1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:03,420 Heidi: This is episode 205 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:09,540 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:09,540 --> 00:00:13,260 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:13,260 --> 00:00:13,800 Heidi. 5 00:00:13,980 --> 00:00:17,160 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,160 Window, where we give research based and teacher approved 7 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,740 strategies that make teaching less stressful and more 8 00:00:22,740 --> 00:00:26,205 effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from 9 00:00:26,205 --> 00:00:28,005 each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,760 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:32,300 the show. 12 00:00:36,860 --> 00:00:39,980 Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:39,980 --> 00:00:43,700 episode, we're talking about how to use just one hour a week this 14 00:00:43,700 --> 00:00:48,020 summer to start the year ready and rested. And we're sharing a 15 00:00:48,020 --> 00:00:50,660 teacher approved tip for creating a summer planning 16 00:00:50,660 --> 00:00:52,700 ritual that actually sticks. 17 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:55,760 Heidi: But first, it's time for a try it tomorrow, a favorite 18 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,445 quick win that you can try in your life right away. Emily, 19 00:00:58,445 --> 00:00:59,825 what is our suggestion this week? 20 00:01:00,245 --> 00:01:04,865 Emily: This week, try the five minute Friday flip. Do you like 21 00:01:04,865 --> 00:01:05,825 the alliteration? 22 00:01:06,425 --> 00:01:07,925 Heidi: If nothing else, the title is awesome. 23 00:01:08,340 --> 00:01:11,040 Emily: Every Friday, spend just five minutes flipping through 24 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,700 your teaching materials, whether that's your teacher binders, a 25 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:17,760 curriculum guide, or even your phone's camera roll from this 26 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,500 past school year. Just flip and notice what catches your eye, no 27 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:23,960 pressure to do anything with what you find. Just let your 28 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:26,600 brain start making some connections for next year. 29 00:01:27,020 --> 00:01:30,500 Heidi: I love this because it is gentle prep with zero guilt. 30 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,400 You're just, you know, planting seeds for future planning, 31 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,800 without the pressure to have it all figured out right now. 32 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,740 Emily: If you like this idea or anything else we share here on 33 00:01:39,740 --> 00:01:42,320 the podcast, would you take a second give us a five star 34 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:44,900 rating and review on Apple podcasts? 35 00:01:45,860 --> 00:01:48,560 Heidi: Over the years, Emily and I have created an extensive 36 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,605 library of back to school products. To help you find the 37 00:01:51,605 --> 00:01:54,485 tools that will make the start of your New Year easier, today 38 00:01:54,485 --> 00:01:57,905 we are spotlighting our editable classroom seating chart maker. 39 00:01:57,905 --> 00:01:59,465 Tell us more about this, Emily. 40 00:01:59,885 --> 00:02:03,365 Emily: Oh, we love this product so much. Not only will it help 41 00:02:03,365 --> 00:02:06,305 you at the start of the year, but it will be such a huge 42 00:02:06,305 --> 00:02:10,085 support all year long. One of the simplest, most effective 43 00:02:10,085 --> 00:02:13,445 behavior management tools at your disposal is your classroom 44 00:02:13,490 --> 00:02:16,790 seating arrangement. If you're intentional about how you assign 45 00:02:16,790 --> 00:02:19,790 seats, you can minimize or completely eliminate so many 46 00:02:19,790 --> 00:02:20,390 hassles. 47 00:02:20,810 --> 00:02:23,930 Heidi: In this product, we walk you step by step through our, I 48 00:02:23,930 --> 00:02:25,730 want to say patented system. 49 00:02:25,730 --> 00:02:27,590 Emily: It should be patented. 50 00:02:28,370 --> 00:02:31,430 Heidi: Trademark, copyright, something. But we walk you 51 00:02:31,430 --> 00:02:34,790 through our system for strategic seating, and we give you over 90 52 00:02:34,790 --> 00:02:38,435 different seating arrangements and list the pros and cons of 53 00:02:38,435 --> 00:02:38,975 each one. 54 00:02:39,275 --> 00:02:41,795 Emily: And we even include seating options for the carpet, 55 00:02:41,795 --> 00:02:44,675 so you can help minimize any problems there as well. 56 00:02:44,675 --> 00:02:47,255 Heidi: Now, since you're not going to know your students at 57 00:02:47,255 --> 00:02:50,255 the start of the year, the strategy part of assigning seats 58 00:02:50,255 --> 00:02:53,795 isn't going to help you too much yet, but the desk arrangement 59 00:02:53,795 --> 00:02:58,280 part can be a huge lifesaver, even in the first few days. So 60 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,560 the first thing you need to do is choose an arrangement that 61 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,920 fits your seating options, whether you have desks or tables 62 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,920 or those weird triangle table thingies, then you need to 63 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:08,840 choose an arrangement that will fit your space. 