This is episode 248 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 walking you through what a soft landing

first day back from spring break actually looks like, and sharing

a teacher approved tip for protecting your first afternoon

back.

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

a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away.

Emily, what is our suggestion for this week?

Okay, this week, try adding some rhythm to your

classroom. So this could look like call and response chants or

a clapping pattern for transitions, a quick song to

kick off the morning, anything like that. Rhythmic group

activities strengthen social bonds, and they support

emotional regulation, and they reduce stress.

And you get all of that from something that takes like

30 seconds.

Yeah.

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? It's one of the main ways that new listeners find us,

and it's really so helpful.

Okay, coming back from spring break is wonderful, right

up until Sunday night, when you realize you have no idea what

you are teaching Monday morning.

Yeah. And then that Monday arrives and the kids walk

in like they have never been to school before in all of their

lives.

Yeah.

So it ends up that all of you are just doing your best to

make it through to that final bell.

And then once the kids finally do walk out the door,

you are so wrecked. You're tired from trying to hold everything

together, and you probably are facing a mountain of work to get

everything back on track.

Well, maybe that's not how it goes for you guys, but

that was definitely our experience of post spring break

teaching for a long time. The idea of preparing for the

transition back from spring break mode to full time

classroom mode, like that wasn't even on our radar.

No. And part of that was because by spring, who has the

energy to be that strategic in your planning? And part of it

was because what we considered preparing meant working through

the break, which we didn't want to do.

I mean, honestly, we did spend a lot of spring break

hours in our classrooms, because like in our mind, the

alternative was just scrambling on that Monday morning.

Yeah, and that is so exhausting in a whole different

way. But now that we know a little more, we understand that

it's not an either or situation. You are not stuck choosing

between a highly structured day that requires working through

spring break, or a loosey goosey day that you're just trying to

survive.

Yes, you can have a productive first day back

without sacrificing your energy or your free time. All it takes

is just a little bit of strategy.

Yeah, you really can have it all, guys, we'll show you.

Okay, so we're going to consider this first day back your soft

landing day. It gives enough structure that everyone has what

they need to settle back into the routine, but it doesn't take

so much work that you'll be left with a huge to do list. And in

this episode, we'll help you think through what that soft

landing needs to look like in your particular classroom.

We have talked about the logistics side of this. Episode

181 is all about finding pockets of prep before you break, and

episode 186 covers the five things to do before you walk out

the door. So today is the next piece in this process. Once you

have done that prep, what are you actually going to do with it

on day one?

To make it easy, we're breaking the day into three

phases, the reunion, which is your first hour or so, the

bridge, which is your mid morning, and the re-anchor,

which gets you through the afternoon. Each one has a

specific job, and when you plan with those jobs in mind, the day

has a shape that works for everyone in the room.

Okay, let's take a look at phase one, or the reunion.

Plan on this taking your first hour so. The goal is getting

kids reconnected with you, with each other and with the

classroom before you ask anything academic of them.

And if you've ever tried to launch a math lesson at 8am

on the first day back, you already know why the order here

matters. You got to start with the reunion.

Yeah. So a good first day actually starts right at the

door. The kids haven't even come in yet. Greet your students

intentionally as they come in, you know, with a high five, eye

contact, and a genuine, I'm so glad to see you. It just sets

the tone for everything that follows. Even if this isn't a

routine that you normally have time for in the mornings, and we

totally get it if that's the case, but try to make an effort

to include it on that first day back.

If you want to make the return a little more special,

consider having something ready at students' seat. It could be a

little sticky note that says, I'm happy to see you, a sweet

message on the board or some gentle music playing. Anything

that signals that this is a warm place and you are excited to be

with them again.

Well, even if maybe you wouldn't mind another week or

two of break.

Hey, they don't have to know what you really feel

inside. This is the outside feelings.

Yeah, we'll just make it our little secret.

Yes. So after you've figured out your warm welcome,

you will want some kind of structured reconnection

activity.

So I think a go-to activity for this transition

time is, Tell us what you did during your break. That seems

like it might be a good way to recognize each student and help

them settle in, but there are a couple of reasons why you might

want to rethink that approach. First, that kind of question

really highlights inequalities.

Yeah, if one kid went on a cruise and another spent the

week at home, that gap lands hard at exactly the moment

you're trying to build a connection.

And the second reason you might want to avoid that

question is for kids who are already finding that transition

back to school really hard. Dwelling on the fun that just

ended can actually make your job harder. It tends to increase

oppositional behavior.

Yeah, we don't want that at 8:15 on a Monday.

No. So use forward focus prompts instead. A quick partner

share works really well. Give them one specific thing to

share, like one word to describe their break, or one thing they

ate, or one thing they are glad to be back for.

