4/1/25: Student mock trials part II, mastering time management, & inspiration!

​Another week of touching hearts and changing lives! 💛
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But First, A Chuckle!

Hilarious miming to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” 🤣

Helpful Stuff

We are THRILLED to announce that we finally published Part II of our most popular lesson & activity:​

Student Lawyers: Criminal Court Mock Trials & Cases!

Part II brings even more engaging criminal law scenarios, fresh cases, and deeper legal concepts perfect for middle and high school students! Whether you're building on Part 1 or starting here, this resource has everything you need to spark critical thinking, debate, and courtroom skills.

This pack includes: 

• New mock trials featuring topics like Miranda rights, crimes of necessity, duress, automatism, mens rea, due process, free speech, self-defense, entrapment, insanity defense, and more!
• Editable PowerPoint to guide students step-by-step through trials.
• Easy-to-follow case summaries, evidence lists, and legal questions for each trial.
• Student Lawyer Cheat Sheet with simple tips and clear examples to help students confidently argue, question witnesses, and understand key legal terms.
• List of research project ideas for extended learning!
• Great for civics, government, law, or ELA classes looking for real-world connections.
  
  

Give your students a chance to think like lawyers and argue like pros!

Get it here!
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Recommendations

Mastering Time Management with the Pomodoro Technique

Feeling overwhelmed by grading and lesson planning? The Pomodoro Technique can help!

1. Set a Timer: Work for 25 minutes without interruptions. 
2. Take a Short Break: After the session, take a 5-minute break to recharge. 
3. Repeat: After four sessions, take a longer break (15-30 minutes). 
   
   

This method promotes focus and productivity, making daunting tasks more manageable. It’s helped me a ton in my lesson planning and grading —get stuff done without burning yourself out!

Go try these out and let us know how it goes! Don’t forget to tag us in your posts on Instagram and Facebook!
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This Week’s Most Helpful Resources! ​

Simple Weekly Lesson Plan Template
A no-prep, straightforward template to help you organize your weekly objectives, activities, and homework.

​"The Medicine Bag" by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve Reading Test
A heartfelt story about a boy learning the importance of his Lakota heritage and the quiet strength of his grandfather. This resource helps students connect theme, character development, and cultural identity.
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​Secondary English Language Arts Vocabulary Quiz
A no-prep, ready-to-go quiz covering essential academic vocabulary for middle and high schoolers—great for bell ringers, homework, or review.

A Little Inspiration

We feel like this work is an art, science, and a beautiful craft! And because of that, our headspace really matters when we are trying to show up as our best selves for our students, our loved ones, and ourselves!

We’d like to think of this as a little bit like life coaching for teachers. 🙌
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"Every challenge faced in the classroom is an opportunity to ignite a spark of curiosity."

Sharing is caring—so please forward this to any teacher that could benefit from this message and help spread the love!

The goal of these messages is to help ourselves improve—for our students, for our loved ones, and for ourselves. 

You can always reply to this message or message us on Facebook here!

Keep touching hearts and changing lives!
Charlie with Shining Scholar Education
Our podcast is back—check it out!
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P.S.: Looking to monetize your educational content? Consider joining our TPT Affiliate Program for 25% commissions here!