Stellar Teacher Podcast with Sara Marye

STC Podcast hot, Sara Marye, tackles a topic many upper elementary teachers wrestle with: how to teach effectively within a required curriculum while still meeting the unique needs of your students. When you’re handed a required curriculum, it can feel restrictive. You may notice gaps, pacing challenges, or lessons that don’t quite fit your classroom. But having a required curriculum doesn’t mean you lose your professional judgment or flexibility as an educator. Instead, it creates an opportunity to refine how you teach, supplement strategically, and use data to guide meaningful adjustments.

In this episode of the Stellar Teacher Podcast, Sara and Emily dive into a challenge almost every educator faces at some point: teacher self-doubt. From questioning lesson plans to second-guessing instructional decisions, teacher self-doubt can quietly impact confidence, energy, and classroom effectiveness. In a profession where expectations feel high and perfectionism runs deep, it’s easy to overthink every choice and wonder if you’re “doing enough.”

Welcome to the Stellar Teacher Podcast where we believe teaching literacy is a skill that can be strengthened with the right strategies, systems, and support. Each week, Sara Marye — along with members of the Stellar Teacher Company team and other special guests — shares practical insights, instructional strategies, and honest conversations from the voices behind the magic of STC. With over a decade of experience as a classroom teacher and school leader, Sara is passionate about helping upper elementary teachers simplify their literacy block and make a meaningful impact.

In this episode of the Stellar Teacher Podcast, Emily and Tami explore teacher perfectionism. You know the feeling: the pressure feel to make every lesson extraordinary... Listen in as Emily + Tami unpack how social media influences teacher expectations, discuss the importance of setting realistic reading goals, and highlight how strong classroom routines create mental space for both teachers and students.