64 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,140 Emily: The last three steps of choosing an arrangement are the 65 00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:15,020 most crucial but often overlooked. Choose a seating 66 00:03:15,020 --> 00:03:18,620 arrangement that supports your teaching style. If you do a lot 67 00:03:18,620 --> 00:03:21,440 of cooperative work, choose an arrangement that lets students 68 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,245 work together. Also look for an arrangement that minimizes your 69 00:03:24,245 --> 00:03:28,265 walking. You're on your feet all day. Do yourself a favor, and 70 00:03:28,265 --> 00:03:31,025 make sure that you can reach each student seat in the minimum 71 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:36,580 Heidi: And last of all, and this is the secret sauce, keep as 72 00:03:31,025 --> 00:03:31,805 number of steps. 73 00:03:36,580 --> 00:03:40,480 many students as possible, as close to you as possible. The 74 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,840 number one deterrent for off task behavior is proximity to 75 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,200 the teacher. So leverage that power as much as you can. 76 00:03:47,860 --> 00:03:50,320 Emily: We walk you through all of this in the editable 77 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,560 classroom seating chart maker, and you can find a link to that 78 00:03:53,620 --> 00:03:56,005 in the show notes. But if you want more information, make sure 79 00:03:56,005 --> 00:03:59,485 you go back to Episode 97 where we lay out this strategy in 80 00:03:59,485 --> 00:03:59,965 detail. 81 00:04:00,940 --> 00:04:03,480 Heidi: Well, now we are well into summer, and chances are 82 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,780 good that you've had at least one moment so far where that 83 00:04:06,780 --> 00:04:09,900 little voice in your head asked, should you be doing something 84 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:11,100 for school right now? 85 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,120 Emily: Oh, yeah, that critical little voice that whispers, 86 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,760 everyone else is probably picking out their first week 87 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,880 outfits and color coding their lesson plan binders, and you're 88 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,460 watching Netflix at 2pm on a Tuesday?? 89 00:04:22,820 --> 00:04:24,200 Heidi: I hate that voice so much. 90 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:25,280 Emily: I know it's a jerk. 91 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:28,760 Heidi: She gets the better of me more times than I care to admit 92 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,320 publicly. She's how you know before I know it, I find myself 93 00:04:33,380 --> 00:04:36,725 elbow deep in prep I didn't plan on doing, and then my summer 94 00:04:36,725 --> 00:04:41,285 relaxation turns into a guilt ridden productivity spiral. Ah, 95 00:04:41,285 --> 00:04:42,005 good times. 96 00:04:42,365 --> 00:04:46,145 Emily: But we're not going to do that anymore. Instead, we're 97 00:04:46,145 --> 00:04:48,845 going to focus on doing the right things in small, steady 98 00:04:48,845 --> 00:04:53,045 steps that protect rest and build readiness. We promise, it 99 00:04:53,045 --> 00:04:55,805 really is possible to start the year feeling calm and prepared 100 00:04:55,805 --> 00:04:58,310 without sacrificing your summer sanity. 101 00:04:58,850 --> 00:05:01,790 Heidi: This week, we are talking about what just one intentional 102 00:05:01,790 --> 00:05:05,150 hour each week can do for your back to school prep. Gretchen 103 00:05:05,150 --> 00:05:08,330 Rubin, from the Happier Podcast, which is a podcast that we love, 104 00:05:08,690 --> 00:05:12,290 has a great hack that she calls Power Hour. She schedules time 105 00:05:12,290 --> 00:05:15,050 once a week to power through the tasks that she can't normally 106 00:05:15,050 --> 00:05:16,310 get herself to deal with. 107 00:05:16,670 --> 00:05:19,670 Emily: And because it rhymes, you know, it's valid advice. So 108 00:05:19,730 --> 00:05:22,895 we are going to take Gretchen's Power Hour idea and turn it into 109 00:05:22,895 --> 00:05:26,795 teacher Power Hour. Very original, as you can tell, but 110 00:05:26,795 --> 00:05:29,615 instead of using that time to call the electric company or 111 00:05:29,615 --> 00:05:32,135 figure out your taxes, we're going to focus on our back to 112 00:05:32,135 --> 00:05:36,575 school tasks, and we've got a six step system to help you make 113 00:05:36,575 --> 00:05:38,315 it happen. We love a system. 