This is episode 225 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 the mid-September slump. What

happens when that back to school honeymoon period officially

ends, and how you can keep your students engaged without

completely exhausting yourself in the process.

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's our suggestion this week?

This week, try switching up your Monday morning question.

Instead of asking students how their weekend went, ask what

they're looking forward to this week.

This small change can make a really big difference for

some kids. Not everyone has great weekends, and starting

Monday by asking them to think about something that might have

been hard can really set a tough tone for the day.

Plus, for kids who struggle with being at school,

reminding them about the fun they had at home can make it

even harder to settle into the school week. Asking them to

focus forward instead of backward helps them get mentally

ready for what's coming.

It's a simple way to help kids regulate their emotions and

start the week thinking about positive possibilities rather

than dwelling on what they're leaving behind.

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

the podcast, could you take a moment and give us a five star

rating and review in your podcast players?

Well, we're in late September now, and if you're

noticing that your adorable little angels are, well, maybe

acting a little less angelic, you're probably not imagining

it.

No, because the honeymoon is officially over. Those first

few weeks when kids were actually excited about your

pencil sharpening procedure, when they hung on your every

word about how to line up for the bathroom? Well, we hate to

be the bearers of bad news, but that's done.

Oh yeah, it's long done. This was always a bittersweet

transition for me. It was nice to feel like life was settling

into a routine after the chaos of back to school, but there was

something so sweet about their wide eyed enthusiasm for

everything. It's so endearing when getting to use new glue

sticks is the highlight of the day.

Yeah, but it wears off fast, doesn't it? But the thing

to remember is that this shift is supposed to happen. If

everything stayed brand new and exciting all the time, then kids

would be constantly overwhelmed. Their little brains need this

shiny excitement to wear off so that they can focus on learning.

Which, you know, is not as endearing, but I guess, is

probably more important. That means that once the rhythm of

the normal school day is setting in, those little brains start

scanning the room like, Hmm, okay, I've mastered the morning

work situation. I know exactly what happens during math time.

What else is happening around here?

Yeah, it's like they have this internal radar that's just

searching for the next interesting thing. You can just

hear it beeping in your mind. And then if they don't find

it...

Oh yeah, oh yeah, they will create their own

entertainment. And I can promise you that their version of

entertainment is not what you want to have happening during

your reading lesson.

No, definitely not. So if you're seeing more fidgeting

kids rushing through work just to have something to do, or that

glazed over look during lessons, their brains are simply saying,

I need something worth paying attention to.

But don't let that get you down. We promise this is not

a depressing episode. In fact, we think this dip in energy is

actually a good thing, because once you understand this

pattern, you can harness it instead of letting it run the

show.

And you don't need to overhaul anything to do it. A

few simple tweaks can change everything. One of our favorite

things to talk about on this podcast is the balance of

structure and novelty in the classroom. We did a deep dive on

this back in episode 99 if you want all the details. But as a

refresher, picture one of those old fashioned scales, you know,

like the ones you see in a courtroom that have like the two

hanging buckets on it.

One of those buckets represents structure. This is

your procedures, your expectations, your daily

schedule, and anything else that gives shape to your day. The

other bucket is spark. This is novelty, surprise, excitement

and anything else that adds a little flair to the normal.

When structure and spark are balanced, your students are

engaged. Too much structure, and kids get bored and check out,

too much spark, and they're completely overwhelmed.

At the beginning of the school year, that spark bucket

is overloaded. Every single thing is brand new, new desks,

new crayons, new routines and a whole lot of new faces. To

balance all of that novelty, we lean heavily into structure at

the start of the year. We work on getting to know each other,

teaching procedures and settling everyone into the routine.

Yeah, we're just working overtime, on loading up that

structure bucket. And that was perfect for back to school

season, but now that bucket is getting pretty heavy, so it's

time to add some spark to balance things back out.

And we are using the word spark on purpose because we are

talking about tiny, little glints, not a full fireworks

show.

Yeah, think small, intentional moments that signal

to kids, Hey, learning is pretty fun. And the best part is that

most of these cost nothing and take almost no prep. All they

need from you is a bit of intention.

So let's talk about five simple ways to add that spark

back into your day. And these really are simple. Think micro

novelties, little effort, big payoff. And the first one is to

change something.

Changing something can be as basic as moving your read

aloud to a different corner of the room, or it can be letting

kids do their spelling practice with markers instead of pencils.

Suddenly, spelling feels special, even though it's the

exact same words.

A simple way to make a change is switching up where you

teach lessons. Instead of standing at the front board, try

teaching math back at the carpet one day. Your lesson plan can

stay exactly the same, but your students will instantly be more

tuned in.

