How To Bust Imposter Syndrome while Teaching Reading with Aja McNair [episode 86]

June 9, 2023

Aja McNair- How to Bust Imposter Syndrome While Teaching Reading

Click below to hear how to bust imposter syndrome while teaching reading:

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Key points on how to bust imposter syndrome while teaching reading:

How to individualize learning and personalize your teaching to a student’s interests
The Four C’s for Building Confidence: Commitment, Courage, Capability, and Confidence
How the recognize imposter syndrome and take steps to build your self-confidence and mindset
Why you should build a “growth mindset” and what that is
The “Gap and the Gain” concept

How to Bust Impostor Syndrome While Teaching Reading with Aja McNair

Do you ever feel like you’re not quite cut out for teaching reading? Maybe you’re trying to keep up with the latest science of reading research or feeling frustrated when your students just aren’t getting it. If you’ve ever felt like an impostor in the classroom, especially when it comes to teaching reading, today’s episode is just for you. We’ve got some practical strategies and mindset shifts that will help you feel more confident. Let’s dive in with Aja McNair, who brings her expertise to tackle impostor syndrome head-on.

Before we get into today’s topic, I want to take a moment to thank you for listening. Your support allows me to keep doing what I love. I’m truly grateful for every listener who tunes in and connects with me. In fact, I’d like to give a shoutout to Amanda Scott from Georgia, who recently left a wonderful review. Amanda, a wife, teacher, and mom of four, shared how this podcast has encouraged her on her journey as an educator. Her kind words about the value of the content really touched me, and I’m thrilled that she’s found the tips shared here so helpful.

If you’re enjoying the podcast too, I would absolutely love it if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It’s a small action that helps others find the show—and as a thank you, if you send a screenshot of your review to hello@wifeteachermommy.com, I’ll send you a special gift.

Now, on to today’s episode! I recently had a fantastic conversation with Aja McNair on her YouTube channel, Everything Aja, all about busting impostor syndrome when it comes to teaching reading. We talked about building confidence as reading teachers and I knew right away that I had to share this conversation with my podcast listeners. If you’d like to watch the video version, you can check it out on Aja’s YouTube channel, but today I’m airing the audio here because the strategies we discussed are so valuable for anyone struggling with self-doubt in the classroom.

Aja is one of our incredible presenters at the Educate & Rejuvenate event, and she focuses on teaching reading without ever feeling overwhelmed. Trust me, if you’re dealing with impostor syndrome, you won’t want to miss what she has to say!

Getting to Know Aja

Aja’s approach to teaching reading is rooted in confidence-building, not just for students, but for the teachers and parents who guide them. She believes that when we are confident in our teaching abilities, it translates to our students, helping them become more confident readers. Aja’s background includes years of experience teaching and coaching, and she’s passionate about helping educators feel capable in their roles.

Tackling Impostor Syndrome in Teaching

Impostor syndrome is a common struggle, especially in teaching reading. Many teachers feel like they’re not up-to-date with the latest research or worry that their students aren’t progressing fast enough. But as Aja and I discussed, mindset is key to overcoming these doubts. The first step is recognizing that impostor syndrome stems from our thoughts, not the reality of our abilities. When we change how we think about our challenges, we can transform how we feel about them.

One powerful concept Aja shared is the idea of approaching teaching with curiosity rather than frustration. Instead of thinking, “Why aren’t these kids getting it?” we can ask ourselves, “What can I learn from this? What strategies haven’t I tried yet?” This shift helps us stay open to new ideas, like the science of reading, which many teachers have found to be a game-changer in their classrooms.

The Four C’s of Building Confidence

Building confidence doesn’t happen overnight, and Aja and I both agree that teachers need to give themselves grace during this process. Dan Sullivan’s “Four C’s” method offers a helpful framework:

Commitment – Make a decision to try something new.
Courage – Push through the discomfort of learning something unfamiliar.
Capability – Build skills over time through practice and learning.
Confidence – This comes last, once you’ve developed competence in the new area.

Instead of expecting to feel confident from the start, focus on committing to growth and giving yourself the courage to keep going.

How to Create a Positive Learning Environment

A key strategy for both teachers and parents is creating an environment that fosters confidence. One way to do this is by offering students choices in their reading material. When kids have ownership over what they’re reading, they feel more empowered to engage with the material. Whether you’re a teacher in a classroom or a homeschool parent, providing reading options that match your students’ interests and abilities is crucial for building their confidence.

Resources for Boosting Reading Confidence

At the upcoming Educate & Rejuvenate event, we’ll dive deeper into these topics with sessions focused on reading. We have expert speakers lined up to share strategies on everything from early literacy to teaching reading without overwhelm. I’m so excited for you to hear from presenters like Aja, who will share actionable tips to help you and your students thrive.

Remember, building confidence in teaching reading starts with a shift in mindset—and it’s something you can start working on today!

If you’d like to hear the full conversation with Aja McNair, be sure to check out her YouTube channel, Everything Aja, where we talk about all things reading and teacher confidence. And don’t forget to grab your ticket to Educate & Rejuvenate—we’ve got a jam-packed lineup of inspiring speakers and hands-on sessions to help you feel confident and ready for the next school year.

Resources mentioned:

Teacher imposter syndrome-related episodes and blog posts:

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Read the transcript for episode 86, How to Bust Imposter Syndrome While Teaching with Aja McNair

You are listening to episode number 86 of wife teacher mommy, the podcast. How to bust impostor syndrome while teaching reading with Aja McNair. Do you ever feel impostor syndrome about teaching reading? Worried you can’t keep up with the latest science of reading research? Frustrated kids aren’t getting it or just otherwise not feeling confident? We’re going over strategies that will help you on today’s episode. Welcome to Wife, Teacher, Mommy, the podcast. I’m Kelsey Sorensen, a former elementary teacher and current homeschool mom. And even though I’ve been a resource creator since 2014, I’ve realized that printables alone aren’t all you need in order to thrive as a teacher or homeschool parent. That’s why I also created this show and got certified as a life coach to help you finally kick burnout to the curb and feel confident with whatever challenges come your way. With the right mindset strategies and new teaching inspiration, you’re going to be well on your way to your best teacher life.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:01:36 – 00:02:24