114 00:05:38,735 --> 00:05:41,315 Heidi: The first step is to build a strong foundation by 115 00:05:41,315 --> 00:05:45,080 clarifying what matters to you. Second, start a list of Power 116 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,900 Hour tasks so you don't waste precious minutes trying to 117 00:05:47,900 --> 00:05:50,780 figure out what to work on, which is always my downfall. 118 00:05:51,380 --> 00:05:54,800 Third, schedule your time. Fourth, and this is the hardest 119 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,700 one, protect your time. Make sure you reschedule if another 120 00:05:58,700 --> 00:06:01,940 obligation conflicts with your time, and then make yourself 121 00:06:01,940 --> 00:06:05,660 actually do the work. And that's why that step is the hardest 122 00:06:05,660 --> 00:06:05,900 part. 123 00:06:06,779 --> 00:06:09,299 Emily: And then comes the fun part. Step five is to celebrate 124 00:06:09,299 --> 00:06:11,939 your accomplishments, and then all you have to do is step six, 125 00:06:11,939 --> 00:06:13,739 which is to repeat it next week. 126 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,480 Heidi: sound too hard, does it? So pour yourself a lemonade or 127 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,840 throw on your walking shoes, and let's talk about how to use one 128 00:06:20,840 --> 00:06:24,740 hour a week to prep for back to school like the smart, seasoned 129 00:06:24,740 --> 00:06:25,640 teacher you are. 130 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,240 Emily: Let's start where we always do by clarifying what 131 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,360 matters. Before you make a single list or organize a single 132 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,420 supply, we want you to get clear on your goal. If you joined us 133 00:06:35,420 --> 00:06:38,105 for our recent webinar, we referred to this goal as your 134 00:06:38,105 --> 00:06:39,365 readiness anchor. 135 00:06:40,025 --> 00:06:42,245 Heidi: A readiness anchor is simply the answer to this 136 00:06:42,245 --> 00:06:45,545 question, how do you want to feel as you walk into your 137 00:06:45,545 --> 00:06:49,565 classroom on your first day back? For now, forget how you 138 00:06:49,565 --> 00:06:52,865 might feel or what you want to accomplish before then, or how 139 00:06:52,865 --> 00:06:56,285 you want your classroom to look, just ask yourself how you want 140 00:06:56,285 --> 00:06:56,885 to feel. 141 00:06:57,485 --> 00:07:00,065 Emily: And then this feeling is going to become your North Star. 142 00:07:00,605 --> 00:07:03,170 And we cannot stress this enough, it's important to 143 00:07:03,170 --> 00:07:06,710 actually choose your word, not just think about choosing a 144 00:07:06,710 --> 00:07:10,910 word. If you don't name what you want, what happens is you end up 145 00:07:10,910 --> 00:07:14,150 chasing every task that crosses your mind, because you have no 146 00:07:14,150 --> 00:07:17,090 way of knowing which tasks are the ones that actually matter. 147 00:07:17,750 --> 00:07:21,410 Heidi: So choose your readiness anchor. Maybe you want to feel 148 00:07:21,410 --> 00:07:24,530 calm or grounded, maybe you want to feel excited or energized, 149 00:07:24,815 --> 00:07:28,295 maybe you want to feel organized or in control. However you want 150 00:07:28,295 --> 00:07:30,455 to feel is the exact right answer. 151 00:07:30,455 --> 00:07:33,875 Emily: Here is why this matters so much. When you know how you 152 00:07:33,875 --> 00:07:37,355 want to feel, it becomes so much easier to prioritize your prep 153 00:07:37,355 --> 00:07:40,655 time. Every decision gets filtered through that goal. For 154 00:07:40,655 --> 00:07:44,255 example, if your readiness goal is to feel calm, then maybe you 155 00:07:44,255 --> 00:07:47,435 want to focus on tasks that reduce last minute scrambling, 156 00:07:47,495 --> 00:07:50,060 like printing your welcome letter, prepping your first day 157 00:07:50,060 --> 00:07:53,600 slides, or arranging your desks. And maybe you want to use our 158 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:55,340 desk arrangement tool to help you with that. 159 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,000 Heidi: Yeah, that would be handy dandy. But if your readiness 160 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,420 goal is to feel excited, maybe your prep focuses on your 161 00:08:02,420 --> 00:08:05,960 favorite parts of teaching, like picking a fun new read aloud, or 162 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,540 prepping a first week project that you can't wait to share 163 00:08:08,540 --> 00:08:11,765 with your students, or planning a classroom theme that gets you 164 00:08:11,765 --> 00:08:12,725 pumped to decorate. 165 00:08:13,205 --> 00:08:16,625 Emily: See the difference? When your tasks align with your why, 166 00:08:16,685 --> 00:08:18,845 they stop feeling like chores and start feeling like 167 00:08:18,845 --> 00:08:23,345 confidence boosters. And we think this is so important that 168 00:08:23,345 --> 00:08:26,645 we have updated our BTS Success course to start with a whole 169 00:08:26,645 --> 00:08:29,945 module on teacher recovery and emotional anchoring, because 170 00:08:30,185 --> 00:08:32,105 everything else is going to flow from there. 