Episode 55: SEL in the WL Classroom with Andrea Eiter

What a treat to have my dear friend Andrea join me for this podcast episode! There are TONS of actionable takeaways for you in this episode, and I cannot wait to hear how they have an impact on you and your students!

Make sure to follow Andrea on Instagram to continue to learn and grow with her!

Here are the links and people mentioned in this episode:
Lauren Tauchmen
CI Midwest
Lauren Watkins
Bryce Hedstrom
Rise and Shine Collective (don't forget, not only will Andrea be participating, but she is a special guest presenter for the VIP members of the Rise and Shine Collective!)

Our Morning Routine Accountability group "Rise and Shine Collective" starts Monday the 18th and I couldn't be MORE excited! Check it out here, and join us to transform NOT just your mornings, but your entire DAYS!

Transcript

Welcome!
Welcome to Teaching la vida loca, a podcast for World Language Teachers seeking inspiration, unapologetic authenticity and guidance in centering joy, and facilitating language acquisition for the people who matter most our students, I'm your host, Annabelle. Most people call me la maestra loca. I'm an educator just like you and inspiring teachers is what I do. Hi there, I'm so happy you're here and welcome to episode 55 of teaching la vida loca. I don't often have guests on my podcast, mostly because I record when it's convenient for me and very random times. But I'm super lucky to be joined tonight by my friend Andrea Eiter. And Andrea is a member of my community la Familia loca PLC. But more importantly, Andrea is somebody I met online through Instagram is a high school teacher, and a really good friend who the summer presented on SEL in the classroom and I thought it would be really special to bring her on to do a podcast with me tonight. Or I guess whenever you're listening. I mean, it might be that I have no idea when you're listening. But I'm Andrea, why don't you tell us a little bit about who you are, where you teach what you teach, etc.

Andrea Eiter
Hello, as you said, my name is Andrea Eiter. I live and teach in the Chicagoland area. I teach high school Spanish this year, I'm teaching Spanish one, Spanish two, and Spanish four.

La Maestra Loca
Your teaching Spanish four I didn't realize that that.

Andrea Eiter
I haven't taught Spanish four since my first year of teaching. So this is your 10, and I'm back at it. That's fun.

La Maestra Loca
That's a jump in preps for sure. Yeah. That's gotta be fun. That's cool. Yeah, this. Do you see any of your kids in Spanish four that you taught previously in Spanish one or two?

Andrea Eiter
Yes. Actually a few of them that I have in Spanish four currently, I had during the COVID year virtually in Spanish one when I was not my best teaching self. And then I got them in Spanish two. So, it's cool to have them again in Spanish four. I'm glad they got to see me not online.

La Maestra Loca
Yeah, but they're grateful for that, too. I think we all, I think even for them to show you their best student selves, none of us were ourselves. That actually is a really good starting point. So, before I go in, I want to say that Andrea is such a good friend that she was okay with me not giving her any questions in advance, not telling her anything that I was going to ask her. Because as you know, listening to this podcast, I am authentic. It is always off the cuff, cusp of my head, or what does that cusp? I don't know. It's always on the fly. I never know what I'm going to say. And it's as authentic as I can get. And so, Andrea is letting us to it like that. And on that note, the time, I realized that I needed to start being much more intentional about SEL in my classroom was coming back post COVID. Because there were things, I was doing pre COVID with my kids, but I wasn't necessarily specifically labeling it SEL. And for those of you who don't know what SEL is, it's social emotional learning. So, I was doing things, but I wasn't labeling it that. And I certainly wasn't making it a consistent routine. And then coming back to my classroom, I realized there was this desperate need for it. Because kids lost a year and a half of like, just development period. And like they were learning how to school and how to human again and how to interact with other people. So, that's how I jumped more into it. But how and when did you start incorporating more social emotional learning into your classroom?

