This is episode 236 of Teacher Approved.

You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping

educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story

Window, where we give research based and teacher approved

strategies that make teaching less stressful and more

effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from

each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to

the show.

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's

episode, we are talking about your January launch plan and how

you can prepare for it from the comfort of your couch, and we're

sharing a teacher approved tip for managing inside recess.

But first, let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we

share a quick one that you can try in your classroom right

away. Emily, what is our suggestion for this week?

Our suggestion is tomorrow, set up a thank you

note list. So back in episode 39 we shared this as a teacher

approved tip, but it's a wonderful quick win, so we're

bringing it back today. Many teachers are about to receive

some gifts this holiday season, and it is not required, but it's

obviously a nice touch for you to send a thank you note. It

shows the parent that the gift actually made it to you at

school, and the kids will feel so special to get mail from

their teacher.

Yes.

When I was in first grade, Mrs. Clark sent me a

thank you note during Christmas break, and my mom saved it in my

scrapbook, and every time I read it, it makes me teary, because

it was just so incredibly sweet, and I remember being so excited

to get it. So with all that being said, if you plan to send

thank you notes, print a list of your students names now ahead of

time, and then you'll have a place to write down any gifts as

they trickle in. And you'll be so grateful to have this when

you want to send those thank you notes.

That's such a helpful tip, because you know those

gifts just kind of trickle in over the month. And so some

people are really on the ball, and they're dropping them off

December 1, and then you get a big wave near the end, but it's

hard to keep track of everything, and having the list

already made just like that's one, one huge task off your

mental load.

Yeah, for sure.

If you like this idea or anything else we share here on

the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star

rating? Ratings and reviews are one way that new listeners can

find us, and every rating and review really is a huge help.

Today, we are solving big problems. We're talking about

how to prepare for January from the comfort of your couch,

whether that's before break even starts, or during your break if

you run out of time.

And first things first, you are tired, you deserve a

real rest, and rest all by itself, is valuable and

productive. You absolutely do not need to justify your

downtime by sneaking work into it.

Right. If your free time is spent doing absolutely

nothing work related, that is completely okay. In fact, it's

probably exactly what you need.

And we want that so much for you. But you know, for a lot

of teachers, knowing that January is prepared actually

helps them rest better.

Totally. It's really hard to fully relax when you're

dreading what is waiting for you on the other side of your

relaxing.

So this episode isn't about being productive during

your break. It's about lowering your stress so that you can

actually enjoy your time off. If doing a few light tasks from

your couch means you are not lying awake at 2am thinking

about lesson plans, that it's a huge win.

And hopefully, ideally, you'll get most of this done

before break even starts. That is the dream.

Oh yes, that is the dream, for sure. But if life

happens and you run out of time, at least you can tackle these

tasks while you're cozy, instead of having to drag yourself into

your classroom.

Oh yeah. Nobody wants that.

No. Been there plenty.

We talked about this concept back in episode 201. The

basic idea is that some tasks are so low effort and low brain

that you can do them while binging Hallmark movies or

catching up on your favorite shows.

And that's why we call these TV tasks. The key is that

they don't require a lot of focus or materials. You mostly

just need your phone or your laptop.

And just think of it as a way to add relaxation to your

work time instead of adding work to your relaxation time. That's,

that's the goal here.

Yeah, that's a good reframe, because, yes, you are

getting work done, but you're also giving yourself permission

to do it in the easiest, most comfortable way possible, which

is 100% our brand.

My favorite way to do anything is from the couch. So

what we're going to walk you through today is what we're

calling your January launch plan. This is the bare minimum

you need to have ready so that you and your students can start

the new term calmly and confidently.

We really do mean bare minimum. We're not planning the

whole month of January right now.

Oh heck no.

We're just gonna focus on your first three to five days

back. That's it, just enough to get started without scrambling.

So the January launch plan has three parts, content,

community and comfort. We love a list that starts with the same

letter. These are the only three things you need ready to start

strong.

