Beginning Teacher Talk: A Podcast for New Elementary Teachers

Classroom management looks a little different when you're a specials teacher! How do you establish consistent routines and expectations when you teach hundreds of students, have limited class time, and manage challenging behaviors in a shared or specialized space? In this episode of Beginning Teacher Talk, Dr. Lori welcomes Jackie, a Chicago Public Schools librarian and 15-year educator, to share how she's transformed her approach to classroom management. From teaching clearer routines to building stronger student relationships, Jackie shares practical strategies that can help elementary specials teachers create calmer, more organized learning environments. In this episode, you'll learn: • How to establish clear routines and expectations in specials classrooms • Why effective attention signals need more than a call-and-response • How to manage transitions and student behavior without constantly raising your voice • How stronger classroom systems create more opportunities to connect with students Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Learn more about Dr. Lori's programs Listen now for practical classroom management ideas you can use in your library, art room, music classroom, gym, or other elementary specials setting. And don't forget to subscribe to Beginning Teacher Talk for more classroom management strategies and encouragement! Need help with your classroom management as a specials teacher? If you teach art, music, P.E., library, technology, or are a subject specialist who doesn't have your own classroom, Dr. Lori's Classroom Management for Specials Teachers course offers practical strategies to establish routines, prevent challenging behaviors, and feel more confident teaching multiple classes each week. Click here to learn more! Stay connected with us! Follow us on Instagram @beginningteachertalk Looking for quick, actionable PD? Visit our YouTube channel! Be sure to follow, rate, and subscribe to the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast so you never miss an episode. Warmly, Dr. Lori

Have you ever snapped at your students, used a tone you immediately regretted, or gone home replaying one difficult moment over and over? You care deeply about your students, which is exactly why those moments can feel so awful. In Part 7 of the Impossible Standards series, Dr. Lori shares why losing your patience doesn't define you as a teacher, and what you can do next. In this episode, you'll learn: • How to recognize when frustration is building before you lose your patience • A simple pause strategy to help you respond more thoughtfully • How to repair a moment with students without removing the classroom expectation • Why stronger classroom routines can reduce repeated moments of frustration Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Learn more about Dr. Lori's programs Listen now for practical ways to handle teacher frustration, repair difficult moments, and move forward with more confidence. Subscribe to Beginning Teacher Talk so you don't miss the next episode in the Impossible Standards series. Need to regain control of your classroom? Save your seat at Dr. Lori's new, free class: Save your seat at the tropical island virtual teacher retreat, where we'll talk about how to prevent challenging behaviors from derailing your entire day, even if you feel like you've already tried everything, you don't have admin support, and parents don't seem to care. Click here to save your seat! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/need-this Stay connected with us! Follow us on Instagram @beginningteachertalk Looking for quick, actionable PD? Visit our YouTube channel! Be sure to follow, rate, and subscribe to the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast so you never miss an episode. Warmly, Dr. Lori

Does being consistent mean treating every student exactly the same? In Part 6 of the Impossible Standards series, Dr. Lori explains how teachers can maintain clear classroom expectations while providing individual students with the support they need. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why consistency means stable expectations and reliable follow-through, not identical treatment • How to separate the expectation from the flexible support a student needs • A simple Band-Aid lesson to help elementary students understand fairness • What to say when students ask, "How come they get to?" Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Learn more about Dr. Lori's programs Listen now for practical ways to balance fairness, classroom expectations, and individual student needs. Subscribe to Beginning Teacher Talk so you don't miss the next episode in the Impossible Standards series. Need to regain control of your classroom? Save your seat at Dr. Lori's new, free class: Save your seat at the tropical island virtual teacher retreat, where we'll talk about how to prevent challenging behaviors from derailing your entire day, even if you feel like you've already tried everything, you don't have admin support, and parents don't seem to care. Click here to save your seat! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/need-this Stay connected with us! Follow us on Instagram @beginningteachertalk Looking for quick, actionable PD? Visit our YouTube channel! Be sure to follow, rate, and subscribe to the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast so you never miss an episode. Warmly, Dr. Lori

Strong student relationships matter, but they do not eliminate the need for clear boundaries and consequences. In this episode of Beginning Teacher Talk, Dr. Lori explains how calm, consistent follow-through can protect student relationships, strengthen trust, and prevent small classroom management problems from becoming emotional power struggles. What You'll Learn: • Why a student's poor choice or refusal does not mean your relationship with them has failed • The difference between natural consequences, logical consequences, and punishment • How to determine whether a student is unwilling to complete a task or unable to do it successfully • Why delaying consequences can turn a small behavior problem into a larger, more emotional response • How to plan a respectful, related, and reasonable consequence before the behavior happens again Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Learn more about Dr. Lori's programs You do not have to choose between being kind and holding students accountable. Listen to this episode to learn how calm classroom boundaries and logical consequences can help students repair their choices, return to the group, and trust that your words mean something. Then follow and subscribe to Beginning Teacher Talk for more practical classroom management support created especially for elementary teachers. Need to regain control of your classroom? Save your seat at Dr. Lori's free class: Save your seat at the tropical island virtual teacher retreat, where we'll talk about how to prevent challenging behaviors from derailing your entire day, even if you feel like you've already tried everything, you don't have admin support, and parents don't seem to care. Click here to save your seat: https://www.drlorifriesen.com/need-this Stay connected with us! Follow us on Instagram @beginningteachertalk Looking for quick, actionable PD? Visit our YouTube channel! Be sure to follow, rate, and subscribe to the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast so you never miss an episode. Warmly, Dr. Lori

Not every student will like you, and you will not naturally like every student you teach. In this episode of Beginning Teacher Talk, Dr. Lori releases the guilt surrounding difficult student relationships and explains why professional care is an action, not a feeling or an effortless personal connection. What You'll Learn: • The difference between wanting students to feel cared for and needing them to like you • Why a difficult connection does not prevent you from treating a student with dignity, fairness, and respect • How the need for student approval can weaken classroom boundaries and consistent follow-through • How one honest positive observation or neutral relational action can begin shifting a difficult pattern • Why a dependable classroom management system can protect student relationships when emotions are running high Resources Mentioned in This Episode: • Learn more about Dr. Lori's programs You do not have to force affection, ignore challenging behavior, or wait until you feel differently before improving a difficult student relationship. Listen to this episode to learn how curiosity, clear boundaries, and small, intentional actions can help you remain compassionate and steady, then follow and subscribe to Beginning Teacher Talk for more practical classroom management support. Need to regain control of your classroom? Save your seat at Dr. Lori's new, free class: Save your seat at the tropical island virtual teacher retreat, where we'll talk about how to prevent challenging behaviors from derailing your entire day, even if you feel like you've already tried everything, you don't have admin support, and parents don't seem to care. Click here to save your seat! https://www.drlorifriesen.com/need-this Stay connected with us! Follow us on Instagram @beginningteachertalk Looking for quick, actionable PD? Visit our YouTube channel! Be sure to follow, rate, and subscribe to the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast so you never miss an episode. Warmly, Dr. Lori