Andrea Eiter
I think it would be the same, after COVID I mean, before COVID I did things like getting to know the students like just knowing who they are but like through like la persona specific special persons a lot, Bryce Hedstrom and like, I'm doing like we had to do community circles at school where you just like ask a question really quick, like what's your favorite color? So, I did some of those like get to know you things but I wouldn't say I like... I do a lot more post COVID coming back than I ever did before. I feel like even last year I really upped my game because of I'm in the process of trying to be nationally board certified. And I think that really pushed me to to learn about it more and do it more in my classroom.

La Maestra Loca
I think that one of my favorite parts about your presentation was seeing how your students, so because you're in this process, you had to create and collect a lot of student data points, like their feedback, and in your presentation throughout it, you sprinkled handwritten student feedback about the practices that you're implementing in your class. And even with your high school students, you're seeing the profound impact and need for social emotional learning. I wanted to ask, so it's interesting, see I told you this would be gold was one of my three takeaways. So, we did this conference called La Familia loca Summer Conference, whatever it was two days, and it was wonderful. And it was all family members presenting. And Andrea was one of my three takeaways from the whole conference. But I was very intentionally on one thing, and it was the circle that you just mentioned, and I haven't started it yet. But my goal is to do it before the end of September. And to do it on a Friday. Can you tell me more, share about that specific strategy? Because you shared like 20 in your presentation, but tell me more about that one?

Andrea Eiter
Yeah. So actually, pre COVID, we were forced to do them at our school every like, like, twice a week, I think. And it was very contrived and forced. And students were like, I don't want to do this, because they were doing it in all their classes. So, it kind of like, I liked them, but I didn't like how forced they were in our school. And obviously, during COVID I didn't do them. And then last year, I saw Lauren Tauchmen. She's out of Denver, Instagram, I believe. She talked about connection circles. And I was like, oh, that's like what we did community circles for? Um, but I think what I loved about hers is, if I remember, right, she does them once a week and I do them once a week. Do I do them once a week on Fridays? Right now, I'm just doing them with my Spanish fours. But you just ask any question. And it can be a deep question, or it can be a simple question. I would say start simple. I'm like, What's your favorite color? I think one of the I think week two, I asked What's your most used emoji? Or what's your favorite emoji you use? And you give every student you sit in a circle, and you give every student a chance to answer or pass if they want to. And I think something powerful that Lauren did at the end of her demonstration was after everybody went, he said again, Okay, anybody that passed, if you want to say something you can now and it's like, no, no, it's amazing. Because not only are you giving everybody a chance to speak or pass if they want to, but also, you're giving a second chance for those who are like, maybe were scared on the first time around, and then they're like, You know what, no, I am ready to say something. And so far this year, I have a student in my Spanish four he has passed every single time so far, we're in we've done it four times. Now, we just finished week four of school. And I just know, I know, one of these times, he's gonna be like, I'll answer this one. And I just cannot wait for that day.

La Maestra Loca
That is someone asked me on Instagram on that. I want to know, it's, it's so good. I think the past is really important. Also, I can hear people already in my head and in my DMs asking, well, is that done in the target language? And the answer is no. Am I correct in saying that?

Andrea Eiter
Yeah, no, I started with my Spanish fours. First three weeks, we did that in the in English. And then this past week, I put the question both in English and Spanish and gave them the choice like, hey, if you it was a super, like, what easy? Would you rather question, and I was like, Oh, this, they have enough language to do this one? So, I gave them the option. So, I think that's just our student choice.

La Maestra Loca
And what you're doing in doing that, is you're giving them the opportunity to use the language that they want to, but it's not forced. And it could further build that community and that place where you're cultivating a culture of risk taking rather than like, like forcing it upon them and you know, and then that takes away from the purpose of the whole community circle in and of itself, which is cool. I love that you mentioned Lauren. Lauren is a dear friend of mine. I love her so much. I was so annoyed because she moved to Denver the year I moved away from Denver. Now.

