3 Things to Do Before Students Arrive and After They Leave on the First Day [Episode 217]

Heidi 0:01
This is episode 217 of Teacher Approved.

Heidi 0:04
You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

Emily 0:13
And I’m Emily. We’re the creators behind Second Story Window, where we give research based and teacher approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

Heidi 0:28
We’re so glad you’re tuning in today. Let’s get to the show.

Emily 0:36
Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we are talking about the back to school sandwich. That’s what happens right before and right after that very first day with students. And we’re sharing a suggestion for how to wrap up your first day with a little bit of fun.

Heidi 0:52
But first, let’s start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick win that you can try right away. Emily, what is our suggestion this week?

Emily 1:00
This week, try creating a teacher prep soundtrack for yourself. Put together a playlist of songs that energize you and make you feel confident, whether it’s upbeat pop or calming instrumental music or throwback hits that make you smile. Having a go-to playlist can be a game changer when you’re setting up your classroom.

Heidi 1:18
Music really can shift your whole mood and energy level. Plus, if you are feeling good while you’re working, that positive energy carries over into everything you create for your students and their families.

Emily 1:29
And if you have a new playlist every year, then it will be like when you hear those songs you can remember the year that you’re setting up that classroom. That could be a fun idea.

Heidi 1:37
That could be fun.

Emily 1:38
If you like this idea, or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star rating and review on Apple podcasts or Spotify?

Heidi 1:48
Over the years, Emily and I have created an extensive library of back to school products. To help you find the tools that will make the start of your new year easier, today we are spotlighting our Guided Discovery resource. Tell us about this one, Emily.

Emily 2:01
This one’s one of our favorites, and we talked about it in detail in Episode 146. So the short version is that Guided Discovery is a hands on way to introduce students to your expectations around managing and using school tools. So if you’re tired of smashed glue sticks and chewed pencils, this is the resource for you.

Heidi 2:19
Now, it’s got a long name because we need it to come up in search. So it’s called the Guided Discovery of classroom procedures and rules for school supplies for back to school, but there is a link in the show notes if you want a shortcut.

Emily 2:32
So in this resource, we give you a set of Google slides and a scripted lesson plan for introducing more than 20 common school tools. So of course, we cover pencils and crayons and scissors, but there’s also materials for dice and clipboards and magnet letters and Chromebooks. We tried to really cover all the bases.

Heidi 2:50
Yes, and you definitely don’t have to do all of them, but for any tools that you use, you will be so glad to have this. Each lesson covers the six parts of a Guided Discovery activity, so that you are inviting students into the process of establishing the standards that they are agreeing, hopefully, to follow all year.

Emily 3:08
And what I really love is that for each of the school tools, there’s a quick fun activity so students can experience using that tool right away. So for example, if you’re introducing markers, there’s a small coloring page. For clipboards, there’s a short around the room scavenger hunt so they can practice using a clipboard. Each activity is targeted to keep things engaging, but also moving quickly.

Heidi 3:27
This is one of our resources that gets the best feedback. And here’s a little share from Lynn, who said, “This has been a game changer for how my students use our classroom materials. It is easy to assume that kids will know how to use pencils and erasers, but they don’t know my expectations. Now they do, and I am so much happier because of it.”

Emily 3:27
Lots of o’s in so. Plus, besides the lesson materials, there are a whole bunch of resources to help you address any hiccups down the road. When someone stabs the glue with their scissors or colors on the carpet, there are materials just waiting for you so you can address the problem right away.

Heidi 4:03
So head to the show notes and grab the link for the Guided Discovery of School Tools resource. It will make your whole year run smoother.

Emily 4:11
You know, we’ve been talking all summer about getting ready for back to school, and we realize that there’s this one piece we haven’t really addressed yet, and that’s what happens right before and right after the very first day with students.

Heidi 4:24
This time of year, it’s really easy to lose yourself in all of the thoughts around classroom setup and getting your systems ready. You likely have a million checklists for labeling supplies, planning procedures or organizing desks. And of course, those things absolutely matter.

Emily 4:39
Yeah, but we know you know how important they are. But often what gets overlooked is you as the teacher. How do you prepare yourself, both emotionally and practically, for that huge moment when your classroom goes from organized and empty to full of real kids? What do you do with all the nerves and energy and expectations leading up to that day?

Heidi 5:02
And then in just seven short, or not so short, hours after they arrive, they all leave. The door closes, the room is quiet again, and I can feel that moment. You’re just left standing in the whirlwind of everything that just happened. And that moment deserves some attention too.

Emily 5:20
Yeah, so today we’re talking about what we’re calling the back to school sandwich. So it’s not lunch, although, yes, definitely pack a lunch, especially on the first day you’re going to want it, but the emotional and practical layers that surround the first day of school. Because just like a good sandwich, the most important stuff might be in the middle, sure, but without the bread and the toppings on either side, it just it all falls apart, and it’s not nearly as tasty.

Heidi 5:45
So that first day is the filling. Stick with us here. It’s big, it’s flavorful, maybe even a little messy, but what you do before and after is what’s going to hold everything together. And if you take care of those two pieces, the whole thing is a lot more satisfying and a lot less likely to fall apart and stain your cute new first day of school outfit.