So content is the learning side of your classroom,

lessons, procedures, schedule, all of that. Community is about

reconnecting with your students and helping them reconnect with

each other. And comfort is about taking care of yourself and

making that rough transition back as gentle as possible.

And you're probably not surprised that I'm going to tell

you that the December teacher survival kit is ready to help

you with this. It's full of pages to help you plan your

January launch plan. So grab that if you want some help

figuring this all out. But if you've got those 3c covered for

your first few days back, you are golden. You'll walk into

your classroom in January and feel ready instead of frantic.

So let's break these down. Starting with content, the

very first decision that you need to make is whether you are

diving right back into regular content, or taking a couple of

days to settle in. And this decision depends so much on your

situation. If you have a short week back, you might want some

transition time.

Or if you know your students are going to be

dragging after two weeks of sleeping in and eating cookies,

they might need a day or two to ease back in. If your schedule

will allow it, definitely set aside a couple of days to

transition back into school mode, if you can.

But by transition days, we don't mean wasted days.

You're still keeping students meaningfully engaged, you're

just not jumping back into brand new content yet.

Yeah, so that might mean doing a new year's goal setting

activity, or, you know, finishing any leftover

assessments, or maybe even December projects that did not

get done.

Oh, yeah, yeah, there's always like, what, half a dozen

of those haunting you like Ghost of Christmas past?

Yes.

You could play a fun review game to get those brains thinking

again, or introduce a new small routine, like morning journaling

or a daily question, something to make things feel a little

fresh but not overwhelming.

Yeah, you could plan a reflection activity, and that

could be as simple as students drawing their favorite memory

from winter break, or writing three goals for the new year.

And while you're thinking about it, you could also update

your classroom playlist. This is a great TV task. Maybe you want

some fresh music for your arrival time or your end of day

cleanup, or do yourself a favor and round up links for videos or

new brain breaks.

Yeah, because if you're not ready to dive into full

lessons yet, having some engaging videos lined up keeps

students meaningfully busy.

You could also look for seasonal craft or writing ideas,

new year's resolutions, winter art projects, goal setting

templates. There are so many fun activities out there for this

time of year.

And don't forget to research titles of books to read

aloud in January.

And now here is where that couch prep comes in. Each

of these ideas takes so little mental energy, you're basically

just browsing and bookmarking.

Ah, yes, perfect couch work. Like I could do that while

half watching a movie.

Ah, movies are perfect for that. You do not need a

whole lot of attention.

It's true.

Now if you're in a situation where you do have to

dive right back into content, of course, that's fine too. What

are you gonna do? Just build on some time during that first day

or two back for reminders and transitions, because everyone's

just gonna be rusty after break.

Oh yeah, so rusty. But whether you're jumping in or

easing in, every class needs a procedure refresh.

Oh yes, that first day back is what we like to think of

as your second first day of school.

Yeah, we talked about this in episode 172, but it's

worth saying again. January is your chance to reestablish

routines and reset expectations. December has a way of making

everything kind of fall apart just a bit.

Oh, just a bit. So from your couch, make a list of the

top three to five routines that need review. Maybe it's lining

up, transitions, turning in work, whatever has been driving

you crazy, put it on your list.

You can also create procedure review slides. These

are so simple, you just type the name of the procedure on a

slide. Have students rate themselves on a scale of one to

five, and then discuss what needs to improve.

And we have a digital product for this. If you want

something that is already ready to go, all you have to do is

type in the procedure name, and then when you present it to

students, you click to make stars appear based on how the

class rates themselves. And you could definitely prepare all of

that from your couch.

And then you have an actual conversation when you get

back to school about what's working and what needs work. It

is structured, but it's not stuffy.

For any of your procedures that are really

struggling, you know what I'm going to say, you can pull out

your tell try tally talk slides from the beginning of the year,

and actually reteach the routine step by step.

We promise being proactive now will mean fewer

headaches later. Would you rather spend 20 minutes

reviewing and practicing in January, or deal with the same

problems over and over again until June?

I know, don't do that to yourself. Nobody wants that. So

even if you do have to jump back into regular content right away,

set aside some time to refresh procedures your first day back,

your future self will say so many thank yous.

