1 00:00:00,930 --> 00:00:03,810 Heidi: This is episode 199 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,660 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:09,660 --> 00:00:13,410 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:13,410 --> 00:00:13,950 Heidi. 5 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,340 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:17,340 --> 00:00:20,280 Sindow, where we give research based and teacher approved 7 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,890 strategies that make teaching less stressful and more 8 00:00:22,890 --> 00:00:26,310 effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from 9 00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:28,200 each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:29,130 --> 00:00:31,890 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:31,890 --> 00:00:32,460 the show. 12 00:00:36,630 --> 00:00:39,930 Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:39,930 --> 00:00:43,410 episode, we're talking about why boundaries are the secret 14 00:00:43,410 --> 00:00:47,250 ingredient for summer fun and back to school readiness, and 15 00:00:47,250 --> 00:00:50,970 sharing a teacher approved tip for making summer memory magic. 16 00:00:51,540 --> 00:00:54,990 Heidi: But first, it is time for Try It Tomorrow, a favorite 17 00:00:54,990 --> 00:00:57,690 quick win that you can try in your life right away. Tell us 18 00:00:57,690 --> 00:00:59,370 about this week's try it tomorrow, Emily. 19 00:00:59,940 --> 00:01:03,750 Emily: This week I want you to make a to don't list. It's so 20 00:01:03,750 --> 00:01:06,360 simple. Just write down five things you're giving yourself 21 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,890 permission to skip this summer. Maybe it's checking your school 22 00:01:10,890 --> 00:01:15,000 email daily. Maybe it's redoing your class decor from scratch 23 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:15,570 again. 24 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,900 Heidi: Put that list somewhere visible, like, you know, on the 25 00:01:18,900 --> 00:01:21,750 fridge or in your planner, somewhere where you will see it 26 00:01:21,780 --> 00:01:24,180 and think of it as your summer permission slip. 27 00:01:24,630 --> 00:01:27,510 Emily: If you like this idea or anything else we share here on 28 00:01:27,510 --> 00:01:29,970 the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star 29 00:01:29,970 --> 00:01:32,460 rating and review on Apple podcasts? 30 00:01:33,270 --> 00:01:36,270 Heidi: Over the years, Emily and I have created an extensive 31 00:01:36,270 --> 00:01:39,180 library of back to school products to help you find the 32 00:01:39,180 --> 00:01:42,450 tools that will make the start of your new year easier. Today 33 00:01:42,450 --> 00:01:45,900 we are spotlighting our pattern blocks activity set. 34 00:01:46,350 --> 00:01:49,410 Emily: Now you're probably not ready to think about the first 35 00:01:49,410 --> 00:01:53,700 day of school yet, but we have got some great tools to help you 36 00:01:53,700 --> 00:01:57,120 check off one of your most important first day tasks with 37 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,240 basically no prep. So this one's not too painful to think about. 38 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,700 So on the very first morning, your students need something to 39 00:02:02,700 --> 00:02:05,700 do when they arrive immediately when they walk in the door. 40 00:02:06,180 --> 00:02:09,870 Heidi: And this can be so tricky to plan because you haven't 41 00:02:09,870 --> 00:02:12,540 taught these students where to get the supplies, or your 42 00:02:12,540 --> 00:02:15,960 expectations for managing supplies. On the first day, kids 43 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,970 are probably going to be arriving at different times. 44 00:02:17,970 --> 00:02:21,600 They often come in really early. And of course, everyone's 45 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:22,860 anxiety is super high. 46 00:02:23,490 --> 00:02:26,250 Emily: So for that first day activity, you need something 47 00:02:26,250 --> 00:02:31,380 calming, open ended, and easy to engage with. Enter the pattern 48 00:02:31,380 --> 00:02:35,820 blocks. You can print off some of our super cute school themed 49 00:02:35,820 --> 00:02:38,970 pattern block mats. You put a couple on each desk along with 50 00:02:38,970 --> 00:02:42,390 some blocks, and kids can stay happily engaged for 20 or even 51 00:02:42,420 --> 00:02:43,260 30 minutes. 52 00:02:43,530 --> 00:02:46,080 Heidi: We also have a similar set of activities that use 53 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,810 Legos. You get all the same benefits of using the pattern 54 00:02:48,810 --> 00:02:52,080 blocks, but it really might be easier to round up a tub of 55 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,960 loose Legos than it is to get a class set of pattern blocks. 