Emily 6:06
To make your back to school sandwich as sturdy and satisfying as possible, we’re breaking it down into three simple categories of teacher self-care that apply before and after that all important first day.

Heidi 6:17
First is emotional prep. This is all about checking in with yourself and making sure that you’re grounded and headed in the right direction. Next is the logistical basics. These are the small, practical choices that make a big difference to your well being. And finally, comes your recovery plan. This is where you create space to breathe, reflect and regroup, because the way you land matters just as much as how you launch.

Emily 6:41
So let’s take a look at that bottom slice of bread. What you need to do before the first day to set yourself up for success. And we’re gonna start where we always start by identifying our purpose.

Heidi 6:52
Yes, it is so easy to get lost in the busyness that comes with back to school. That’s how we end up running ourselves ragged, but somehow we still don’t feel prepared, even though we’re working nonstop. To combat this, we’re going to take a couple of minutes to figure out what matters. First, stop and reflect on what kind of teacher you want to be this year. Think about the parts of teaching that bring you joy and the kind of impact you hope to have on your students.

Emily 7:17
A great addition to this exercise is setting a one word theme to guide your year. Maybe it’s steady or wonder or grace or joy, just one word that you can come back to when things get overwhelming. You can write it on a sticky note and put it somewhere where you will see it every day.

Heidi 7:34
We talked about choosing a one word theme back in episode 27 if you want to go back in time and revisit that. But we also have some guiding questions in our back to school readiness checklist, if you want a page that’s already all set up to collect all of your thoughts.

Emily 7:48
While you’re in that reflective space, the readiness checklist resource also has a goal setting page, plus some more pages specifically focused on teacher prep, like a page for listing what you’re letting go of, writing yourself permission slips, and writing a quick note of encouragement to yourself. You can print it and stick it in your plan book, your desk drawer, or even just take a screenshot and set it as your phone lock screen.

Heidi 8:10
Oh, and set a reminder to take a photo of your classroom once it’s all set up. You’ve worked so hard to get it ready, celebrate the moment before the kids come in and mess it all up.

Emily 8:20
Now, let’s talk about prepping your personal launch plan. You have to remember to take care of the human behind the teacher. So map out what your ideal morning looks like on that first day. When will you wake up? What will you eat? What music will help you feel grounded?

Heidi 8:34
With that vision in mind, what can you do in advance to make morning smoother? Maybe pack your lunch, lay out your clothes, fill your teacher bag and get your own kids’ backpacks ready the night before. Every little step you can do ahead of time helps.

Emily 8:48
We shared lots of good tips for this back in episode 209 so give that a listen if you want a refresher. But another handy suggestion is to stock a desk drawer or a cabinet with your survival essentials. You may want to set up a day one emergency kit with things like tissues, band aids, lozenges and extra snacks that you want to have handy on the first day.

Heidi 9:08
Yeah, in the first couple days of school, there just is not a lot of wiggle room if your contact lens gets dirty, or you get a stomach ache, you’re kind of stuck. So make sure you have on hand anything that you don’t want to be caught without.

Emily 9:22
And I know we’ve mentioned this before, but one of the best gifts you can give yourself is not working late on the first day. So for that to happen, you need to prepare day two at the same time that you prepare day one. We promise it’s not as tricky as it sounds. Episodes 144, 145, and 146 walk you through exactly how to streamline your first day of school plans and extend that process through the first week.

Heidi 9:45
Think how happy you will be at the end of that first day, to waltz out of the school at 3:30 and have a long, relaxing evening ahead of you. But you know, first we need to make sure that that evening is actually relaxing.

Emily 9:58
Start by deciding how you’re going to transition when students leave. Will you sit quietly for five minutes, text a friend, take a walk around the building? Have a plan so you’re not left floundering. And if you want a fun idea, make sure to listen to the end of the episode, because we have a fun tip to share.

Heidi 10:15
Next create a cozy landing zone at home, pillows, snacks, soft lighting your favorite show all queued up. Everything you need to really relax. Stock the recovery kit we talked about in episode 209. Make it easy to take it easy. Need that on a shirt.

Emily 10:31
Yeah. Also make an intentional plan for how you can minimize demands for a few days. Maybe your kids get extra screen time for the first week of school. Maybe you’re getting more takeout than you normally do, and that’s totally okay. The start of the school year is just a season. It’s not your whole life.

Heidi 10:47
Alright. That is the before the first day of school bread slice. That’s a sentence I never imagined saying. Make time to reflect on what you want to have happen, prepare for your personal launch, and set up your recovery plan.

Emily 11:04
So next comes the filling, but we have spent all summer covering the middle of this sandwich—lesson plans, community building, classroom setup and so much more. If you need some ideas, make sure to scroll back to some of our past summer episodes in your podcast feed.

Heidi 11:18
And now we can talk about the top slice of bread, what to do after you make it through that first day. We’ll follow the same pattern as we did before, of figuring out your emotional prep, your logistical basics and then your recovery plan.

