The 4th Annual Keep It Simple Summer Series 💋
100% Free · Live July 13–17

Five free trainings with simple strategies that actually work.

The Keep It Simple Summer Series (KISSS) is five days of free, live training for grades 2–5 teachers. Five totally different topics — reading, writing, math, back-to-school, and engagement — each one packed with simple, use-it-Monday ideas. Join us live for any one of the trainings and receive a FREE Responsibility unit that is perfect for the beginning of the year.

📅 July 13–17, 2026 🕛 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT daily 💻 Live on Zoom 🍎 Grades 2–5 💸 Always free

KISSS 2026 — 5 free teacher trainings for grades 2–5, July 13–17

So what exactly is the Keep It Simple Summer Series?

It's five days of free, live teacher training — one topic a day, July 13–17 — where I share the simple, doable strategies that make teaching feel lighter and back-to-school feel like a plan instead of a panic.

No 200-slide theory dump. No homework. Just real ideas you can use the very first week of school.

💋5 live trainings — Monday through Friday, one big topic each day
🕛12 PM ET / 9 AM PT — every session, same time
💻Live on Zoom — come in your pajamas, coffee in hand
🍎Built for grades 2–5 — every example is for your classroom
💸Completely free — no credit card, no catch
🎉Taught live by me, Jamie — former elementary teacher, author, mom of six, recovering over-doer

Here's exactly what you'll walk away with — for free.

📚Monday, July 13 — Reading Centers Made Simple

The simple 4-center reading setup you can use all year long — so your small groups finally get the time they need.

The simple switch from 4 rotations to 2 that more than DOUBLES your time with each reading group
The 4 reading centers that run all year — set them up once, and the routine never changes (just the skill)
Exactly what to do at your small group table — the part most of us second-guess

✏️Tuesday, July 14 — The Simple Writing Mini Lesson That Moves Every Writer Forward

A 15-minute mini lesson formula that moves every kid forward — even the one who says "I don't know what to write" before you've finished the directions.

The three-part formula (mentor text → anchor chart → task) that fits a full mini lesson into 15 minutes flat
How to break any writing skill into pieces small enough that every student can succeed today
The 2-minute writing task that gets you 10x the writing of saying "okay, go write"

➕Wednesday, July 15 — Math Centers Made Simple

The simple 2-rotation, 4-center math setup that finally makes small-group math possible — even when your curriculum has zero space for it.

The simple 3-part system that turns one math block into real differentiation — without writing four different lesson plans
The 4 math centers that run all year — no prepping new stuff every week (you'll learn all four live)
The #1 mistake that makes math centers feel like babysitting — and the simple fix

🍎Thursday, July 16 — Back to School: A Simple Step-by-Step Plan for the First Week

A complete day-by-day plan for the first week of school — read-alouds, STEM challenges, math, writing, and procedures — so you don't have to invent it from scratch one more summer.

A day-by-day walkthrough of Week 1 — exactly what to read, teach, and do, from morning work to dismissal
A themed read-aloud + STEM challenge combo for every day of the first week
How to spread procedures across the week instead of cramming them into Day 1

🎉 THE FINALE 🎂

🌟Friday, July 17 — Simply the Best: Engagement Strategies That Drive Real Learning

Low-prep engagement strategies that turn worksheets, PowerPoints, and review days into the kind of lessons kids ask for — no classroom overhaul, no dollar-store run.

3 simple ways to turn any worksheet into a game your students will beg to play
6 review and test-prep games that work in any subject — including the one you're dreading
The two most engaging activities I've ever taught — and how to use them without spending your weekend building them

The finale lands on my birthday this year — so expect a party, a surprise giveaway worth over $5,000, and a free gift for everyone who shows up live. 🎂

Show up live, and the goodies are yours.

Live attendance has its perks. Here's what you can grab during KISSS week:

Responsibility Social-Emotional Learning Unit — preview of lessons, scenario cards, and board game

⭐ The Hero Gift

🎯The Responsibility Unit (Grades 2–5) — for every live attendee

A complete, ready-to-teach SEL unit on responsibility. Yours forever.

10 ready-to-teach lessons (~20 minutes each)
Scenario cards, role-play, reading passages, and an actual board game
Built for the real moments that derail your August mornings — forgotten homework, lost library books, "it's not my job!"
Two versions in one — Grades 2–3 and Grades 4–5
Perfect for the first week of school — no special SEL block required

How to grab it: Attend any of the 5 live trainings and we'll send you the download link.