171 00:08:32,870 --> 00:08:36,110 Heidi: So before you do anything else, pause this podcast and get 172 00:08:36,110 --> 00:08:39,530 clear on your readiness anchor. We're serious. This is your 173 00:08:39,530 --> 00:08:42,230 homework. Write it down. Put it somewhere that you can see it. 174 00:08:42,590 --> 00:08:45,230 Let it guide every choice you make about how to spend your 175 00:08:45,230 --> 00:08:46,070 summer prep time. 176 00:08:47,030 --> 00:08:49,970 Emily: Okay, you got it? Do you have your word? Good. That's 177 00:08:49,970 --> 00:08:55,130 step one. Step two is to make your Power Hour task list. This 178 00:08:55,130 --> 00:08:57,995 is where you jot down all of the tasks that will contribute to 179 00:08:57,995 --> 00:09:01,115 your readiness goal. If your goal is to feel balanced, your 180 00:09:01,115 --> 00:09:04,835 list will be full of tasks like prepping freezer meals, creating 181 00:09:04,835 --> 00:09:08,075 standard operating procedures for repeated tasks and 182 00:09:08,075 --> 00:09:09,515 streamlining your workflow. 183 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,200 Heidi: Ideally, try to use this time to focus on light touch 184 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,820 prep. Light touch prep means low time, low effort, high payoff. 185 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,440 These are the tasks that in one focused hour can move the needle 186 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,500 significantly without draining your summer energy. 187 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,680 Emily: On the one hand, you could spend three hours deep 188 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:30,680 cleaning your classroom library, or you could spend one hour 189 00:09:30,680 --> 00:09:33,440 creating a digital welcome packet that parents will 190 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,320 reference all year long. Both are helpful, but one gives you 191 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:37,640 way more bang for your buck. 192 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:41,120 Heidi: Here are some examples of light touch prep that pack a 193 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,240 punch. Creating templates for things that you know you will 194 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,340 need, like your weekly newsletter format, your 195 00:09:46,340 --> 00:09:49,820 substitute plans and your parent communication scripts. 196 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,460 Emily: Drafting a first day slide deck with all of your 197 00:09:52,460 --> 00:09:56,420 procedures and expectations. You can always tweak it later, but 198 00:09:56,420 --> 00:09:59,360 having the bones ready means one less thing to stress about in 199 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,525 August, and we have a whole set of Google slides that you can 200 00:10:02,525 --> 00:10:05,525 adapt to fit any procedure, and this will save you lots of time. 201 00:10:05,885 --> 00:10:09,125 Check out the link to our tell try tally talk slides in the 202 00:10:09,125 --> 00:10:09,725 show notes. 203 00:10:10,265 --> 00:10:12,725 Heidi: Even something as simple as setting up your digital grade 204 00:10:12,725 --> 00:10:15,245 book with student names, if you are lucky enough to already have 205 00:10:15,245 --> 00:10:18,905 your class list. That 10 minutes now can save you 30 minutes 206 00:10:18,905 --> 00:10:19,265 later. 207 00:10:19,865 --> 00:10:22,505 Emily: The key here is choosing tasks that future you will 208 00:10:22,505 --> 00:10:25,790 genuinely thank present you for doing. And the beautiful thing 209 00:10:25,790 --> 00:10:28,730 is, these are exactly the kind of tasks that fit perfectly into 210 00:10:28,730 --> 00:10:29,930 one focused hour. 211 00:10:30,530 --> 00:10:32,990 Heidi: Remember, you're not trying to solve every classroom 212 00:10:32,990 --> 00:10:36,170 challenge or prep every lesson at this point. The goal is to 213 00:10:36,170 --> 00:10:38,810 set yourself up so that you can hit the ground running when it's 214 00:10:38,810 --> 00:10:40,370 time to actually get back to work. 215 00:10:40,730 --> 00:10:42,950 Emily: Make sure you keep your list of Power Hour tasks 216 00:10:42,950 --> 00:10:45,590 somewhere handy. If you have our back to school readiness 217 00:10:45,590 --> 00:10:48,815 checklists, we recently added a Power Hour list, so you can 218 00:10:48,815 --> 00:10:52,055 download the updated file and then just copy the Power Hour 219 00:10:52,055 --> 00:10:54,755 sheet to your existing spreadsheet. If you already have 220 00:10:54,755 --> 00:10:56,915 them, it's super easy to do that. 221 00:10:57,395 --> 00:10:59,195 Heidi: If you don't have the back to school readiness 222 00:10:59,195 --> 00:11:03,095 checklists, this is your sign to grab them now. There are 50 223 00:11:03,095 --> 00:11:06,035 pages in there, and knowing us, we'll probably add more to that 224 00:11:06,035 --> 00:11:06,575 over the summer. 225 00:11:06,575 --> 00:11:08,495 Emily: Yeah, by the time this comes out, there might be two 226 00:11:08,495 --> 00:11:09,095 more pages. 