of School [Summer Rewind Series - ep 42]

This week, we’re bringing back Episode 42 from last year, where we break down what to actually do on those very first days of school. From routines to relationship-buildi

BONUS | Favorite Teacher Supplies [Summer Rewind Series - ep 43]

Today’s replay is Episode 43 from last summer, and it’s all about one of our favorite things—teacher supplies. Yep, we’re talking flair pens, sticky notes, and the must-h

BONUS | Preparing Your Classroom for A New School Year [Summer Rewind Series - ep 41]

We’re taking a little summer break, but we’re kicking off our July replay series with one of our top episodes from last year—Episode 41, all about prepping your classroom

90. Engaging Activities & Ideas Plus Online Tools for Use

Ready for a lightning round of games, creativity, and laughter? This episode is packed with ideas to add some FUN back into your classroom. Topics Discussed Low-Prep, H

89. Reading Strategies and Comprehension with Tina

Reading isn't enough. We want our students to truly understand the material, right? Today's guest, Tina, is sharing some fantastic strategies that work well with middle s

88. Management Tips (and More) for Teachers Moving to Middle School

Is your teaching assignment moving to middle school for the first time? Don't panic! Today we're talking about what you need, like mental tools, physical tools, and all t

87. Transitioning to High School with Leah Cleary

We're bringing back a favorite guest, Leah Cleary, to share her tips on preparing students to transition to high school smoothly. This conversation includes everything fr

86. Transitioning to High School with Andrea

In this episode, we have Andrea here from History Gal to talk about the transition to high school.  Andrea had the opportunity to work in a freshman academy which gave s