Of course, the kid who went on a cruise deserves to be

excited about that, but maybe the right format to share that

excitement is by writing about it and not explaining it to the

whole class at your morning meeting.

Yes, or you can just talk to the students about their

break as they come in the door. That allows for reconnection

with you without spotlighting the differences in student

experiences.

You can also lean into silliness. Ask everyone to share

one genuinely boring detail from their break. Lead with your own.

Maybe you washed socks and had a ham sandwich and lost your phone

in the couch cushions.

Kids really love hearing the mundane details of their

teachers' lives.

Yeah, it's so funny how everything that you do outside

of school feels like such a mystery to them, and when they

hear you share something boring, it takes all the pressure off of

them to come up with something interesting.

Now, if you are already someone who does a regular

morning meeting with your class, you probably don't need to plan

a separate connection activity, because your meeting is already

doing that work.

But if you're up for it, you can make your normal meeting

routine feel a little special. You could revisit a favorite

class game, bring back your class cheer, or add a new

component to your meeting, like a daily affirmation that you

have students repeat.

This is the perfect time of year to sprinkle in that

little bit of spark. By now, students are really comfortable

with your classroom structure, but something small, like a new

addition to your morning meeting routine just makes everything

feel fresh at a time when the staleness can really start to

feel heavy.

Okay, by now, you have warmly greeted everyone and had

a chance to reconnect. Next up, you want to try having students

do a quick reset of the room. Ask them to tidy their desks or

clean out backpacks and folders. The movement wakes up the little

bodies that might still be a little groggy, and resetting the

space helps kids feel like they belong there again.

To keep this from becoming chaotic, keep it

structured. Make a specific list of things you want students to

do. It's even better if you have photos that you can show so they

know exactly what you mean.

And here's a little tip from an old pro, have a second

list of classroom tasks ready for your fast finishers, or for

the kids whose desks don't need as much attention. This could be

things like testing which glue sticks still work, straightening

the class library, doing a deep clean of individual whiteboards,

or sorting through the lost and found. This is when, when we

were kids, it would be clapping the erasers outside.

It always felt like a treat.

Yep.

And that list of extra tasks is also going to be

extremely useful when it is time to pack up your classroom at the

end of the year. Just a little heads up.

Yeah, keep that list handy.

Once your classroom is reset, move into something

simple and familiar. On these transition days, one idea we

always champion is assigning students independent work they

can do without very much instruction from you.

And there are so many benefits of this. For one, it

gives a feeling of immediate success. When kids accomplish

something straightforward right away, it settles the room before

you increase the demands.

Plus, it frees you up to start to tackle some of your own

tasks. If the kids are busy with a review packet, you can finally

look at that overflowing email inbox that you hopefully have

not checked in a week.

Or you could start to plan tomorrow's lessons. That

will help you know exactly what tasks to focus on during your

prep time.

Okay, so on your first morning back, think about four

a warm welcome, a moment of reconnection, a room reset,

and simple academics.

My own sequence on the first day back was actually a

little different from what we've described. I went from the warm

welcome straight into simple academics, which in my class was

morning work. It was a familiar routine, and the kids knew

exactly what to do without needing much from me, and it

helped get them settled right away. Then came morning meeting

and our chance to really reconnect. And then I rounded

out the reunion time with a classroom tidy.

So it can be really flexible. Do what works for you

and your class. The order isn't rigid. What matters is that

you've covered all of the pieces before you try to move back into

your full academic schedule.

And then by mid morning, you're probably ready to start

waking up that academic thinking. And don't worry,

you're just easing back in. And so we're going to call this the

bridge.

I love it. And the best tool here is low stakes review.

You know, can't say enough about that.

If we had a dollar for every time we talked about that.

Seriously. We'd have $2...no. So think about

something that gets their brains working with content that they

already know before you're asking them to take in anything

new. This could be playing a Kahoot review game, having

students draw concept maps about what they remember on a topic,

or letting partners quiz each other.

Now, while review is so important to helping your

students consolidate their understanding, it serves a bonus

purpose for you the tired teacher. That's because review

is easy to plan in advance.

Yes, this is so important. If you are trying to

avoid working during your break, you need to start planning for

your return before the break hits, right? But you might not

know exactly where you're going to land in your math or literacy

units before the break, which makes planning new content for

the return kind of tricky.

But if you just decide now to spend mid morning

reviewing something from six weeks ago, you can plan that

right away.

So after your review activity, think of some other

low effort academic tasks that will engage your students. This

could be a great time for something like a reader's

theater, or you could pick up some new books to read aloud.

But whatever you plan, aim to keep your lesson block

shorter than usual. Add a movement break between them.