Now let’s go. I’m so thankful for you for being here today as a podcast listener. And I’ve said this before, but I wanna say it again because I love that I’m able to keep doing this because amazing people like you are listening to me. It just wows me every day and I appreciate you listening and your feedback and connecting with you. And I wanted to read a review that one of our amazing listeners left recently that just totally made my day. And this was Amanda Scott from Georgia and she called her review first time ever leaving a podcast review, which, wow, I just love that you were willing to leave this review for the first time. Thank you so much, Amanda. She said, been absolutely loving this podcast.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:02:25 – 00:02:59

I totally connect as a wife, teacher, and mom of 4 who is both homeschooled and taught in the elementary classroom for 13 years. So glad I found this gem, and I hope others check out the rich content and tips for themselves. Kelsey and her podcast guests have encouraged, taught, and supported me along this journey of education. We all know it can be a wild and bumpy ride as an educator, but listening in here, I know I’m not alone. It has been refreshing connecting with a new friend and listening to a wide variety of topics. I’m impressed with the depth of knowledge and usefulness of the content discussed to keep me fueled up for the journey. I love it here. Keep the greatness coming.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:02:59 – 00:03:34

Thank you so much, Amanda. And if you’re listening and you agree with her and you haven’t left a review yet, I would love if you took just a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It means the world to podcasters. It helps other listeners know if it’s a show for them. And if you email a screenshot of your review to our email, hello at wife teacher mommy.com. We’ll even send you something to make that couple minutes that you took to leave a review well more than worth your time. Okay. So for today, I had an awesome conversation with Aja McNair recently on her YouTube channel called Everything Aja.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:03:34 – 00:04:23

And we talked all about building confidence in reading, impostor syndrome while teaching reading, and I just thought it was such an incredible conversation that as soon as we finished talking, I was like, can I air this on my show too? Because I really think that my listeners would want to hear this as well. So I’m really excited to share this with you today. Now, if you want to watch the video version, I will link to the YouTube video on her channel so you can watch us talk, which is fun to be able to see our facial expressions, etcetera. One day, I would love to do a YouTube channel as well, but, you know, all things in their own time. Right? So today, this is an awesome conversation about building confidence in ourselves as reading teachers. So often we talk about helping our kids to be confident readers, and we talk about that too. But today we’re talking about how you can become more confident at teaching reading. And before we dive in, I just wanna tell you a little bit about Aja.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:04:23 – 00:04:51

She’s one of our amazing educate and rejuvenate presenters. Her session is called the real secret to teaching reading without ever being overwhelmed. I mean, I think a lot of us need that. Right? So be sure if you are attending educate and rejuvenate, make sure that you check out her session. And also be sure to follow her YouTube and Instagram as well at Everything Asia or go to her website, Everything Asia, that’s everythingaja.com. You will just love her. She is great as you will see in today’s interview. Okay.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:04:51 – 00:04:52

Let’s get to that.

Aja McNair 00:04:57 – 00:05:18

Oh, hey, fun people. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome to our chat it up live. You know, we always do chat it up Saturday, but we have a very special guest today. So I’m so excited to welcome you to our chat it up live. Today, we’re gonna have a wonderful look. I wanna say cohost, but, yes.

Aja McNair 00:05:19 – 00:06:07

Kelsey as she teaches us how to gain confidence teaching. I just did a poll right here on YouTube, and so many of you guys voted that you are so ready that the school year is over because this year has been rough. So I’m so excited to have her on today as she shows us exactly how to gain our confidence so that we can literally teach with ease as we enter into the next school year. And those that are teaching summer school, grab all the tips that you can, so that you can implement them this summer. I’m so excited to introduce the CEO and owner, founder of a wife teacher mommy, Kelsey. Let me not just pump her up. Let me let her tell you a little bit about herself. So hello.

Aja McNair 00:06:07 – 00:06:07

Hello.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:06:08 – 00:06:12

I’m so excited to be here. Thank you so much for having me.

Aja McNair 00:06:12 – 00:06:39

Of course. Of course. So excited to have you on here. I know I’ve been following you for years, so this is definitely a dream come true. You’re so sweet. Well, tell us just a little bit about yourself, your educational journey, and background. I know you started off with with subbing, so tell them a little bit about your background for those that don’t know you and know you know your wonderful sub binder and everything else.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:06:40 – 00:07:00

Okay. Well, I started I actually started with like you know so I went. I got my teaching degree. I taught in 3rd grade but then when I have my oldest, I wanted to stay home with him and have a little bit more flexibility. And I thought that was just temporary. I’m like, I’ll just sub for a little bit and then I’ll go back full time to the classroom. That was my initial plan. But I was subbing for a few years.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:07:00 – 00:07:37

And then as I was doing that, I realized that, you know, I’ve been on the teacher’s side. So I knew, like, you know, writing sub plans is, like, a big old deal. Right? But coming in as a sub was seeing the other perspective. And there were times where I was like, oh, like, how is this going to last me the whole day or whatever? But I knew that the, like, teacher, they shouldn’t have even had to, like, do that to begin with. Right? So I started making some sub plans and putting them on TPT. I didn’t think much would come of it, but I’m like, I can bring it with me and then have something to do, you know, as well. So I did that and then teachers and subs loved it. I think because I’d been on both sides of it and understand that.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:07:37 – 00:08:04

I think that helped a lot. So those kind of took off on TPT, and people kept being like, can you make more? I was like, oh, I don’t want to. Like, no one wants to make sub plans. Right? So I was basically doing the job that nobody wanted to do, making those sub plans. So, like, we kept doing that for a few years. It took a while to get a full week of, like, ready to go, like because this is, like, original content creation. Right? Creating that for pre k through 6. And over a few years, we got that created and then later, we had a digital.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:08:04 – 00:08:19

We upgraded them. We made them meet more standards and everything. So lots of fun. That’s how I started out. But then, in 2019, decided to homeschool my oldest. I actually kind of had a hard time with the decision. I was like, I don’t know if that’s what I wanna do. Maybe I wanna send them to school.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:08:19 – 00:08:51

Technically, they go to a charter where it’s, like, kinda some school some homeschool, which is a nice mix. Yes. But it ended up being very glad we did that because this was, you know, the 2019 2020 school year. And then our routine didn’t get thrown off when COVID happened. And so that ended up being really nice because then I had to, like, kinda change things, make sure we were meeting what teachers needed then because they no longer needed sub plans. Right? They needed so much more. So we made, like, home learning packets. And I was kind of, like, how do I bring the parents into my community? It was kind of, like, as I became a homeschool parent.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:08:51 – 00:09:17

