1 00:00:00,870 --> 00:00:05,700 Heidi: This is episode 280 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:05,700 --> 00:00:08,760 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,540 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:12,540 --> 00:00:13,260 Heidi. 5 00:00:13,260 --> 00:00:16,440 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,690 Window, where we give research-based and 7 00:00:18,690 --> 00:00:21,780 teacher-approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and 8 00:00:21,780 --> 00:00:25,245 more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources 9 00:00:25,245 --> 00:00:28,125 from each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:28,125 --> 00:00:31,005 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:31,005 --> 00:00:34,935 the show. 12 00:00:34,935 --> 00:00:38,175 Emily: Hey there! Thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:38,175 --> 00:00:41,475 episode, we're doing something a little different because our 14 00:00:41,475 --> 00:00:45,015 brand new book is releasing tomorrow, and in honor of that, 15 00:00:45,015 --> 00:00:48,690 we are looking back at four things we wish we had known a 16 00:00:48,690 --> 00:00:52,230 whole lot earlier in our teaching careers, and we've got 17 00:00:52,230 --> 00:00:54,930 a teacher-approved tip to make back-to-school season a little 18 00:00:54,930 --> 00:00:56,220 easier. 19 00:00:56,220 --> 00:00:59,820 Heidi: But first, let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we 20 00:00:59,820 --> 00:01:01,920 share a quick win that you can try in your classroom right 21 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,220 away. So, Emily, what is our suggestion for this week? 22 00:01:05,220 --> 00:01:07,620 Emily: Okay, this is a good one and it's super easy. So, this 23 00:01:07,620 --> 00:01:11,535 week, plan something to look forward to after the back to 24 00:01:11,535 --> 00:01:14,775 school chaos settles down. So, it doesn't have to be big. It 25 00:01:14,775 --> 00:01:18,795 could just be dinner out with a friend or buying a book that 26 00:01:18,795 --> 00:01:22,845 you've been wanting and then tucking it away to read after 27 00:01:22,845 --> 00:01:26,445 everything dies down. The first few weeks of school are so 28 00:01:26,445 --> 00:01:30,675 intense, and so it helps you to know that something good is is 29 00:01:30,675 --> 00:01:32,910 already on the schedule. It's coming later. You've got 30 00:01:32,910 --> 00:01:35,850 something to look forward to, even if it's small. 31 00:01:35,850 --> 00:01:39,720 Heidi: And the scheduling really is the key to making this work. 32 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,960 Even if you have to move your plans around later, at least 33 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:46,170 it's on the calendar. It's kind of like keeping your pieces on 34 00:01:46,170 --> 00:01:48,900 the game board, because here's what will happen: otherwise, 35 00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:51,180 you're going to get busy and you're going to forget, and then 36 00:01:51,180 --> 00:01:54,930 you will be sad. We don't want you to be sad. So pick something 37 00:01:54,930 --> 00:01:57,375 today and put it on the calendar. 38 00:01:57,375 --> 00:01:59,805 Emily: And if you like this idea or anything else we share here 39 00:01:59,805 --> 00:02:02,205 on the podcast, we would appreciate it so much if you 40 00:02:02,205 --> 00:02:05,595 just took a second and gave us a five star rating and review on 41 00:02:05,595 --> 00:02:09,675 Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. 42 00:02:09,675 --> 00:02:13,845 Heidi: Well, as Emily mentioned, today is our little book's 43 00:02:13,845 --> 00:02:18,105 birthday eve, and we are pretty excited. Tomorrow, our little 44 00:02:18,150 --> 00:02:20,250 book baby goes out into the world. 45 00:02:20,250 --> 00:02:22,950 Emily: I know. I can't believe it. Honestly, it still doesn't 46 00:02:22,950 --> 00:02:26,160 feel real, even though we've like held the books in our hands 47 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,810 because we started this so long ago. It was November of 2024 48 00:02:30,810 --> 00:02:33,450 that we started this. Honestly, even a little before that, 49 00:02:33,450 --> 00:02:36,420 because that's when you wrote up that book outline after we 50 00:02:36,420 --> 00:02:38,190 talked about that idea. 51 00:02:38,190 --> 00:02:40,920 Heidi: That was, like, September. So almost exactly two 52 00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:41,430 years ago. 53 00:02:41,430 --> 00:02:46,305 Emily: So weird, and you'd think that with all that time, we 54 00:02:46,305 --> 00:02:50,025 would have written it way early and had all this extra time to 55 00:02:50,025 --> 00:02:52,755 spare. And that is that is not what happened. 56 00:02:53,175 --> 00:02:56,565 Heidi: Yeah, yeah, you would think that. But we finished just 57 00:02:56,565 --> 00:02:59,265 under the wire, same as always. 58 00:02:59,265 --> 00:03:01,905 Emily: Actually, I think the wire had to be pushed back a 59 00:03:01,905 --> 00:03:06,240 little bit. If you've listened to us very long, you can 60 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,970 probably guess it's because we wanted to include too much 61 00:03:08,970 --> 00:03:10,470 information. 62 00:03:10,510 --> 00:03:12,580 Heidi: Yeah, some things never change. 63 00:03:12,700 --> 00:03:15,040 Emily: Yes, we're perfectionists too, so we had to like go over 64 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:16,960 every sentence a million times. 65 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,240 Heidi: I know, and now I'm scared to look because, like, I 66 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,640 know as soon as I look at one of these pages, I'm gonna find a 67 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:22,870 typo. I just know it. 68 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,080 Emily: Yes, or something that I wish we'd said differently, or 69 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,290 whatever. So I haven't read any of it yet. I've just flipped 70 00:03:29,290 --> 00:03:31,060 through it to appreciate it. 71 00:03:31,060 --> 00:03:34,285 Heidi: I wasn't prepared for how hard it would be to have it in 72 00:03:34,285 --> 00:03:38,515 its final evolution, where we can't make any changes. So if 73 00:03:38,515 --> 00:03:41,185 you find a typo, no, you did not. Okay? 74 00:03:41,185 --> 00:03:44,245 Emily: No, you did not. Never tell us a word about that, 75 00:03:44,245 --> 00:03:49,045 please. So our hope is just that this book becomes something 76 00:03:49,045 --> 00:03:53,725 teachers can keep coming back to every year for some reminders 77 00:03:53,725 --> 00:03:57,310 and a little encouragement from two teachers who have been 78 00:03:57,310 --> 00:03:57,820 there. 