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The Kindergarten Toolbox
Welcome to The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, your go-to guide for creating calmer classrooms and more confident writers in the wonderfully unique world of kindergarten.
I’m Amy Murray — former kindergarten teacher, Type C “organized-in-piles” human, and vanilla-latte enthusiast. After years of helping teachers streamline their classroom routines with tips and tools that actually make sense for 5- and 6-year-olds, I created this podcast to support you with the practical strategies you’ve been craving.
Each episode is short, actionable, and designed to help you:
✔ simplify classroom management
✔ reduce behavior chaos with systems that stick
✔ teach writing in a way that meets beginning writers where they are
✔ build routines that make your day flow
✔ use visuals, tools, and expectations that really work in K
Whether you’re a brand-new kindergarten teacher or a seasoned pro looking for clarity and calm, you’ll find step-by-step support to help you feel more confident and in control.
Because kindergarten isn’t just the new first grade, it’s a world all its own, and you deserve tools that actually work.
Hit follow so you never miss an episode…
Here’s to calmer days and more confident writers!
Episodes
27 episodes
26. Community Supplies or Individual Supplies? What Works Best in Kindergarten
Should kindergarten students have individual school supplies or community supplies?It's one of the biggest classroom setup decisions kindergarten teachers make before the school year begins. In this episode, we're breaking down the pros ...
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25. What to Teach During the First Week of Kindergarten (And What Can Wait)
If you're planning for the first week of kindergarten and feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to teach, this episode is for you.One of the biggest mistakes kindergarten teachers make is trying to jump straight into academics befor...
24. New Kindergarten Teacher? Here's What I Wish I Knew Before My First Day
Are you a new kindergarten teacher preparing for your first year in the classroom? Or maybe you're switching grade levels and wondering what makes kindergarten so different from every other grade?In this episode, I'm sharing my biggest p...
23. The 5 Classroom Management Decisions Every Kindergarten Teacher Should Make Before School Starts
Before school starts, there are five classroom management decisions every kindergarten teacher should make.Too often, we spend our back-to-school time organizing supplies, decorating bulletin boards, and planning lessons while putting of...
22. The Real Secret to Successful Kindergarten Classroom Management
Do calm kindergarten classrooms have better-behaved students?Not always.In this episode, we're talking about the real secret to successful classroom management in kindergarten. It isn't a complicated behavior system or the latest ...
21. The One Thing Every Kindergarten Classroom Needs for Better Classroom Management
When classroom management feels exhausting, the problem may not be your students or your behavior strategies. It may be that too much of your classroom depends on you constantly reminding, redirecting, and holding everything together all day lo...
20. How to Reduce Calling Out in Kindergarten Chatter Challenge
Getting kindergarten students to stop talking can feel impossible sometimes.The blurting, interruptions, constant calling out, and nonstop classroom chatter can quickly make your classroom feel chaotic and exhausting. And after a while, ...
19. How to Survive End-of-Year Behavior in Kindergarten (Without Starting Over)
If your kindergarten classroom feels louder, messier, and harder to manage right now, you are not alone. End-of-year behavior in kindergarten is real, and May can start to feel like pure survival mode for teachers.In this episode, we’re ...
18. Why Kindergarten Classroom Management Still Feels Hard
Kindergarten classroom management shouldn’t feel this hard, but if you’re constantly repeating directions, managing every transition, and ending the day exhausted, you’re not alone.In this episode, we’re breaking down why classroom manag...
17. 3 Things Every Kindergarten Classroom Management System Needs
In this episode of The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, Amy Murray breaks down the three essential components of effective kindergarten classroom management: clear expectations, visual supports, and consistent routines.If your classr...
16. What Kindergarten Classroom Management Looks Like When It’s Working
In this episode of the Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, Amy Murray breaks down what a well-managed kindergarten classroom really looks like on a normal day. Not perfect. Not silent. But structured, predictable, and calm enough for real teaching to...
15. Why Behavior Strategies Work and then Suddenly Stop
You try a behavior strategy… and it works.Your class is calmer. You’re finally able to teach.And then… it stops.If you feel like you’re constantly starting over with classroom management, this episode is for you.
14. Phonemic Awareness That Works in Kindergarten
Phonemic awareness in kindergarten does not always click with repetition alone. Many students need more support than fast-paced, verbal routines can provide.In this episode, we break down how to teach phonemic awareness using hands-on an...
13. How to Introduce the Alphabet in Kindergarten
Alphabet principles and letter sounds are the foundation of literacy and a huge part of what we teach in kindergarten. But what's the best way to introduce letters?In this episode, I explain how we introduce letters and sounds in t...
12. Consequences for Behavior in the Kindergarten Classroom
What consequences can you use in kindergarten if you aren't allowed to take away recess? In this episode, we talk about natural consequences, and I share a classroom management secret weapon.
11. Writing 5-Star Sentences in Kindergarten
Teaching sentence writing in kindergarten is much easier when students understand what a sentence is so they can learn the basic conventions and check their own work using a simple checklist.In this episode, we talk about how to teach ki...
10. Teaching How to Write a Sentence in Kindergarten
If your kindergarten students struggle with sentence writing, this episode is for you. Many students are asked to write sentences before they truly understand what a sentence is, which leads to frustration, random words, or a complete writing s...
9. What to do When your Kindergarten Behavior System Stops Working
Is your kindergarten behavior system not working anymore? If your classroom reward system or behavior chart has lost its effectiveness, this episode will help you reset with confidence.Learn what actually makes a kindergarten behavior sy...
8. How to Stop Constant Interruptions During Small Groups in Kindergarten
If your kindergarten small groups are constantly interrupted, this episode is for you. Learn how to reduce interruptions during centers by using visual schedules, picture directions, predictable routines, and simple behavior goals that build re...
7. How to Get Kindergarten Students to Follow Directions the First Time (Using Visuals and Consistent Routines)
If you feel like you’re constantly repeating directions and kindergarten students still aren’t listening, this episode is for you. In this episode, we break down why kindergarteners struggle to follow directions the first time and why it...
6. How to Reduce Tattling in Kindergarten Without Ignoring Real Problems
Tattling in kindergarten can feel nonstop and exhausting. In this episode, Amy breaks down why constant tattling isn’t just a behavior problem, but a trust and classroom culture issue. You’ll learn the difference between tatt...
5. Why Kindergarteners Freeze at the Writing Center (And How Simple Tasks Like Labeling Fix It)
If your kindergarten writing center looks great but your students freeze, wander, or constantly interrupt you, this episode is for you. In this episode, we unpack why kindergarteners struggle with independent writing tasks and how starting with...
4. 100th Day of School in Kindergarten Without Stress or Tons of Prep
If planning the 100th day of kindergarten has you feeling overwhelmed and behind, this episode is for you. With Pinterest ideas and social media pressure everywhere, it is easy to feel like you need to do more to make the day special.In ...
3. How to Stop the “I Don’t Know What to Write About” Excuse
Picture this: you’re ready to start your kindergarten writing block, but before you’ve even handed out all the papers, you hear every student call out “I don’t know what to write about.” The stress and confusion that often swirl around writing ...