1 00:00:00,990 --> 00:00:06,990 Heidi: This is episode 260 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:06,990 --> 00:00:09,960 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,740 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:13,740 --> 00:00:14,460 Heidi. 5 00:00:14,460 --> 00:00:17,610 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:17,610 --> 00:00:19,890 Window, where we give research-based and 7 00:00:19,890 --> 00:00:22,980 teacher-approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and 8 00:00:23,025 --> 00:00:26,445 more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources 9 00:00:26,445 --> 00:00:29,115 from each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:29,115 --> 00:00:32,175 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:32,175 --> 00:00:32,835 the show. 12 00:00:36,135 --> 00:00:39,975 Emily: Hey there, thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:39,975 --> 00:00:43,905 episode, we are talking about the first week of summer and how 14 00:00:43,905 --> 00:00:47,490 to actually decompress, plus we've got a teacher-approved tip 15 00:00:47,490 --> 00:00:50,970 for soaking up the full sensory experience of summer. 16 00:00:50,970 --> 00:00:53,880 Heidi: But first, let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we 17 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:55,830 share a quick one that you can try in your classroom right 18 00:00:55,830 --> 00:00:58,770 away. Emily, what is our suggestion this week? 19 00:00:58,770 --> 00:01:01,920 Emily: This week, we've got a couch task for you. You know we 20 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,270 love a couch task. Spend five minutes decluttering your 21 00:01:06,270 --> 00:01:10,725 teaching Pinterest boards, or your saved TikToks, or those 22 00:01:10,725 --> 00:01:13,845 Instagram posts that you've been hoarding all year. Just go 23 00:01:13,845 --> 00:01:16,425 through and delete the ideas that now you realize you are 24 00:01:16,425 --> 00:01:19,875 never actually going to use, and that way you can easily find the 25 00:01:19,875 --> 00:01:22,665 good ideas when you need them. 26 00:01:22,665 --> 00:01:24,825 Heidi: Right. This is such an important step if you're going 27 00:01:24,825 --> 00:01:27,825 to save ideas, because you got to look for that one anchor 28 00:01:27,825 --> 00:01:31,185 chart idea, and then you have to scroll through 400 activities 29 00:01:31,185 --> 00:01:34,980 that seem awesome, but you know you, you're never actually going 30 00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:38,580 to use these. So just trim the dead weight, keep what's 31 00:01:38,580 --> 00:01:41,940 exciting but still feels reasonable, and then just delete 32 00:01:41,940 --> 00:01:45,210 what isn't serving you anymore. It makes your saved content way 33 00:01:45,210 --> 00:01:46,440 more useful. 34 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,350 Emily: Plus, it is also weirdly satisfying, because it's like 35 00:01:49,350 --> 00:01:52,140 cleaning out your purse. You don't realize how much clutter 36 00:01:52,140 --> 00:01:54,420 you're carrying around until you take some of it out, and then 37 00:01:54,420 --> 00:01:56,295 when you do, it's like such a big win. 38 00:01:56,385 --> 00:01:58,005 Heidi: Yes, it's like a whole new system. 39 00:01:58,005 --> 00:01:59,115 Emily: Yes. 40 00:01:59,115 --> 00:02:01,785 Heidi: Well, if you like this idea, or anything else we share 41 00:02:01,785 --> 00:02:04,125 here on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a 42 00:02:04,125 --> 00:02:07,785 five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify? 43 00:02:07,785 --> 00:02:10,365 Ratings and reviews help new listeners find us, so every one 44 00:02:10,365 --> 00:02:12,075 really helps. 45 00:02:12,075 --> 00:02:16,365 Okay, everyone, happy June 1. We know some of you lucky souls are 46 00:02:16,365 --> 00:02:20,310 starting your second, or maybe your third week of summer break. 47 00:02:20,310 --> 00:02:23,580 Emily: But some of you still have three or more weeks to the 48 00:02:23,580 --> 00:02:24,660 finish line. 49 00:02:24,660 --> 00:02:26,280 Heidi: Oh, that's rough. 50 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:28,890 Emily: But they will still be at the beach when the early out 51 00:02:28,890 --> 00:02:32,700 crowd is heading back in July, so it all kind of evens out. 52 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:35,780 Heidi: Yeah, I guess there's trade offs, but whether you are 53 00:02:35,780 --> 00:02:39,050 in those first golden days of break or your golden days are 54 00:02:39,050 --> 00:02:42,320 still just a distant bright spot on the calendar, summer is a 55 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:43,310 gift. 56 00:02:43,310 --> 00:02:45,440 Emily: The problem with this gift, though, is that it doesn't 57 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,110 come with any assembly instructions. 