20 Years in Kindergarten Taught Me This About Joy

Kindergarten teacher extraordinaire "Mr. Greg" of The Kindergarten Smorgasboard and ELEVATE Conference shares why being a teacher matters most. Listeners will leave inspired by Greg's hilarious tales from the classroom and practical tips to try right away with their students! Episode Mentions: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard Resource Center Blog Basket Head ELEVATE Conference Holly Ehle - The Science of Literacy Learning Scheduling Sunday! Greg's Recommendations: Greg HIGHLY recommends a doorbell for the classroom Greg HIGHLY recommends glue sponges to replace glue sticks Here is a great DIY sensory bin idea ABC Bootcamp is one of the most effective ways to teach letters & sounds in early elementary. The HOW & WHY Chapters 0:00 Welcome to Schoolutions with Mr. Greg Smedley-Warren 0:54 The Teacher Who Inspired Greg: Mrs. Sears 2:50 Why Greg Became a Teacher 3:56 What Public Education Is Actually For 4:55 Building Play and Inquiry Into Kindergarten 6:26 The Basket Head Game 8:05 Curriculum Pacing vs. Teacher Judgment 10:02 The Post-COVID "Learning Loss" Narrative 11:28 How Greg's Kindergarten Team Plans Each Week 12:15 Staying in the Classroom Right Now 14:19 Real Stories from a Real Kindergarten Classroom 16:12 The Student Who Narrates the Whole Day 17:32 Why Kids Need Structure and Routine 19:22 The Science of Reading with Holly Ehle 20:22 The Unofficial Fun Squad 21:16 Why Greg Started The Kindergarten Smorgasboard 21:38 The Envelope: How Greg Got Assigned to Kindergarten 23:52 Calling His Mom and Falling in Love with the Job 24:54 Starting the Blog 26:31 Balancing Family, Teaching, and Creative Time 27:53 Learning to Say No 28:57 Sunday Planning 30:31 Being Honest on Hard Days 32:50 Greg's Call to Action for Teachers 34:22 Why Teachers Need Each Other 35:14 Closing Thoughts Schoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedclassroomreadystrategies #KindergartenSmorgasboard #TeacherPodcast #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalCoaching #StudentEngagement #ActiveLearning #InclusiveTeaching #TeacherSupport #ProfessionalDevelopment #ClassroomBelonging #NewTeachers #TeachingTips #SchoolLeadership #WholeChildEducation #EducatorLife #StrongerTogether When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.