A great way to create that, oh, something's different

feeling at the end of September is to rearrange your desks. You

are probably going to change seats at some point soon anyway,

you might as well use it strategically.

And we have lots of thoughts about how to do this

process strategically.

Who us, have lots of thoughts?

I know. You might even say we have all of the thoughts

about this. So your seating arrangement is one of your

greatest classroom management tools. So let it work for you.

You can find the details in episode 97 where we walk you all

the way through all of the details for our teacher approved

seating system.

Also check out our digital seating chart tool that

lets you try out lots of different strategic

arrangements. Twenty minutes of planning a well balanced seating

chart can buy you two months of decreased management issues.

It's a very smart investment, and there's a link to it in the

show notes.

Okay, besides changing something. The second way to

increase Spark is to add to what you're already doing. Add a

quick brain break between subjects, add a funny prop or a

sound effect. You can even try out a new accent for a few

minutes. And if your accent is terrible, that's even better.

Thank you, Pepe Le Pew.

Should I do the whole episode like this?

I'm gonna say no on that one.

Spoilsport.

Or you can add movement to something that's usually done

sitting down. So instead of reviewing math facts at their

desk, you can have kids stand to do jumping jacks while they

practice. You're still meeting your math goals, but with a

totally different energy.

You could also think about adding something

unexpected to your routine. For example, maybe you add comedy

captain to your class jobs. That person's job is to read the

day's joke to the class at the start of morning meeting. Or you

could try ending the day with a silly clap or a chant.

Adding a new element makes old routines feel like an

upgrade, but don't feel like you have to make this a year long

commitment. We want novelties to stay novel. So once everyone in

the class has had a turn to be comedy captain for the day, you

can retire that position until you need it in February, because

then you can bring it back as a way to enliven the dreary winter

days.

Yeah, the goal is to sprinkle in just enough newness

to keep things fresh, and then take it away so it keeps feeling

fun.

That sounds mean, but it's not mean. We're not giving

them something and then ripping it away.

We're doing it out of love.

We're just pulling it back a little for later.

So the third way to add Spark is to celebrate something. And

before you panic, we are not talking about classroom parties.

No, we would need three episodes to talk about classroom

parties. Check out episodes 33, 34 and 96 if you don't believe

me, but the celebrations that we are talking about today are much

more low key.

Much, much, much, much more low key. Think 30 second

dance break because it's Wednesday afternoon, or, you

know, one of those silly whatever the daily holiday is,

like, you know, did you know there's a National Cheese Day?

Of course, there is. There's a national day for

everything.

Yeah, and I think we just missed Talk Like a Pirate Day

for this year. But National Random Acts of Poetry Day,

American Touch Tag day and National Grouch day are all in

October.

Oh, put those on your calendar. And also in October,

if you're looking for more of a personal celebration, there is

National Bra Day and National No Bra Day.

Oh my gosh. Maybe don't put those on the classroom

calendar, though. I think you can just keep that one to

yourself.

Yeah, probably for the best. But you aren't limited to

the calendar when it comes to planning celebrations. Pick a

day this week and have everyone whisper for the entire morning

just because. Kids eat that stuff up.

Yep. The fourth simple way to increase spark is to add

choice, and this is so motivating for kids. Maybe you

let them pick where to work for one assignment, they can sit at

their desk or under their desks or in the reading corner.

Just make sure that whatever choices you give them

are choices you can live with. Don't offer the choice to work

under their desks unless you're actually okay with kids crawling

around down there.

Yeah, you can only be the fun teacher, or if you're also

okay being the lay down the law teacher. For choice to work, you

have to hold students to high expectations. It's that warm

demander mentality that we were talking about. I don't know if

that was last week or two weeks ago. So it'd be saying like, Oh,

it sounds like you're playing under your desk instead of

working, so time to move back to your chair. You can decide if

you want to give the student a second chance after a few

minutes, or if it's just better for them to be done for the day.

With classroom structure, the boundaries are clear for

students. Adding spark, however, can come with some boundary

pushing. Kids naturally want to see how far they can go,

because, as we like to say here on the podcast, the minimum

standard of behavior in any classroom is, what can the

students get away with?

The potential payoff from adding spark to your day is

worth some hassle, but also be willing to walk it back if it

sends your kids into overwhelm. And if a big choice like

choosing where in the room to work is too big for your

students to handle, just keep it small.

Yeah, even something like letting students choose between

solving their math problem on a whiteboard or on a sticky note,

can make the whole day feel fresh and exciting. Either way,

they're doing their work, which is a win for you, but the kids

feel like they got a treat, which is a win for them.