227 00:11:09,095 --> 00:11:12,860 Heidi: Who knows. But all of these pages help you clarify 228 00:11:12,860 --> 00:11:16,820 your goals and maximize your time. They are a serious BTS 229 00:11:16,820 --> 00:11:20,480 lifesaver, and you can find them at the link in the show notes. 230 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,880 Emily: Power Hour can be a motivating way to tackle some 231 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,880 meaningful tasks. But as every teacher knows, there are just 232 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,760 some things that just have to get done, and we can't magic 233 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:32,000 wand them away. Labels need to be made, folders need to be 234 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,020 organized, copies need to be run. All the fun stuff. 235 00:11:36,260 --> 00:11:39,020 Unfortunately, all that tedious stuff is real and it's not going 236 00:11:39,020 --> 00:11:39,500 anywhere. 237 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:43,200 Heidi: So here is our system for handling the must do tasks 238 00:11:43,380 --> 00:11:46,680 without letting them take over your summer. First, make your 239 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:50,340 must do list. Get everything out of your head and onto paper. All 240 00:11:50,340 --> 00:11:53,760 of the copying, labeling, organizing, decorating, whatever 241 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,880 you know has to happen before students walk through your door. 242 00:11:57,300 --> 00:12:00,240 Emily: And then group similar tasks together. Make a list of 243 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,760 all the copies you need to make. Make a list of everything that 244 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,865 needs a label on it. Make a list of everything you need to finish 245 00:12:05,865 --> 00:12:09,105 for your wall displays. This is just so much more efficient than 246 00:12:09,105 --> 00:12:11,085 bouncing between different types of tasks. 247 00:12:11,879 --> 00:12:16,499 Heidi: Now to actually get those dreaded tasks done, assign each 248 00:12:16,499 --> 00:12:20,299 batch to one of your weekly summer prep hours. One week 249 00:12:20,299 --> 00:12:23,179 might be copy all the things, and another week might be label 250 00:12:23,239 --> 00:12:24,559 and organize supplies. 251 00:12:25,020 --> 00:12:27,780 Emily: A little pro tip that works with anything, not just 252 00:12:27,780 --> 00:12:30,780 schoolwork, is to pair it. If it's not your favorite task, 253 00:12:30,780 --> 00:12:34,980 pair it with a treat. Get your favorite iced drink to sip while 254 00:12:34,980 --> 00:12:37,920 you stand over the copier. Listen to a fun audio book while 255 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,680 you're organizing supplies, put on a movie in the background 256 00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:42,660 while you're cutting out bulletin board letters. 257 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,200 Heidi: You could even lean into the summeriness of it all and 258 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,605 sit on the patio while you stuff folders. You don't have to 259 00:12:49,605 --> 00:12:52,605 suffer through the tedious stuff. Make it as pleasant as 260 00:12:52,605 --> 00:12:55,785 possible. And remember, it's just one hour a week. You can do 261 00:12:55,785 --> 00:12:56,985 anything for one hour. 262 00:12:57,465 --> 00:12:59,865 Emily: And if you want help prioritizing which tasks 263 00:12:59,865 --> 00:13:03,165 actually matter versus which ones you can skip, we break that 264 00:13:03,165 --> 00:13:06,465 down in BTS success too, so that you're not wasting time on busy 265 00:13:06,465 --> 00:13:09,045 work that won't actually help your classroom run smoother. And 266 00:13:09,045 --> 00:13:11,370 you can find a link to the course in the show notes. 267 00:13:12,390 --> 00:13:14,910 Heidi: Okay, so you've got your readiness goal. You know what 268 00:13:14,910 --> 00:13:17,970 light touch prep looks like, and you have your plan for the must 269 00:13:17,970 --> 00:13:22,470 do tasks. Now comes the really important part—actually making 270 00:13:22,470 --> 00:13:23,070 it happen. 271 00:13:23,490 --> 00:13:26,190 Emily: These are steps three and four, schedule it and protect 272 00:13:26,190 --> 00:13:29,370 it. The secret to making it happen is treating this like any 273 00:13:29,370 --> 00:13:32,970 other important appointment in your life. Choose your hour. 274 00:13:33,255 --> 00:13:35,955 Maybe having a set hour each week will work best for you, or 275 00:13:35,955 --> 00:13:38,415 maybe it's more of a movable feast. 