56 00:02:55,170 --> 00:02:57,660 Emily: Plus you might feel like the older kids will have more 57 00:02:57,660 --> 00:03:00,510 buy in to the activity when they see Legos instead of pattern 58 00:03:00,510 --> 00:03:03,150 blocks, although, in our experience, even the older kids 59 00:03:03,180 --> 00:03:06,360 love a pattern block. You can check out the show notes for 60 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,270 links to both of these products, and give yourself the relief of 61 00:03:09,270 --> 00:03:12,840 knowing that your first activity of the first day is already 62 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,060 planned, prepped and ready to go. 63 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,810 Heidi: So here we are in June, which means that many of you are 64 00:03:18,810 --> 00:03:22,140 either done with school or you can see the finish line so close 65 00:03:22,140 --> 00:03:25,650 ahead. And if you're anything like we were during our teaching 66 00:03:25,650 --> 00:03:28,470 years, you might have some conflicted feelings right about 67 00:03:28,470 --> 00:03:28,770 now. 68 00:03:28,980 --> 00:03:31,380 Emily: Oh yeah, there's this weird teacher thing that happens 69 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:34,620 in summer. You're exhausted and ready for a break, but you also 70 00:03:34,620 --> 00:03:37,830 feel guilty about how excited you are to be done, and then 71 00:03:37,830 --> 00:03:40,560 there's this pressure to immediately start being 72 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:41,400 productive. 73 00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:45,090 Heidi: Oh yes. I remember sitting on my couch the first 74 00:03:45,090 --> 00:03:48,990 week of summer break, still in my pajamas at noon or probably 75 00:03:48,990 --> 00:03:52,950 three, let's be honest, and feeling just overwhelming guilt. 76 00:03:52,950 --> 00:03:56,460 Like, shouldn't I be organizing my classroom library right now? 77 00:03:56,460 --> 00:03:59,070 Or shouldn't I be planning next year's reading units? 78 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,780 Emily: Instead of watching Doctor Who marathons, right? Or 79 00:04:03,780 --> 00:04:06,510 if it's not the heaviness of productivity, guilt weighing you 80 00:04:06,510 --> 00:04:09,780 down, it's that niggling sense of panic that you can't quite 81 00:04:09,810 --> 00:04:16,410 escape. It's like being circled by a school of sharks, or, are 82 00:04:16,410 --> 00:04:18,270 sharks in schools? What do they call those? 83 00:04:18,540 --> 00:04:24,210 Heidi: Pods, collections, gathering? Whatever sharks do, 84 00:04:24,210 --> 00:04:26,910 there is a lot of them, and it feels like they are circling a 85 00:04:26,910 --> 00:04:30,780 little bit closer every day. It takes a monumental amount of 86 00:04:30,780 --> 00:04:33,540 work to get ready for the new school year, and as much as we 87 00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:36,450 just want to relax in our summer, there's always the sense 88 00:04:36,450 --> 00:04:38,970 that something is just off to the side waiting to pounce. 89 00:04:39,450 --> 00:04:42,690 Emily: It makes me picture those little goblin guys from Disney's 90 00:04:42,690 --> 00:04:46,800 Hercules. I think they're called pain and panic, but I think for 91 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,740 a teacher, they could easily be called guilt and panic. 92 00:04:50,580 --> 00:04:54,540 Heidi: Oh definitely. Just picturing them right now, that's 93 00:04:54,540 --> 00:04:59,010 perfect. And they are persistent and ruthless, and one of them 94 00:04:59,010 --> 00:05:02,310 sounds like Bobcat Goldplate, and that is an extra bummer for 95 00:05:02,310 --> 00:05:02,700 sure. 96 00:05:03,090 --> 00:05:06,120 Emily: I'm impressed that you knew that guy's name. I know who 97 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,460 it is, but I did not know that was that guy's name. 98 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,350 Heidi: I did live through the 80s, so, you know. 99 00:05:10,770 --> 00:05:12,900 Emily: So did I! Most of the 80s. 100 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:13,710 Heidi: Only half of them. 101 00:05:15,180 --> 00:05:16,200 Emily: 60%. 102 00:05:17,910 --> 00:05:21,870 Now this may be a controversial opinion, but we believe teachers 103 00:05:21,870 --> 00:05:25,680 deserve to enjoy their summer without constant jabs from 104 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:26,730 cartoon imps. 105 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,260 Heidi: You can never say that we shy away from the hot takes 106 00:05:30,260 --> 00:05:30,890 around here. 107 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,140 Emily: It's true. If it, if it needs to be said, we're gonna 108 00:05:33,140 --> 00:05:36,470 say it. Teachers deserve a break. So we're going to give 109 00:05:36,470 --> 00:05:40,130 you the secret weapon for taming teacher guilt and panic, and 110 00:05:40,130 --> 00:05:41,780 that weapon is boundaries. 111 00:05:42,140 --> 00:05:47,360 Heidi: Wah, wah. Very anticlimactic. Boundaries are 112 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,150 not the most thrilling content to be talking about, but they 113 00:05:50,180 --> 00:05:54,470 are oh so summer saving. That's because teaching doesn't stop, 114 00:05:54,470 --> 00:05:57,950 just because our contract does, and if we're not careful, summer 115 00:05:57,950 --> 00:06:00,170 just becomes a quieter form of burnout. 116 00:06:00,650 --> 00:06:03,500 Emily: But with the right boundaries, you can actually 117 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:07,250 recover and still feel ready by August. Boundaries are the 118 00:06:07,250 --> 00:06:10,430 invisible fences that protect your peace, your time, and they 119 00:06:10,430 --> 00:06:13,430 let you enjoy your life and still start the year feeling 120 00:06:13,430 --> 00:06:13,970 prepared. 121 00:06:14,810 --> 00:06:17,630 Heidi: Imagine how you might spend a typical summer. You're 122 00:06:17,630 --> 00:06:20,780 on call for your family's every need. You end up planning three 123 00:06:20,780 --> 00:06:24,140 vacations, organizing the pantry, attending 12 PD 124 00:06:24,140 --> 00:06:27,320 webinars, overhauling your math centers, and when back to school 125 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,160 season rolls around, guess what? You feel anything but rested. 