I was like, I wanna bring homeschool moms too. They also need help. And then COVID was kind of a natural thing because we started making home learning packets and the parents were like, we need help too. You know? Right. That kind of naturally brought the parents into our circle as well while keeping the teachers. So kind of then my next step was, like, you know, homeschooling. And then we launched the membership and it was kind of like, okay, we’re gonna put all our resources in there. And along with that, I’m like, we’re going to do an event for our members.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:09:17 – 00:09:36

Like that that like when we launched the membership in September 2021, I was like, yeah, we’re gonna do an event. I had no idea how to do an event. Like, no clue at all. So I was just like, yeah, we’re gonna do an event. And we’re just gonna call wife teacher mommy live for now. Like, it didn’t even have a name yet. And then January rolled around, I’m like, okay. We need to start figuring this out.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:09:36 – 00:10:04

And, you know, we’ll figure out what this event is going to be. And, originally, like I said, that that would be just for our members. But then we’re like, well, what do we mean by everybody? What if we just, like, make this where anybody can come purchase a ticket to this event? So we did that. We eventually count with the name educate and rejuvenate, put together an incredible speaker lineup, and it was a huge success. We had over 3,000 actually, exactly 3,334 tickets sold last year, and it was really fun. We had so much fun at this event. We had a great speaker of mine up. We had amazing keynotes.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:10:05 – 00:10:25

The Facebook group was, like, this hub of, like, all these teachers, like, helping each other, like, commenting and everything. It wasn’t just, like, us talking to them, but it was, like, you know, we had, like, a post for each speaker where they could, like, interact with the speakers. We had different vibes going on. It was just such a great time. So, yeah, that’s kind of my background. I kind of talked a little way too long.

Aja McNair 00:10:25 – 00:10:34

But No. Yo. You are good. You are good. Look, I learned a little bit because when I found you is when, like, the sub binder got was blown.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:10:34 – 00:10:36

Yeah. Yeah. I guess

Aja McNair 00:10:36 – 00:10:54

you had a little bit of teacher background, but you started off teaching, and then I love I can even relate to, a little bit of my story because you’ve been in the different roles, like mom, sub, teacher, because I used to sub too. And hey. So I I tell myself in your story.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:10:56 – 00:11:18

Yeah. And the other thing I guess that I didn’t mention too is even after that, like, I decided to certify as a life coach because my, oh, teachers, they need more than just printables, more than just like free downloads and everything. We need, like, true support. Like, at this event, like, I saw, like, you know, because I had a coach who came into our membership. I hired a coach who would come in, Chrissy Nichols. She’s still part of our community. But I’m like, yeah, I need to do it too. So I certified.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:11:19 – 00:11:23

And so now we offer that support as well. So we bring that into the event too.

Aja McNair 00:11:23 – 00:12:01

Oh, I love that. I love that. And it fits the whole the whole thing. You know, educate and rejuvenate. Like, the place that teachers can come and relax and and really get, poured into as far as, like, all aspects, not just the education side. So what has been some of the biggest challenges or, I guess, I should say most common challenges that you have seen in dealing with teachers and parents when it comes to, teaching in general, but also teaching reading? And what are some strategies or techniques that you would, you know, tell the people, in order to boost their confidence when it comes to teaching?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:12:01 – 00:12:24

Yeah. Yeah. I feel like the confidence is a big part of it. And I think a lot of what I’ve seen lately is that teachers being frustrated with what was working no longer working now. So, like, what was maybe working pre pandemic, I thought there been a lot of changes since the pandemic. So it looks like we have a homeschool watcher. Love that. I love helping the homeschool mamas and the teachers.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:12:26 – 00:12:52

But, yeah, that’s kind of what I’ve seen is they’re kind of frustrated with that. And what happens is a lot of times when we feel frustrated, what I’ve seen when I’m, like, coaching, like, my members or just when I was doing a lot of coaching during my certification. What I have seen is that when we get frustrated, like, we’re feeling frustrated about it, we think, like, oh, these kids just aren’t getting it or whatever. We’re not getting into that place of curiosity, where we’re, like, oh, what is actually going on? Why aren’t they getting it? We’re just frustrated that they aren’t getting it.

Aja McNair 00:12:52 – 00:12:52

We might be trying

Kelsey Sorenson 00:12:52 – 00:13:23

the same thing or coming at it from, like, this angle of just, like, like, what’s going on? You know? And I think what I’ve been able to kind of help our members in my role, like, as a coach is like, okay. Let’s be curious about this. Let’s find out what is really going on. Let’s also be able to open ourselves up to new information. Like, there’s been a lot of great new strategies that have come out. Like, there’s the science of reading that we’ve all been diving into. Right? Like, you talk about. And a lot of teachers are just so like, well, I’ve always done it this way.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:13:23 – 00:13:43

This is what I need to do. I don’t want it’s too hard to try to do things a new way. But sometimes it’s like, what if this new way actually helps? You know, it’s kind of your mindset first before you can shift the methods, you need to shift and be willing to learn and grow as a teacher and an educator as well. So I mean, that was kind of roundabout, like, a lot of stuff. But

Aja McNair 00:13:43 – 00:13:54

yeah. You’re good. You’re good. You’re good. Yes. I love because you get a few a few main points. Teaching now is not the same that it was teaching 2, 3 years ago. It’s not.

Aja McNair 00:13:54 – 00:14:27

It’s not. Even, like, as a mom, my daughter because I do the same very similar to what you were just talking about. I always say I’m a working homeschool mom because I work on my business, you know, helping teachers and parents. And then as soon as she goes to school, and then she comes home, and we learn even more. And, my mom used to make jokes about it. She was like, what kid wants to go to school and then come home and learn? I built that environment. We’re on we’re Saturday morning. She’s like, mommy, here’s the time to learn? Like, she’s excited.

Aja McNair 00:14:28 – 00:15:04

So, but you’re right. Like, I’ve even seen, like, the things that she has come home with. I’m like, this is different. This is totally different, especially on the parent, and so I’m with you. Teaching now is not the same as it was 2, 3 years ago at all. At all. Yeah. So how important is it to have that self belief and self mindset because it’s so different and because so many, you know, parents and teachers struggle with that learning, you know, that learning curve of learning, you know, the science of reading and all the new techniques and so forth that’s out there.

