Hello everyone! It's about that time of year when new teachers start requesting episodes that deal with all starting out, and I have been hard at work gather the right people to talk about it with. First up is one of my favorite educators on Instagram, Maddie Fairchild, otherwise known as @Fairchildin5th on Instagram. Maddie is a 5th grade teacher who loves bonding with her students, letting them read, and being honest about the realities of teaching. In this episode, we take a tour down what are the realities of teaching during Covid and what that could mean for new teachers. Ultimately, we recognize that this is such a wild time to begin teaching, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded in so many different ways. If you are a new teacher or need some honest affirmation that THIS IS HARD, then you are in the right place.     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Risk. Fail. Rise. A Teacher’s Guide to Learning From Mistakes by Colleen Cruz. You’ve likely heard the adage, ‘Everyone makes mistakes.’ But knowing why we make mistakes can help us learn from them and improve situations once we’ve made them. In Risk. Fail. Rise. teachers will learn how to address their own teaching mistakes, model with their own mistake-making, and improve their responses to others’ mistakes. Colleen Cruz shares what research says on mistakes as part of learning and what that means for teaching. If we can create school cultures where we talk honestly about mistakes, then we can grow and create opportunities for children to grow in all the ways they deserve. And we deserve those opportunities too. Risk. Fail. Rise. is available as a book and ebook. Look for the audiobook in early 2021. To learn more visit Heinemann.com.