58 00:02:48,110 --> 00:02:51,020 Heidi: Yeah, you have been counting down for months, you've 59 00:02:51,020 --> 00:02:53,390 been telling yourself, if I can just make it to summer, 60 00:02:53,390 --> 00:02:56,705 everything will be fine. And then summer arrives, and you 61 00:02:56,705 --> 00:03:00,425 wake up on day one, and you have absolutely no idea what to do 62 00:03:00,425 --> 00:03:01,445 with yourself. 63 00:03:01,445 --> 00:03:04,745 Emily: So you do what any rational person would do, and 64 00:03:04,745 --> 00:03:08,705 you scroll your phone for a while, maybe you take a nap, you 65 00:03:08,705 --> 00:03:11,615 feel weirdly unsettled about something you can't quite name, 66 00:03:11,615 --> 00:03:15,335 and you wonder if you should be doing something more. 67 00:03:15,335 --> 00:03:18,170 Heidi: Or maybe you go the complete other direction. You 68 00:03:18,170 --> 00:03:21,140 decide that since you finally have time, you're going to clean 69 00:03:21,140 --> 00:03:23,660 out the garage, repaint the bathroom, and start lesson 70 00:03:23,660 --> 00:03:27,080 planning for next year. By day four, you're exhausted, your 71 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,230 house is half torn apart, and you still haven't done a single 72 00:03:30,230 --> 00:03:32,090 thing that feels like summer. 73 00:03:32,090 --> 00:03:36,050 Emily: Yeah, those are the two failure modes we're calling them 74 00:03:36,050 --> 00:03:39,920 guilty rest and the productivity trap, and it's easy to fall into 75 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:41,030 one or the other. 76 00:03:41,855 --> 00:03:45,815 Heidi: Or both. Honestly, both. You start with guilty rest, and 77 00:03:45,815 --> 00:03:48,335 then you panic about wasting your summer, and you swing hard 78 00:03:48,335 --> 00:03:51,485 into the productivity trap, and then you crash again. It's a 79 00:03:51,485 --> 00:03:52,265 whole cycle. 80 00:03:52,295 --> 00:03:56,495 Emily: Yeah, we know that cycle well. When we were both still 81 00:03:56,495 --> 00:04:00,395 teaching, we had plenty of summers where we came home from 82 00:04:00,395 --> 00:04:02,735 the last day of school, and collapsed on the couch for, you 83 00:04:02,735 --> 00:04:06,200 know, two weeks, and not in a restful way. In the I literally 84 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,110 cannot make a decision about what to do with myself way, and 85 00:04:09,110 --> 00:04:12,020 you just kind of become a vegetable on the couch. 86 00:04:12,020 --> 00:04:14,000 Heidi: Yes, become part of the couch. 87 00:04:14,030 --> 00:04:14,540 Emily: Yep. 88 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,390 Heidi: It was a combination of being so depleted that we 89 00:04:17,390 --> 00:04:20,930 couldn't function and not knowing what to do that was 90 00:04:20,930 --> 00:04:25,370 productive, but still gentle. So we just defaulted to zoning out 91 00:04:25,370 --> 00:04:27,710 until we could stand the thought of starting to think about the 92 00:04:27,755 --> 00:04:28,985 next school year. 93 00:04:28,985 --> 00:04:32,075 Emily: And then we dove in with fire. We had a whole system 94 00:04:32,075 --> 00:04:34,835 where we spent mornings working in Heidi's room, and then 95 00:04:34,835 --> 00:04:38,165 switched to my room after lunch, because I had a swamp cooler on 96 00:04:38,165 --> 00:04:40,655 my room, and Heidi had no air conditioner. 97 00:04:40,655 --> 00:04:43,865 Heidi: Yeah, and calling it a cooler is a stretch. The word 98 00:04:43,865 --> 00:04:47,705 cool. Of course, you know, the front office had AC, but the 99 00:04:47,705 --> 00:04:50,615 rest of the building was just, we're just at the mercy of that 100 00:04:50,645 --> 00:04:52,700 humidifying swamp cooler. 101 00:04:52,730 --> 00:04:55,370 Emily: I can feel the stickiness now. 102 00:04:55,790 --> 00:04:56,000 Heidi: Yeah. 103 00:04:56,270 --> 00:04:59,240 Emily: Don't miss that. But no matter your default approach to 104 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:03,200 summer, having a plan helps, so we are offering a third option 105 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,860 today. No guilty rest, no productive overhaul. We're going 106 00:05:06,860 --> 00:05:07,850 to do something in between. 