Welcome to a special recap and deep dive into the latest episode of The Flip Side: Get Your Teach On podcast, featuring Stephanie Osmundson and Loreal Hemenway, two elementary art teachers, longtime best friends, and creators of Happily Ever Elementary. With seven years of experience sharing an elementary art teaching contract, these educators share how collaboration, authentic relationships, and celebrating one another can make teaching more joyful and sustainable.
In this episode, Stephanie and Loreal share one powerful reminder: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
From finding your teacher bestie to navigating team dynamics and understanding student behavior, their message is clear: Teaching is better when we support one another.
Let's break down the biggest takeaways and practical strategies from this inspiring conversation.
Better Together: Find Your Teacher Bestie
Main Takeaway:
Teaching can be challenging, and having someone who understands your experiences can make all the difference. Strong professional relationships provide encouragement, confidence, and support during difficult seasons.
Stephanie and Loreal’s Story:
Stephanie and Loreal have been best friends for approximately 16 or 17 years. When Stephanie struggled with postpartum challenges during the pandemic, she considered leaving the classroom. Loreal encouraged her to find another option, and eventually, they began sharing an elementary art teaching contract.
Their partnership helped Stephanie continue doing work she loved. Today, they combine their strengths, support each other through challenges, and create engaging learning experiences together.
Actionable Advice:
Find Your People: Connect with educators who share your passion, whether they're in your building, across the country, or online.
Support Each Other: Be the person who offers encouragement when a colleague needs it most.
Celebrate Your Differences: You don't have to be alike to make a great team. Different strengths can make collaboration even more effective.
Expert Insight:
Finding your people can help you rediscover your passion for teaching. Whether you connect with a colleague at school or meet your next best friend at a professional development conference, meaningful relationships can make the work feel more manageable.
Don't Compare. Come Pair: Collaboration Over Competition
Main Takeaway:
Educators don't have to teach the same way to learn from one another. Different personalities, philosophies, and strengths can create opportunities for professional growth.
Stephanie and Loreal’s Approach:
As teaching partners, Stephanie and Loreal recognize that their differences make them stronger. Their classroom projects are joint efforts, and they make sure both receive credit for their contributions.
They also reflect on earlier experiences when collaboration sometimes felt competitive. Their response was to keep sharing ideas, remain kind, and lead by example.
One memorable quote from the episode captures their philosophy perfectly: “Do not compare. Come pair.”
Actionable Advice:
Share Generously: Offer lesson ideas, resources, and strategies without expecting something in return.
Stay Open to Learning: Observe colleagues who teach differently and consider what you might learn from their approaches.
Lead by Example: Continue being supportive and respectful, even when others aren't immediately receptive.
Celebrate Team Success: Recognize everyone's contributions and give credit where it's due.
Expert Insight:
Collaboration doesn't mean giving up your individuality. It means staying authentic while remaining open to other perspectives. You can respect another teacher's approach without adopting every part of it.
Make the First Move: Build a Supportive School Community
Main Takeaway:
A positive school culture starts with intentional connections. If you wish someone would encourage you, recognize your work, or become your teaching partner, consider taking the first step yourself.
The Lesson from the Conversation:
Stephanie and Loreal encourage teachers to cheer loudly for one another. A simple compliment about a colleague's lesson, classroom management, or interaction with a student can make someone's day.
They also share the importance of finding professional communities beyond your school. One educator they knew found a new teaching opportunity in another state through a friendship formed in the Get Your Teach On community. The move helped her find a stronger sense of belonging.
Actionable Advice:
Speak Up: If you notice something positive, say it rather than keeping it to yourself.
Be Specific: Tell colleagues exactly what you appreciated about their work.
Expand Your Circle: Attend conferences, join educator communities, and connect through social media.
Know When to Make a Change: If you consistently feel isolated or unsupported despite genuine efforts to connect, consider whether another team or school might be a better fit.
Expert Insight:
Sometimes, building a better professional experience starts with a small gesture. Other times, it means stepping outside your comfort zone and exploring new opportunities. Either way, you deserve a community where you can grow and thrive.
Look Beyond Behavior: Consider the Student's Environment
Main Takeaway:
Student behavior doesn't happen in isolation. Before labeling a student or assuming they're being difficult, consider the environment, circumstances, and needs that may influence their actions.
Stephanie and Loreal’s Teaching Tip:
As elementary art teachers, Stephanie and Loreal work with students across the school. They sometimes see students who struggle in one classroom thrive in another environment.
They encourage teachers to consider what happens before a behavior occurs, whether a student is struggling with a transition, and whether an unmet need might be affecting learning.
Loreal also shares her perspective as a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, highlighting how behaviors can be misunderstood when adults lack important context.
Actionable Advice:
Examine the Environment: Consider transitions, classroom expectations, sensory factors, and other circumstances that might affect behavior.
Look for Patterns: Identify when challenging behaviors occur and what might be contributing to them.
Recognize the Positive: Intentionally compliment students who are meeting expectations instead of focusing only on corrections.
Avoid Quick Judgments: Stay curious about what a student may need rather than defining them by a behavior.
Collaborate With Colleagues: Ask other teachers what they've observed and which strategies have worked.
Expert Insight:
A student's behavior in one setting doesn't tell the whole story. By understanding the environment and considering individual needs, educators can find more effective ways to support students and help them succeed.
Your Challenge This Week: Make One Connection
This week, choose one action that helps you build a stronger professional community:
Compliment a colleague on something specific you appreciate.
Share a resource or lesson idea with your team.
Reach out to an educator you admire.
Ask a colleague to share their perspective on a classroom challenge.
Pause before correcting a student and consider what their behavior might be communicating.
Remember, not every colleague will become your best friend, and building trust takes time. Continue being authentic, generous, and open to collaboration while maintaining healthy boundaries.
As Stephanie Osmundson and Loreal Hemenway remind us, don't compare. Come pair. Find your people, celebrate one another, and remember that teaching is better together.
For more classroom inspiration and creative teaching ideas, follow Stephanie and Loreal at Happily Ever Elementary on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Subscribe to The Flip Side: Get Your Teach On podcast for new episodes every Monday.
Take one idea back to your classroom this week, make the first move, and keep doing the important work of helping students and educators thrive!