276 00:13:38,595 --> 00:13:42,435 Heidi: Oh, that sounds exciting. For you, Saturday morning before 277 00:13:42,435 --> 00:13:45,375 the rest of the house wakes up might work best. Maybe it's 278 00:13:45,375 --> 00:13:48,075 Tuesday evening after your yoga class, when you're already 279 00:13:48,075 --> 00:13:51,135 feeling calm and centered. Or maybe you hire a neighborhood 280 00:13:51,135 --> 00:13:54,015 team to come play with your kids on Wednesday afternoons while 281 00:13:54,015 --> 00:13:57,375 you escape to a coffee shop for an hour. The specific time 282 00:13:57,375 --> 00:14:00,240 doesn't matter. What matters is that it's consistent and 283 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:04,380 protected. This is a date with future you and future you does 284 00:14:04,380 --> 00:14:05,700 not want you to stand her up. 285 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,220 Emily: When you're looking at a blank calendar, it's easy to 286 00:14:08,220 --> 00:14:10,920 start out with good intentions. Following through, however, is a 287 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,740 genuine challenge. If you're struggling to put your ideas 288 00:14:13,740 --> 00:14:17,160 into practice, go back to Episode 55 where we discuss 289 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:20,760 another Gretchen Rubin idea, the four tendencies. This helps you 290 00:14:20,805 --> 00:14:24,165 pinpoint what it takes for you to meet your own inner 291 00:14:24,165 --> 00:14:27,465 expectations. That way you're leaning on your strengths and 292 00:14:27,465 --> 00:14:28,605 not your weaknesses. 293 00:14:29,325 --> 00:14:31,605 Heidi: One thing that might help with follow through is to make 294 00:14:31,605 --> 00:14:35,325 as many decisions ahead of time as possible. If it helps to have 295 00:14:35,325 --> 00:14:38,565 a loose structure, try assigning a theme to each week's Power 296 00:14:38,565 --> 00:14:41,805 Hour. Emily, why don't you share with us the sample plan for how 297 00:14:41,805 --> 00:14:43,305 you might use your summer hours? 298 00:14:43,830 --> 00:14:45,990 Emily: Sure. So maybe week one, you're going to set your 299 00:14:45,990 --> 00:14:49,230 readiness goal and make your must do list. Get clear on what 300 00:14:49,230 --> 00:14:51,810 you're working toward, and then choose a quick win from your 301 00:14:51,810 --> 00:14:55,110 list and complete it right away to build that positive momentum. 302 00:14:55,590 --> 00:14:59,370 Then in week two, prep one light touch task that aligns with your 303 00:14:59,370 --> 00:15:03,030 readiness goal. So maybe that's making slides for your arrival 304 00:15:03,030 --> 00:15:06,210 procedure or your dismissal routine, and then batch one 305 00:15:06,255 --> 00:15:08,355 thing from your tedious tasks list. 306 00:15:08,355 --> 00:15:11,475 Heidi: And if you want help with those, there are priority lists 307 00:15:11,715 --> 00:15:14,175 and task batching lists and the Back To School Readiness 308 00:15:14,175 --> 00:15:15,255 Checklist to help you out. 309 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,720 Emily: And then in week three, you could plan and prep 310 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:22,020 materials for your first day. No matter your readiness anchor 311 00:15:22,020 --> 00:15:24,000 goal, you're going to need a first day plan. 312 00:15:24,540 --> 00:15:27,600 Heidi: Week four, draft your communication templates, things 313 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,780 like your welcome letter, your classroom newsletter format, or 314 00:15:30,900 --> 00:15:33,960 how to help students at home handouts. Also prepare 315 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,420 everything that you will need for your meet the teacher open 316 00:15:36,420 --> 00:15:36,900 house. 317 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,825 Emily: And then in week five, plan something fun that excites 318 00:15:39,825 --> 00:15:41,925 you about the new year. Maybe it's a special first day 319 00:15:41,925 --> 00:15:45,105 activity or a themed unit you've been wanting to try. 320 00:15:45,765 --> 00:15:49,065 Heidi: That's just five hours, but it's five huge wins, and 321 00:15:49,065 --> 00:15:53,025 your August self is going to be so relieved. So it's time for 322 00:15:53,025 --> 00:15:56,805 step five in our Power Hour prep routine, which is to celebrate 323 00:15:56,805 --> 00:15:59,925 your accomplishments. You're showing up for yourself when it 324 00:15:59,925 --> 00:16:04,230 would be much easier not to and that is a huge win. Even if you 325 00:16:04,230 --> 00:16:06,810 didn't check everything off your list during your hour, write 326 00:16:06,810 --> 00:16:10,110 down what you did get done and give yourself a well deserved 327 00:16:10,110 --> 00:16:13,110 pat on the back and maybe even a fun little treat, because you 328 00:16:13,110 --> 00:16:13,590 deserve it. 329 00:16:14,370 --> 00:16:17,430 Emily: I read a book called Tiny Habits, where he teaches you how 330 00:16:17,430 --> 00:16:20,790 to take little, teeny steps towards your goals by making 331 00:16:20,790 --> 00:16:24,630 these, like, micro habits, and then after you do it, you're 332 00:16:24,630 --> 00:16:27,495 supposed to celebrate. And so his example was like, if every 333 00:16:27,495 --> 00:16:32,355 time you wash your hands, you're gonna do five squats, then 334 00:16:32,355 --> 00:16:35,835 afterwards you should like, give yourself a high five towards the 335 00:16:35,835 --> 00:16:40,155 mirror, or you should like, do a little dance. And honestly, I 336 00:16:40,155 --> 00:16:43,455 think psychologically, this might be a good tip. So maybe 337 00:16:43,455 --> 00:16:45,915 come up with, like, a real little celebration for yourself 338 00:16:45,915 --> 00:16:48,255 at the end of your power hour. Or, you know, you could give 339 00:16:48,300 --> 00:16:50,160 yourself