107 00:05:07,850 --> 00:05:12,020 Heidi: Now, before you feel any pressure set in, let us reassure 108 00:05:12,020 --> 00:05:15,365 you that this is not about getting stuff done. To borrow 109 00:05:15,365 --> 00:05:19,145 one of Phoebe's great quotes from Friends, this isn't a plan, 110 00:05:19,475 --> 00:05:22,835 this isn't even a pluh, it's just a way to give the first 111 00:05:22,835 --> 00:05:26,315 week of summer some intentional handholds, so you don't lose it 112 00:05:26,315 --> 00:05:28,055 to drift or guilt. 113 00:05:28,055 --> 00:05:30,125 Emily: And if you're already on your break, that's fine, just 114 00:05:30,125 --> 00:05:33,185 start where you are, we are totally flexible here. 115 00:05:33,185 --> 00:05:35,165 Heidi: And if you've got a while to go to your break, just save 116 00:05:35,165 --> 00:05:36,545 this for later, it will come in handy. 117 00:05:37,410 --> 00:05:41,880 Okay, day one of your break, the prompt is to close in style. 118 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,100 Your nervous system needs a signal that something has 119 00:05:44,100 --> 00:05:48,330 actually changed. You've spent the last 180 days walking into 120 00:05:48,330 --> 00:05:51,810 the same building and doing the same things. If you close out 121 00:05:51,810 --> 00:05:54,420 that last day of school the exact same way you closed out 122 00:05:54,420 --> 00:05:58,500 yesterday, your brain doesn't really clock that anything is 123 00:05:58,500 --> 00:05:59,190 different. 124 00:05:59,190 --> 00:06:02,115 Emily: So, let's mark the occasion. If you're low in 125 00:06:02,115 --> 00:06:05,505 energy, do the action hero version. Drop your teacher bag 126 00:06:05,505 --> 00:06:08,355 in the hall closet, then shut the door and walk away like 127 00:06:08,355 --> 00:06:11,775 you're an action hero walking away from an explosion. Do not 128 00:06:11,775 --> 00:06:15,105 look back, the bag is dead to you now. 129 00:06:15,105 --> 00:06:17,715 Heidi: Just take out any dirty dishes first, because I know I 130 00:06:17,715 --> 00:06:19,215 would make that mistake. 131 00:06:19,215 --> 00:06:21,315 Emily: Yeah, don't leave your lunchbox in there, that'll be 132 00:06:21,315 --> 00:06:21,765 sad. 133 00:06:22,515 --> 00:06:25,440 Heidi: Yeah, please avoid that. But if you really want to 134 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,200 celebrate your moment of freedom, you could even turn on 135 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,940 an epic song as your personal soundtrack. I checked, and I 136 00:06:32,940 --> 00:06:36,660 found a playlist on Spotify called Songs to Walk Away from 137 00:06:36,660 --> 00:06:41,730 an Explosion in Slow Motion, and I am partial to Seven Nation 138 00:06:41,730 --> 00:06:45,375 Army, but I think this playlist has convinced me to try some 139 00:06:45,375 --> 00:06:47,835 Fleetwood Mac. It kind of has a good pep to it. 140 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:52,010 Emily: Okay, well, of course, there is a playlist. I love it. 141 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,460 So, I guess we'll link to that in the show notes, but do be 142 00:06:55,460 --> 00:06:58,250 aware that some of the songs are not kid-friendly, so be careful 143 00:06:58,250 --> 00:07:02,060 if your epic moment will have an audience. Maybe put your 144 00:07:02,060 --> 00:07:03,260 headphones in. This is just for you. 145 00:07:05,180 --> 00:07:08,030 Heidi: And if you have some energy left after your dramatic 146 00:07:08,030 --> 00:07:11,165 walk away, round up some teacher friends, hit the pool, or go out 147 00:07:11,165 --> 00:07:14,735 to dinner, whatever marking the occasion looks like to you. 148 00:07:14,735 --> 00:07:17,585 Emily: But you really don't have to do anything big. It just has 149 00:07:17,585 --> 00:07:22,985 to feel like a signal. The point is to put a period on the year, 150 00:07:22,985 --> 00:07:25,865 to end the day differently than every other day has ended for 151 00:07:25,865 --> 00:07:27,455 the last nine months. 152 00:07:27,455 --> 00:07:30,695 Heidi: And that's our whole goal for day one. On day two, it's 153 00:07:30,695 --> 00:07:34,880 time to write your I can finally list. 154 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,670 Emily: I love this, because making a list makes me feel like 155 00:07:37,670 --> 00:07:41,300 I'm doing something productive, but this list, the stakes could 156 00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:44,780 not be lower on this list. You sit down and you make a list of 157 00:07:44,780 --> 00:07:48,290 everything you can do now. You can finally drink your coffee 158 00:07:48,290 --> 00:07:51,380 while it's still hot. You can finally go to the bathroom 159 00:07:51,380 --> 00:07:54,920 whenever you want to. You can finally meet a friend for lunch 160 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:56,030 on a Tuesday. 