126 00:06:31,910 --> 00:06:34,490 Emily: And that's where boundaries come in, not as 127 00:06:34,490 --> 00:06:38,030 another thing to do, but really as a way to protect the season 128 00:06:38,030 --> 00:06:38,780 that you're in. 129 00:06:39,410 --> 00:06:41,870 Heidi: So today, we are walking you through three kinds of 130 00:06:41,870 --> 00:06:44,240 boundaries that every teacher should consider this summer: 131 00:06:44,660 --> 00:06:48,200 time, tech and task load. We love a list, especially if it 132 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,160 can start with the same letter. Now these aren't rigid rules. 133 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,310 We're offering you some flexible frameworks that you can adapt to 134 00:06:55,310 --> 00:06:56,840 your own life and your own needs. 135 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,020 Emily: When you set clear boundaries around your time, 136 00:07:00,020 --> 00:07:03,380 your technology use, and your task load, you create space for 137 00:07:03,380 --> 00:07:06,680 the kind of recovery that actually prepares you to be the 138 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:07,760 teacher you want to be. 139 00:07:08,450 --> 00:07:11,660 Heidi: Our teacher approved summer plan, I feel like we 140 00:07:11,660 --> 00:07:13,340 should have like a little trademark, copyright or 141 00:07:13,340 --> 00:07:13,610 something. 142 00:07:13,610 --> 00:07:14,480 Emily: Tmtm. 143 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:20,000 Heidi: It has two parts, recovery and readiness. Last 144 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,030 week, in Episode 197 we talked all about the four different 145 00:07:23,030 --> 00:07:26,420 types of recovery and suggested ways for how you might want to 146 00:07:26,420 --> 00:07:27,920 include them in your summer plans. 147 00:07:28,430 --> 00:07:31,010 Emily: Summer recovery is the best kind of recovery, so 148 00:07:31,010 --> 00:07:33,710 definitely check out that episode if you missed it. But 149 00:07:33,710 --> 00:07:36,980 the second part of our summer plan is readiness. We need 150 00:07:36,980 --> 00:07:40,160 recovery to refuel after a draining school year, but we 151 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,010 need readiness so we don't find ourselves completely burned out 152 00:07:43,010 --> 00:07:46,460 by September 15 from trying to get the new year up and running. 153 00:07:47,150 --> 00:07:49,910 Heidi: The first step to our readiness plan is to imagine how 154 00:07:49,910 --> 00:07:52,790 you want to feel as you head into the new school year. If you 155 00:07:52,790 --> 00:07:55,370 want to start the school year feeling more prepared than ever, 156 00:07:55,730 --> 00:07:58,250 what tasks do you need to accomplish to give you that 157 00:07:58,250 --> 00:07:58,760 feeling? 158 00:07:59,390 --> 00:08:02,930 Emily: Then the next step is to identify the specific goals that 159 00:08:02,930 --> 00:08:05,450 will help you get there. You will probably have some school 160 00:08:05,450 --> 00:08:08,180 related goals in there, like reading a couple teaching books, 161 00:08:08,180 --> 00:08:11,270 or finally figuring out how to fit more social studies into 162 00:08:11,270 --> 00:08:11,750 your day. 163 00:08:12,290 --> 00:08:15,020 Heidi: And, of course, joining us for the Teacher Summer Talk 164 00:08:15,020 --> 00:08:18,050 Summit and the Back to School Success Course, right? 165 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,980 Emily: Yes, you definitely want to grab your spots for those in 166 00:08:21,980 --> 00:08:25,730 June. But also think about personal goals that can help you 167 00:08:25,730 --> 00:08:28,340 get ready for school. Maybe you want to start going to the gym 168 00:08:28,340 --> 00:08:31,130 every day now, so that it's already a habit when school 169 00:08:31,130 --> 00:08:31,940 rolls around. 170 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,460 Heidi: Or maybe you want to spend some time this summer 171 00:08:34,460 --> 00:08:37,670 trying out easy meal prep ideas so that meal times during the 172 00:08:37,670 --> 00:08:39,650 school year are way less frantic. 173 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,260 Emily: If you want some help working through these readiness 174 00:08:42,260 --> 00:08:46,250 goals, there's a page for this in, you guessed it, our free end 175 00:08:46,250 --> 00:08:49,430 of your roadmap that we've been talking about nonstop. If you 176 00:08:49,430 --> 00:08:52,130 don't have it yet, what are you doing? There's so much good 177 00:08:52,130 --> 00:08:55,130 stuff in there, so go grab that from the link in the show notes 178 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:55,940 if you don't have it. 179 00:08:56,660 --> 00:08:58,940 Heidi: Once you have an idea of what back to school readiness 180 00:08:58,940 --> 00:09:02,480 looks like for you, it's time to put some boundaries around those 181 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,080 goals. I know our people pleasers and our perfectionists, 182 00:09:06,290 --> 00:09:08,600 they don't love the idea of setting boundaries. 183 00:09:09,050 --> 00:09:12,380 Emily: But you need to shove guilt and panic way back down 184 00:09:12,380 --> 00:09:16,220 into the underworld by reframing your thinking. Boundaries aren't 185 00:09:16,220 --> 00:09:20,240 secretly going to turn you selfish or mean or lazy. They're 186 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,820 about being strategic with your resources. 