Aja McNair 00:15:04 – 00:15:08

So how important is mindset and, you know, self belief and self confidence?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:15:09 – 00:15:43

Oh, it’s like the most important thing. Like I mentioned, if you can’t get your mindset in the place where you’re even willing to accept new information or to be willing to try it, if you’re just feeling too overwhelmed by it, I feel like the mindset needs to come first. And but the thing is you can’t just automatically necessarily go right to confidence. You can have, like, self confidence in yourself and your own, like, I know I can figure it out. But you probably don’t have confidence in your actual capabilities if you haven’t done something yet, and that’s okay. There’s a method I learned recently from Dan Sullivan, who I really love. He’s from he owns the company called strategic coach. I’m I listen to all the coaches out there.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:15:44 – 00:16:09

But he has this thing called the 4 c’s, and confidence is actually the last one. And first is just commitment. Like, I’m committing to trying this out and committing that I can learn and I can do this. And then after commitment comes courage. You have the courage to follow through with that commitment. Then from that, you have capability, you’re building that capability, and then you feel confident about it. So really, it’s first just making that commitment. You don’t need to jump right to I am so good at this.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:16:09 – 00:16:30

I’ve got this and everything. Like, you can think that if you if it’s believable to you, like, some people might think, oh, yeah. I totally got this. Like, I have that full self confidence. I can jump right to there. Like, if you’re really well practiced and the feeling of confidence in other areas, you might be able to, like, borrow that feeling and put it on for teaching reading. But if not, these four c’s are what will really help you to get

Aja McNair 00:16:30 – 00:16:35

there. Yes. Yes. I love that. I love that look. I’m a have to check him out as well.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:16:35 – 00:16:59

Yes. He’s really good. I I reference him a lot. The other thing that, he teaches that I love is concept called the gap and the gain, which is all along the way you’re looking at your gains. You’re comparing yourself to where you used to be. So like, maybe you’re looking instead of looking like, oh, I don’t know everything about the science of reading yet. And I am still been doing things this way or whatever. Instead of, like, be like, I’m here and I need to get all the way over there.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:16:59 – 00:17:17

But, yeah, maybe you do wanna get over there, but also look like maybe a few years ago, you weren’t even teaching yet or whatever or, you know, you weren’t confident in something else or whatever. And you can kinda see, wow. Look how far I’ve come. And if I’ve come this far, then I can get over there too. It’s just kind of reframing your perspective to build that belief in yourself and your gains.

Aja McNair 00:17:17 – 00:17:18

Yeah. And

Kelsey Sorenson 00:17:18 – 00:17:32

looking at your gains every day, you can even get, today, I’m going to listen to a podcast about the science of reading or whatever. Check. I learned a little bit. You know? Or I’m gonna read a chapter in a book about it, or I’m going to, you know you don’t have to feel like you have to, like, eat the whole elephant all at once. You know?

Aja McNair 00:17:33 – 00:18:07

That’s a really good one, especially since so many, especially teachers are now doing that shift. And it’s crazy because I teach my clients, I call them wind journals. And so, like, as soon as they start working with me, everybody doesn’t teach you by the time in the chat box, like, y’all know we have a wind journal. And then I teach them to just keep writing those winds because there’s gonna be those days where you wanna quit. There’s gonna be those days where you’re like, oh, no. They’re not getting it. You just go to your wind journal and you’re like, oh, okay. And you start to see, you know, see those moments.

Aja McNair 00:18:08 – 00:18:42

But I like how you said even almost like having a wind journal for yourself. Like, okay. I learned a little bit about today. And that way it’s not just so focused on, you know, the the child or the children, but, you know, you have that internal growth and that’s that’s self growth because, I know, like, a lot of people deal with the confidence. I see down below in the chat box. She said she struggles with confidence, and not sure if she even wants to homeschool. Just taking it one day at a time. Yeah.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:18:42 – 00:19:02

And that’s the way to do it one day at a time. And it just starts with, like I said, that commitment. Like, maybe you’re not feeling that confidence yet, but you’re committing if you’re committing to it. But like you said, I’m not sure I want to homeschool. And, you know, that’s totally up to you. There’s nothing wrong with either option, whatever you decide to do. But once you do that, you think, I’m just gonna start with commitment. I’m going to commit to this.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:19:02 – 00:19:09

I don’t necessarily feel confident in it yet. I’m going to commit, and then you can have the courage, yeah, capability, and then confidence.

Aja McNair 00:19:10 – 00:19:38

Yes. Yes. Yes. And and I just also wanna piggyback. She also said she’s not sure exactly how to teach your daughter how to read. I think taking what Kelsey is saying, that one day at a time, just continuously learning little bit by little bit, because you’re right. If you look at the entire picture, it can seem like it’s too big to to do. And that often, you know, leads into, like, imposter syndrome and feeling like you’re you’re not equipped.

Aja McNair 00:19:38 – 00:19:43

But in actuality, you are you are fully equipped to doing it.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:19:44 – 00:20:16

And the fact what I like to tell homeschool parents too, because, I mean, like I said, I have a hard time deciding on that too. And I’m a licensed teacher. And I feel like whether or not you are, you are capable of homeschooling your kids because think about it. Like, teachers, we have, like, you know, because I’ve been both. We have, like, 30 kids in a classroom. And if you are a mom able to work 1 on 1 or 1 on 2 or 3, depending on how many kids you have, 1 on 10, whatever, however many children you have. Like, you just have more of that 1 on 1 attention, and you get to be with them all day. And homeschool doesn’t necessarily need to look like public school.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:20:16 – 00:20:40

It looks different. You get to tailor it to your child. And there are benefits either way, like so just know whatever you decide, your child is going to get an education. And whether it’s for you, it’ll be amazing. And if it’s from their teachers, it’ll be amazing. So and the other thing is any decision you make doesn’t have to be permanent either. You can try homeschooling and if you’re like, this is not for me, you can send them to school. Or if you send them to school, yeah, you know what? I think I wanna homeschool them now.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:20:40 – 00:20:42

You can do that too. So

Aja McNair 00:20:42 – 00:20:49

Yes. Yes. Because like I said, for me, I just created what was best for me for me now as well. So yeah.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:20:49 – 00:21:00

Little bit of a tangent. But we will also be sharing about, educate and rejuvenate, which is where we there are tons of sessions about how to teach your kids how to read, well, which we’ll get into. I was so excited about that.

Aja McNair 00:21:00 – 00:21:02

I’ll be one of those. I’ll be one of those.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:21:02 – 00:21:04

Yeah. You are. I’m so excited.