79 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,620 Heidi: Back when we started teaching, we kind of had this 80 00:04:01,620 --> 00:04:05,460 thought that there was a perfect system out there, that somewhere 81 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:09,330 in some magic binder or book, or from that teacher down the hall 82 00:04:09,330 --> 00:04:12,030 who seemed to have it all together, that somebody had it 83 00:04:12,030 --> 00:04:15,750 all figured out, and we spent a lot of time looking for that 84 00:04:15,750 --> 00:04:16,830 system. 85 00:04:16,830 --> 00:04:18,930 Emily: And I don't even know if we realized that's what we were 86 00:04:18,930 --> 00:04:22,215 doing. We were just constantly trying to improve everything we 87 00:04:22,215 --> 00:04:25,755 were doing to this like point of perfection by bringing in all 88 00:04:25,755 --> 00:04:28,275 these new ideas every time we'd hear something new we wanted to 89 00:04:28,275 --> 00:04:28,695 try it. 90 00:04:28,695 --> 00:04:29,865 Heidi: All the time, yeah. 91 00:04:29,865 --> 00:04:34,275 Emily: But the thing is when we couldn't find that we spent so 92 00:04:34,275 --> 00:04:37,275 much more energy trying to build it ourselves. But in the 93 00:04:37,275 --> 00:04:40,755 meantime, whenever you had a management issue with a kid that 94 00:04:40,755 --> 00:04:45,270 didn't go the way you wanted it to, if your lesson flopped, if 95 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:49,530 the piles of papers on your desk were getting so big they're 96 00:04:49,530 --> 00:04:54,870 tipping over, we felt like we yet again were proving that we 97 00:04:54,870 --> 00:04:56,220 were failing at this. 98 00:04:56,630 --> 00:04:59,240 Heidi: And I guess if you really look at it, we technically were 99 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:03,770 failing. Because we were failing at being perfect teachers, 100 00:05:03,770 --> 00:05:07,340 because obviously that's impossible. But looking back, I 101 00:05:07,340 --> 00:05:12,170 just have so much love for those poor baby teachers who were just 102 00:05:12,170 --> 00:05:15,350 leaving it all on the field every day. Because we weren't 103 00:05:15,350 --> 00:05:17,690 failing at being effective teachers. 104 00:05:17,690 --> 00:05:22,355 Emily: No, or loving ones. Yes, our rooms were cluttery, and we 105 00:05:22,355 --> 00:05:26,135 were sometimes scrambling to get our planning done. But we were 106 00:05:26,135 --> 00:05:29,975 doing so much right. It's just that it's hard to notice the 107 00:05:29,975 --> 00:05:33,605 good that's happening when you're so fixated on reaching 108 00:05:33,605 --> 00:05:35,765 some impossible ideal. 109 00:05:35,765 --> 00:05:37,835 Heidi: Yeah, and I think we would have said perfection was 110 00:05:37,835 --> 00:05:42,860 impossible, but it was just that that job is so hard that it 111 00:05:42,860 --> 00:05:46,520 seemed like there had to be big answers we were missing because 112 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:50,090 how can someone keep doing this for 30 years if every day is 113 00:05:50,090 --> 00:05:51,230 this demanding? 114 00:05:51,230 --> 00:05:55,640 Emily: Right. But eventually we did figure a few things out, and 115 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,210 I wish we'd realized so much sooner that instead of chasing 116 00:05:59,210 --> 00:06:03,380 the perfect system, we really needed a system that was 117 00:06:03,380 --> 00:06:07,505 responsive. That would have saved us so much stress and time 118 00:06:07,505 --> 00:06:08,675 and guilt. 119 00:06:08,675 --> 00:06:10,805 Heidi: Yeah, and it would have saved us from a lot of 120 00:06:10,805 --> 00:06:15,755 work-filled weekends. So that is the philosophy that guided what 121 00:06:15,755 --> 00:06:20,855 we put into Structure and Spark, the book. We want to help 122 00:06:20,855 --> 00:06:24,275 teachers create the kind of responsive system that helps 123 00:06:24,275 --> 00:06:28,055 both teachers and students have their best chances at succeeding 124 00:06:28,100 --> 00:06:29,240 every year. 125 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,050 Emily: So we put all those tips that we tried and fully tested 126 00:06:33,050 --> 00:06:36,290 over the years into the book, so that other teachers can learn 127 00:06:36,290 --> 00:06:40,280 those same lessons sooner than we learned them. 128 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:43,250 Heidi: And instead of just doing a rehash of what's in the book, 129 00:06:43,250 --> 00:06:47,000 we decided for this episode to zoom out and take a look at four 130 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,330 of the big lessons that we have learned over the years. 131 00:06:50,330 --> 00:06:53,465 Emily: So these are the ideas that influence the practical 132 00:06:53,465 --> 00:06:57,485 tips that we put into the book. So to start with, our first 133 00:06:57,485 --> 00:07:00,605 lesson that we wish we had learned earlier is that you need 134 00:07:00,605 --> 00:07:03,335 to make systems instead of treating every day like an 135 00:07:03,335 --> 00:07:04,925 emergency. 136 00:07:04,925 --> 00:07:09,245 Heidi: Oh yeah, if you're spending the whole day triaging 137 00:07:09,245 --> 00:07:12,755 which of the demands you're dealing with are most urgent, 138 00:07:12,755 --> 00:07:15,950 you're basically living in constant panic. 