{"podcast":{"title":"Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers","slug":"stellar-teacher-podcast-a-podcast-for-upper-elementary-teachers-3455242","podcast_index_feed_id":3455242,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/stellar-teacher-podcast/","website_url":"https://www.stellarteacher.com/stellar-teacher-podcast-with-sara-marye/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/560fc6dd-87ef-445f-abd8-36fc6eeae3e8/FStofcBdlhnGWQj7E9kdtZx6.jpg","author":"Sara Marye, Literacy Teacher, Elementary Teacher","episode_count":200,"summary":"Welcome to the Stellar Teacher Podcast! We believe teaching literacy is a skill. It takes a lot of time, practice, and effort to be good at it. This podcast will show you how to level up your literacy instruction and make a massive impact with your students, all while having a little fun! Your host, Sara Marye, is a literacy specialist passionate about helping elementary teachers around the world pass on their love of reading to their students. She has over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator. Sara has made it her mission to create high quality no-fluff resources and lesson ideas that are both meaningful and engaging for young readers. Each week, Sara and her guests will share their knowledge, tips, and tricks so that you can feel confident in your ability to transform your students into life-long readers. For printable and digital resources, head to stellarteacher.com. Connect with Sara on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T16:17:40.786594+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stellar-teacher-podcast-a-podcast-for-upper-elementary-teachers-3455242"},"episode":{"title":"294. The Most Expensive Test Prep Mistake Happens Before the Question","slug":"294-the-most-expensive-test-prep-mistake-happens-before-the-question","published_at":"2026-03-09T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stellar-teacher-podcast-a-podcast-for-upper-elementary-teachers-3455242/294-the-most-expensive-test-prep-mistake-happens-before-the-question","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stellar-teacher-podcast-a-podcast-for-upper-elementary-teachers-3455242","url":"https://www.stellarteacher.com/stellar-teacher-podcast-with-sara-marye/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/6688111b-6e1d-443a-a20c-8806534b86ef.mp3","summary":"As much as we prepare students with practice passages and strategy review, many performance struggles happen before students even answer a question. When test anxiety sets in, students may skim or skip directions entirely, misread what’s being asked, or overlook key details like “not,” “compare,” or “from least to greatest.” In this episode, Sara and Emily discuss why this happens and how teachers can intentionally build direction-reading habits long before test day. They share practical tips and insights to make test season less stressful for both teachers and students. Key Takeaways: Importance of reading test directions carefully (and activity ideas for practice) Strategies to teach students to interpret instructions Building student confidence and reducing anxiety during tests Resources Connected to this Episode: Free Test Prep Email Series at www.stellarteacher.com/testprep Test Taking Strategies Bundle on TPT Stay connected with us! Follow us on Instagram @ thestellarteachercompany Looking for quick, actionable PD? Visit our YouTube channel !","meta_description":"As much as we prepare students with practice passages and strategy review, many performance struggles happen before students even answer a question. When…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":914,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/stellar-teacher-podcast-a-podcast-for-upper-elementary-teachers-3455242/episodes/294-the-most-expensive-test-prep-mistake-happens-before-the-question/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stellar-teacher-podcast-a-podcast-for-upper-elementary-teachers-3455242/294-the-most-expensive-test-prep-mistake-happens-before-the-question.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}