Aja McNair 00:21:05 – 00:21:17

So how can teachers and parents create that positive supporting learning environment that will encourage not only them to be confident, but also their children to be confident when it comes to reading.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:21:18 – 00:22:03

Yeah. So when they’re teaching their kids to be confident, one thing I like to do is to help have some like choices in their reading because they feel like when they have that choice, they kind of feel more empowered to start, which again is that commitment to starting something and try it out. And what I’ve found helpful, like with my kids, so I’m homeschooling. And, one of my kids is just like, I don’t wanna read chapter books. It doesn’t have pictures. You know? Like and it’s just like, okay. Well, how about we go and we find one together? We’re gonna look through all the books, and we’re gonna find one that looks good to you that you’re going to love, and just figuring out with the kids, like, what’s going to work for them. I don’t know if that completely answered your question, but I feel like finding having choices in their reading helps a whole lot.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:22:04 – 00:22:04

And

Aja McNair 00:22:05 – 00:22:16

Absolutely. Like and that like, to piggyback on that, like, that that also helps, like, not only, like, their problem solving skills. You know that?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:22:16 – 00:22:42

Oh, absolutely. And the other thing is, of course, differentiation. So this is kind of talking to, like, the public school teachers who might be listening. But when you are differentiating your instruction and you didn’t need to meet all these kids, it’s just kind of nice to keep that in mind. Like, okay. This is where this kid is at. And this is actually for at home too because, like, I try to, like, do things together with, like, my first and my 3rd grader. So whether you’re homeschooling or you’re teaching, you might have kids at different levels that you’re teaching.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:22:42 – 00:23:31

And just keeping that in mind and finding texts that are appropriate for those kids is very helpful. Because then if you find something that they’re confident in, like, oh, this is at their level, they can read it. That’s going to be better than, like, trying to give them something that maybe isn’t right for them at that time. And if they might not feel as much confidence if they’re frustrated because they’re just thinking like, oh, I can’t read this. You know? Hey, teachers. If you are always on the hunt for engaging math games, purposeful practice, and ways to motivate your students so they can actually enjoy math, you will definitely want to check out digitalmathgames.com. This site offers a growing library of online ad free games for kids in grades 3 through 6 that are self checking, so there’s no prep or grading for you. If you are excited about the possibilities, head on over to digitalmathgames.com to get started with a 14 day free trial.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:23:31 – 00:23:38

That’s right. You and your students can test it out for free for 2 weeks. Just go to digitalmathgames.com to get started.

Angela Watson 00:23:42 – 00:24:11

I’m Angela Watson, creator of the 40 hour teacher work week program. We’re kicking off the next cohort of 40 hour this summer, and I want you to join us. Over 55,000 k twelve educators have already used the 40 hour program to maximize their contractual hours and stop working endlessly on nights and weekends. Visit 40htw.com to learn more, including how to attend our free online summit on July 9th 10th, where you can learn time saving tips from other classroom teachers. That’s 4zerohtw.com.

Aja McNair 00:24:17 – 00:24:44

Yes. I know you said you’ve had, you know, a classroom full of 30. So with all of those children, I love you how you said, you know, give them books on, you know, on their level that would help build confidence. You’ve also said allow them to have choices. Is there anything else that you do to kinda, like, amp up their individual needs when it comes to, like, having because we do have a lot of, like you said, public schools teachers. They have 25 to 28 children.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:24:44 – 00:25:28

Yeah. That is actually so that’s part of the reason why my sister and I, we took on this huge project and we created these reading passages that are, like, crazy leveled all the way pre k through 6th grade. And so that, like, people could pull, like, for their level and have them available for their students. So, like, all the kids we’re reading about the same thing, but it’s, like, at their level. So they could still have, like, group discussions. We even tried to keep the questions as similar as possible, but yet they’re reading at their level. So that was one thing that a lot of our, like, members and customers have found really helpful is, like, it doesn’t have to be our passages, but just finding things that, like, are still, like, you could be together as a class even when it’s differentiated. Or at least, like, the other thing you could do is, like, divide into groups as well.

Aja McNair 00:25:29 – 00:25:36

Yep. Yeah. I love I love it. So when are your passages, like, the same passage? They’re just on different Yeah. Groups? Okay. Oh.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:25:36 – 00:25:58

Yeah. So there’s one, like, called Icy Animals, and it’s, like, you know, about, like, animals and this is, like, in the January 1 or whatever. And there’s, like, a kindergarten version all the way. Obviously, they’re, like, a completely different passage by the time you get from kindergarten to 6th grade. But if you’re using the ones that are closer together, like, say you teach 3rd grade and you’re using, like, the 2nd grade, the 3rd and within each grade, there’s 3 levels.

Aja McNair 00:25:58 – 00:25:59

So it’s like I love it.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:25:59 – 00:26:03

Yeah. It’s, like, crazy different like, it was a long project. But

Aja McNair 00:26:04 – 00:26:07

You’re like, I just remember all the words. Yeah.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:26:08 – 00:26:09

It was pretty crazy.

Aja McNair 00:26:10 – 00:26:34

But, like, that allows the children to be able to have those those tough conversations and just be able to respond and talk, beyond just the the few people in their group. Like, you can like you say, you can have an entire class discussion on it, even though they were all reading different passages. And then that kinda takes the pressure away from, you know, what what level are you in? What group are you in? Because they’re all kinda reading the same passage.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:26:34 – 00:26:35

Oh my god.

Aja McNair 00:26:35 – 00:27:09

Then it go the the, like, the focus now is directed to the actual text. So I love that. And look, that does help build the confidence because nobody’s wondering if you’re on the kindergarten level. Because I know my 5th grade in my 5th grade classroom, the story I tell everybody, a lot of my children were literally on kindergarten and 1st grade level. So if I had something like that, that could definitely help their confidence. I tried look, I tried to do groups as much as possible in a second, but that would allowed us to have, you know, class discussion. So I like, I like, I like.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:27:10 – 00:27:31

I find helpful too, and this is actually part of what we do with that. On every passage, we have a question that activates their background knowledge before, and it said that’s a big thing too. Because when you kind of activate that before they read, it’s like they kinda have some context going into it. So it’s not just like, here you go. You have no idea what you’re going to read about. You know? It’s kinda they’re in the right frame of mind.

Aja McNair 00:27:32 – 00:28:09

Yes. Yes. Yes. So, look, shifting gears just a little bit. I know we talked earlier about the big change in education. I mean, between going from balanced literacy to science of reading, which I know I’ve done a ton of videos doing, but that does create a lot of different, you know, learning gaps, so to speak. And so with that, I feel like there’s 2 things that are that I kinda wanna piggyback off of. One is self doubt, imposter syndrome becoming a thing.

