394. Why May is the Most Important Month of the Year for Teachers
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
Release Date: 04/29/2026
394. Why May is the Most Important Month of the Year for Teachers
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
Episode #394 The Spring Reset Series – Part One 🌷 Why May Is the Most Important Month of the Year for Teachers As the school year winds down, many teachers feel like they’re just trying to make it to summer. But what if May is actually the most powerful month for improving your teaching? In this episode, Dr. Lori Friesen explains why this final stretch of the year is the perfect time for reflection, and how capturing what worked and what didn’t can make next year dramatically easier. You’ll learn a simple method to turn this year’s experiences into a clear plan for stronger...
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392. Lawnmower Parents Who Say, “My Child Is the Victim”
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
Many students struggle with accountability, empathy, and boundaries due to “lawnmower parenting,” where obstacles are removed before they can learn independence. In this episode, I share a five-step framework to navigate these behaviors with calm, clear strategies that protect your classroom and your nervous system. You’ll learn how to hold boundaries, teach students to repair harm, reinforce consequences, and collaborate with parents, giving students the skills to face challenges and grow responsibly. Show Notes: 5-Minute Field Trips: FREE Class at the Virtual...
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391. 10 Outdoor Classroom Management Strategies to Channel Spring Energy (Without Losing Control)
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
What if the most powerful academic shift you could make during your day wasn’t a new curriculum, but a change of scenery? Stepping outside softens energy, sparks curiosity, and helps even restless students regulate, but many teachers worry about losing control. In this episode, I share how taking learning outdoors doesn’t mean sacrificing structure. With clear expectations, strong boundaries, and intentional routines, the outdoors becomes an engaging, manageable classroom space. I walk through practical strategies for channeling spring energy, boosting engagement, and strengthening...
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390. When Inclusion Isn’t Working — And How Teachers Can Survive a Broken System Without Burning Out
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
Every day, teachers walk into buildings shaped by policies they didn’t choose. They’re asked to function while understaffed, under-resourced, and held to expectations that often feel impossible to meet. Today’s episode is raw, real, and an honest conversation about what teachers are actually experiencing in their classrooms. Because in reality, most teachers are in survival mode. So in this episode, I offer support for teachers trying to survive in a broken school system and share practical ways to navigate inclusion without burning out of the profession. Plus, I share strategies to help...
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389. Novelty Without Burnout (So You’re Not Entertaining All Day)
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
What if the secret to student engagement wasn’t new curriculum, more resources, updated materials, or the teacher entertaining at the front of the room all day, but a sprinkle of surprise? A predictable classroom may feel safe, but a classroom infused with purposeful novelty feels electric. In this episode, I’m sharing how you can implement novelty in your classroom in a way that supports you rather than drains your energy. Plus, I share a simple framework you can use right away to spark an immediate shift in your students’ engagement. Show Notes: 5-Minute Field Trips...
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388. How to Build Curiosity Into Lessons (Even the Boring Ones)
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
Instead of treating engagement as something you’re constantly trying to manage, think of it as something you’re trying to solve, and curiosity is the solution. In this episode, you'll learn simple strategies for building curiosity into your lessons that activate your students’ brains and transform the way they engage during instruction. Plus, you'll gain perspective on how curiosity positively impacts classroom management by turning student compliance into genuine cooperation. Show Notes: 5-Minute Field Trips Subscription: FREE Class at the Virtual Teacher Ski Lodge:...
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387. Low-Prep Ways to Add Surprise to Your Elementary Classroom Without Losing Control
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
You can have strong routines and clear expectations and still feel like your classroom energy has gone flat. In this episode, I share how small, intentional moments of surprise (woven into your existing routines!) can spark curiosity, boost engagement, and make classroom management easier, instead of harder. You’ll learn practical ways to add mystery and novelty without losing control or overhauling what already works. Show Notes: 5-Minute Field Trips Subscription: FREE Class at the Virtual Teacher Ski Lodge: How to Prevent 2-3 Students from Derailing Your Entire...
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386. Why Mystery Works (And Why Kids Are So Bored Right Now)
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
There’s something powerful about not giving students the whole picture right away. The moment you lower your voice, cover part of the board, or hint that something exciting is coming, heads lift and curiosity sparks. Small doses of mystery tap into a child’s natural drive to wonder, question, and discover...and when curiosity is activated, engagement follows. In today's episode, I explore how strategic uses of mystery can transform classroom energy, increase engagement, and make learning feel exciting again. Show Notes: 5-Minute Field Trips Subscription: FREE Class at...
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385. How to Handle Challenging Behaviors Without Burning Out
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
When your nervous system never gets a chance to reset, stress becomes your baseline, patience runs thin, and burnout starts to feel inevitable. Learning how to calm your nervous system isn’t self-care fluff; it’s a foundational skill for protecting your energy, effectiveness, and longevity in the classroom. In today’s episode, I’m sharing why fatigue may be at an all-time high and strategies to support your nervous system before it leads to teacher burnout. Show Notes: 5-Minute Field Trips Subscription: FREE Class at the Virtual Teacher Ski Lodge: How to Prevent 2-3...
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384. When Half Your Class Seems “Checked Out” — Motivation Strategies That Actually Work
Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers
For many teachers, student motivation seems to disappear after winter break. Energy is low, and students who were once eager are suddenly dragging their feet and checking out. But January doesn’t have to be a slump. With the right reset, it can become the moment you reignite connection, rebuild momentum, and help students rediscover their spark for learning. In today’s episode, I’m sharing simple, effective ways to boost student motivation in ways that feel meaningful and rewarding. Show Notes: 5-Minute Field Trips Subscription: FREE Class: How to Prevent 2-3...
info_outlineEpisode #394
The Spring Reset Series – Part One
🌷 Why May Is the Most Important Month of the Year for Teachers
As the school year winds down, many teachers feel like they’re just trying to make it to summer. But what if May is actually the most powerful month for improving your teaching? In this episode, Dr. Lori Friesen explains why this final stretch of the year is the perfect time for reflection, and how capturing what worked and what didn’t can make next year dramatically easier.
You’ll learn a simple method to turn this year’s experiences into a clear plan for stronger routines, smoother classroom management, and a more confident start next fall.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why May is the most important month for teacher reflection and professional growth
• How noticing classroom “friction points” can reveal the systems your classroom needs
• The routines and strategies that make a classroom run more smoothly
• How to identify patterns in student engagement and behavior
• A simple 20-minute Spring Reset reflection process that can save you hundreds of hours next school year
Resources Mentioned
• READY for School Academy by Dr. Lori Friesen
• Free class at the Virtual Teacher Summer Camp
• More support for teachers at drlorifriesen.com
Listen & Subscribe
If this episode encouraged you, please share it with another teacher who could use a little support right now. And be sure to subscribe to the Beginning Teacher Talk so you don’t miss the next episode in the Spring Reset Series, where Dr. Lori shares the five classroom systems you should tighten before the school year ends.
Teaching is important work, and you don’t have to do it alone. 💛
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