139 00:07:15,950 --> 00:07:18,470 Emily: This is basically where the structure half of Structure 140 00:07:18,470 --> 00:07:21,800 and Spark comes in. Of course, the book is more focused on 141 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,340 systems for students, but when those systems are in place, it's 142 00:07:25,340 --> 00:07:28,760 much easier for you to build your own systems for getting 143 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,410 your own stuff done. 144 00:07:30,410 --> 00:07:33,410 Heidi: And it definitely helps when you know exactly what needs 145 00:07:33,410 --> 00:07:37,040 to get done instead of jumping from emergency to emergency and 146 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,955 just crossing your fingers that you've covered your bases. So, 147 00:07:40,955 --> 00:07:42,995 Emily, what's one system that you built that helped get you 148 00:07:42,995 --> 00:07:44,825 out of that emergency mode? 149 00:07:44,825 --> 00:07:48,245 Emily: Well, I do think this is probably cheating, but I would 150 00:07:48,245 --> 00:07:52,625 say getting a rock solid morning system, morning routine in 151 00:07:52,625 --> 00:07:56,165 place. And the only reason that I say it's cheating is because I 152 00:07:56,165 --> 00:07:59,465 never had to scramble to figure out how to do this because I had 153 00:07:59,465 --> 00:08:02,840 the benefit of an older sister who had taught the same grade 154 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,510 already for, what was it, five years, six years. 155 00:08:05,030 --> 00:08:06,710 Heidi: I think five, yeah. 156 00:08:06,740 --> 00:08:09,860 Emily: Yeah, so you helped me plan my morning routine from the 157 00:08:09,860 --> 00:08:13,520 start with the things you already knew I needed to have 158 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:18,380 and because of that my mornings ran so smoothly. And I know that 159 00:08:18,380 --> 00:08:22,610 systems for mornings had a big impact on the rest of each day, 160 00:08:22,610 --> 00:08:25,220 and I was able to do what I needed to do in the morning, and 161 00:08:25,220 --> 00:08:29,150 it just set us all up on the right foot for a successful day. 162 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,365 Heidi: I am very glad that I had something worthwhile to share. 163 00:08:33,365 --> 00:08:35,975 It's got to be the teacher in me, but I feel like if I learn 164 00:08:35,975 --> 00:08:39,845 something the hard way, I want to tell everybody else about it, 165 00:08:39,845 --> 00:08:42,965 so maybe they can have it a little easier, and that's 166 00:08:42,965 --> 00:08:45,065 probably why we have a podcast now. 167 00:08:45,575 --> 00:08:47,525 Emily: And it's probably why I was just telling you how I'm 168 00:08:47,525 --> 00:08:51,260 basically writing a handbook as the PTA president for the one 169 00:08:51,260 --> 00:08:53,960 coming behind me because I'm like, why didn't anybody tell me 170 00:08:53,990 --> 00:08:58,880 any of this stuff? Okay, Heidi. Besides your morning routine, 171 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:03,050 when did the system help you get out of that emergency mode? 172 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,250 Heidi: Well, a big boost for me came when I set up a regular end 173 00:09:07,250 --> 00:09:10,760 of day routine on Fridays. So the opposite of Emily, Emily had 174 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,460 the morning routine. I've got an end of day routine. But Fridays 175 00:09:13,460 --> 00:09:17,435 became a particular hinge point for me. Normally, I would get to 176 00:09:17,435 --> 00:09:21,305 Friday afternoon. It'd be 3:30, and I tell myself, I will figure 177 00:09:21,305 --> 00:09:24,545 it out later. I'm just too tired to stay and, figure out next 178 00:09:24,545 --> 00:09:25,415 week. 179 00:09:25,415 --> 00:09:28,985 So that meant I either had to work on Saturday or start Monday 180 00:09:28,985 --> 00:09:33,515 behind. And a lot of weeks I chose that Monday option, but 181 00:09:33,515 --> 00:09:37,505 when I set up a Friday routine, it meant I could start every new 182 00:09:37,505 --> 00:09:40,820 week ready to go and not frantically trying to pull the 183 00:09:40,820 --> 00:09:44,840 day together. And surprisingly, it also resolved that problem of 184 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,680 feeling too tired to stay after school, because I had a finite 185 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:51,380 list of tasks, and most of them could be knocked out pretty 186 00:09:51,380 --> 00:09:55,730 quickly. But without that list, it just turned into, Well, I 187 00:09:55,730 --> 00:09:58,640 have to stay until I've caught everything up, and you can never 188 00:09:58,640 --> 00:09:59,750 do that. 189 00:09:59,750 --> 00:10:01,985 Emily: When you know that there's a dedicated time in your 190 00:10:01,985 --> 00:10:05,495 schedule for tackling all your different tasks. It does free 191 00:10:05,495 --> 00:10:09,365 you up to focus on what's in front of you instead of feeling 192 00:10:09,365 --> 00:10:12,005 you have to hop from one thing to the next. 193 00:10:12,005 --> 00:10:14,645 Heidi: And not having to start from zero every time you're 194 00:10:14,645 --> 00:10:18,725 trying to do something really does make you more productive. 195 00:10:18,725 --> 00:10:22,445 Okay, Emily, what is our second lesson that we wish we'd learned 196 00:10:22,445 --> 00:10:23,105 sooner? 197 00:10:23,630 --> 00:10:26,270 Emily: Okay, this is a biggie. You're not failing at 198 00:10:26,270 --> 00:10:30,590 management. You're just not being proactive. Once you've 199 00:10:30,590 --> 00:10:34,190 taught for a little while, you get a sense of the ebb and flow 200 00:10:34,190 --> 00:10:37,070 of the school year. And when you can predict something, you can 201 00:10:37,070 --> 00:10:40,430 plan for it. So, when did you make that shift toward 202 00:10:40,430 --> 00:10:42,650 predictive classroom management, Heidi? 203 00:10:42,660 --> 00:10:46,140 Heidi: Well, I don't know if there was like a specific aha 204 00:10:46,140 --> 00:10:49,380 moment where everything changed all at once. I think it was more 205 00:10:49,380 --> 00:10:52,830 just slowly realizing that there were pieces I could put into 206 00:10:52,830 --> 00:10:55,890 place that had a really big impact on how the day unfolded, 207 00:10:55,890 --> 00:10:59,940 like getting the morning routine down just little bits at a time 208 00:10:59,940 --> 00:11:01,890 until I had more of a framework. 209 00:11:01,890 --> 00:11:05,205 But one memory that I had was very clear. It was a field trip 210 00:11:05,205 --> 00:11:09,705 morning, and I really felt like I was crushing it as a teacher. 211 00:11:09,705 --> 00:11:12,645 So on a normal school day, my students arrived over the course 212 00:11:12,645 --> 00:11:16,275 of about 30 minutes, and I would just send them out to play on 213 00:11:16,275 --> 00:11:18,735 the playground until the bell rings. That morning, I had the 214 00:11:18,735 --> 00:11:21,705 good sense to realize that my kids were going to be coming in 215 00:11:21,705 --> 00:11:24,885 extra energized, and if I were sending them out to play where 216 00:11:24,885 --> 00:11:26,985 they are all already hyped up, they're going to hype each other 217 00:11:26,985 --> 00:11:31,020 up. So that morning, I kept everyone in after they arrived. 