Aja McNair 00:28:09 – 00:28:55

And and for those that don’t know what imposter syndrome is, that’s just literally when you feel like, like, for example, I I can honestly admit when I jumped out and started, I quit teaching and started my own business. I had and I still struggle with imposter syndrome extremely because it’s like, wait. I’ve never done this. And when you do something that you’ve never done before, sometimes it feels like you’re you’re not equipped. Even when you are equipped, it just feels like you’re not equipped. And so when it comes to, you know, imposter syndrome, how big is the role of professional development, when it comes to actually sustaining confidence as a reading teacher or reading parent?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:28:55 – 00:29:23

Yes. I thought this is such an important question. And I really think that a lot of times it’s because there is so much out there for, like, us teaching our kids about growth mindset. Like, oh, you you children, you can, you know, improve your mindset and grow and everything. But there’s not as much for the grown ups. So it’s like the thing we figured it out because we’re grown up, and that’s just frankly not true at all. Like, we need it just as much if not more than children now that we are grown up. We’re like, we get this like imposter syndrome.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:29:23 – 00:30:01

And I think a lot of that is like, what is imposter syndrome? Like, when you kind of define that, it’s like, you know, when you have feelings and everything. But where does that come from? And what I like to teach, like, my clients and, like, my members and what we’ll talk about, educate and rejuvenate too is what causes our feelings. So it’s not like the circumstance of, oh, for you, like, I’m starting a business. I’ve never done that before. It’s what you think about it. Because if you’re thinking like, oh, I’m gonna rock this or, oh, this is going to be fun or this is going to be interesting, you’re gonna feel something different than, like, imposter syndrome. You’re going to feel like excited or curious or something else. So it’s what we think about it is that’s what’s driving those feelings, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:30:01 – 00:30:25

Like our brain serves us like how many thoughts a day, like, a zillion. Right? I don’t know the exact number. It’s like 50,000 or sitting on a bed. Right. And a lot of those are completely, like, unconscious thinking. Like, it’s just what our brain offers us, and then we just believe it without even thinking about it, and we just go with it. And so a lot of times what happens is when you start feeling anxious or you start feeling imposter syndrome, you notice it. That’s like the first step, like, oh, I am feeling imposter syndrome right now.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:30:25 – 00:31:01

And then you kinda step back and make, why am I feeling this? What am I thinking about what’s going on that is causing me to feel this way? And you can kinda dive in there a little bit, and I’m gonna be teaching about this at Educate Remogevity too. So, but it’s kind of getting in there and figuring out, like, why am I thinking and feeling this way? And realizing that it is something that is just inside you, and other people likely aren’t thinking this about you. They’re just like, oh, wow. You’re doing this amazing thing, or you’re a teacher. Wow. I could never do that or whatever. You know, they just nobody else is thinking the things about you that you think they might be thinking, honestly. And if they are, that’s none of your business either.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:31:01 – 00:31:13

Like, it doesn’t matter what they think. They could think terrible things even if you were feeling confident. So what good does it do for us to worry about what they’re thinking? What matters most is what we are thinking about us. So our own mindset

Aja McNair 00:31:13 – 00:31:13

and figuring that out is

Kelsey Sorenson 00:31:13 – 00:31:39

really important. And I really think there aren’t enough resources out there for this. It’s like, I actually recently signed a book contract, actually. I’m really excited about that. But it keeps your goals publishing and I’m writing a book about mindset for teachers. And as I was looking into this, it’s like mindset and I’m looking into it. And most of them are like, oh, how to teach your kids growth mindset? Not how do you have it? It’s all about helping the kids, but I think it really starts with grown ups. Like, we need to have it.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:31:39 – 00:31:44

We need to know how to do it so we can model it and then help the kids do it, but it it starts with us.

Aja McNair 00:31:46 – 00:32:10

I love that, girl. Let us know when you get that. Like, so you said, I’ll say the congrats on the book. I’m like, that belongs to the deadline. I’m like, yes. Like, I’ve never even, like, asked 1 because I’m I’m not I don’t know how much you know of my story, but I’ve been an administrator for over 5 years. And we teach girls’ mindset to teachers. We have I mean, to students.

Aja McNair 00:32:10 – 00:32:15

I’m I will not say we have never thought about it on the teacher level, like, ever.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:32:15 – 00:32:28

Nobody does. It’s hardly out there. Like, there are a couple books, like, a few that touch on this, but, like, Grow My Insight for Kids all over the place. And they do need it, and it’s so important, but so do the grown ups. So Right.

Aja McNair 00:32:28 – 00:32:28

Grown ups are

Kelsey Sorenson 00:32:28 – 00:32:29

helping the kids.

Aja McNair 00:32:29 – 00:32:57

Because it’s almost like a domino effect. Yeah. Like, if the teacher, you know, or the adult or the mom or, you know, whomever, because I know we have so many different backgrounds on here. As soon as you gain that that growth mindset, it will automatically transfer into the child. Then they’ll see, you know, you, and then they’ll, like, literally replicate you. And I love that. Girl, I love that. I love that.

Aja McNair 00:32:57 – 00:33:30

It’s a facts. We need it. So, yes, I love that. It’s perfect way to get over impostor syndrome. And so in that, like, I know at educate and rejuvenate, there’s gonna be plenty of professional development to help, you know, help get over that and, really combat that. Can you share any personal experiences or success stories from your own career, either as a teacher or or a sub or a mom that highlight the transformative power of confident teaching when it comes to reading?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:33:31 – 00:34:22

Yeah. So I had a student when I was teaching 3rd grade who really just had a hard time wanting to read. So the thing that was a big win was when I was like, okay, what can we do? I kinda got curious instead of frustrated. Right? That’s the big thing I talk about. Like, okay, what can I do that will make him feel like I mean, obviously, we can’t make them feel anything? But how what can we do to encourage him to just feel a little more excited about it? So what I did is I, you know, just got to know him on a bit more personal level. I was like, what are you interested in and everything? And so then we were able to when we were doing our animals and habitats unit, because I was teaching 3rd grade, which is a thing here in Utah, when you teach their great animals and habitats. And I found out he really loved I can’t even remember now what animal was, but there was one he really loved. And I made sure I’m like, okay, he’s getting assigned that habitat so he can research that animal.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:34:22 – 00:34:56

And he was thrilled. So every day he would be, when do we get into our animal journals? When do we get to read more about? I can’t even remember what animal was at this point. All I remember is it was like he was suddenly excited because we found what he was interested in. And that’s why I’m so, like, figuring out their interest. Like, even if you are in a classroom with a bunch of students, like, if you have ones who are struggling particularly, like, that was a big class, but I was able to identify what that student needed and figure out how to help him. So that that was a big light bulb moment. That was awesome for me, for sure.