And then we have our last piece of content prep, which is

your safety net.

Because no matter how much or how little you plan,

make sure your first day back is fully ready. Think of it as like

an insurance policy against chaos.

Yeah, imagine that you're sick, which is very likely to

happen, or maybe your flight gets delayed.

I always have nightmares that that happens to me.

Right? Or maybe you just walk in feeling completely

overwhelmed, but if that first day is already planned, you are

covered.

So from your couch, create or update slides for your

first day back, gather copies or links for the day's activities.

Make notes for subs in case of illness, or, you know, if you do

get stuck in an airport, like I always fear.

And then, while you're at it, you probably want to update

your sub binder, because winter illnesses are definitely going

to hit at some point, even if it's not the first day back.

Oh, seriously, it's not an if. This is a when.

Yeah, so doing this now is just being smart.

Now it's December, so think of this as giving yourself

a gift. You are going to walk in that first day and take a deep

breath and know that you're already ready.

Such a good feeling, too. Okay, so that's content. Now

let's talk about community. This is all about reconnecting with

your students and helping them reconnect with each other.

And the best way to reconnect when students come

back is with a warm welcome. Greet them individually at the

door, if you can. Show them that you are happy to see them after

such a long break.

Some of those kids are going to be thrilled to be back,

and others will be dragging their feet. So just hold space

like Elphaba and Glinda. Hold space for both emotions. It's

okay that not everyone is excited.

And to make that transition a little easier, you

might want to plan a special morning meeting greeting or an

activity. Maybe you do your class cheer or a secret

handshake, or maybe it's a what I love about winter share. Just

think of something that feels welcoming but not so forced.

And then from your couch, you can draft a short welcome

back email or message to post for families. Let them know

you're excited to see their kids and what to expect the first

week. Doesn't have to be anything fancy.

We also want to make time to help students reconnect with

each other. Winter Break is long, and kids need time to

rebond as a class. You could have them share favorite

memories from the first half of the school year.

Or they can talk about what they're looking forward to

in the next few months. Keep the focus on experiences, not on the

gifts that they received.

Oh, definitely, because that can get awkward real fast.

Yeah. Another powerful community building activity is

to host a short class meeting to solve a common problem, like if

there's been a lot of conflict at recess, or if students have

gotten sloppy with managing their materials.

When you invite students to brainstorm their own

solutions, they are way more invested in the outcome. It

helps the class feel like they are all on the same team,

working for the same goal.

So one of my favorite January activities is goal

setting. January is the perfect time for students to reflect on

how much they've grown since school started, and also think

ahead to what they want to achieve by the end of the year.

And we do have a free goal setting resource if you

want to try this, it includes writing pages with prompts for

each grade level. You have your students reflect on their

growth, set a goal and then plan the steps to reach that goal.

And there's a link to that freebie in the show notes.

And if you saved any work from the beginning of the year, pull

it out in January so students can compare it to their current

work. You're always amazed at how much they've improved in

just a few months, like genuinely shocked.

Okay, so from your couch, you can plan all of these

community building activities. Just think about what your class

needs most, reconnection, problem solving, goal setting.

Just choose one or two of those to focus on.

And here's something we talked about in episode 233,

plan a student engagement hook. This is one fun, low prep

activity that makes the first week back feel special.

So the idea is to give kids a sense of a new beginning.

Coming back from break can feel like such a letdown. All of the

holiday sparkle is over, and now it's just regular school in the

middle of winter, but if you have got something engaging

planned, it totally shifts that energy.

And just keep it simple. The key here, really is low prep

for you, high interest for them, so think of a little spark of

fun. It doesn't have to be fireworks.

And really you can keep this simple. It could be a class

challenge, making a time capsule or a vision board, just anything

that feels fresh and different.

And if it's something that makes you excited to come

back too, even better. Lean into what you enjoy about teaching,

because crawling out of your cozy bed in January is so hard

without dreading what's waiting for you.