This is not the day to launch a new unit or give a major

assessment. Save that for later in the week, when everyone's

stamina has had a chance to rebuild, including yours.

Especially yours.

All right, you made it to lunch. You started the day with a warm

reunion and then transitioned into some light academic work.

By the afternoon, you can move back to your normal schedule and

your familiar structures.

Just continue to keep the cognitive demand low. Activities

like centers, partner work, or anything students already know

how to do will help everyone thrive. Familiar formats reduce

friction and let you reinforce expectations without a lot of

logistics.

And if you work with small groups during a normal

school day, we are giving you permission right now to consider

skipping them on this first day back. We promise your kids will

be fine.

We know some teachers want to get back to their normal

routine as fast as possible, and pulling small groups helps you

feel like things are on track. Then, for sure, go for it. But

if you're on the fence, you can totally skip it. We won't tell.

Yeah, let the kids work independently, and then use that

time to plan the rest of the week. Consider it a pocket of

prep.

Love a bonus pocket of prep. And do not feel guilty

about this. You are meeting their needs and taking care of

yourself at the same time, and that's a huge win.

Now, at some point in the afternoon, it's a good idea to

take 15 or 20 minutes to revisit a few classroom procedures. This

is how you're going to stay ahead of the problems that crop

up this time of year.

You can make this review feel like a game instead of a

chore. Start by having students brainstorm your class

procedures. Write everything they come up with on the board,

then give pairs or small groups a positive outcome, like, this

procedure helps us be kind, or this procedure helps us learn.

And ask them to find a procedure from the list that fits, then

have a class discussion about what they picked and why. Keep

things moving quickly so no one gets bored.

Or you could flip this around. Ask students to

brainstorm the benefits of a specific procedure, like, how

does following all the steps for unpacking your backpack help our

class? This approach reframes procedures as something that

benefits everyone, instead of rules that the teacher has just

imposed.

If you have time, you can really lean into the game

element. Secretly assign each group a procedure to act out

charade style. Suggest that the groups choose some students to

model it correctly and some to model it incorrectly.

They love that. The moment you give kids permission

to do something wrong on purpose, you know, engagement

just goes through the roof.

Yeah, just make sure you've got your attention signal

ready to calm things down if they get a little too

enthusiastic.

Yes, you know that will happen. Before the day ends,

give students something specific to look forward to tomorrow, a

new book that you'll start, a class challenge that you might

be launching, or something coming up next week. You want to

end the day with some forward momentum.

Then close with a quick connection circle. We talked

about this back in episode 186 so if you haven't heard that

one, go back and listen. Here's a quick version you can use

right away. Gather students in a circle and give them a moment to

silently reflect. Then offer a few prompts. What felt easy

today? What felt tricky? What's one thing you want to remember

tomorrow?

Trust us, as people who have been there, the kids need

those guiding questions. Without some support, the reflection

tends to go sideways pretty fast.

Yeah, I can hear the I don't knows, and I can't see the

blank stares, we're just now in my memory. Have kids give a

thumbs up when they know what they want to say so you're not

waiting forever for each person, and then go around the circle

and let everyone share a response.

And obviously the format with this is going to look a

little different in fourth or fifth grade than it does in

first, but the idea works the same at any level. You want to

close with something that marks your class as a community. If

you have a class cheer or a song, you can use that now, or,

you know, try a new send off ritual.

Keep the whole thing to 10 or 15 minutes at most. It

doesn't need to be a deep debrief. It's just helping the

day end with a sense of completion, rather than just

running out of time.

Okay, so let's pull it all together. Your first day

back has three phases. Phase one, the reunion. Plan a warm

welcome that fosters reconnection.

Phase two, the bridge, is about waking up academic

thinking without overwhelming anyone. Think low stakes review,

a read aloud and shorter lesson blocks than usual.

And in phase three, the re-anchor, it's about restoring

your normal rhythms with low cognitive demand. Stick with

what's familiar, revisit a few procedures in a fun way. Give

your students something to look forward to, and then close with

the moment of connection.

If you want some more spring break prep tips, make

sure to go back to Episode 181 and 186 for some guidance. We

promise that the first day back runs a whole lot smoother if you

plan before you leave, rather than figuring it out at your

desk on Monday morning.

Yeah, ask us how we know about that.

Plus, then you can really enjoy your spring break, because

you know you have a plan for when you get back.

If this kind of discussion is helpful for you, come join us in

the Teacher Approved Club. Each month we focus on how to manage

that month's particular challenges with a targeted

strategy and a brand new resource to help you take it to

your classroom and put it to work. You can find the link to

the teacher Approved Club in the show notes.