📺The KISSS Slide Decks

The exact slides from each training, posted every afternoon — your reference deck for later.

⏱️Classroom Timers

Interactive, kid-friendly visual timers for transitions, work blocks, brain breaks — any subject, any task.

⚡Fast Finishers Pack

Print-and-go menus, puzzles, and writing prompts for early finishers, awkward in-between moments, or sub days — meaningful independent work, zero teacher explanation needed.

🎂A Special Friday Surprise

Friday's my birthday, so every teacher who's there live for the finale gets an extra special gift — revealed during the session.

Heads up: the trainings are live only. They're recorded, but the replays are saved exclusively for Lesson Genie members — so if you want the full training and the free unit, the move is simple: be in the room. Even one session gets you the gift.

This is our fourth KISSS — and it's the best version we've ever built.

A few things I'm especially excited about this year:

🔍

The trainings go deeper. Last year, teachers loved the centers training so much they begged for more. So this year I split it into two full days — Monday is all reading centers, Wednesday is all math centers. More room to actually walk through it.

🎬

There's a part two to every training. Each afternoon, I go live in the Facebook group with Caroline from my team for a demo of what we covered that morning. Morning training = the strategy. Afternoon demo = exactly how to do it. (Can't make it live? The demos stay in the group.)

🎁

The free gifts are the best we've ever given. A complete SEL unit just for showing up, plus more goodies dropping in the Facebook group all week (more on those below).

🏡

One home for everything. This year there's a single hub with the trainings, the giveaways, and the bonuses all in one place — so you're never wondering if you missed something.

🌟 Why teachers come back every year

Real teachers. Real wins.

After 18 years of teaching I still am learning new things — and remembering things I forgot too! Thank you for bringing the joy back into my teaching and getting me excited to start this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

— Kris Beal, KISSS 2025 attendee

I needed these routines and structures because I overthink my teaching. The PDs have been clear, concise, and informative. I'm making anchor charts with all the info and will use them this school year!

— Jo Medrano, KISSS 2025 attendee

KISSS was amazing! What a great kick off to school after being a stay-at-home mom for 11 years. I am so pumped up to get this year started. Thanks for all the great ideas!

— Stacy Elle, KISSS 2025 attendee

I joined you all week and it has been a great week with lots of information and resources. The beginning of the school year is looking less stressful — thank you!

— Rachel VanNostran Compeli, KISSS 2025 attendee

It is nice to be at a PD with useful information AND with someone who is excited about what she does.

— Trinity Addington, KISSS 2025 attendee

Yours is the best training I have had in a very long time.

— TJ Kratz, KISSS 2025 attendee

Hi, I'm Jamie 👋 — the teacher who pinky-promises to keep things simple.

I'm a former elementary teacher, a mom of six, the author of How to Love Teaching Again, and the founder of Not So Wimpy Teacher.

Years ago, when I announced I was going back to school to become a teacher, someone close to me told me, "You can't be a good teacher and a good mom. You'll suck at one of them."

For my first couple of years in the classroom, it almost came true. I cried after school. I gave everything to my students and had nothing left for my own kids. So I started simplifying — and the more I simplified, the more I got back. My evenings. My energy. And my classroom actually got better, not worse.

Every July, I run KISSS as my favorite gift to the teaching community — five days of free training, real strategies, and teachers who get it. It's me proving that comment wrong, for myself and for you. Because you really can be a great teacher and have a life. Both. Not one.

I can't wait to spend this week with you. 💋

A few quick questions before you sign up

When and where do the trainings happen?

Each session goes live on Zoom at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT, Monday through Friday, July 13–17. Once you sign up, you'll get the links and reminders so you never miss one.

Is it really free?

Yes. 100% free. No credit card, no trial, no catch. Just sign up and show up.

How long is each session?

Plan for about 60 minutes — and I almost always stick around after to answer questions.

Do I have to attend live?

The trainings are live, and that's how you catch the full session and claim the free Responsibility Unit. They're recorded, but the replays are saved only for Lesson Genie members — so live is the way to go. Come to as many of the five days as you can.

What if I can't make every day?

Totally fine — come to whatever you can. Even one session gets you real, usable strategies and the free show-up gift. (But fair warning: this week hits different when you're in the room for all of it.)

What grades is this for?

Built specifically for grades 2–5. Every example, every strategy, every resource is for your classroom.