218 00:11:31,020 --> 00:11:34,950 I had calm instrumental music playing, or probably some Enya. 219 00:11:34,950 --> 00:11:37,830 I had everyone get their morning work underway, and then I had 220 00:11:37,830 --> 00:11:41,340 them work on calming fast finishers while I dismissed each 221 00:11:41,340 --> 00:11:43,980 table for a bathroom break, so we weren't rushing. Yes, 222 00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:47,130 everyone needs to go, even if you don't feel like it. Being 223 00:11:47,130 --> 00:11:51,060 able to just manage all these pieces and keep the energy in 224 00:11:51,060 --> 00:11:55,635 the room under control was such an eye opener about how much I 225 00:11:55,635 --> 00:12:00,195 could impact the flow of the day and the energy of my class, even 226 00:12:00,195 --> 00:12:04,035 when things were at their craziest. Now I have the 227 00:12:04,035 --> 00:12:06,825 vocabulary to be able to say that what I was doing was 228 00:12:06,825 --> 00:12:10,065 increasing the structure to balance the increased spark. But 229 00:12:10,065 --> 00:12:13,065 at the time, I was going on vibes. 230 00:12:13,065 --> 00:12:15,930 Emily: But I love that you said you at the time were like, Man, 231 00:12:15,930 --> 00:12:18,690 I am killing it! Like I love that you notice it in the moment 232 00:12:18,690 --> 00:12:22,260 of like, Dang, I'm doing so good today. 233 00:12:24,090 --> 00:12:26,340 Heidi: Well, what about you, Emily? What did you start doing 234 00:12:26,340 --> 00:12:30,000 differently once you got better at predicting problems? 235 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,640 Emily: Well, the first one that comes to mind for me is turning 236 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,420 the kids' desks backwards. Which, if you are a long time 237 00:12:36,420 --> 00:12:39,285 listener, you've heard us talk about that a lot of times. You 238 00:12:39,285 --> 00:12:42,855 can absolutely predict that if your students can keep things in 239 00:12:42,855 --> 00:12:45,495 their desk, there will be some problems, maybe a lot of 240 00:12:45,495 --> 00:12:48,675 problems. They will sometimes get distracted by playing with 241 00:12:48,675 --> 00:12:51,105 what's inside. I know my children have gotten in trouble 242 00:12:51,105 --> 00:12:54,675 for doing that at school at times, and that desk is going to 243 00:12:54,675 --> 00:12:57,855 become a mess. So you will have to spend time having them clean 244 00:12:57,855 --> 00:12:58,905 it out. 245 00:12:58,930 --> 00:13:02,380 And when I had them turn their desks around, I immediately 246 00:13:02,380 --> 00:13:05,560 eliminated the problem of students being distracted 247 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:08,380 because they're playing around inside their desks, and I never 248 00:13:08,380 --> 00:13:11,740 had to wait to start a lesson because two kids can't find 249 00:13:11,740 --> 00:13:15,580 their writing folder somewhere in that black hole of their 250 00:13:15,580 --> 00:13:19,870 desks, and I never had to find room in the schedule for monthly 251 00:13:19,870 --> 00:13:20,890 desk cleanouts. 252 00:13:20,890 --> 00:13:23,905 Now, I do want to say this idea is not going to work for 253 00:13:23,905 --> 00:13:27,565 everyone. Maybe you don't have any place to store desk items, 254 00:13:27,565 --> 00:13:29,695 so you have to let them store things in their desk, or maybe 255 00:13:29,695 --> 00:13:33,055 you just don't like this idea, and that's okay. But the 256 00:13:33,055 --> 00:13:36,325 principle here was the discovery that when you think ahead about 257 00:13:36,325 --> 00:13:40,285 what's likely going to cause friction or suck time out of 258 00:13:40,285 --> 00:13:45,400 your day, or it has done that in the past, then most likely there 259 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,310 is something you can do to prevent it, or at least improve 260 00:13:48,310 --> 00:13:51,790 it. And we always say that our favorite classroom management 261 00:13:51,790 --> 00:13:55,060 tool is to prevent problems before they start. 262 00:13:55,060 --> 00:13:58,030 Heidi: Yes, absolutely. Prevention is always easier than 263 00:13:58,030 --> 00:14:01,660 repair, and with the desk turnaround, like with some 264 00:14:01,660 --> 00:14:04,900 seating arrangements, it didn't work for me to have group 265 00:14:04,900 --> 00:14:08,395 supplies, so I did let students keep stuff in their desks. But 266 00:14:08,395 --> 00:14:10,525 the desks were still turned around; they had to reach, they 267 00:14:10,525 --> 00:14:12,775 had to reach over the edge. They were fine. They're kids; they 268 00:14:12,775 --> 00:14:15,115 handled it, no problem. There's really so much you can do to 269 00:14:15,115 --> 00:14:19,135 minimize problems, even if you can't fully prevent them, if you 270 00:14:19,135 --> 00:14:21,865 have a little bit of proactive thinking about it. 271 00:14:21,865 --> 00:14:25,765 Emily: Right. The third thing we wish we'd learned sooner was 272 00:14:25,765 --> 00:14:29,275 that our job was to be on the student side against the 273 00:14:29,275 --> 00:14:32,620 problem, not to make the student the problem. It's like that 274 00:14:32,620 --> 00:14:35,260 thing I hear about parenting, where it's like the baby is the 275 00:14:35,260 --> 00:14:38,800 problem. We are on the same team, and the baby is the enemy 276 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:43,150 here. We're not fighting with each other about the baby, so 277 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,810 it's the same idea. You and the student are on the same side 278 00:14:46,810 --> 00:14:50,560 here, and a student who won't pick up a pencil isn't giving 279 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,635 you a hard time. They're having a hard time, and so you're on 280 00:14:53,635 --> 00:14:56,545 their team to help solve the problem. 