Andrea Eiter
I saw both of her presentations last year and never heard of her before and yeah, she she's great. So, if anybody ever gets a chance to see her present, she was incredible.

La Maestra Loca
She's awesome and really cares a lot about SEL as well like you. One of the things that you shared that I thought was really impactful and important. was specifically about like your it, it was what I don't even remember what you call it is the bin of things that kids can use if they need it, you know? Yeah. Can you talk about that? Because that was huge for so many members, especially middle school and high school teachers that were like, oh my God, I need to have that in my classroom.

Andrea Eiter
Yeah, this came out of, I don't even know, I couldn't, I can't credit anybody. I'm sorry. But, um, I it started just with being Beanie Babies. I've had them in my classroom ever since I started teaching because you know, your parents back home have a bin that is just sitting in a closet. And I was like, I'll take those to my classroom. So, I had those. I've had that forever. And then I started adding, adding fidgets when those became popular. So last year, I added a ton of fidgets to my classroom. And then last year, I also, well, no I’ve had this for a while, too. It's always been in my desk, though. Like, I just tell my students, hey, I have tampons, pads, etc. But last year, I was like, you know, I'm gonna give them access to it. So, I put it in a common area. And so, I have menstrual products. And then I was like, what else can I add to this, and I added band aids. I had these like random lotion bottles, I added those. And then I had contact solution. I have nail files in there. And then last year, I think I just had one randomly out when I was like, this is an extra I brought a lint roller in. And that is like such a hot commodity. And as soon as my students find out, there's a lint roller, they're like, can I use a lint roller? I'm like, and I've had this year already, I've had students who bring in their friends. Hey, can my friend use the lint roller? Like, yeah, go for it. Um, and then actually my good friend, Lauren Watkins, she's a whole llama, whole llama love on Instagram, she had the idea to add hair ties. And those like, toothpicks like the individual toothpick things. So, I added those this year because of her. So, my students have access free access to it all the time. It's just in a drawer. And I like the front of the room. Same with the fidgets. And they can go in there and use them anytime. And sometimes students ask and sometimes they just go in there. So, it's really nice to have. And it's nice to just say like, if somebody's like, can I get banded? Yeah, go over there and get them.

La Maestra Loca
It's also I think, one of the ones that what they were sharing in their, like reflections to you were powerful, just feeling so seen as students and as humans for their basic needs. You know what I mean? Like, it's huge. You could ask for a hair tie every day. That's something that I need to add like that every single day, multiple times a day. And I've never owned a hair tie in my life. Like I need to get some hair ties.

Andrea Eiter
Yeah, and some of their ideas have just come from students, right? I had a student last year who was like, hey, can you get some glasses cleaner? Like lens cleaner? I was like, Yeah, sure. Like, oh, no, just simple wipes you can get. And I know I know I'm privileged and able to buy those things for my classroom. I know not every teacher is that way. And I know, some schools are even more privileged where maybe the school will buy it for you or your department. But I am lucky that I'm able to provide those things for my students.

La Maestra Loca
Yeah, definitely. I think that there's a lot of schools though, that have like, community organizations. I know. My school has a community network, not necessarily parents, but whoever the community is that are helping that you can go to for support maybe if you couldn't afford or message us and we could brainstorm other ways to get the funding that you need to do something like that. Another thing I wanted to ask you about was something that I had to go back to your slides just now like on the sly like to remember exactly what it was. But you shared something. Another thing from Lauren specifically about tell me why or is it a secret like allowing kids to opt out of answering tell me about this.

Andrea Eiter
This was actually one of my top five things I added to my classroom last year, at the end of the year, like reflected on my Like Favorite Things I added, and this is this is one of them. Every day I asked my students how they're doing like how are you today and from Lauren's presentation last year at CI Midwest. She said like that she asks and then she says like, why? Or is it a secret? So, if Annabelle if I say like, how are you doing today?

La Maestra Loca
I'm exhausted.