187 00:09:24,970 --> 00:09:28,720 Heidi: time boundaries. This is about being intentional with 188 00:09:28,750 --> 00:09:36,250 when you work on school stuff, and probably more importantly, 189 00:09:36,250 --> 00:09:40,630 when you don't. 190 00:09:41,290 --> 00:09:44,440 Emily: And I know what some of you are thinking. Emily, I have 191 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,860 so much to do. I can't just not work on school things. 192 00:09:49,180 --> 00:09:51,400 Heidi: We are not suggesting that you don't work on school 193 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:52,180 things ever. 194 00:09:52,540 --> 00:09:55,600 Emily: We would be the most hypocritical people ever if we 195 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,270 told you not to do school stuff during the summer, since that's 196 00:09:58,270 --> 00:10:00,970 the main thing we usually used to do during the summer. 197 00:10:00,970 --> 00:10:05,290 Heidi: Yep, every summer. But learn from our mistakes and be 198 00:10:05,290 --> 00:10:08,530 strategic about when you work on school stuff and how much you're 199 00:10:08,530 --> 00:10:09,040 going to do. 200 00:10:09,370 --> 00:10:11,710 Emily: So instead of working too much, some teachers don't want 201 00:10:11,710 --> 00:10:15,310 to think about it at all. And I know some of you are out there. 202 00:10:15,460 --> 00:10:18,070 It's easy to assume summer means we have all the time in the 203 00:10:18,070 --> 00:10:21,460 world, but unfortunately, the whole I'll just do school stuff 204 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:24,730 when I feel like it plan often means that we never feel like it 205 00:10:24,730 --> 00:10:28,120 until that lovely, motivating sense of panic sets in. 206 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:32,080 Heidi: Now it might seem like working too much and not working 207 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,770 enough are opposite problems, but they really are two sides of 208 00:10:35,770 --> 00:10:36,550 the same coin. 209 00:10:36,850 --> 00:10:40,300 Emily: Yeah, it's like guilt and panic had a horrible baby, and 210 00:10:40,300 --> 00:10:41,800 that baby is named anxiety. 211 00:10:42,730 --> 00:10:46,810 Heidi: Babies do cause anxiety. Let's be honest. If we feel 212 00:10:46,810 --> 00:10:49,690 anxious, we might cope by throwing ourselves into 213 00:10:49,690 --> 00:10:53,770 unrealistic to do lists, or we might cope by ignoring that to 214 00:10:53,770 --> 00:10:57,640 do list altogether. Either way, we end up stressed out and 215 00:10:57,940 --> 00:10:59,560 really not feeling any more ready. 216 00:11:00,220 --> 00:11:02,880 Emily: So let's not do that. Instead, try carving out 217 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,840 designated blocks of time for working on school tasks. Those 218 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,660 time blocks will look different for everyone, and they'll likely 219 00:11:09,660 --> 00:11:11,340 change over the course of the summer. 220 00:11:11,780 --> 00:11:14,390 Heidi: Yeah, you may decide that you're going to work on school 221 00:11:14,390 --> 00:11:17,330 tasks for 30 minutes every morning, and then you can just 222 00:11:17,330 --> 00:11:20,360 enjoy the rest of the day. Or you may decide that you're going 223 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:23,780 to work in your classroom every Wednesday. Even just one hour a 224 00:11:23,780 --> 00:11:26,120 week for intentional prep can work wonders. 225 00:11:26,810 --> 00:11:28,550 Emily: I love this approach because it gives you both 226 00:11:28,550 --> 00:11:31,730 structure and freedom. You know you have dedicated work time so 227 00:11:31,730 --> 00:11:34,970 you really can relax during your off time without that nagging 228 00:11:34,970 --> 00:11:37,460 feeling that you should be doing something productive. You can 229 00:11:37,460 --> 00:11:40,130 tell that feeling, hey, I have a plan. Back off. 230 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:43,940 Heidi: Another option for managing your time is the 231 00:11:43,940 --> 00:11:47,420 monthly approach. Maybe in June you're not going to do any work. 232 00:11:47,750 --> 00:11:50,330 Emily: Except, of course, to join us in the Teacher Summer 233 00:11:50,330 --> 00:11:53,090 Talk Summit. But don't worry, that's going to be so fun, it 234 00:11:53,090 --> 00:11:54,800 won't even feel like work. 235 00:11:55,940 --> 00:11:58,880 Heidi: That does feel like the perfect thing for June. And then 236 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,300 in July, you might do light prep work, and then in August, you 237 00:12:02,300 --> 00:12:04,490 can really dive into more focused preparation. 238 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,400 Emily: Whatever you decide, the key is making a decision and 239 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,370 sticking to it, because when you don't have boundaries, you end 240 00:12:10,370 --> 00:12:13,610 up in this weird space where you're not really relaxing but 241 00:12:13,610 --> 00:12:15,650 you're not really being productive either. 242 00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:18,920 Heidi: Yeah, you're not getting the benefits of rest, and you're 243 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,370 not doing your best work. It's kind of the worst of both 244 00:12:22,370 --> 00:12:26,210 worlds. But when you have clear time boundaries, you can be 245 00:12:26,210 --> 00:12:28,400 fully present in whatever you happen to be doing. 