281 00:14:56,545 --> 00:14:59,515 Heidi: And I found that when you can remove your own reaction 282 00:14:59,515 --> 00:15:03,805 from the situation. It really does help you realize that this 283 00:15:03,805 --> 00:15:08,185 kid isn't doing this on purpose. Something is making that child 284 00:15:08,185 --> 00:15:11,485 feel like they can't do the work, and that's what you're up 285 00:15:11,485 --> 00:15:14,935 against. So, Emily, what shifted your thinking about this over 286 00:15:14,935 --> 00:15:15,655 time? 287 00:15:15,630 --> 00:15:18,180 Emily: Well, honestly, I think it probably took having kids for 288 00:15:18,180 --> 00:15:22,050 me to learn this. So, I only got to employ this knowledge in our 289 00:15:22,050 --> 00:15:25,860 preschool teaching years, not in second grade. But you know, when 290 00:15:25,860 --> 00:15:28,440 your baby cries, it's not because they like crying; it's 291 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:32,100 because something's wrong. And you can safely assume that the 292 00:15:32,100 --> 00:15:35,010 same is true for students because most students want to 293 00:15:35,010 --> 00:15:37,740 follow the rules and do what they're meant to be doing. 294 00:15:38,025 --> 00:15:42,555 Notice I said most. If the kid is struggling to do that, it's 295 00:15:42,555 --> 00:15:45,495 either because the work or the expected behavior is too hard 296 00:15:45,495 --> 00:15:48,945 for them, or it's that something else is going on that's making 297 00:15:48,945 --> 00:15:52,155 it too difficult for them to do what you're asking. Because who 298 00:15:52,155 --> 00:15:54,165 knows what happened before they came to school today? 299 00:15:54,165 --> 00:15:57,075 So when you get to the root of it, you can help give them the 300 00:15:57,075 --> 00:16:01,890 scaffolding they need to get to where you want them to be, or 301 00:16:01,890 --> 00:16:05,220 you can help them work through their dysregulation or whatever 302 00:16:05,220 --> 00:16:08,100 other problem is making it too hard for them to go with the 303 00:16:08,100 --> 00:16:11,460 flow today. Being on the same team as the student against the 304 00:16:11,460 --> 00:16:15,600 problem instead of you against the student and their problem is 305 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:19,740 such a huge shift in thinking. What shifted your thinking about 306 00:16:19,740 --> 00:16:20,670 that, Heidi? 307 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,780 Heidi: Well, unfortunately, I'm in the same boat as you. It took 308 00:16:23,780 --> 00:16:27,620 me a really long time to come to this as well, and I think it was 309 00:16:27,620 --> 00:16:30,560 when we were teaching preschool, because when a three year old is 310 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,920 having a meltdown, it's really easy to understand that the 311 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,100 problem might be that they didn't get enough breakfast, or 312 00:16:37,100 --> 00:16:39,590 we were asking them to wait longer than their little body 313 00:16:39,590 --> 00:16:43,235 could handle. But when I was teaching eight-year-olds, I 314 00:16:43,235 --> 00:16:47,525 definitely had the attitude of get it together. No, I was never 315 00:16:47,525 --> 00:16:52,025 mean. I wasn't mean or shaming, or I didn't punish. But I was 316 00:16:52,025 --> 00:16:55,355 very matter of fact. Like, okay, you're choosing not to do your 317 00:16:55,355 --> 00:16:58,835 work right now, so you get to make it up during computers. But 318 00:16:58,835 --> 00:17:01,055 knowing what I know now, I think I would have gotten a lot 319 00:17:01,055 --> 00:17:04,955 farther if I'd addressed the problem behind the behavior 320 00:17:04,955 --> 00:17:08,750 instead of assuming that the child just needed some tough 321 00:17:08,750 --> 00:17:11,360 love to get things in line. 322 00:17:11,360 --> 00:17:13,880 Emily: Yeah, and all of this comes back to preventing 323 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:17,060 problems where you can. If you fix the reason the student is 324 00:17:17,060 --> 00:17:21,080 behaving that way, you have a good chance of minimizing it in 325 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:22,100 the future. 326 00:17:22,100 --> 00:17:25,640 Heidi: And plus, being a teacher is so much more enjoyable when 327 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,760 you don't see every misbehavior as a challenge to your 328 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,035 authority. It keeps your stress level so much lower, and it 329 00:17:33,035 --> 00:17:37,085 helps you handle a tough moment in a constructive way instead of 330 00:17:37,085 --> 00:17:39,485 getting caught in a power struggle and making things way 331 00:17:39,485 --> 00:17:40,235 worse. 332 00:17:40,235 --> 00:17:43,895 Emily: Right. Okay. And our last lesson that we wish we had 333 00:17:43,895 --> 00:17:47,945 learned earlier in our teaching careers is that your whole life 334 00:17:47,945 --> 00:17:51,065 doesn't have to be about teaching for you to be a good 335 00:17:51,065 --> 00:17:54,830 teacher, even though it can feel that way some weeks. What's 336 00:17:54,830 --> 00:17:57,230 something outside of teaching that you wish you had protected 337 00:17:57,230 --> 00:17:58,520 better, Heidi? 338 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,760 Heidi: Oh, for sure, it was time off. Like I looked at my 339 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:06,020 holidays and weekends kind of like bonus planning time. Like I 340 00:18:06,020 --> 00:18:11,480 worked every single Labor Day my entire teaching career. But you 341 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:13,610 know back then, especially when we were starting, we weren't 342 00:18:13,610 --> 00:18:17,195 having these conversations about work-life balance. The messaging 343 00:18:17,195 --> 00:18:20,345 was very much that martyr narrative that you are 344 00:18:20,345 --> 00:18:23,465 shortchanging your students if you're not sacrificing yourself 345 00:18:23,465 --> 00:18:23,975 for your job. 346 00:18:23,975 --> 00:18:27,755 But that is such toxic messaging. And I wish that was 347 00:18:27,755 --> 00:18:31,685 something I had taken to heart sooner. Actually, this is 348 00:18:31,685 --> 00:18:35,255 something I wonder about a lot. Would my life look different 349 00:18:35,255 --> 00:18:39,440 now? Would I maybe have not so many health problems if I had 350 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,220 prioritized my life back then? But then I look back and I 351 00:18:43,220 --> 00:18:45,560 honestly don't know if I could have done much differently in 352 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,710 those early years. Like my first year of teaching, I was given a 353 00:18:48,710 --> 00:18:52,400 teacher's guide for math, some paper-based 10 blocks, and a 354 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,390 