And that brings us to the fifth way to add spark to your

day, and that is to solve something. Kids love a good

mystery or challenge. So start phonics with a riddle, or

present your science lesson as a problem that they need to figure

out.

You could write clues on the board and have them guess

what today's vocabulary word will be, or create a simple

classroom mystery, like someone has stolen our pencil sharpener.

Let's examine the evidence.

A great way to add a little mystery in math is to

give students story problems with no numbers. You can cover

up the numbers in the problem or just leave a blank space. At the

park, Devin saw some birds in a tree and some in the grass. How

many more birds were in the tree than in the grass?

Because the students are missing key information, their

brains are much more interested in figuring things out, instead

of just solving for a quick answer. And if you have taught

this type of story problem before, that is especially

helpful, because when they hear how many more, how often do kids

just jump to addition, even though it's a subtraction

problem?

Yeah.

This bit of mystery slows everybody down and it gets them

thinking before you reveal the numbers.

Solving something can also look like meeting a

challenge. Activities like finish before the timer beeps,

find three mistakes in my work, or solve the puzzle before the

bell can be extremely motivating.

Just make sure that you've included accommodations

for any learners who might find this type of activity more

pressure than pleasant. We don't want to stress kids out in the

name of having fun.

You really don't have to add something big to spark

curiosity. Even small surprises signal, Hey, pay attention,

something different is happening here.

But while you are adding these moments of spark to your

day, you also want to keep an eye out for any early warning

signs that your structure might also need some attention. As our

procedures become routines, little cracks can start to show.

Think of these as your check engine lights. Yes, you

can probably drive for a while with that light on, but

eventually you're going to have bigger problems if you don't

deal with it soon.

And it's the same thing in your classroom. If you notice

that you are giving the same reminders over and over and

over, or the same kids keep making the same mistakes with

procedures, that is your warning light blinking.

For example, maybe morning work completion is

getting sloppy. A few kids aren't finishing, others are

rushing through without thinking. It's easy to just

remind those kids individually and keep moving.

But if you find this happening, step back and really

look. If it really is just a couple of kids, you can find

ways to support them individually. But if it's more

widespread, that's your signal to hit the brakes and reteach.

I know the last thing any of us wants to do is go

backwards and reteach something we covered in detail just a few

weeks ago, but trust us, taking two days to reset expectations

now will save you weeks of frustration later.

When I taught second grade, I learned this the hard

way. I would notice my morning routine getting a little loose

about this time of year. And I would think, Oh, I know they've

got it. They're just being kids. They'll settle in and things

will be fine. But a few weeks later, my whole morning would be

chaotic, because when one piece goes, it takes the whole system

down with it.

This is not the fun part of teaching. And the kids don't

enjoy it any more than you do, but when they know exactly

what's expected, kids are free to focus on learning, instead of

trying to figure out the rules or figure out a way around the

rules.

So as you navigate this mid-September transition,

remember that what's happening is totally normal. It's a signal

that your new students are ready for the next level.

Keep those solid routines, that structure is

still super important, but start sprinkling in some small

surprises and choices and pay attention to the warning signs

before they become bigger issues.

These aren't huge overhauls, they're just tiny

tweaks that can make a big difference in keeping your

students engaged as you settle into your school year rhythm.

And if you want more ideas for increasing engagement at the

start of the year, make sure to go back and check out episode

156.

We'd love to hear how you handle the September slump. 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 tip is about getting ahead on

parent communication by scheduling emails now. So tell

us about this, Heidi.

Well, this one is such a time saver. If you know you're

going to need to send the same type of email to parents

multiple times throughout the year, sit down and draft those

emails now. So for example, if you do a star student each week,

just draft the email. Your child will be star student in two

weeks, please send me a photo for their poster by Friday, and

then schedule it to send two weeks before each child's turn.

You can do the same thing for field trip permission slips,

conference sign ups, or any regular parent communication.

Draft the email once, then schedule when it needs to go

out.

Now if you want some bonus points, cc yourself on

these emails. That way you get a copy in your inbox as a reminder

that the email went out and that you should expect responses.

Oh so smart. This is a great way to save time and make

sure you stay on top of important communication. Most

email systems let you schedule messages. You just compose the

email like normal, then look for the option to schedule it

instead of sending immediately.

The key to making this work is having your important

dates mapped out ahead of time. If you know when your

conferences are, when field trips are happening, or any

special events that are coming up, like dress up days, you can

definitely schedule those reminder emails now.