246 00:12:29,270 --> 00:12:32,210 Emily: So the second type of boundary is around technology, 247 00:12:32,210 --> 00:12:35,840 and this one might be the hardest for some of us, many of 248 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:36,920 us, most of us. 249 00:12:37,070 --> 00:12:40,610 Heidi: Oh, yeah, definitely. We are supposed to be connected all 250 00:12:40,610 --> 00:12:43,040 the time, checking email, scrolling Instagram for 251 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,400 classroom inspiration, we're just feeding on it constantly. 252 00:12:46,970 --> 00:12:50,030 Emily: One simple tech boundary is taking your school email off 253 00:12:50,030 --> 00:12:53,060 your phone for the summer. You can still check it on a computer 254 00:12:53,060 --> 00:12:56,630 or reinstall it briefly if you really need to, but this makes 255 00:12:56,630 --> 00:12:59,360 sure you're not just opening it out of habit and accidentally 256 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,210 ruining your summer peace, and who hasn't been there. 257 00:13:02,450 --> 00:13:04,820 Heidi: Or if that feels too scary, maybe try putting 258 00:13:04,820 --> 00:13:08,210 boundaries around when you check it. Maybe you only check your 259 00:13:08,210 --> 00:13:11,060 school email once a day, or, even better, once a week. 260 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,750 Emily: You could also try being more intentional about which 261 00:13:14,750 --> 00:13:17,300 teacher related social media accounts you follow. 262 00:13:17,810 --> 00:13:20,150 Heidi: Pay attention to how you feel after looking at certain 263 00:13:20,150 --> 00:13:23,330 accounts. Hold on to those accounts that make you excited 264 00:13:23,330 --> 00:13:26,540 to teach, and then just unsubscribe from the ones that 265 00:13:26,540 --> 00:13:28,250 trigger your comparison brain. 266 00:13:28,690 --> 00:13:31,870 Emily: Yes, because social media can be such a double edged sword 267 00:13:31,870 --> 00:13:34,930 for anyone, but especially teachers, because it can be so 268 00:13:34,930 --> 00:13:38,320 inspiring. And hopefully our account is super inspiring for 269 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,260 you, but it can also make you feel like everyone else has it 270 00:13:41,260 --> 00:13:43,630 more together than you do. We don't want that. 271 00:13:44,260 --> 00:13:46,810 Heidi: And while we're talking about social media, just a 272 00:13:46,810 --> 00:13:49,270 warning to be careful about Pinterest during the summer 273 00:13:49,270 --> 00:13:53,290 break. I know we all love Pinterest, but it can quickly 274 00:13:53,290 --> 00:13:55,090 turn from inspiration to overwhelm. 275 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,000 Emily: If you're going to venture into Pinterest land, try 276 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,030 setting a timer. Give yourself 20 minutes to browse, save what 277 00:14:01,030 --> 00:14:04,180 you love, and then close the app. Don't let yourself fall 278 00:14:04,180 --> 00:14:07,330 into that Pinterest rabbit hole where suddenly it's 2am and 279 00:14:07,330 --> 00:14:10,180 you've pinned 47 different bulletin board ideas. 280 00:14:10,930 --> 00:14:14,860 Heidi: Yeah, nobody needs 47 bulletin board ideas. The goal 281 00:14:14,860 --> 00:14:17,440 of tech boundaries isn't to completely disconnect from the 282 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,890 teaching world. It's to be intentional about how and when 283 00:14:20,890 --> 00:14:21,670 you engage with it. 284 00:14:22,540 --> 00:14:25,690 Emily: The internet is so full of quote unquote inspiration, 285 00:14:25,690 --> 00:14:28,570 but also full of comparison traps and decision fatigue. So 286 00:14:28,570 --> 00:14:31,720 don't let the tech bros steal your summer, because they are 287 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,210 designing their apps to be so dang addictive. 288 00:14:34,870 --> 00:14:36,370 Heidi: Those dang tech bros. 289 00:14:37,420 --> 00:14:41,200 Our third type of boundary is around task load. We want to be 290 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:43,510 strategic about what we take on and what we let go. 291 00:14:44,020 --> 00:14:46,240 Emily: This one is huge, because teachers are natural 292 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,570 overachievers for the most part. We see all the things we could 293 00:14:49,570 --> 00:14:52,810 do to improve our classrooms, and we want to do all the 294 00:14:52,810 --> 00:14:54,280 things, all of them. 295 00:14:54,850 --> 00:14:57,970 Heidi: All the things, all the time. But as we have learned the 296 00:14:57,970 --> 00:15:02,680 hard way, time and again, trying to do everything usually means 297 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:06,040 you don't do anything particularly well. It's better 298 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,760 to focus on a few high impact tasks than to spread yourself 299 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:11,950 thin across dozens of small projects. 