reading bazel, and that was all I had to fill all of the content 355 00:18:56,390 --> 00:19:00,620 and 180 days of school. Since this was way before teachers pay 356 00:19:00,620 --> 00:19:04,355 teachers, and I'm so old. This is even before the internet 357 00:19:04,355 --> 00:19:05,795 really had anything on it. 358 00:19:06,030 --> 00:19:08,910 Emily: No, you were going to the internet to find ideas. You were 359 00:19:09,030 --> 00:19:13,320 going to the teacher store to look at the idea books they have 360 00:19:13,410 --> 00:19:16,530 there, and hoping there were a few ideas in the book you picked 361 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:16,860 out. 362 00:19:17,550 --> 00:19:21,290 Heidi: Or I would spend my Saturdays at the university 363 00:19:21,410 --> 00:19:25,040 library because they had in the education section they had 364 00:19:25,130 --> 00:19:28,250 copies of textbooks from all these different textbook 365 00:19:28,310 --> 00:19:31,160 companies and so I would make copies out of those to find 366 00:19:31,190 --> 00:19:33,860 lessons I could teach my students. That was how I spent 367 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:34,460 my weekends. 368 00:19:35,510 --> 00:19:37,730 Emily: Yeah, so there probably isn't a lot you could have done 369 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,560 given your particular situation, but it is sad to look back and 370 00:19:41,710 --> 00:19:45,730 think of the effect that that had on your health and your 371 00:19:45,820 --> 00:19:49,540 personal life to have to work that hard all the time. 372 00:19:50,170 --> 00:19:52,090 Heidi: Yeah, for my $800 a month. 373 00:19:52,870 --> 00:19:55,630 Emily: Yeah, right? 374 00:19:55,630 --> 00:19:58,270 Heidi: Well, Emily, what would you tell your first year self 375 00:19:58,270 --> 00:20:00,310 about work imbalance? 376 00:20:00,310 --> 00:20:04,060 Emily: Well, I mean, this is a hard one because, especially in 377 00:20:04,060 --> 00:20:07,030 your first few years of teaching, it's like if you care 378 00:20:07,030 --> 00:20:11,440 about doing it well, then this job is going to take over your 379 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,920 life, all your time and energy, if you let it. And it's hard not 380 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:19,045 to let it if you care. And we definitely let it be that way 381 00:20:19,045 --> 00:20:22,465 for a long time. And to be honest, part of the problem was 382 00:20:22,465 --> 00:20:26,125 I didn't even mind it that much because I really loved being a 383 00:20:26,185 --> 00:20:30,265 teacher. I loved working with you to create new systems and 384 00:20:30,265 --> 00:20:32,755 curriculum for our classes. When we spent all summer doing that, 385 00:20:32,755 --> 00:20:34,825 we were going back and forth between our classrooms. I was 386 00:20:34,825 --> 00:20:36,445 having a great time. 387 00:20:36,475 --> 00:20:37,075 Heidi: It was fun. 388 00:20:37,075 --> 00:20:41,080 Emily: It's hard when you're genuinely having a great time to 389 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,830 notice the fact that it made it so we had very little left to 390 00:20:44,830 --> 00:20:49,270 give to anyone or anything else in our lives, and that is just 391 00:20:49,270 --> 00:20:53,380 not fair to teachers. You are obviously a whole person who 392 00:20:53,380 --> 00:20:57,790 deserves to have a thriving life outside of your job, and if 393 00:20:57,790 --> 00:21:02,275 giving that time to yourself and to your loved ones isn't 394 00:21:02,275 --> 00:21:05,935 motivation enough, don't forget that old saying about not being 395 00:21:05,935 --> 00:21:10,885 able to pour from an empty cup. When you eat, sleep, breathe 396 00:21:10,915 --> 00:21:14,605 teaching, you never get a chance to refill your cup. So in the 397 00:21:14,605 --> 00:21:17,545 long run, it probably makes you a little bit of a worse teacher 398 00:21:17,545 --> 00:21:21,385 because you stop being the best version of yourself when you're 399 00:21:21,385 --> 00:21:22,075 so drained. 400 00:21:22,075 --> 00:21:22,855 Heidi: 100%. 401 00:21:23,425 --> 00:21:26,620 Emily: Yes, and at the very least, you need to get motivated 402 00:21:26,620 --> 00:21:28,870 to give yourself this space and time away from school 403 00:21:28,870 --> 00:21:32,140 responsibilities so that you can actually be a better teacher. 404 00:21:32,140 --> 00:21:35,110 But you don't have to earn time away from school because it will 405 00:21:35,110 --> 00:21:37,720 make you a better teacher. You deserve that time no matter 406 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:42,100 what. I feel like we all know that, but do we really know it? 407 00:21:42,100 --> 00:21:45,100 We need to know it. 408 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,540 Heidi: And what else makes this such a challenge is that it's 409 00:21:48,540 --> 00:21:52,770 not like you ever get to the end of your to-do list. There's 410 00:21:52,770 --> 00:21:54,930 always more that needs to be done. You're always behind 411 00:21:54,930 --> 00:21:58,110 somewhere, and this job is just going to take and take and take 412 00:21:58,110 --> 00:22:01,770 until you don't have any more to give. So it really does come 413 00:22:01,770 --> 00:22:05,490 down to setting boundaries, and then the hardest part, holding 414 00:22:05,490 --> 00:22:08,955 them. I don't know how to make that easy, but it is definitely 415 00:22:08,955 --> 00:22:09,855 worth it. 416 00:22:09,855 --> 00:22:12,405 Emily: But that is why being able to predict what's coming is 417 00:22:12,405 --> 00:22:15,615 so valuable. That's how you can make sure you're putting time 418 00:22:15,615 --> 00:22:18,915 and energy where it will make the biggest difference, so that 419 00:22:18,915 --> 00:22:22,035 you can leave work on time and go enjoy your life. 420 00:22:22,035 --> 00:22:25,665 Heidi: So, if you take one thing from today, we want you to 421 00:22:25,665 --> 00:22:28,905 remember that you don't have to be a perfect teacher. The goal 422 00:22:28,905 --> 00:22:32,010 is just to be a responsive one. And unlike perfection, 423 00:22:32,010 --> 00:22:35,160 responsiveness is actually something you can achieve. 424 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,040 Emily: Speaking of which, this is where we tell you where you 425 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:43,350 can learn more about our system. Structure and Spark: A Flexible 426 00:22:43,350 --> 00:22:47,880 Framework for Every Classroom Curveball comes out tomorrow. 