a little treat too. That's fine. 340 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:53,840 Heidi: And step six is to do it all again. Decide what you want 341 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:56,480 to work on next, schedule an hour for each week, and then 342 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,960 follow through. The beauty of this one hour system is that you 343 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:02,720 can adapt it to whatever you need in whatever season of 344 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:03,440 summer you're in. 345 00:17:04,100 --> 00:17:06,080 Emily: If you're in the early weeks of summer break and you 346 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,720 want to do absolutely nothing school related for a while, 347 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,260 cool, perfect. Start your one hour routine in a couple weeks. 348 00:17:12,260 --> 00:17:14,825 If you're headed back to school in a couple weeks and feeling 349 00:17:14,825 --> 00:17:17,765 behind, also perfect, you still have time to make a huge 350 00:17:17,765 --> 00:17:20,765 difference. You just might need maybe two or three power hours 351 00:17:20,765 --> 00:17:23,705 per week. That still gives you plenty of time to enjoy your 352 00:17:23,705 --> 00:17:26,165 summer and still start the year feeling ready. 353 00:17:26,585 --> 00:17:29,225 Heidi: So as you're listening, assuming you're not driving, 354 00:17:29,525 --> 00:17:32,105 open up your calendar and schedule your power hour for 355 00:17:32,105 --> 00:17:35,105 this week. Make sure you've clarified your readiness goal 356 00:17:35,105 --> 00:17:37,430 and have a list of essential tasks to help you meet that 357 00:17:37,430 --> 00:17:41,090 goal. Get everything on the calendar and protect that time. 358 00:17:41,510 --> 00:17:44,390 Once you're done working, take a minute to celebrate how much you 359 00:17:44,390 --> 00:17:47,990 got done, and then do it all again next week, and think how 360 00:17:47,990 --> 00:17:51,170 amazing you'll feel by the time that first day rolls around. 361 00:17:51,710 --> 00:17:54,770 Emily: We would love to hear about your Power Hour plan. Come 362 00:17:54,770 --> 00:17:57,530 join the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group. 363 00:17:57,530 --> 00:18:01,055 Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an 364 00:18:01,055 --> 00:18:03,695 actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and 365 00:18:03,695 --> 00:18:07,295 simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is create a 366 00:18:07,295 --> 00:18:11,075 calming planning ritual that signals prep time to your brain. 367 00:18:11,075 --> 00:18:12,215 So tell us about this, Heidi. 368 00:18:12,635 --> 00:18:14,855 Heidi: Well, one of the biggest challenges of summer prep is 369 00:18:14,855 --> 00:18:17,675 that our brains don't automatically switch into work 370 00:18:17,675 --> 00:18:21,515 mode when we are at home in our pajamas. So we want to create a 371 00:18:21,515 --> 00:18:24,860 simple ritual that helps signal to your brain that it's time to 372 00:18:24,860 --> 00:18:27,860 focus. This sounds serious, but I promise it doesn't have to be 373 00:18:27,860 --> 00:18:31,520 complicated. Maybe it's making a special cup of tea, lighting a 374 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,420 candle or playing a specific playlist. Maybe it's sitting in 375 00:18:35,420 --> 00:18:38,360 a particular spot in your house or clearing off a specific 376 00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:44,060 workspace. The key here is consistency. Use the same ritual 377 00:18:44,060 --> 00:18:47,585 every time and your brain was going to start associating those 378 00:18:47,585 --> 00:18:51,185 cues with focused, productive thinking. It's kind of like 379 00:18:51,185 --> 00:18:53,765 training yourself to get into work mode on command. 380 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:56,900 Emily: This may sound like a fluffy little time waster, but 381 00:18:56,900 --> 00:19:00,320 science backs us up on this. Prepping for a new school year 382 00:19:00,500 --> 00:19:03,500 can quietly trigger your brain's stress response. You're thinking 383 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:06,440 about everything that went wrong last year, what might go wrong 384 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,200 this year, and how much you have to do. That kind of pressure can 385 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,360 make your brain feel like it's in danger. And when that 386 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:15,020 happens, it shuts down the exact parts that you most need right 387 00:19:15,020 --> 00:19:17,705 now, the creativity, the focus, the problem solving. 