300 00:15:12,310 --> 00:15:14,410 Emily: Time boundaries and technology boundaries work 301 00:15:14,410 --> 00:15:17,440 really well with task boundaries. Once you schedule 302 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:20,050 your productive work time, you want to make sure that that time 303 00:15:20,050 --> 00:15:22,900 really is productive, and that means having a clear vision for 304 00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:25,180 what needs to be done during that time. 305 00:15:26,110 --> 00:15:27,970 Heidi: If you're going to go to the trouble of hiring a 306 00:15:27,970 --> 00:15:31,120 babysitter for two hours so that you can work in a coffee shop, 307 00:15:31,450 --> 00:15:34,270 you don't want to waste 45 minutes of that time just 308 00:15:34,270 --> 00:15:37,090 figuring out where to get started. Or what would be even 309 00:15:37,090 --> 00:15:40,810 worse, spending 45 minutes in some kind of Tiktok rabbit hole. 310 00:15:41,260 --> 00:15:44,140 Emily: Yes. So having a list of tasks is important, but knowing 311 00:15:44,140 --> 00:15:48,160 where to start on that list is vital. Back in episode 131 we 312 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,910 talked about how to prioritize your summer to do list. Go 313 00:15:51,910 --> 00:15:54,670 revisit that episode if you want to deep dive. But the first step 314 00:15:54,670 --> 00:15:57,880 is to imagine how you want to feel as you head into the new 315 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,180 school year, and then identify specific goals you can set for 316 00:16:01,180 --> 00:16:03,130 the summer that will help you get there. 317 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:07,650 Heidi: With that to do list in hand, ask yourself, which tasks 318 00:16:07,650 --> 00:16:10,440 will help you move closer to feeling prepared, and then you 319 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:14,400 start there. Yes, printing vinyl cubby labels would be super 320 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,150 cute, but is that more useful than having your copies made for 321 00:16:18,150 --> 00:16:19,110 meet the teacher night? 322 00:16:19,380 --> 00:16:22,320 Emily: It's probably definitely not as impactful on your mental 323 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,070 load, for sure. We also recommend setting boundaries 324 00:16:26,070 --> 00:16:28,320 around other people's expectations. Maybe your 325 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,350 principal sends an email in July suggesting everyone update their 326 00:16:31,350 --> 00:16:34,380 bulletin boards. You can politely acknowledge it and add 327 00:16:34,380 --> 00:16:37,140 it to your to do list for August, or decide it's not a 328 00:16:37,140 --> 00:16:38,160 priority this year. 329 00:16:38,790 --> 00:16:41,220 Heidi: Now, during the summer, you may also find that other 330 00:16:41,220 --> 00:16:43,740 people in your life expect you to be at their beck and call 331 00:16:43,740 --> 00:16:46,680 because you are on a break. Your neighbor might think that you 332 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:48,780 should be happy to watch her kids because now you have all 333 00:16:48,780 --> 00:16:52,020 this time off, or your parents might expect you to come help 334 00:16:52,020 --> 00:16:54,330 stain their deck, because, I mean, what else are you doing 335 00:16:54,330 --> 00:16:54,750 all day? 336 00:16:55,230 --> 00:16:57,810 Emily: When other people think you owe them their time, I've 337 00:16:57,810 --> 00:17:00,420 found it often comes from a place of jealousy, even if they 338 00:17:00,450 --> 00:17:03,510 aren't aware of it. They wish they had summers off too, while 339 00:17:03,510 --> 00:17:05,730 completely ignoring that you still have professional 340 00:17:05,730 --> 00:17:08,430 development and planning responsibilities and everything 341 00:17:08,430 --> 00:17:10,950 else that comes with being a teacher. Oh, and you're not 342 00:17:10,950 --> 00:17:13,560 getting paid for all of that either. Let's not forget that 343 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:13,920 part. 344 00:17:15,420 --> 00:17:18,300 Heidi: So when this happens, try to assume that people who are 345 00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:21,720 claiming your time aren't really aware that they're overstepping. 346 00:17:21,990 --> 00:17:25,260 Let's be honest, that might not be true, but at least you'll 347 00:17:25,260 --> 00:17:28,110 feel better if you don't jump to the worst conclusions. 348 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,620 Emily: And then just say no if you need to, or offer a limited 349 00:17:31,620 --> 00:17:34,530 role. Maybe you can watch your neighbor's kid from nine to noon 350 00:17:34,530 --> 00:17:38,160 one day a week, or you can help your parents with the deck one 351 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,440 afternoon. But you can't take on the whole project. 352 00:17:41,010 --> 00:17:44,370 Heidi: But, you know, still say no. You can say no, and I know 353 00:17:44,370 --> 00:17:48,630 it is so hard to do, but it does get better with practice, and 354 00:17:48,630 --> 00:17:51,840 you are not unreasonable to decline an assignment that you 355 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:56,640 didn't ask for. The goal isn't to be rebellious or difficult. 356 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,730 The goal is to protect your energy for the things that truly 357 00:17:59,730 --> 00:18:00,840 matter in your life. 358 00:18:01,170 --> 00:18:03,900 Emily: So as you're making your summer plans, remember these 359 00:18:03,900 --> 00:18:06,720 three kinds of boundaries. Time boundaries to help you be 360 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,380 strategic about when you work and when you rest. Technology 361 00:18:10,380 --> 00:18:13,590 boundaries to create space from the constant input of teacher 362 00:18:13,590 --> 00:18:16,590 demands. And task load boundaries to focus on what 363 00:18:16,590 --> 00:18:19,020 truly matters instead of trying to do everything. 