Andrea Eiter
And I would say why? Or is it a secret?

La Maestra Loca
And that allows me to say...

Andrea Eiter
I didn't get a lot of sleep, or my kids are like insane today or I'm feeling sick, or it's really simple and the students can just say, so great, though, like it's a secret. And it's really cool to, yeah, it's really cool to give them that often that and again, I think it gives them that feeling of, I am a human in this classroom. And I can share some things, but I don't have to.

La Maestra Loca
I think it's also so powerful to be asked that. And for an educator or another person to really want to know the show you I want to know the why like, is there awakens for you. But I'm also like you just said, acknowledging that you may not want to share with me, but I still want you to know that I care enough to say, oh, how are you really doing? I really want to know, oh, and why are you feeling that way?

Andrea Eiter
And it's so important, I want to point out to it's important to ask that when they say they're doing good to not just the negative feelings, but also the good feelings. I'm feeling excited. Oh, why or is it a secret? So, we usually sometimes only ask why when it's a negative feeling. But it's important to ask when it's good as well.

La Maestra Loca
I also think on that note, what a powerful way. These are, these were the moments when people ask me like, oh, I'm new to this whole acquisition driven instruction journey like this, you make it look so easy. And my first thing is, oh, my gosh, I've been there. Remember, my first three years, everybody I observed, literally just like had these easy conversations that were always comprehensible. And a class was always joyful, and relaxed and fun. And like, I'm like, hi, I work so hard. And like, how are you totally keeping your confidence level? How are you allowing students to steer conversation and you're still managing to keep it what I say in bounds, like still super sheltered language, focusing on high frequency words like, but then something shifted for me, like around year five is where it started to get easier. And now I'm in year 12. And I'm like, poof, it's easy, I feel like that. But where it started to shift was when I started allowing students to be the center of the content, which was really allowing them to say, Oh, I'm excited about a game this weekend. Because then I could see that's where they wanted to be. Anyways, that's what they wanted to talk about. So, the engagement piece was easier. And then all I had to do was think about what high frequency language can I focus on with games like playing, you know, all these verbs. And so, if you are a person who is like, on that cusp, where you've been doing this just long enough, you've been dabbling, but you're wondering how to kick it up a notch. Just the simple How are you doing? and why? question could be a great, kicking off point to, you know, allowing students to drive that content. And that's where those magic lessons happen, where suddenly, you've been having a conversation for 30 minutes, and you haven't done your lesson yet, you know?

Andrea Eiter
Yeah, um, the other day, my Spanish ones we got way off topic because the girl said she was excited. And I said, Why are you excited? She's like, I'm cooking jerk chicken alfredo tonight. And oh, my gosh, my students erupted with I love jerk chicken. It's so good. And then it turned into a conversation of who has the best chicken. So when we're talking about Okay, Popeyes or Chick fil A. It is like, do you prefer Canes or KFC? And it was we definitely didn't get as far in that class as my other class because we had this random conversation that came out of me asking, why are you excited?

La Maestra Loca
And yet, you may not have gotten as far as your slides. But as far as community building, buy in, and like student engagement, relationship building, like all of that, like, oh, my gosh, what did you do today at school? Well, in Spanish, we just literally, but like you did it all in the target language, which is just the magic of what we do. It's so special.

Andrea Eiter
Popeyes was the winner by the way.

La Maestra Loca
That's always the winner for me and my students as well. It's not mine, mine is Canes. But my students, the vast majority will say Popeyes so that's really interesting. I loved when you said Canes because there are lots of people who don't even know Canes.

Andrea Eiter
We have like one Canes in the area that got built in the last couple of years. So, it's fairly wild.

La Maestra Loca
Paul, my husband worked at the original Canes.

Andrea Eiter
Oh, okay. The very first.