This same system works for positive communication too.

Maybe you want to send a 'great job this week' email to three

different parents throughout the month. Draft those emails now

and schedule them to go out when you want.

This way parents get the information with plenty of

notice, and you're not spending Sunday nights frantically

writing emails. So I think this is a win all around.

Yeah, maybe you want to consider setting aside one of

your planning times this week to set up your scheduled emails for

the next month or two, and your future self will be so grateful

if you do.

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 new game from the New

York Times that's called Pips. It has a cute name, and it's a

cute game. It's a game where you rotate dominoes to fit into a

game board, but there are certain parts of the board that

have conditions, like all of the numbers in a certain part of the

board must be the same, or certain squares must be greater

than or less than a specific number. It kind of reminds me

of, like the logical rules of playing Sudoku, but this is

probably more fun. Yeah, I'd say this is more fun. Especially

because it's like visual and they have three levels of

difficulty that you can play each day. So it's a new fun

addition to my daily puzzle schedule.

I could see this being really popular with older

students, like this would be a perfect math warm up.

For sure, yeah.

Might have to build up to the harder level.

Yes, those take a little bit more brain power.

Yes, that is a very fun addition to what the New York

Times has offer. I'm just bitter that they locked up the mini

crossword. It's fine. It's fine. I'll get over it.

I know, I'm so sorry, and I subscribe, but only because it

was only $5 a month. When that expires, if they want me to pay

more, I probably won't pay more, but I'm willing to pay $5 a

month to get to play the mini every day. What are you giving

extra credit to, Heidi?

Well, I'm giving extra credit to simmer pots. Now that

it is finally cooling down, I'm leaning into all things cozy and

fall. I love having a pretty pot bubbling away on my stove, and I

have been preparing.

Wow.

So during this summer, I used my air fryer, oh my gosh, I

can't believe I did this. I used my air fryer to dehydrate lemon

and orange slices for this moment.

Oh my gosh, Martha Stewart.

I know pretty much. Now, did this make a task of slicing

fruit 4000 times harder and more complicated than it should have

been? Yes. But it means that I can make a simmer pot anytime

the mood strikes, even if I don't have fruit on hand. And

that was always the hang up for me. I was like, oh, this would

be the perfect day to have, you know, some orange and cinnamon

going on the stove. I don't have any oranges.

Uh huh.

So I was like, oh, add it to the grocery order and then

get it a week later, and that, you know. So this way I'm

totally prepared. Now, I did a little investigating, Heidi

science corner here. So I did an orange, dehydrated it, and put

it on the stove, and it did not have any scent.

Oh, no!

I was very bummed. But then I did a fresh one in it

also did not have any scent in a simmer pot. Like, if, if I put

my face right in it, like close enough that I was having to hold

my hair back so it didn't catch on fire, like that close, then

it had some orange scent to it. But the fresh ones didn't smell

any stronger than a dehydrated orange. So I just now I'm using

it for esthetics, although I did then get some orange oil in

there. So we'll see. I turned a simple task into a production.

But that is fully my MO. If you have been here for more than

five minutes, you know this about me. So this is where we're

at.

Well, it could have been this really awesome hack.

Well, it is, because, like, it's not pretty without

the citrus floating in there.

Oh, for sure. The only thing I hate is that, like, it

doesn't stay pretty for very long once you've put the the

fruit in, it all turns.

Especially if you do the cranberries ones.

Yes, yes, that's true. And I do usually do the one with

cranberries. If I did one without cranberries, I bet it

would hold up a little longer, but the oranges do turn into a

big mushy mush.

Yes, and we can tell, because we have glass simmer

pots for this.

Obviously.

And I did if, if anyone else is on this same kick, I did

put a link in the show notes so you can find one. But the one

that's the thing too, is not anything special, just look for

something that's about two liters, I found that's a good

size, because you need it big enough to hold all the bits and

pieces and then water.

Well, I feel like now is the moment to mention that if

you like this content about dehydrated fruit for simmer pots

in your pretty glass pots, then you would probably like our

podcast The Holiday Headstart, where we talk all about ideas

for making every day special, especially season changes and

the holidays. So come join us over there, if you like this

riveting content.

Yes, that's how you will know if you like that podcast.

If this sounded interesting to you, that podcast is the place

for you.

You know what, if this doesn't sell that podcast, I

don't know what would.

Well, that is it for today's episode. Remember, the

September slump is completely normal, but you can make it work

for you and not against you by keeping routines steady and

adding small moments of surprise and delight.

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

You can connect with us and other teachers in the

episode.

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

Bye for now.

Bye.