161 00:07:56,975 --> 00:07:58,865 Heidi: And it's okay if they sound really small. That's the 162 00:07:58,865 --> 00:08:02,465 point. The list isn't supposed to be impressive. It's just 163 00:08:02,465 --> 00:08:05,345 supposed to name all of the tiny things that you have been 164 00:08:05,345 --> 00:08:09,215 deferring for months, because when you put them on paper, you 165 00:08:09,215 --> 00:08:13,175 realize how many of them there are, and that makes that shift 166 00:08:13,175 --> 00:08:16,355 from school year mode to summer mode feel real. 167 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,300 Emily: And if you're in the teacher-approved club this 168 00:08:18,420 --> 00:08:22,070 month, we have a printable I can finally list waiting for you in 169 00:08:22,130 --> 00:08:25,220 your member resources as part of our tired teacher summer 170 00:08:25,460 --> 00:08:28,820 planner. So, if writing it out on a fresh piece of paper feels 171 00:08:28,940 --> 00:08:31,790 nicer than scrolling it on the back of an envelope, we got you. 172 00:08:32,390 --> 00:08:34,460 We will have the link in the show notes if you want to check 173 00:08:34,490 --> 00:08:35,420 it out in the club. 174 00:08:36,560 --> 00:08:39,710 Heidi: Now, day three's task is to close the loops, and this one 175 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,910 sounds slightly less fun, but stick with us, because it pays 176 00:08:43,090 --> 00:08:43,150 off. 177 00:08:43,660 --> 00:08:46,720 Emily: This is when you do a brain dump of every open school 178 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,210 task that's floating around in your head. The thing you forgot 179 00:08:49,210 --> 00:08:51,940 to email the office about, the kid you wanted to follow up 180 00:08:51,940 --> 00:08:55,990 with, the supplies you need to reorder for next year. Just get 181 00:08:55,990 --> 00:08:58,300 it out of your brain and onto paper. 182 00:08:58,300 --> 00:09:01,720 Heidi: We're calling this the loose ends list, and you don't 183 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,080 have to do any of it. You just have to decide when you're going 184 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,695 to deal with it. Urgent things can go in the do now column, 185 00:09:08,695 --> 00:09:12,145 less urgent stuff goes in the do later column, and then anything 186 00:09:12,145 --> 00:09:14,785 you decide that really isn't that important can go in the let 187 00:09:14,785 --> 00:09:15,895 go column. 188 00:09:15,895 --> 00:09:18,475 Emily: The reason this matters is that those open loops are 189 00:09:18,475 --> 00:09:21,865 what nag at you while you're trying to relax. Your brain 190 00:09:21,865 --> 00:09:24,865 keeps pulling them up, like, hey, remember this, hey, what 191 00:09:24,865 --> 00:09:28,765 about this one? Once they have a home, your brain can let them 192 00:09:28,765 --> 00:09:32,560 rest. It is a small step, but it makes a huge difference in how 193 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:34,960 restful the rest of summer feels. 194 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,470 Heidi: And club members, we have a sortable list for this in your 195 00:09:38,470 --> 00:09:41,560 member resources too. It's in the same place as the I can 196 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:43,180 finally list. 197 00:09:43,180 --> 00:09:46,510 Emily: Day four's task is to reconnect with fun, plan 198 00:09:46,510 --> 00:09:49,810 something fun for this day, whatever fun means to you. 199 00:09:49,810 --> 00:09:52,180 Heidi: If that seems like a tough ask, because you have 200 00:09:52,180 --> 00:09:56,005 forgotten what fun feels like, that's okay. Pick something that 201 00:09:56,005 --> 00:09:59,815 used to be fun, or something that sounds fun in theory, and 202 00:09:59,815 --> 00:10:03,625 try it. Maybe that's rounding up friends for a hike, or maybe an 203 00:10:03,625 --> 00:10:06,805 afternoon of jigsaw puzzling with snacks is more your speed. 204 00:10:06,805 --> 00:10:10,435 Whatever is enjoyable for you is the right answer. 205 00:10:10,420 --> 00:10:13,300 Emily: Jigsaw puzzling is definitely more my speed than 206 00:10:13,300 --> 00:10:18,010 hiking, but just remember, fun is not a luxury, it's actually 207 00:10:18,010 --> 00:10:21,580 how you recover. So, you're not being self-indulgent by planning 208 00:10:21,580 --> 00:10:25,150 a fun day, you're helping your system recuperate after being in 209 00:10:25,150 --> 00:10:27,520 high gear for so many months. 