La Maestra Loca
Yeah. So, it's something that I mean, it's from Louisiana, it's, you know, it's he had met the real dog that it's named after all of that. crazy, wild. Okay, last thing for you. And I'm not asking you to like, pull up quotes from your students. But what are things that, without quoting them directly, that your students have told you about your intentionality around social emotional learning in your classroom and you implementing these things? And I know that you've talked about just a few, but my podcasts aren't super long. And I like to keep it that way. So, what of it? What feedback have they given you?

Andrea Eiter
Um, I actually have my slides pulled up too, but I won't look at them. It's fine. Um, they I know, they said, like, just that it makes them feel seen in the classroom, I feel like it was a theme throughout and that they feel supported. One, one thing that always stands out to me was a student. Last year, when I asked them to reflect on my SEL practices, a student said that he really liked my posters, because he feels like, he can, like, use the language. And like, whenever he needs them for a crutch, he uses them. And I'm talking about like Language Resource posters. And that is not something that I ever thought of as SEL. It's not something that I was like, oh, that's like, doesn't seem like it's SEL. But my students feeling supported in the classroom is, in fact, a part of SEL So yeah, just them feeling seen and supported, I think, was the main like thread throughout a lot of the comments.

La Maestra Loca
Yeah. And I think that again, it anchors back to aren't we so lucky. That because our content is language, we can prioritize social emotional learning. We can integrate this without changing too much. We just like center them their feelings and humaneness in all of it. I love that. Yeah. Amazing. Okay, before we go, Andrea, and I wanted to tell you about the rise and shine group that we are starting, I've asked Andrea to join me as a VIP coach who's going to come in and do a workshop for us. But I am really excited because this starts by the time, you're listening to this, it's going to start in a few days. Well, I guess it depends on when you're listening again, I never know I forget every time not everybody listens the day it comes out. But we are starting on the 18th. And basically, if you are looking to start a morning routine in your life, the Rise and Shine Collective is a group for accountability around building a consistent morning routine to help you start your days more balanced, more productive, and more positive. As a person who's known for being positive and bubbly, and all these things. I was really at a breaking point six months ago, people who know me well know that I was crying all the time, when I wasn't like on camera or in front of people or presenting. I was just a mess. But I was maxed out with stress. Getting about four hours of sleep a night if I was lucky. feeling like I was a failing mom like a million things. But I was really just not getting the sleep I needed and not getting the time for myself that I needed to look after me. And I didn't know that that was going to be possible with a morning routine. And you're somebody who has always inspired me with your morning routines. Tell me about how morning routines have impacted you in your life and and helped you.

Andrea Eiter
Um, first, I I just feel like it's so funny. I inspired you because I obviously haven't always been this way either. Like morning routine was not something I grew up with. I wasn't really a morning person either. And I listened to your podcast or your Instagram Live the other day and how you were struggling with ADHD. And that's not something that I feel like I struggle with. But I'm back in like 2018 I started working out in the summer and then when the school year hit, I was like, I know I don't want to work after school like I'm exhausted after school. So, it has to be it has to be in the morning. So that was the first like, thing I added to my morning routine which just you know, morning routine in general. It makes me feel accomplished. Like no matter what your running routine is, if it's something that you want to do and makes you feel good, you will feel accomplished, like, every single time. So, I think that number one is how it affects me. Obviously, I have added more than just my workout. Now I do a gratitude practice, I do an affirmation card. So, I have different pieces I have added in, but the accomplishment part really helps. And then also, it's really that time is when I like to make my kind of checklists for the day or go over my calendar, like what do I need to do today. And that, like, sets me up for a successful day, knowing this is my to do list. And, again, I listened to your live and you said, like you have things that you're like, what am I going to do today? And what do I have to do today? And I've heard it framed as what is going to make me most proud today? Like, if I can do one thing today, what is, Annabelle's face, right now? And what is the thing that's going to make me most proud at the end of the day and know I accomplished it. So, like just thinking about that in the morning, also sets my day up for kind of success. Or even like, maybe if I didn't do anything else, except for that one thing, I still feel good at the end of the day.