Oh, for real. And that sets us up for the last C of our

January launch plan, which is for comfort. This is where we

focus on making the transition gentle for both you and your

students.

January is like the world's worst cold plunge. So

dark, it's freezing, your room is full of coughing kids, and

you are supposed to just jump back into the chaos like you

haven't been living in pajamas for two weeks.

I hate it so much. So let's plan for comfort instead.

Let's create a soft landing. From your couch, think about

your personal comfort first. What would make that first

morning back easier?

A good place to start is with picking your first day

outfit now, like really, seriously right now, that will

be one less decision to make when you're half asleep.

And while you're at it, plan a breakfast that you are

excited to eat, something you can grab and go, but that will

still give you energy to keep going till lunchtime.

And a great TV task is making or updating your morning

energizer playlist. Having music that makes you feel good can

shift your whole mood.

Or, you know, your podcast playlist.

Yes.

But really, don't underestimate how much of a

difference that music can make, and if it's at all possible,

schedule, easy review based lessons for that first week. You

don't have to come back firing on all cylinders with brand new

content. Give yourself permission to ease into the

rhythm if there's any way to make that happen.

For your classroom comfort, you can plan a cozy

read aloud, something warm and engaging, and think about brain

breaks that you might want to use. Maybe create a class reset

ritual, something you do together on that first day that

signals a fresh start.

You could also tweak your seating chart or your group

arrangements. If you have been meaning to make changes. January

is a natural time to do it. Use sticky notes to play around with

your arrangements.

Or you could grab our digital seating arrangement

tool. It walks you step by step through the whole process of

using your seating chart strategically, and it is super

easy to do from the couch.

And don't forget my favorite TV task, online

shopping. Order supplies to restock your desk or cupboard.

Think snacks, emergency lunches, tissues, hand sanitizer,

whatever you know you're going to need in the next few weeks.

And snacks. Yes, snacks. Don't forget the snacks. Walking

in and knowing you're stocked up on protein bars and chocolate is

like getting a care package from past you.

And since it's the new year, you could also refresh

your planner with something new. Sometimes just having a fresh

notebook or planning stickers makes everything feel more

manageable.

Oh, there's nothing like the power of a new planner.

Oh, seriously.

And don't forget to restock or repack your teacher

bag. Even if it's just making a digital checklist of what needs

to go in there, that's helpful too. Better than frantically

packing at 6am on that first day back and you can't remember what

you need to put in there.

Oh, yeah, you don't want that. So think about what you

can do to make that transition back into teacher mode a little

softer. One idea is to send yourself an email and schedule

it to arrive on your first day back. Just a little pep talk to

make that first day back a little easier.

It's like writing letters to yourself like dear Evan

Hansen. Those little touches do make a difference, though, and

comfort is your buffer between the lovely holiday rest and the

grind of the school rhythm. It's about being gentle with yourself

at a time that can feel really challenging.

Okay, let's take a breath. We have covered a lot,

but if you have thought about your content, your community and

your comfort. You've done everything you need for a smooth

January launch.

And most of these tasks really are perfect for doing

from your couch. You can get a little bit of planning done now

or even during break, if that's when you get to it, and then

that means you can walk back into your classroom feeling

ready instead of frantic.

The goal is not to work through your winter break. The

goal is to have just enough ready that you can actually

relax during the winter break without that nagging guilt in

the back of your mind.

Okay, grab your blanket, pick your favorite movie, and do

just enough prep to make January feel like a gentle start instead

of a cold plunge.

And if you want help organizing all of this, we have

resources that can guide you through the process. Everything

is linked in the show notes.

And we'd love to hear about your January prep couch

tasks. That's a long one. Come join the conversation in our

Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an

actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and

simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is make

your inside recess plan now. Tell us about it, Heidi.

to help you in a few weeks, not just in January, with

winter here inside recess is definitely in your near future,

if it has not already arrived. And if you're anything like me,

the words inside recess make you want to hide in the supply

closet. But it doesn't have to be crazy. The key is having a

plan before inside recess happens.