210 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,450 Heidi: On day five, it's time for a creative nudge. This is 211 00:10:31,450 --> 00:10:33,640 about waking up the parts of your brain that get turned off 212 00:10:33,685 --> 00:10:36,235 during the school year. When you're teaching, you are 213 00:10:36,235 --> 00:10:39,775 constantly managing logistics and putting out fires. The 214 00:10:39,775 --> 00:10:42,475 creative, playful parts of your brain don't get a lot of air 215 00:10:42,475 --> 00:10:44,785 time, so they get a little rusty. 216 00:10:44,785 --> 00:10:47,995 Emily: Let's turn one of those channels back on. Is there an 217 00:10:47,995 --> 00:10:51,805 old hobby you keep meaning to get back to, or a new thing 218 00:10:51,805 --> 00:10:54,625 you've been curious about? Maybe you want to pull out the 219 00:10:54,625 --> 00:10:57,850 watercolors you bought three years ago, try that recipe 220 00:10:57,850 --> 00:11:00,790 you've been saving, or buy a fresh notebook and just doodle 221 00:11:00,790 --> 00:11:01,750 in it. 222 00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:04,210 Heidi: And again, this is not supposed to be ambitious. If you 223 00:11:04,210 --> 00:11:07,000 spend an hour doing it and decide it's not for you, that is 224 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,840 fine. The point is the trying, not the outcome. 225 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,750 Emily: Okay. Day six, and it's our favorite. Your very 226 00:11:13,750 --> 00:11:17,050 important job for this day is to give yourself one indulgence. 227 00:11:17,050 --> 00:11:19,030 Pick something that you would normally feel guilty for 228 00:11:19,075 --> 00:11:21,385 enjoying, and lean all the way in. 229 00:11:22,380 --> 00:11:24,750 Heidi: If you're not sure where to start, you can try borrowing 230 00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:28,710 a tradition from Iceland and plan an Isbiltur. I think that's 231 00:11:28,710 --> 00:11:33,210 how you say it, and that is an ice cream road trip. I love that 232 00:11:33,210 --> 00:11:36,870 they have a culture around this. Pick the best ice cream shops 233 00:11:36,870 --> 00:11:40,290 within driving distance and visit one, or you know, go big, 234 00:11:40,290 --> 00:11:42,690 hit three of them in one afternoon, but if you're gonna 235 00:11:42,690 --> 00:11:44,550 do that, maybe just skip the double scoops. 236 00:11:45,090 --> 00:11:47,775 Emily: Yeah, I would need to remember the lactaid. 237 00:11:47,775 --> 00:11:49,335 Heidi: Oh, definitely. 238 00:11:49,335 --> 00:11:51,675 Emily: Or spend the whole day catching up on The Real 239 00:11:51,675 --> 00:11:55,125 Housewives in your pajamas, maybe with a charcuterie board. 240 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,820 Heidi: Or read a romance novel cover to cover, or stay up way 241 00:11:57,820 --> 00:12:00,820 too late watching movies, or get a really nice coffee and drive 242 00:12:00,820 --> 00:12:02,380 around with the music up. 243 00:12:02,380 --> 00:12:04,840 Emily: And here's why this matters. The thing that makes 244 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,850 most of these activities not feel restful is the guilt. You 245 00:12:09,850 --> 00:12:13,270 watch four hours of TV, and you feel terrible because you should 246 00:12:13,270 --> 00:12:15,880 have been doing something productive. You eat the ice 247 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:17,980 cream, and you feel bad about it later. 248 00:12:18,025 --> 00:12:20,845 Heidi: But making a planned exception to your normal 249 00:12:20,845 --> 00:12:24,385 standards just takes the guilt off the table. If you wake up on 250 00:12:24,385 --> 00:12:27,775 day six and you've already decided today, I have permission 251 00:12:27,775 --> 00:12:31,675 to enjoy this thing I love, no judgment allowed, it transforms 252 00:12:31,675 --> 00:12:34,555 the experience. The same activity that would have left 253 00:12:34,555 --> 00:12:37,885 you feeling gross now feels restorative. 254 00:12:37,885 --> 00:12:40,225 Emily: Okay, we've made it to the end of our first week. It's 255 00:12:40,225 --> 00:12:44,590 day seven, and today's task is to peek ahead at the rest of the 256 00:12:44,590 --> 00:12:48,220 summer and start thinking about what you want to get out of it. 257 00:12:48,220 --> 00:12:50,680 Heidi: But we're not going to talk about making a bucket list. 258 00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:54,790 Instead, we are going to make a joy list. Dee Michelle Perry 259 00:12:54,790 --> 00:12:58,240 posted about this on Instagram, and we think she nailed it. So 260 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,540 I'm just going to read what she said. "Bucket lists can start to 261 00:13:01,540 --> 00:13:05,095 feel like to do lists, and I don't need any more to do lists. 