Aja McNair 00:34:56 – 00:35:04

Yes. Yes. Yes. And I I like how you literally took his interest and made a whole assignment from it.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:35:04 – 00:35:12

Yeah. I mean, it just luckily kinda tied in because AML was part of the curriculum, but I’m like, okay. How can we, like, work that in, you know?

Aja McNair 00:35:13 – 00:35:33

I love it. I love it. I love it. I added a similar child, but I his interest, girl, was comedy. Oh, yeah. Comedy. And so the only way I could work it in was if you allow me because he didn’t know how to read at all. I mean, he had been, held back twice, and I’m teaching 5th grade at this point.

Aja McNair 00:35:33 – 00:35:38

And so he was, like, 12, 13. We’re reading on the kindergarten reading level.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:35:38 – 00:35:39

Oh, goodness.

Aja McNair 00:35:39 – 00:36:09

And loved to I mean, girl, he stole his teacher’s car, like, the year prior prior to demoing me. I mean, like, had a troublesome background. And then I was like, look. I’m not listening to anything that other teachers are saying because he would tell me all the stories. Yeah. Of course, I already knew. And then I was like, look, I will be the one to teach you how to rate you. And I’m and and then I started doing, like, teach and learns, like, lunch and learns where nobody was in the classroom.

Aja McNair 00:36:09 – 00:36:21

And so that allowed me to at least figure out what he liked, and his was comedy. So the only way I could, like, piggyback off of that was during dismissal, he would get to tell the class a joke every day.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:36:22 – 00:36:25

I love that. See, look at you. This is amazing.

Aja McNair 00:36:25 – 00:36:40

And so yep. So, like, anytime he had a good day, he would be like, I I get my joke. Right? Yes. Yes. I would love to know what he’s doing now because I know he is on somebody’s stage. He was really funny. Super funny too. Super funny.

Aja McNair 00:36:40 – 00:37:06

But, so I like that, like, to make it you know, I think with any parent and teacher out there, especially when you’re dealing with children that are struggling readers Mhmm. And they often do lack confidence. And when you’re dealing with them, you have to almost piggyback on something that they like. You have to really get their buy in. And the quickest way to do that is finding out something that they like. So in I mean,

Kelsey Sorenson 00:37:06 – 00:37:12

personal connection. Yeah. Right. So, like, you’re not you’re like someone who they actually want to work with, you

Aja McNair 00:37:13 – 00:37:37

know. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. That relationship, that that almost goes back to classroom community and building that relationship. So with building relationships, you know, reading and combating confidence, are there any specific resources or tools that you recommend for teachers and parents in order to enhance their confidence when it comes to teaching reading?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:37:38 – 00:38:21

I would say educate and rejuvenate. Because one, there are a few reasons. One is, obviously, as I mentioned, I love coaching, I love mindset coaching, and you’re going to get that at educate and rejuvenate because a lot it starts with the mindset, how you’re thinking about it. Feeling that you are able to do this land, you know, not being stuck in the, oh, what do I do? You know, so the mindset coaching. But also, we have the content for you too. So if you’re like, what do I do? How do I teach this? How do I teach reading? What do I do here? We have tons of sessions on reading. You have one, for example, the real secret to teaching reading without ever being overwhelmed. Like, I mean, that alone, this session is worth the cost of admission.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:38:21 – 00:39:02

But then we also have, like, from Ashley Rives, we had 3 mistakes to avoid 3 mistakes to avoid to rock early literacy. From Sierra Harris, we have maximizing comprehension through reading strategies. From Didi Wills, we have not your mother’s reading, science of reading instruction. Amy Nielsen is presenting on reading. I somehow missed actually getting her title, but she’s also presenting about reading. Christina, Suite for Kindergarten is teaching about simplifying reading with a multisensory approach. And then Shannon and Mary from the reading teachers lounge are presenting about key ingredients for reading success. So it’s just like you’re gonna get all these presentations about reading.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:39:02 – 00:39:36

You’re gonna get so many strategies that will help you, like, you know, once you’ve made that commitment, you’re feeling a bit more capable of doing this, and you can grow that confidence. You’re gonna be coached on your mindset with it as well. And then also, if you teach more than just reading, there’s so much more too. We have sessions about science and stem and, more about mindset. Like, not just for me, but from lots of amazing coaches and mindset experts. And we just have such an incredible lineup. And we have both teachers and homeschool parents presenting. So you’re going to get a really well rounded education on how to do this.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:39:36 – 00:39:59

And there’s the community aspect as well. So you’ll get to connect with the presenters. You’ll get to connect with each other. And did I even mention that Joe Dombrowski and Christina Kuzmich are our keynote speakers? Like, you guys have me pay more than the admission to come. So it’s going to be such a great time, and we really hope to see you there. And you’ve got a special link that they should use if they’re watching this video.

Aja McNair 00:39:59 – 00:40:34

Yes. So you can grab your ticket. It is coming up on, June 27th 28th. The link is down below in the chat box, also in the description. For those watching the replay, it is right there under the description. You can grab your ticket. And let me tell you about when you release these keynote speakers, girl, when I tell you because I have been following her. I mean, I think when she right before she hit, like, a 1000000 subs on YouTube.

Aja McNair 00:40:34 – 00:40:35

This was, like, years ago.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:40:35 – 00:40:40

I put her in her for ages. I’m like, I interviewed her for my podcast. I’m like, is this happening?

Aja McNair 00:40:43 – 00:41:11

Like, her her just her concept, like, the humor. Like, did you just can’t go in there go on her YouTube channel and watch one video? Like, you have to watch a million. And when she was doing, like, all the l series, like, over this over Christmas, this was years ago now. It was super hilarious. So when I saw that you have her as a keynote speaker, I was like, oh, I’m sold. I am sold. So your ticket I mean, the link is right there. Grab your ticket.

Aja McNair 00:41:12 – 00:41:50

Like, I’m excited. I’m excited, 1, because it’s such, like, a well rounded event. Like, literally because, like, my audience, they’re very go round. I have homeschool. I have parents. I have, a lot of teachers, but there’s one commonality between everybody and that is that they have struggling readers, because that’s what we can do here. We’re all struggling readers. And so just hearing like all even the different reading, you know, sessions is really really exciting, because I know mine is all about how to do it without overwhelm.