Right, because once it's raining and snowing and you've

got these antsy kids staring at you, it's too late to figure out

a system. So while you're on your couch and you have some

thinking time, you can create a simple structure that you can

use every single time that the weather does not cooperate.

Or if you live in Utah, the air is too polluted to go

outside.

Yes.

So start by deciding what your inside recess rules are

going to be. What can students do, what spaces can they use,

what materials are available? And make these rules really

clear and really specific. Think about what supplies you're

willing to have out during inside recess. Maybe you like

board games, cards, drawing supplies, Legos, books, whatever

you're comfortable managing.

You could create a rotation system if you want. And

I love this idea. So maybe for morning recess it's board games,

and at lunch recess it's building challenges. And then

for afternoon recess, it's brain break videos. That way you're

not managing everything going on all at once.

With my students, I like to set up zones in my classroom,

so maybe, like the back table at games, when students were at

their desks, they could draw a read, and then the carpet was

for building. This helps contain the chaos, because students know

exactly where each activity is happening.

And then make a visual or a list that you can post when

inside recess happens. Students should be able to look at it and

know exactly what their options are without having to ask you 17

questions every recess.

Yeah, you don't need that. But here is a pro tip,

have a specific routine for how inside recess starts. Like maybe

have students return to their desks, you review the rules, and

then they make their choice. Having that structure at the

beginning prevents the mad rush and the arguing over materials.

Ugh, just had flashbacks. Yeah, you don't want that. When

everyone knows the system, it stays calmer.

From your couch right now, you can make a list of

acceptable inside recess activities and just jot down

your rules. You can even create a simple slide or poster that

you'll display when inside recess happens, and then the

first time you have inside recess, you'll teach this system

explicitly.

You can use the tell try tally method here too, if that's

helpful. Walk students through the expectations, let them

practice and give feedback.

After the first time inside recess becomes so much

easier because everyone knows the routine and you're not left

scrambling every time the weather's bad.

So on your couch task list, add inside recess plan.

And if you want lots more suggestions for inside recess,

go back and check out episode 46. It is one of our most

popular episodes for a reason.

To wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're giving extra

credit to this week. Emily, let's get your extra credit?

I'm giving extra credit to Rothy's clogs. So I have worn

Birkenstocks for several years, and they're fine. I like them,

but I had heard so many people raving about Rothy's that I just

had to try them when they were on sale. And I'm sorry to say

that they totally live up to the hype. It's better arch support

than Birkenstocks, and they're washable. You, that's a big

issue with Birkenstocks, they cannot be washed. The sad thing

is now I wish I had one of the cozy lined pairs for inside

during the winter, and they are expensive, so it's kind of a

bummer that I love them so much.

Oh, shoot. Well, you have to keep your eye on sales. I bet

they have something good coming up. You know, holidays and

stuff.

Yes. What are you giving extra credit to Heidi?

My extra credit goes to the Spin to Survive book series.

I bought the Deep Space Danger book as a Christmas present for

Emily son, and it's so cute. The premise is, as part of a

pioneering mission to Mars, you've earned your place as one

of Earth's greatest explorers. Now become its most tenacious

hero as you fight for your life and the lives of your crew, when

your spaceship meets with catastrophe. All systems are

down, your crew mates are gone, and you're millions of miles

from help. So this is kind of like a Choose Your Own Adventure

book, but it's got beautiful illustrations, and the fun

factor is a built in spinner. So on each page, you read the

story, and then you decide what to do, and use the spinner to

determine if you were lucky or not.

Oh.

There are lots of adventures and mishaps along the

way, and I think he's gonna love it.

Oh, he's totally gonna love it. That's a great idea.

And they have some really fun titles. I liked the pirate

one, but I do know he's a space boy, so we'll go with that one

for him.

That is it for today's episode. Start your January plan with the

3 Cs. Think about your content, think about your community, and

think about your comfort. Your January self is going to thank

you for taking care of her.

Until next time, happy couch planning.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow

or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an

episode.

You can connect with us and other teachers in the

Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.

Bye for now.

Bye.