262 00:13:05,125 --> 00:13:09,055 They can be overly aspirational too. I want my seasons to be 263 00:13:09,055 --> 00:13:11,755 about where my attention is placed, not what I have 264 00:13:11,755 --> 00:13:16,315 achieved. Social media comparisonitis is a real thing. 265 00:13:16,315 --> 00:13:19,285 That's why I'm creating a monthly joy list that's 266 00:13:19,285 --> 00:13:22,825 accessible, adaptable, affordable, and creates 267 00:13:22,825 --> 00:13:25,825 anticipation for things to look forward to each month." 268 00:13:25,825 --> 00:13:29,470 Emily: Yes, and that's the goal, right? Bucket lists, man, they 269 00:13:29,470 --> 00:13:32,980 can turn into to-do lists, and then we feel like we failed if 270 00:13:32,980 --> 00:13:35,860 we didn't check off enough of them by Labor Day, which is why 271 00:13:35,860 --> 00:13:39,580 I always refuse to make a summer bucket list with my kids, 272 00:13:39,580 --> 00:13:43,030 because I just know it will hang over me all summer, but a joy 273 00:13:43,030 --> 00:13:44,530 list is different. 274 00:13:44,530 --> 00:13:47,620 Heidi: Yeah, a joy list is, what would I love to pay attention to 275 00:13:47,620 --> 00:13:51,505 this summer, not, what would I love to accomplish. Just think 276 00:13:51,505 --> 00:13:54,205 about the things you want to notice and do, and taste, and 277 00:13:54,205 --> 00:13:55,555 spend time on. 278 00:13:55,555 --> 00:13:58,675 Emily: And those four words from her post are so useful: 279 00:13:58,885 --> 00:14:01,915 accessible, adaptable, affordable, and creates 280 00:14:01,915 --> 00:14:04,735 anticipation. Your summer doesn't have to look like the 281 00:14:04,735 --> 00:14:07,375 summer you see online. 282 00:14:07,375 --> 00:14:10,465 Heidi: Yeah, there's no summer police. You're not failing if 283 00:14:10,465 --> 00:14:13,405 you don't go on a trip or host a backyard party or do whatever 284 00:14:13,405 --> 00:14:16,180 else the algorithm is currently telling you summer's supposed to 285 00:14:16,180 --> 00:14:19,630 be. Make the right summer for you. 286 00:14:19,630 --> 00:14:21,550 Emily: And we're going to be coming back to this idea of 287 00:14:21,550 --> 00:14:24,610 designing your summer in our next few episodes, so stay tuned 288 00:14:24,610 --> 00:14:28,390 for that. But first, let's recap our summer decompression plan. 289 00:14:28,390 --> 00:14:32,500 Day one, close in style. Day two, write your I can finally 290 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:36,595 list. Day three, close the loops. Day four, reconnect with 291 00:14:36,595 --> 00:14:40,765 fun. Day five, revisit creativity. Day six, do one 292 00:14:40,765 --> 00:14:44,845 indulgent thing, and day seven, peek ahead and make a joylist. 293 00:14:45,445 --> 00:14:47,275 Heidi: You don't have to do these in order, and you don't 294 00:14:47,275 --> 00:14:50,395 have to do all of them. If you are already into summer break, 295 00:14:50,395 --> 00:14:53,815 start with whatever makes the most sense for where you are. 296 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,270 Emily: And if you still have a few weeks until the end, use 297 00:14:56,270 --> 00:14:59,510 this episode to get your wheels turning. What do you want the 298 00:14:59,510 --> 00:15:02,390 start of your break to look like? Give yourself something to 299 00:15:02,390 --> 00:15:05,450 look forward to as you calm overhyper children and inventory 300 00:15:05,450 --> 00:15:07,160 all your cupboards. 301 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,040 Heidi: If this idea resonates with you, you might already be 302 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,980 thinking about how to bring more intention to every season, not 303 00:15:12,980 --> 00:15:15,830 just summer. And that's the heart of our upcoming book, 304 00:15:15,830 --> 00:15:19,145 Structure and Spark. It's the framework for letting each 305 00:15:19,145 --> 00:15:22,565 season of the school year work for you, not against you. And 306 00:15:22,565 --> 00:15:25,295 it's available for pre-order now. The link is in the show 307 00:15:25,295 --> 00:15:27,905 notes, if you want to take a look. 308 00:15:27,905 --> 00:15:30,185 Emily: Now for our teacher-approved tip of the 309 00:15:30,185 --> 00:15:32,915 week, where we share an actionable tip to help you 310 00:15:32,915 --> 00:15:36,095 elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week's 311 00:15:36,095 --> 00:15:40,310 teacher-approved tip is to make a summer sensorium. Tell us 312 00:15:40,310 --> 00:15:41,090 about it, Heidi. 