388 00:19:18,125 --> 00:19:21,185 Heidi: And that's where a short calming ritual comes in. By 389 00:19:21,185 --> 00:19:24,245 taking a few minutes to breathe deeply, ground yourself, and 390 00:19:24,245 --> 00:19:26,885 reconnect with your purpose, you're activating the 391 00:19:26,885 --> 00:19:29,885 parasympathetic nervous system, and that's the part of your body 392 00:19:29,885 --> 00:19:32,045 that says, hey, you're safe, you've got this. 393 00:19:32,585 --> 00:19:34,925 Emily: This ritual isn't just aimed at creating a nice 394 00:19:34,925 --> 00:19:37,625 feeling. It's about training your brain to treat planning 395 00:19:37,625 --> 00:19:41,510 time as a space of confidence and clarity, not panic or 396 00:19:41,510 --> 00:19:44,750 perfectionism. Spending five precious minutes of your hour to 397 00:19:44,750 --> 00:19:47,630 start peacefully will help you be much more productive during 398 00:19:47,630 --> 00:19:48,590 the rest of that hour. 399 00:19:49,190 --> 00:19:51,950 Heidi: And when your hour is up, consider having a closing ritual 400 00:19:51,950 --> 00:19:55,130 too. Close the laptop, blow out the candle, put away your 401 00:19:55,130 --> 00:19:58,190 supplies. This helps your brain transition back to summer mode, 402 00:19:58,190 --> 00:20:01,190 and it prevents that, I'm always thinking about school, feeling 403 00:20:01,190 --> 00:20:02,690 that can tend to creep in. 404 00:20:03,170 --> 00:20:05,555 Emily: And throw in your mini celebration too. I want you to 405 00:20:05,555 --> 00:20:08,495 be having a mini dance party at the end of your power hour. 406 00:20:09,335 --> 00:20:11,255 Heidi: To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're giving 407 00:20:11,255 --> 00:20:13,715 extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra 408 00:20:13,775 --> 00:20:14,135 credit? 409 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,320 Emily: credit to the book Zero Days by Ruth Ware. It's about a 410 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,380 woman who's in a race against time to find the person who 411 00:20:21,380 --> 00:20:25,340 murdered her husband and clear her name as the main suspect. 412 00:20:25,340 --> 00:20:25,940 Heidi: Oh, wow. 413 00:20:26,060 --> 00:20:28,820 Emily: Yes. It's really engaging, super fast paced 414 00:20:28,820 --> 00:20:35,480 thriller, and it's perfect for when you just want to get sucked 415 00:20:35,540 --> 00:20:36,996 into a book, which I recently did, so I blew through it in 416 00:20:36,996 --> 00:20:37,002 just a few days. 417 00:20:37,002 --> 00:20:37,015 Heidi: Well, that sounds like a perfect summer read. 418 00:20:37,015 --> 00:20:38,165 Emily: What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi? 419 00:20:38,165 --> 00:20:41,105 Heidi: I'm giving extra credit to you, Emily. 420 00:20:41,165 --> 00:20:41,825 Emily: Me?? 421 00:20:42,860 --> 00:20:47,300 Heidi: We recently had our Teacher Summer Talk Summit, and 422 00:20:47,300 --> 00:20:53,420 it was so wonderful. And Emily crushed it. She has put so much 423 00:20:53,420 --> 00:20:56,960 work into this. I know on the user end, it probably doesn't 424 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,240 seem like that much went into it, because you're just like, 425 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:01,700 well, I listened to it. And there was some cute stuff on 426 00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:06,005 Facebook and Instagram, but that was months of work. She has 427 00:21:06,005 --> 00:21:08,585 worked so hard. So many late nights. You know, she'll be 428 00:21:08,585 --> 00:21:12,245 texting me at midnight, still at her computer. So all the extra 429 00:21:12,245 --> 00:21:15,185 credit for that, Emily. Good job, and Melanie and Sara and 430 00:21:15,185 --> 00:21:18,725 everyone else that helped along the way, and all of the tech 431 00:21:18,725 --> 00:21:22,685 nightmares. Oh, it was so much work, but she did an amazing 432 00:21:22,685 --> 00:21:25,745 job. It was a stellar event, and it was so fun. And I think 433 00:21:25,745 --> 00:21:28,130 teachers got so much out of it. So hopefully all of you joined 434 00:21:28,130 --> 00:21:28,730 us there as well. 435 00:21:29,270 --> 00:21:32,150 Emily: Yes, I loved that. It was a really great experience, even 436 00:21:32,150 --> 00:21:35,270 if I did have to work really hard, but I learned a lot, and 437 00:21:35,270 --> 00:21:36,710 hopefully next year will be easier. 438 00:21:37,430 --> 00:21:38,450 Heidi: Fingers crossed. 439 00:21:38,450 --> 00:21:42,710 That is it for today's episode. Remember, start with just one 440 00:21:42,710 --> 00:21:46,130 hour a week and your readiness goal. Make summer prep work for 441 00:21:46,130 --> 00:21:47,330 you, not against you. 442 00:21:47,690 --> 00:21:49,610 Emily: And don't forget our teacher approved tip for 443 00:21:49,610 --> 00:21:52,655 creating a summer planning ritual. And if you're looking 444 00:21:52,655 --> 00:21:55,415 for more structured support in your planning, check out BTS 445 00:21:55,415 --> 00:21:57,215 Success at the link in the show notes. 446 00:21:59,735 --> 00:22:02,915 Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm 447 00:22:02,915 --> 00:22:03,515 Heidi. 448 00:22:03,575 --> 00:22:06,875 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 449 00:22:06,875 --> 00:22:09,395 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 450 00:22:09,395 --> 00:22:09,815 episode. 451 00:22:10,235 --> 00:22:12,575 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 452 00:22:12,575 --> 00:22:15,800 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 453 00:22:15,980 --> 00:22:16,820 Bye for now. 454 00:22:16,820 --> 00:22:17,600 Emily: Bye.