427 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:51,240 Heidi: And that means today is your last chance to pre-order 428 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,110 and get our bonuses that go with it. Those close at midnight, so 429 00:22:55,110 --> 00:22:57,855 if you want them, place your pre-order with your favorite 430 00:22:57,855 --> 00:23:01,035 online bookstore, and then fill out the quick form at 431 00:23:01,035 --> 00:23:04,665 secondstorywindow.net/book, so we know where to send 432 00:23:04,665 --> 00:23:08,025 everything, and you can find that link in the show notes. 433 00:23:08,025 --> 00:23:09,885 Emily: Now for our teacher-approved tip of the 434 00:23:09,885 --> 00:23:12,555 week, where we share an actionable tip to help you 435 00:23:12,555 --> 00:23:16,125 elevate what matters and simplify the rest. If this one 436 00:23:16,125 --> 00:23:19,620 sounds familiar, that's because this is your annual reminder to 437 00:23:19,620 --> 00:23:22,440 think of next year's back to school while you're prepping for 438 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,080 this one. So let's hear more about it, Heidi. 439 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:27,720 Heidi: Okay, we know that the timing of this makes it sound 440 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:31,680 like we're adding one more thing to your overflowing plate, but 441 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:33,900 we do have to talk about this right now because right now you 442 00:23:33,900 --> 00:23:37,410 have a clear perspective that is going to fade very quickly over 443 00:23:37,410 --> 00:23:41,955 the next few weeks. So take 30 seconds and set up a list, 444 00:23:41,955 --> 00:23:44,775 whether that's a note in your phone, an email to yourself, or 445 00:23:44,775 --> 00:23:48,285 a Google Doc. It doesn't matter. You just need somewhere that you 446 00:23:48,285 --> 00:23:52,305 will remember to look again. And then, as you are prepping all of 447 00:23:52,305 --> 00:23:55,605 your back to school tasks, write down all of the things that you 448 00:23:55,605 --> 00:23:59,475 are doing right now that could have been done ahead of time. 449 00:23:59,475 --> 00:24:01,995 Emily: Yeah. So, drafting your meet the teacher letter is a 450 00:24:01,995 --> 00:24:04,290 good example because you can write most of that before you 451 00:24:04,290 --> 00:24:06,960 even know what grade you're teaching, and that means it's 452 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,080 something you could get out of the way any time between now and 453 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:13,380 next year's first day, and that frees up a little time and 454 00:24:13,380 --> 00:24:16,980 energy for the tasks that can't be done in advance. So, the 455 00:24:16,980 --> 00:24:19,380 second you catch yourself doing something that didn't need to 456 00:24:19,380 --> 00:24:22,710 wait, that you could have done sooner, add it to the list. 457 00:24:22,710 --> 00:24:27,225 Heidi: And then while you are at it, flag anything that someone 458 00:24:27,225 --> 00:24:29,895 else could have done. Like they probably can't write your meet 459 00:24:29,895 --> 00:24:33,315 the teacher letter, but cutting out papers is something anyone 460 00:24:33,315 --> 00:24:36,975 could do for you. And that way, when you have parent helpers in 461 00:24:36,975 --> 00:24:41,445 May, or if it's state testing and all of the interventionists 462 00:24:41,445 --> 00:24:44,415 that usually pull kids need something to do, you've got 463 00:24:44,415 --> 00:24:47,955 tasks that are ready to hand off that are going to get you ready 464 00:24:47,955 --> 00:24:49,125 for the first day of school. 465 00:24:49,605 --> 00:24:52,230 Emily: And even if your helpers can't do all of a task, if they 466 00:24:52,230 --> 00:24:55,890 can get you started, you'll still be ahead of the game. So, 467 00:24:55,890 --> 00:24:59,040 for example, if you're doing the saving Sam team building 468 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,640 activity every year, have a helper fill baggies with paper 469 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,340 clips and bowls ahead of time. Then all you have to do on the 470 00:25:05,340 --> 00:25:09,750 day is add the gummy worms. So even those small tasks save time 471 00:25:09,750 --> 00:25:11,370 in the long run. 472 00:25:11,390 --> 00:25:13,550 Heidi: All right, to wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're 473 00:25:13,550 --> 00:25:15,800 giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your 474 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:16,670 extra credit? 475 00:25:16,670 --> 00:25:20,450 Emily: I'm giving extra credit to the color stack challenge 476 00:25:20,450 --> 00:25:24,170 game. So I told you about piles recently. This is our other 477 00:25:24,170 --> 00:25:28,970 favorite game from this year, and it is a game where you pull 478 00:25:28,970 --> 00:25:34,565 out a base and then you put five tubes on the top of it. So think 479 00:25:34,565 --> 00:25:37,175 of it like it's up, it's vertical like a Connect Four 480 00:25:37,175 --> 00:25:41,015 board, but imagine it's just five round pegs basically, but 481 00:25:41,015 --> 00:25:44,705 they're plastic. And then you've got a collection of these big, 482 00:25:44,705 --> 00:25:47,855 they're not beads, obviously, but they look like a very, very 483 00:25:47,855 --> 00:25:50,615 big bead that would go on these tubes. 484 00:25:50,615 --> 00:25:54,365 So the way it works is you'd pull out a card, and each of you 485 00:25:54,365 --> 00:25:58,160 set up your board to start the exact same way, so that it's not 486 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,710 just like if they went on randomly and then someone has a 487 00:26:00,710 --> 00:26:04,430 bit of an edge because theirs happened to work better with the 488 00:26:04,430 --> 00:26:08,690 puzzle that needs to be solved. So basically, the idea is you 489 00:26:08,690 --> 00:26:13,310 want to get all of the little beads of the same color on one 490 00:26:13,310 --> 00:26:17,090 tube, and there's only enough room for those 10 beads, and 491 00:26:17,090 --> 00:26:21,935 there's enough tubes that there's two empty, so you kind 492 00:26:21,935 --> 00:26:24,725 of have a spot you can move things. 493 00:26:24,725 --> 00:26:26,645 Heidi: I think I've played a game on my phone that's similar. 