313 00:15:41,090 --> 00:15:43,520 Heidi: Well, we have talked about this before, back in 314 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:47,780 episodes 134 and 199. But since it happens to be summer again, 315 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:52,460 how is it summer again? I'm so confused, but it is summer, says 316 00:15:52,460 --> 00:15:56,630 the calendar and the weather outside, and my allergies, but 317 00:15:56,630 --> 00:16:00,050 that makes this the perfect time to revisit this idea. So, a 318 00:16:00,050 --> 00:16:04,415 quick refresher on what a sensorium is. Your sensorium is 319 00:16:04,415 --> 00:16:08,105 your different sensory perceptions taken as a whole. So 320 00:16:08,105 --> 00:16:10,865 your brain takes the inputs from each of your senses and 321 00:16:10,865 --> 00:16:13,745 assembles them into your perceived experiences of a 322 00:16:13,745 --> 00:16:17,495 moment, or you know, a day, or the whole season. So, if you 323 00:16:17,495 --> 00:16:21,395 want a summer that actually feels like summer and not just 324 00:16:21,395 --> 00:16:24,815 three months that happened, you have to intentionally include 325 00:16:24,815 --> 00:16:28,100 the sensory inputs that make it feel that way. 326 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,480 Emily: And that's actually a really fun exercise, because you 327 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,360 just need to take a minute to think about your favorite summer 328 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:38,620 sights and sounds and textures, tastes and smells, then decide 329 00:16:38,620 --> 00:16:40,570 how to include them in your plans. 330 00:16:40,570 --> 00:16:43,570 Heidi: Yeah, think about how enriched you'll feel after a 331 00:16:43,570 --> 00:16:47,110 summer of sweet, drippy watermelon and chlorine-scented 332 00:16:47,110 --> 00:16:51,190 kids and twinkling fireflies and backyard dance parties and 333 00:16:51,190 --> 00:16:52,585 walking in the grass. 334 00:16:52,585 --> 00:16:55,225 Emily: This is the magic of summer, and none of those things 335 00:16:55,225 --> 00:16:58,675 require a big expense or a big plan. They're all just sensory 336 00:16:58,675 --> 00:17:02,125 experiences that you can fold into a regular Tuesday, and it 337 00:17:02,125 --> 00:17:05,155 ensures that you're really savoring the full scope of what 338 00:17:05,155 --> 00:17:08,125 the season has to offer. So, make yourself a summer 339 00:17:08,125 --> 00:17:12,055 sensorium. You can jot it down on a piece of paper, or Teacher 340 00:17:12,055 --> 00:17:15,355 Approved Club members, you can use the sensorium page in our 341 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,590 summer planner. 342 00:17:17,590 --> 00:17:19,810 Heidi: All right, to wrap up the show, we are showing what we're 343 00:17:19,810 --> 00:17:22,240 giving extra credit to. Emily, what gets your extra credit this 344 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:22,840 week? 345 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:27,910 Emily: Okay, I'm giving extra credit to a foldable silicone 346 00:17:27,910 --> 00:17:32,560 sink topper. So, I have a broken sink. I have two sinks in my 347 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:34,870 bathroom, and one of them has a crack, and I need to deal with 348 00:17:34,870 --> 00:17:37,825 that, but I haven't. So, the water is turned off to it, so 349 00:17:37,825 --> 00:17:41,275 it's not being used for anything. And one of my 350 00:17:41,275 --> 00:17:44,005 daughters has also decided that that's where she likes to get 351 00:17:44,005 --> 00:17:47,125 ready, is in my bathroom, where there's room, but she was 352 00:17:47,125 --> 00:17:50,845 dropping things in the sink all the time, and just making a 353 00:17:50,845 --> 00:17:53,455 mess, and I was like, ah, more counter space would actually be 354 00:17:53,455 --> 00:17:56,725 more helpful. So this sink topper, it has holes in it, but 355 00:17:56,725 --> 00:17:58,855 they're not big enough for, like, your stuff to fall 356 00:17:58,855 --> 00:18:02,560 through, and you just put, you just put it out over the sink, 357 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,990 and they come in a couple different sizes, depending what 358 00:18:04,990 --> 00:18:07,570 size your sink is, and you suddenly have all this extra 359 00:18:07,570 --> 00:18:10,420 counter space, and it even has enough room that if you wanted 360 00:18:10,420 --> 00:18:12,100 to turn your sink on, you could. 361 00:18:12,220 --> 00:18:13,720 Heidi: Is it flat like a tray? 362 00:18:13,930 --> 00:18:15,820 Emily: It's flat like a tray. Yes, 363 00:18:15,820 --> 00:18:17,770 Heidi: I've been like picturing something that you curve that 364 00:18:17,770 --> 00:18:18,940 you like set in the sink. 365 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:22,720 Emily: No, no, no, no, it's flat, and it goes far enough out 366 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,785 from the side of this sink that it's sturdy enough that it can 367 00:18:26,785 --> 00:18:27,775 go across. 