Aja McNair 00:41:51 – 00:42:15

Like alright. Alright. Let’s talk about shortcuts and ways to teach all 5 5 contents and pillars of reading. And so I love that. I’m excited to go to these sessions as well. Super excited. So once again, the dates are June 27th 28th. Anything else you wanna tell them about the event? What’s going on behind the scenes?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:42:16 – 00:42:47

Oh, we are just having so much fun behind the scenes behind this event. We also if you wanna see kind of a sneak peek, we did just do a segment on our podcast, which you are part of. And we have, like, little snippets of a bunch of the presenters, not all of them, sharing what they’re sharing at the event. So if you want to go to wife, teach your mommy, the podcast, you could share a link to, like, that as well if you’d like. You can just link to it on the website. But with that, you can kinda get a sneak peek if you want. If you’re like, I need to learn a little I want a little sample first. That’s a great way, kind of behind the scenes.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:42:47 – 00:43:31

But, honestly, you’re just gonna wanna grab your ticket because it’s going to be so much fun. It’s only 1999, which I have not seen any other teacher conference of this, like, level with the keynotes like this for that price. Like, it’s such a steal, and we’ve got the teacher track, we’ve got a parent track, and, yeah, it’s just we’re we’re having fun. Also, the other behind the scenes thing that you won’t even see on the sales page is we are opening the Facebook group on June 12th, And the pre party begins, which means lots of giveaways before the event even starts. Like, you’ll get to we have ones where it’s like follow, you know, the speakers on Instagram or whatever. And for each one you follow, you get an entry into a giveaway to win something awesome or whatever. And so many fun giveaways and kinda get to know

Aja McNair 00:43:31 – 00:43:32

yous before the event starts. It’s going to

Kelsey Sorenson 00:43:32 – 00:43:38

be a lot of fun. So I would recommend not waiting to grab your ticket because then you’ll miss out on the fun pre party and all those crazy.

Aja McNair 00:43:43 – 00:44:17

So Yes. Pre party and giveaways. Well, you’ve heard it here. Get your ticket. Of course, look, I would love for you to use the affiliate link in the chat box. But if not, hop on over to www.wifeteachermommy.com. That is where you can find everything about, Kelsey and her brand there. Thank you so much for coming on, telling us literally how to not only teach, but how to teach reading with confidence and also about the wonderful upcoming event.

Aja McNair 00:44:17 – 00:44:28

We cannot wait. I know a lot of, I’ve been talking about it to a lot of my my clients and they’re like, oh, yeah, we’re gonna be there. They’re we’re coming. I’m like, well, get your ticket. Get your ticket. Yeah.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:44:28 – 00:44:36

Get it now because that pre party. If you wouldn’t do the last a lot of people wait until the very last minute, but then it’s like, but then you missed the pre party, which is nice. Yes.

Aja McNair 00:44:36 – 00:44:37

Why? I think they get it. Right.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:44:38 – 00:44:46

I mean, it’s still worth it, but, like, party. It’s like tailgate before, like, the game or the Taylor Smith concert or whatever it is is your thing, you know.

Aja McNair 00:44:47 – 00:44:49

Well, that’s how the fun stuff happens. Yeah.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:44:49 – 00:44:50

Right?

Aja McNair 00:44:50 – 00:44:56

Where can they follow you on Instagram and any social media if they wanna continue to get more from you?

Kelsey Sorenson 00:44:56 – 00:45:04

Yeah. It’s just wife, teach your mommy everywhere. So wife, teach your mommy with the podcast, wife, teach your mommy on Instagram, on TikTok, on all all the things.

Aja McNair 00:45:05 – 00:45:09

So. All right. Well, thanks again. So glad to have you. Thank you so much.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:45:15 – 00:45:56

If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to hit subscribe. So you don’t miss an episode. And if you’re ready to take the next step, come grab your ticket to join me at Educate and Rejuvenate, the education event of the year on June 27th 28th, 2023. This year, we have 2 incredible live keynotes, Joe Jombrowski, AKA Mr. D, and best selling author and video creator, Christina Kuzmic. We have over 60 incredible speakers speaking on topics such as math, language arts, reading, social emotional learning, classroom management, homeschooling, and tackling burnout. We start the day with a workout together each morning. We have panels with the presenters, and you’ll even get to join live live coaching with me and even raise your hand if you would like to be coached.

Kelsey Sorenson 00:45:56 – 00:46:26

0:00 – 46:26

Plus, we give away tons of prizes throughout the event too. It is the best PD you could ever attend, and all of this is happening from the comfort of your own home. It’s just $19 per ticket, and past attendees have said that this is what finally lit a fire under them to enjoy teaching again and that it was well worth every penny. Go to educateandrejuvenate.com to learn more about the 2023 event. Or if you’re listening to this later, that link will show you what’s up next as we will continue to do events like this. I hope to see you at educate and rejuvenate.

More about Wife Teacher Mommy: The Podcast

Being an educator is beyond a full-time job. Whether you’re a teacher or a homeschool parent, the everyday to-do list is endless. Between lesson planning, grading, meetings, and actually teaching, it probably feels impossible to show up for your students without dropping the ball in other areas of your life.

Wife Teacher Mommy: The Podcast is the show that will bring you the teacher tips, practical strategies, and inspiration that you need to relieve the stress and overwhelm of your day-to-day. Your host, Kelsey Sorenson, is a former teacher and substitute turned homeschool mom. Tune in weekly to hear Kelsey and her guests cheer you on and help you thrive as a wife, teacher, and mommy. Because with a little support and community, you can do it all. For access to every single Wife Teacher Mommy resource, join the club at educateandrejuvenate.com/club.

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Educate & Rejuvenate is the virtual teacher conference that you can not miss! Find out more about our summer and winter events.

Inside Educate & Rejuvenate Club, you will get access to our weekly teacher-life coaching AND our Pre-K to 6th grade resource library to achieve more of a work-life balance.

Hey there, new teacher bestie! I’m Kelsey, and I created Educate & Rejuvenate just for YOU! I blog about teaching and create elementary school and homeschooling resources to make your life easier. Be sure to sign up for my FREE email newsletter!

Then, follow me on Instagram and join the Facebook community to stay connected. I can’t wait to connect with you!

Oh, and don’t forget to listen and subscribe to Educate & Rejuvenate: The Podcast.

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