494 00:26:26,645 --> 00:26:28,445 It's like a color stack challenge. 495 00:26:28,445 --> 00:26:29,525 Emily: Yes, exactly. 496 00:26:30,185 --> 00:26:31,025 Heidi: Okay, I'm with you. 497 00:26:31,055 --> 00:26:33,425 Emily: Once you guys have your boards set up the same way with 498 00:26:33,425 --> 00:26:36,815 the starting, then you're both racing to see who can get all of 499 00:26:36,815 --> 00:26:40,535 their colors sorted the quickest. And the rule is, you 500 00:26:40,535 --> 00:26:45,500 can only put one color on top of a bead of the same color, or you 501 00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:48,290 could put it on an empty tube. That's the only place you can 502 00:26:48,290 --> 00:26:51,920 move. So if you have three pinks in a row and there's a enough 503 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,590 room on another tube that has a pink, you could move that over 504 00:26:54,590 --> 00:26:57,890 there. But you couldn't move it just to get it out of the way 505 00:26:57,890 --> 00:26:59,840 and put it on some greens just to move it. 506 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:00,050 Heidi: Yeah. 507 00:27:00,050 --> 00:27:03,770 Emily: So mostly I can beat my kids at this, except my teenager 508 00:27:03,770 --> 00:27:06,845 is way better at it than me, and it makes me so mad. I always 509 00:27:06,845 --> 00:27:11,435 want another rematch, and then she beats me again. So it comes 510 00:27:11,435 --> 00:27:14,735 with two of the stands. I think I might buy another set because 511 00:27:14,735 --> 00:27:17,915 it's it's only like $15. It's pretty affordable. I think I 512 00:27:17,915 --> 00:27:20,705 might buy another set so that all four of us can play at the 513 00:27:20,705 --> 00:27:21,935 same time. 514 00:27:21,935 --> 00:27:23,105 Heidi: That sounds like a fun game. 515 00:27:23,105 --> 00:27:25,205 Emily: They even have a travel size one that I keep in my 516 00:27:25,205 --> 00:27:28,625 analog bag to just like solo play, and I don't have to rush 517 00:27:28,625 --> 00:27:32,330 because nobody's beating me. But it's pretty cleverly designed, 518 00:27:32,330 --> 00:27:36,890 where you like slide the pegs out the bottom, shake up the the 519 00:27:36,890 --> 00:27:41,420 container, and then slide them back in, and that mixes it up 520 00:27:41,420 --> 00:27:42,710 for you, so it's kind of fun. 521 00:27:43,260 --> 00:27:46,230 Heidi: Well, I'm gonna get that for my analog bag. That sounds 522 00:27:46,290 --> 00:27:46,620 really good. 523 00:27:46,710 --> 00:27:47,340 Emily: It's cute. 524 00:27:48,750 --> 00:27:51,180 Heidi: Because I know I've liked playing that game on my phone, 525 00:27:51,180 --> 00:27:53,310 but then you're on a phone, so. 526 00:27:53,310 --> 00:27:58,110 Emily: Yes, exactly. And the game that I used to play that on 527 00:27:58,140 --> 00:28:02,670 had so many ads, and I was not gonna pay for an app like that. 528 00:28:02,670 --> 00:28:05,685 I'd rather just do it with my hands anyway. It's much more 529 00:28:05,685 --> 00:28:09,705 fun, so definitely get that. What are you giving extra credit 530 00:28:09,705 --> 00:28:12,255 to, Heidi? 531 00:28:12,255 --> 00:28:15,675 Heidi: This is easier to explain because it is a game, but this 532 00:28:15,675 --> 00:28:19,875 is a phone game. But it feels analog, because it it doesn't 533 00:28:19,875 --> 00:28:24,435 have a timer. It's just very gentle. It's called yarn fever, 534 00:28:24,435 --> 00:28:28,575 and I know I've seen tons of versions of this in the ads I 535 00:28:28,620 --> 00:28:32,790 get served online. I just picked this one at random, but so far 536 00:28:32,790 --> 00:28:36,840 I've really liked it. The ads only pop up at the end of a 537 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,680 round, and then that's my signal to be done. So I don't play 538 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:42,780 multiple rounds in a row because I don't want to sit through 539 00:28:42,780 --> 00:28:45,150 that. So that's actually been really good for me. 540 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:49,920 So the idea is you have like a 3d image. Let's say it's a teddy 541 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:55,740 bear, and then you have two boxes of spools in certain 542 00:28:55,740 --> 00:28:59,310 colors. So maybe you have blue and pink, and the teddy bear is 543 00:28:59,310 --> 00:29:02,190 in all these different colors. So you tap the pink on the teddy 544 00:29:02,190 --> 00:29:05,820 bear, and that corner of the teddy bear, like the yarn, 545 00:29:05,820 --> 00:29:07,980 travels to the spool. So you have to fill the three spools, 546 00:29:08,025 --> 00:29:10,905 and then that basket's taken out, and you get a new color. So 547 00:29:10,905 --> 00:29:14,115 the idea is to unravel all of the yarn that is making up this 548 00:29:14,115 --> 00:29:19,875 picture. So it's very calming. There's not a timer. I just like 549 00:29:19,875 --> 00:29:23,415 to be able to tap. It really has been a nice little unwind, if 550 00:29:23,415 --> 00:29:24,135 you got to be on your phone. 551 00:29:24,135 --> 00:29:27,615 Emily: Okay. All right, I'm going to try yarn fever, and 552 00:29:27,615 --> 00:29:30,225 then afterwards, when I hit the ad, I'll put my phone away and 553 00:29:30,225 --> 00:29:32,130 I'll do my travel color stack challenge. 554 00:29:32,130 --> 00:29:35,640 Heidi: There you go. Sounds like a win. What an evening! 555 00:29:36,060 --> 00:29:39,900 Emily: Hey, we know how to live around here. 556 00:29:39,900 --> 00:29:43,350 Heidi: Well, that is it for today's episode. Remember that 557 00:29:43,350 --> 00:29:46,140 pre-order bonuses for Structure and Spark close tonight at 558 00:29:46,140 --> 00:29:48,780 midnight. So after you order, head to 559 00:29:48,780 --> 00:29:52,590 secondstorywindow.net/book and fill out a quick form so that we 560 00:29:52,590 --> 00:29:54,180 can be sure to get you those bonuses. 561 00:29:56,700 --> 00:30:00,465 We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi. 562 00:30:00,465 --> 00:30:03,795 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 563 00:30:03,795 --> 00:30:06,315 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 564 00:30:06,315 --> 00:30:06,765 episode. 565 00:30:06,765 --> 00:30:09,495 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 566 00:30:09,495 --> 00:30:12,885 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 567 00:30:12,885 --> 00:30:13,695 Bye for now. 568 00:30:13,695 --> 00:30:14,625 Emily: Bye.