368 00:18:27,775 --> 00:18:28,255 Heidi: Oh, that's cool. 369 00:18:28,255 --> 00:18:31,465 Emily: You know, and stay sturdy. So, I think this would 370 00:18:31,465 --> 00:18:35,665 be helpful any place you need more counter space, especially 371 00:18:35,665 --> 00:18:39,235 if you only have one sink and a small counter, and you need a 372 00:18:39,235 --> 00:18:42,385 little extra space, or like in a half bathroom that just has one 373 00:18:42,385 --> 00:18:45,025 little sink, but someone needs to get ready in there, you just 374 00:18:45,025 --> 00:18:47,020 pop this out, and it's really easy to fold up and put it away, 375 00:18:47,050 --> 00:18:47,590 too. 376 00:18:47,590 --> 00:18:48,760 Heidi: Well, that's handy. 377 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:52,180 Emily: It is handy. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi? 378 00:18:52,180 --> 00:18:54,370 Heidi: Okay, well, this is much less handy, but I'm giving extra 379 00:18:54,370 --> 00:18:59,290 credit to the trend of romanticizing your life. It's in 380 00:18:59,290 --> 00:19:02,500 my algorithm, it's all over Instagram recently, and the idea 381 00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:06,100 is to just take your regular life, but make it feel like an 382 00:19:06,100 --> 00:19:10,210 event we're showing up for. And I love that thought, but you 383 00:19:10,210 --> 00:19:13,555 know, I'm busy, and it doesn't seem super practical. But I 384 00:19:13,555 --> 00:19:16,585 happened to see some mugs on sale at the store, and they had 385 00:19:16,585 --> 00:19:19,045 a cute one that was shaped like a teacup and decorated with 386 00:19:19,045 --> 00:19:22,525 tulips, so I grabbed it, and I use it to take my nighttime 387 00:19:22,525 --> 00:19:27,415 pills, and it really is just been the most fun little change 388 00:19:27,415 --> 00:19:32,905 up. It's like having a tea party with my melatonin. I even got, 389 00:19:32,965 --> 00:19:37,390 oh my gosh, I even got a fancy teaspoon, so now I stir glycine 390 00:19:37,390 --> 00:19:42,460 into my pill water, like I'm in Downton Abbey or something. 391 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,050 Emily: I love it. 392 00:19:44,540 --> 00:19:46,940 Heidi: I could have, like, I could have got a teacup, teacup, 393 00:19:46,940 --> 00:19:50,690 but I'm storing this in my bin with my pills, so I needed some, 394 00:19:50,750 --> 00:19:53,120 I swear a teacup wouldn't be sturdy enough, so the mug works 395 00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:56,120 perfectly, and it's just been just a little smile at the end 396 00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:56,840 of the day. I love it. 397 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,750 Emily: If you're really trying to feel like you're going back 398 00:19:59,750 --> 00:20:02,060 in time, you can pretend that you're stirring laudanum into 399 00:20:02,060 --> 00:20:02,570 your dream. 400 00:20:02,570 --> 00:20:06,620 Heidi: Oh, man, I would sleep so good after that. Way better than 401 00:20:06,620 --> 00:20:12,035 glycine and melatonin. Well, put that on the list, that'll be our 402 00:20:12,035 --> 00:20:13,385 next extra credit. 403 00:20:13,865 --> 00:20:15,125 Emily: No, it will not. 404 00:20:15,125 --> 00:20:18,185 Heidi: Okay, well, DM me for that one. 405 00:20:19,925 --> 00:20:23,645 That is it for today's episode. Get started on your 406 00:20:23,645 --> 00:20:26,645 decompression plan, or save this for whenever your summer 407 00:20:26,645 --> 00:20:27,665 actually starts. 408 00:20:27,965 --> 00:20:31,175 Emily: And don't forget about our book, Structure and Spark, 409 00:20:31,220 --> 00:20:34,790 that is available for pre-order. The link for that is in the show 410 00:20:34,790 --> 00:20:37,670 notes, and it is a great way to support us if we've ever helped 411 00:20:37,670 --> 00:20:41,300 you with the things that we share. 412 00:20:41,300 --> 00:20:44,570 Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm 413 00:20:44,570 --> 00:20:45,200 Heidi. 414 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,500 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 415 00:20:48,500 --> 00:20:51,020 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 416 00:20:51,020 --> 00:20:51,770 episode. 417 00:20:51,770 --> 00:20:54,215 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 418 00:20:54,215 --> 00:20:57,485 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 419 00:20:57,605 --> 00:20:58,385 Bye for now. 420 00:20:58,385 --> 00:20:59,255 Emily: Bye.