364 00:18:19,750 --> 00:18:21,730 Heidi: When you have clear boundaries, you can be fully 365 00:18:21,730 --> 00:18:24,790 present in whatever you're doing. When it's work time, you 366 00:18:24,790 --> 00:18:27,940 can focus completely on the task at hand, and when it's rest 367 00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:31,960 time, you can truly rest without guilt. We're saying no to 368 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:33,010 teacher guilt. 369 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,970 Emily: Again, you can count on us to stand up and say the 370 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:41,590 unpopular things. No to teacher guilt. Plus boundaries help 371 00:18:41,590 --> 00:18:44,830 prevent the end of summer panic. When you have boundaries and 372 00:18:44,830 --> 00:18:47,620 stick to them, you end up with a much more realistic sense of 373 00:18:47,620 --> 00:18:50,710 what you can accomplish. No more over promising to yourself and 374 00:18:50,710 --> 00:18:51,820 then feeling disappointed. 375 00:18:52,570 --> 00:18:55,420 Heidi: If saying no is a struggle for you, like it is for 376 00:18:55,420 --> 00:18:59,410 so many people, try thinking of everything you get to say yes to 377 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,950 because you're not taking on too much. You get to say yes to 378 00:19:02,950 --> 00:19:06,370 enjoying your unpaid time off. You get to say yes to 379 00:19:06,370 --> 00:19:08,830 reconnecting with loved ones. You get to say yes to 380 00:19:08,860 --> 00:19:12,040 rediscovering the parts of your life that just kind of get 381 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,270 buried during the school year. 382 00:19:13,930 --> 00:19:16,690 Emily: And most importantly, you get to say yes to showing up in 383 00:19:16,690 --> 00:19:19,900 August well rested and excited about teaching, even if your 384 00:19:19,900 --> 00:19:23,140 bulletin boards aren't Pinterest perfect. And whose are, really? 385 00:19:23,950 --> 00:19:26,290 Heidi: Teacher well-being directly impacts student 386 00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:29,530 outcomes. When you take care of yourself, you are taking care of 387 00:19:29,530 --> 00:19:32,950 your students too. Your future students deserve a teacher who's 388 00:19:32,950 --> 00:19:36,820 rested, excited and ready to give them their best, and 389 00:19:36,820 --> 00:19:38,710 boundaries are what make that possible. 390 00:19:39,490 --> 00:19:42,190 Emily: We would love to hear what you are saying no to this 391 00:19:42,190 --> 00:19:44,590 summer. Come join the conversation in our teacher 392 00:19:44,590 --> 00:19:45,820 approved Facebook group. 393 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,660 Now for our teacher approved Tip of the Week, where we share an 394 00:19:49,660 --> 00:19:52,330 actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and 395 00:19:52,330 --> 00:19:55,840 simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is make a 396 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,570 summer sensorium. Tell us about it, Heidi. 397 00:19:58,570 --> 00:20:02,050 Heidi: So we talked about this back in episode 134, but since 398 00:20:02,050 --> 00:20:04,780 it happens to be summer again, it seems like a good time to 399 00:20:04,780 --> 00:20:08,290 revisit this topic. So I learned about this from Gretchen Rubin 400 00:20:08,290 --> 00:20:11,080 on her podcast, Happier? 401 00:20:11,110 --> 00:20:11,380 Emily: Yeah. 402 00:20:11,380 --> 00:20:12,430 Heidi: Somehow that didn't seem right. 403 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,730 Your sensorium is your different sensory perception taken as a 404 00:20:17,730 --> 00:20:21,060 whole. Our brain takes the different inputs from each of 405 00:20:21,060 --> 00:20:24,330 our senses and then assembles them into what our perceived 406 00:20:24,330 --> 00:20:28,380 experience of a moment is. So in this episode, we have talked a 407 00:20:28,380 --> 00:20:32,040 lot about what to say no to, but it is also important to 408 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,770 prioritize the things that we want to say yes to. 409 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,250 Emily: And hopefully one of the things you want to say yes to is 410 00:20:38,250 --> 00:20:42,300 really experiencing your summer break. Take a minute to think of 411 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:46,470 your favorite summer sights, sounds, touches, tastes and 412 00:20:46,470 --> 00:20:49,410 smells, and then make a plan for how to include them in your 413 00:20:49,410 --> 00:20:52,710 summer activities. This will help ensure that you're really 414 00:20:52,710 --> 00:20:56,280 savoring the full scope of what this season has to offer. And I 415 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:58,800 feel like we're good at doing this at the holidays, if you're 416 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,380 someone who really loves Christmas, but I don't know that 417 00:21:01,380 --> 00:21:03,960 it's ever occurred to me to do this in the summer, so it 418 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,360 probably hasn't occurred to a lot of you either. 419 00:21:06,870 --> 00:21:09,930 Heidi: Yeah, and summer's, summer's great. We really need 420 00:21:09,930 --> 00:21:13,650 to soak this in. Think how enriched and rejuvenated you'll 421 00:21:13,650 --> 00:21:17,490 feel after a summer of sweet, drippy watermelon and those 422 00:21:17,490 --> 00:21:21,180 chlorine scented kids and twinkling fireflies and living 423 00:21:21,180 --> 00:21:23,820 room dance parties and walking barefoot in the grass. 