La Maestra Loca
I am so obsessed with what is going to make me most proud. I have never framed it like that. And I'm Oh my god, that's so good. Because for me, like you heard on that live that I did, and I'll link that live in the show notes in case people are interested. But I have a running list this today I added more things. So, it's at 190 items right now on my Google key. And every morning, now that I have this morning routine, I spend about 10-15 minutes really going through and figuring out what is my priority, what has to get done today. And I love that idea of framing it instead of what would make me most proud because again, that's what is revolutionary for me is having this time in the morning to start off in a productive way. Like I've now built in even like, if I know that I didn't get to answer an email that was really important. I can build in five minutes to my morning routine at the end of it to answer that before I go get my kids up and feed them breakfast. I can accomplish things before anything else happens which is like wild to me. Like I I was sleeping until 5-10 minutes before I had to be out the door because I knew Paul would be handling the kids because he goes to work later. And he knows that I'm doing the work stuff at night. So he handles the kids in the morning. Like oh my gosh, I just I had no idea how desperately I needed morning routine time to just center myself ground myself in gratitude. I didn't know that a workout would help me now. I work out very differently from Andrea to be clear. But she still makes me feel proud of myself all the time because she praises me, but my workouts started at like eight minutes and then went up to 13. And now I'm doing like 25-minute workouts which feel like so long. It's so day. Oh my gosh, I'm never gonna make it through this. But I didn't know how badly I needed to feel good. I've never I've never really struggled with weight. I've been very fortunate to have a high metabolism my whole life. But I didn't know how very scarily like unhealthy I was until I started doing this. And I was like, oh my god, it affects how much water I'm drinking in the day. How much more awake I feel throughout the day, how much more ready I am to go to bed at night when it is time to go to bed, how much better my sleep is like, all these different things. And my workouts are like itty bitty compared to what you do, but still super impactful. So, if you are interested in joining us and joining the rise and shine collective, it would be basically a four-week collaborative. I say collaborative because it's all of us in a box or group talking about this is what I'm doing. This is how many pieces I managed to accomplish. the accountability piece is what I have found is really helpful in building something like this. Because you know, oh my gosh, if I don't do this, I must tell the group that I didn't do anything for a morning routine. So, I better get my butt out of bed and at least do 10 minutes of a morning routine today. And it really helps you build that consistency because you have people to report back to you. Do you agree?

Andrea Eiter
100% accountability. Like I didn't start with a morning routine. I started with working out and I was in an accountability group for that. And I like haven't looked back since because once you're in and it starts as an accountability group and then it becomes a habit and you can't you just can't stop.

La Maestra Loca
Yes, and it feels so good. So, if you're looking for accountability around a morning routine whether that includes exercise or not, I encourage you to check out the rise and shine collective. We have two options available either just the Voxer group chat or the VIP option includes two live coaching sessions with me on Zoom, and one wonderful presentation from Andrea, on managing your energy, which is what she calls it instead of self-care. It's managing your energy and it's an incredible presentation that I've seen before. So that's a real treat. But we would love to have you be part of it. I would love to support you in building a routine that if it's been anything like it has been for me is truly life changing. And even my kids and my husband, Isla today said that she's seen a huge difference since I started exercising in the morning and grounding myself in gratitude. She sees me write in the journals. She asks about the cards, she asked about how if she can pull one like she, she is also witnessing this and hopefully becoming like forming habits herself or thinking about what habit she wants to form when she gets older, which is really special too. So, Andrea, if people want to connect with you moving forward and find you and follow you about your morning routines and like learn from you and all your amazingness how can they find you?

Andrea Eiter
Best place to find me is on Instagram I am at positively dot win big and that's where you will find me.

La Maestra Loca
I will link to that in the show notes for sure. And I'm just so grateful to have you here. Thank you for recording this with me. And until next time, we will be teaching la vida loca and we are sure you will take care. Bye bye