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For free and paid resources to help students of all ages deal with test anxiety visit:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Grace-Stevens-Happy-classrooms

Feeling overwhelmed by school testing season? Dread seeing students suffer from crippling test anxiety? This podcast episode for educators of all grades is for you!

🌟 Learn the one skill you should be teaching all year to ensure test-taking success!

💡 Discover how to create a calm, supportive testing environment in your room.

🎯 Shift the focus to what students can control and where you can find the "done for you" lesson plans to support you.

📣 Understand how to effectively communicate with parents to set students up for success without excessive pressure.

🥳 Learn the best strategies to boost student confidence and eliminate surprise testing stressors.

🎙️ You will find all this and more in this podcast episode for teachers of all grade levels to help your students overcome testing anxiety and perform at their best.

Want to truly thrive in teaching without sacrificing your personal life?
SPECIAL 30-Day TRIAL to The Balanced Teacher Membership www.gracestevens.com/30days

📘 My latest (and greatest!) book:
The Empowered Teacher Toolkit
Check out the best-selling Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers book here
Beat Teacher Burnout with Better Boundaries book here

Wanna get social?
https://www.tiktok.com/@gracestevensteacher
https://www.facebook.com/GraceStevensTeacher
https://www.Instagram.com/gracestevensteacher

Old school: Website : www.GraceStevens.com (courses, blog & freebies!)

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In this eye-opening episode, we dive into the science behind limiting beliefs and how they specifically show up in education and the lives of passionate teachers. Learn practical strategies to identify, challenge, and transform the unhelpful stories you tell yourself about teaching that keep you stuck in burnout cycles.

Key Points

• 🔍 Limiting beliefs are thoughts that restrict our potential and happiness
• 🧠 Our brains are pattern-seeking devices that filter information based on our beliefs
• ⚠️ We should evaluate beliefs on whether they're resourceful, not whether they're "true"
• 💡 With awareness comes choice - we can reframe unhelpful beliefs
• 🔄 Your brain will find evidence to confirm what you already believe (confirmation bias)

Common Teacher Limiting Beliefs

1. "I have to do it all to be a good teacher" → "I am most effective when I focus on what I do well"
2. "Saying no makes me selfish or unhelpful" → "Setting boundaries is an act of self-respect"
3. "If I rest, I'm lazy" → "Rest fuels my ability to show up as my best for students"
4. "If students/parents aren't happy, I'm failing" → "I can do my best, but I can't control others' feelings"
5. "It's my responsibility to fix everything" → "I can provide guidance and support, but I can't fix everything"

3-Step Process to Overcome Limiting Beliefs

1. Identify the limiting belief when it appears
2. Challenge it by seeking contrary evidence
3. Replace it with a more empowering belief

Quote to Remember

"We see the world not as it is, but as we are. Most of us see through the eyes of our fears, our limiting beliefs, and our false assumptions." - Robin Sharma

Want to truly thrive in teaching without sacrificing your personal life?
SPECIAL 30-Day TRIAL to The Balanced Teacher Membership www.gracestevens.com/30days

📘 My latest (and greatest!) book:
The Empowered Teacher Toolkit
Check out the best-selling Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers book here
Beat Teacher Burnout with Better Boundaries book here

Wanna get social?
https://www.tiktok.com/@gracestevensteacher
https://www.facebook.com/GraceStevensTeacher
https://www.Instagram.com/gracestevensteacher

Old school: Website : www.GraceStevens.com (courses, blog & freebies!)

Send us a text

Ready to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters in education? Dr. David Franklin, creator of The Principal's Desk community (230,000+ educators strong!), shares his candid take on what schools need to leave behind in 2025 - and spoiler alert: teachers, you're going to want to hear this!

🌟 Episode Highlights:

1. 📊 Stop Blaming COVID
- It's time to move past using COVID as the default explanation for challenges
- Focus on current solutions and moving forward
- Different regions had vastly different experiences - some schools only closed for 2 weeks

2. ❤️ Relationships vs. Rigor Debate
- The false dichotomy needs to end
- Good teaching has always included relationship building
- Need to restore focus on professional expertise and academic excellence

3. 🎯 Quick-Fix SEL Solutions
- $$ Multi-million dollar business pushing packaged solutions
- Can't change school culture with 20-minute programs
- Good teachers naturally create positive classroom cultures

4. 📝 Behavior Management Matrix
- Clear, consistent consequences are crucial
- Matrix helps everyone know what to expect
- Supports both teachers and students
- Creates safer learning environments

5. 🤖 AI in Education
- Stop avoiding AI - it's here to stay
- Need to teach responsible use
- Prepare students for real-world applications
- Similar to calculator and Google adoption

💡 Key Leadership Tips for Administrators:
- Be visible on campus
- Do supportive classroom walkthroughs (not evaluations)
- Leave positive post-it notes with specific feedback
- Let teachers take risks and innovate
- Stop requiring lesson plan submissions
- End restrictive dress codes

🔗 Connect with Dr. David Franklin:
- Facebook: The Principal's Desk
- Website: principalsdesk.org
- Email: david@theprincipalsdesk.org
- Book: "Advice from the Principal's Desk"

💪 Bottom Line: Creating positive school cultures isn't about quick fixes or checklist items - it's about supporting teachers as professionals and focusing on what truly impacts student learning.

#TeacherPodcast #EducationalLeadership #TeacherSupport #SchoolCulture #EdChat

Want to truly thrive in teaching without sacrificing your personal life?
SPECIAL 30-Day TRIAL to The Balanced Teacher Membership www.gracestevens.com/30days

📘 My latest (and greatest!) book:
The Empowered Teacher Toolkit
Check out the best-selling Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers book here
Beat Teacher Burnout with Better Boundaries book here

Wanna get social?
https://www.tiktok.com/@gracestevensteacher
https://www.facebook.com/GraceStevensTeacher
https://www.Instagram.com/gracestevensteacher

Old school: Website : www.GraceStevens.com (courses, blog & freebies!)