424 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,150 Emily: Summer has some really great sensory opportunities, so 425 00:21:27,180 --> 00:21:29,220 do what you can to soak them all up. 426 00:21:30,060 --> 00:21:31,920 Heidi: To wrap up the show we are sharing what we're giving 427 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:33,840 extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra 428 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:34,380 credit? 429 00:21:34,740 --> 00:21:37,320 Emily: Well, my extra credit is something that I think all of us 430 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:42,930 can appreciate and connect to, which is turning off almost all 431 00:21:42,930 --> 00:21:45,360 of my many daily alarms for summer. 432 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:46,230 Heidi: Ah, the best feeling. 433 00:21:46,230 --> 00:21:49,650 Emily: Giving so much extra credit to that. Having three 434 00:21:49,650 --> 00:21:52,170 kids at three different schools has meant a lot of running 435 00:21:52,170 --> 00:21:55,620 around to get everyone where they needed to be last year, and 436 00:21:55,710 --> 00:21:59,070 it was just the best treat the other day to turn all of those 437 00:21:59,130 --> 00:22:03,630 off, and I get to enjoy sleeping in pretty much every day, which 438 00:22:03,660 --> 00:22:05,430 is my ultimate joy in life. 439 00:22:05,850 --> 00:22:08,340 Heidi: I love that so much for you, that is such a treat. 440 00:22:08,700 --> 00:22:11,190 Emily: Thank you. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi? 441 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,030 Heidi: Well, I'm giving extra credit to Resident Alien season 442 00:22:15,030 --> 00:22:20,370 four, since it finally started. My favorite kind of TV show, if 443 00:22:20,370 --> 00:22:22,440 you've been here for a while, you probably heard me talking 444 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,950 about this, but I love a TV show that is quirky with a big heart. 445 00:22:26,310 --> 00:22:30,000 So things like Ghosts, what are some other favorites? 446 00:22:30,180 --> 00:22:31,410 Emily: Ted Lasso. 447 00:22:31,335 --> 00:22:34,348 Heidi: Ted Lasso! Oh, yeah, Community, Office, obviously. 448 00:22:34,409 --> 00:22:37,844 And this show gets five stars for both quirkiness and big 449 00:22:37,905 --> 00:22:41,280 heartedness. So if you are unfamiliar, Harry is an alien 450 00:22:41,340 --> 00:22:45,017 who crash lands on Earth, and so to fit in, he kind of has to 451 00:22:45,077 --> 00:22:48,935 cosplay as the town doctor. And as he does so, he learns all the 452 00:22:48,995 --> 00:22:52,431 ups and downs of being human along the way. He's obsessed 453 00:22:52,491 --> 00:22:56,228 with Law and Order and pie and his mortal enemy is a nine year 454 00:22:56,289 --> 00:22:59,785 old boy, and the insults that they sling back and forth at 455 00:22:59,845 --> 00:23:03,642 each other are hilarious. So if you need a summer show, this is 456 00:23:03,702 --> 00:23:07,018 perfect. It's funny and it's heartfelt and it's not too 457 00:23:07,078 --> 00:23:10,755 heavy. And if you're not into sci fi, I promise the sci fi is 458 00:23:10,815 --> 00:23:14,612 more just like comedy than it is like heavy space travel stuff. 459 00:23:14,673 --> 00:23:18,169 So I love the show. I've, I think I've re watched it three 460 00:23:18,229 --> 00:23:20,339 times. I still, I laugh every time. 461 00:23:20,350 --> 00:23:23,800 Emily: Well, you've harassed me about it for years now, so I am, 462 00:23:23,860 --> 00:23:28,180 I am committing that I will finally watch this, because I'm 463 00:23:28,210 --> 00:23:30,700 out of all my other shows, so I'm gonna watch this one. 464 00:23:31,090 --> 00:23:34,270 Heidi: Well, I'm glad you got to the bottom of the bucket, and as 465 00:23:34,300 --> 00:23:36,940 Sheriff Mike would say, Ladies love their buckets. 466 00:23:38,830 --> 00:23:40,450 Emily: I'm excited to know what that means. 467 00:23:42,100 --> 00:23:44,710 Heidi: And it is streaming on like three different things. So 468 00:23:44,710 --> 00:23:49,360 I think it's on Sci Fi, it's on USA, and it's on Peacock, and it 469 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:52,120 might even be on Netflix. So it's easy to find these days. 470 00:23:52,150 --> 00:23:52,870 Emily: Sweet. 471 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,920 Heidi: That is it for today's episode. Boundaries are the 472 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:00,040 secret ingredient for a summer that is both joyful and 473 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:00,700 successful. 474 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:03,610 Emily: And don't forget our teacher approved tip to create 475 00:24:03,610 --> 00:24:05,680 your own summer sensorium list. 476 00:24:08,410 --> 00:24:11,590 Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm 477 00:24:11,590 --> 00:24:12,160 Heidi. 478 00:24:12,220 --> 00:24:15,490 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 479 00:24:15,490 --> 00:24:18,010 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 480 00:24:18,010 --> 00:24:18,460 episode. 481 00:24:18,930 --> 00:24:21,210 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 482 00:24:21,210 --> 00:24:24,420 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 483 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:25,410 Bye for now. 484 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:26,220 Emily: Bye.