And if you haven't listened to episodes 181 and 186

yet, those are the perfect companion episodes to this one.

Episode 181 is about finding pockets of prep before the

break, and 186 covers the five things to do before you walk out

the door. Together the three of these episodes give you the full

picture.

And we would love to hear how you are planning your soft

start. 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 about

protecting your first afternoon back. Heidi, tell us more about

this one.

Yes, this is so important. We focus so much on

students that we often forget to prioritize our own needs. You

probably know exactly how this plays out. You make it through

the first day, the kids leave, and suddenly you're staring down

everything that you pushed aside before the break, the emails,

grading, planning for the rest of the week, and your instinct

might be just to tackle it all at once.

Which is a great way to end your first day back

completely depleted.

Yeah, exactly. So instead, before the kids leave

that day, make a short list of only what absolutely must be

done before tomorrow. We know you've got a lot that needs

attention, but for right now, just worry about tomorrow's

essentials.

And then do those things and stop.

And that's the whole tip. Do those things and stop. Leave

the grading. Leave the catch up planning. You're probably

running at about 50% capacity right now, and you will make

better decisions about all of it tomorrow, once your routines are

re established.

The other piece of this is avoiding scheduling meetings

or extra obligations on the first afternoon if you have any

control over it. It's really not the ideal time for high level

decision making.

Yeah, but you know, unfortunately, you might not get

much say about when the principal decides to schedule a

staff meeting, but make it your goal to end the first day with

some momentum intact. Don't try to compensate for the whole week

off in one afternoon.

Because if you burn yourself out on day one, the

rest of the week gets harder, not easier, and we've worked too

hard on that first day plan to let the afternoon undo it.

Okay to wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're giving

extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra

credit?

I'm giving extra credit to the book I just read called

Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your

Life, by Bill Perkins. So this is a unique money book about

saving you from over saving and under living. So I love how he

talks about ways you can use your money throughout your life

to make memories and have experiences while you're young,

especially, instead of saving all your money for when you're

too old to enjoy it. So I wouldn't necessarily say you

should follow everything he says to the T here, but it's a really

different way to think about your money and your saving and

retirement and all of that. And I haven't stopped thinking about

it since I read it. So it's definitely an interesting one to

read.

I have to check that out. That sounds really interesting.

It's a different reframe to think of money as a resource to

support the life you want to have, instead of supporting the

kind of life you want to have 40 years from now.

Yeah, he talks about how, you know, it's the modern

mentality, maybe not even just modern, but you know, we think

only about retirement. We can't wait to retire one day, and we

want to make sure we can live super comfortably when we

retire, which, of course, we want to do. But most people are

sacrificing experiences and quality of life before that when

they don't necessarily have to, so they're over saving for

retirement, when they don't necessarily need to save that

much.

And he shares some ways that you can kind of get a good idea of

what you would need to save, because that's the thing is,

it's like, well, if you're scared of the unknown, it's that

feeling, well, how would I know how much I'll need? I need to

save a lot just in case, because you don't know what's gonna

happen, but he has some ways you can kind of get an idea of how

long you might live and what kind of risk you might be at,

but also things you can do to mitigate some of that risk,

things I like did not even know were a thing. So yeah, so very

interesting read.

I'll have to check that out.

And what are you giving us credit to, Heidi?

Well, my extra credit goes to flying wish paper. This

is something that we have done on New Year's Eve for the past

few years. But you don't have to limit yourself to New Year's

Eve. I think this could be a fun end of the school year or a

birthday tradition. So how this works is you have everyone write

a little wish on this special paper, and you kind of have to

curve the paper into a cylinder, and then you light it on fire.

So do this outside, if you're gonna do this.

Although we've done it in the kitchen plenty of times.

But maybe we should clarify, don't do this in your

classroom. We're not saying to light things on fire in your

classroom.

But it could be a fun family tradition, or maybe you

want to get together with some co workers for the last day of

school hurrah, and just let everyone make a wish for their

break. It's an easy way to add a little bit of magic to a

gathering and kind of elevate the connection and give it some

meaning, which I think is something that we're all chasing

these days. We want to feel more connected, and this is a fun,

easy way to do that. And I did put a link to the paper in the

show notes.

Yeah, it's a really memorable thing to do. And if

you have any little pyros, like at my house, my 10 year old was

just desperate, begging to light everybody's wish paper on fire

because she was enjoying it so much.

And catching the ash as it came.

Yes, which then crumbles it everywhere and makes a big

mess. So I do not recommend that in your house, but it is super

fun.

That is it for today's episode. Go ahead and map out

your three phases before you leave for spring break. Think

about your reunion, your bridge and your re-anchor. And protect

that first afternoon. Make your short list, do those things and

then go home.

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.