Emily 11:31
Once the students leave, take five minutes to jot down what went well, what didn’t, and what you want to try differently tomorrow. Celebrate small wins, even if the win is I made it through or I remember five names. Even small accomplishments deserve to be celebrated.

Heidi 11:46
And there is also a sheet for this in the back to school readiness checklist. We really have thought of everything. So grab that if you don’t have it already.

Emily 11:54
I always say we overthink things so that you don’t have to. So you also want to set a reminder in your phone to take a photo of your classroom after the students leave. Notice how it’s already changed because your students were there. There’s something beautiful, really about seeing that transformation.

Heidi 12:12
Once you’ve had a moment to recover and reflect, focus on the logistics of getting day two set up. Hopefully you have had a chance to prepare most of the materials in advance. If not, do whatever you can to make the morning of the second day flow as easily as possible. Yes, I know you are so tired right now, but you will probably still be that tired in the morning.

Emily 12:33
A suggestion that might help us to plan one easy win for day two. So maybe it’s a favorite read aloud, a simple game, or even showing a 15 minute video. Focus on teaching your essential procedures and activities to build your class community, and you’ll have all the important stuff covered.

Heidi 12:49
As you’re wrapping up your work day, do what you can to protect your energy. It’s totally okay to skip the chatty teachers lounge or to say, I need to recharge, I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. It’s okay to be smart about your limits, even if that teacher across the hall might not understand.

Emily 13:04
Once you’ve cleaned up day one, and set up day two, and finally made it back to your front door, it’s time to recover with intention. So treat yourself the way you would treat a tired toddler. Eat something comforting, take a warm bath if you like a bath, go to bed early. You’ve just done something incredibly hard, and you deserve that kindness.

Heidi 13:24
Use that recovery kit you prepped, or start one now. Put on jammies as soon as you’re home, do a puzzle, read a book, watch a movie, get out of coloring a book. Prioritize the things that give you the space to bounce back.

Emily 13:36
Or if you’ve got a totally different personality, maybe you want to hit the gym, re-energize with a night out, or start a brand new project. This is not our journey, but we love that for you.

Heidi 13:48
Whatever type of recovery you need is the right choice. And like we mentioned earlier, give yourself permission to lower the bar at home. Use paper plates. Let everyone zone out on their devices for a while. Order dinner without guilt. You’re not letting things slide. You’re being strategic when your energy is so limited.

Emily 14:06
If you are someone with a tough inner critic, this can be hard to accept, but really, the best thing you can do during a stressful time is to give yourself grace. Nothing good comes from making yourself feel guilty for not meeting some random standard of perfection. Beating yourself up won’t suddenly give you more energy. So be kind to yourself and accept that this is a normal part of such a huge transition.

Heidi 14:28
I wish I had understood this back when I was teaching.

Emily 14:30
I know.

Heidi 14:31
I was, I would really beat myself up about not having it together. But you know what this is, just a few days, you will figure it out, and things will get back to normal, we promise.

Emily 14:41
Plus, I think most people don’t have it together. We assume everyone else has it together. I think nobody has it together. And just remember the first day of school is just one day in a whole year of teaching, but it can feel so big and overwhelming. So remember that the real magic happens in how you prepare yourself, not just your classroom, and how you take care of yourself after.

Heidi 15:02
We would love to hear your tips for what to do before and after the first day. Come join the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Emily 15:10
Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week’s teacher approved tip is to wrap up the first day of school was some fun. So tell us what you have in mind, Heidi.

Heidi 15:23
Oh, I’m so excited about this, I’m doing little hand claps. That’s probably terrible for the audio. Oh, but this is a fun one. Now, as you know, the first day of school leaves most of us just running on pure adrenaline. Once the kids leave, it’s so easy to either dive straight into day two prep or get stuck in one of those never ending hallway conversations that somehow just suck your will to live.

Emily 15:44
Yeah, that’s why I love your idea of a quick cheers and chat check in with your grade level team, or maybe your teacher friends. It’s just structured enough to feel special and meaningful, but it’s light enough that it won’t hijack your whole afternoon or require a lot of your energy.

Heidi 16:02
So here’s how to make it work. First, decide your goal. Are you looking to debrief the day, share a few laughs, or just celebrate that you survived? Decide if you are hosting in your classroom or somewhere else in the school, and then pick your timing. I would recommend right after dismissal, because you want to grab everyone before they scatter to start prepping for tomorrow.

Emily 16:22
Then decide if you’re doing this with your grade level team, just your teacher besties, or the whole staff. Keep the refreshments simple, but a little special. Grab some sparkling cider, a fun mix soda or even chocolate milk if that’s your vibe. Don’t plan on something like donuts or muffins that will require an extra errand before school, because we want this to be painless, not adding to your crazy first morning of school.

Heidi 16:45
Oh, yeah, absolutely not. And the nice thing about limiting it to a drink is you can pick it up from the store weeks in advance, and it is really easy to make things a little more special with something as simple as those dollar store champagne flutes.

Emily 16:58
Yeah, and nobody wants a bunch of extra work at the start of the school year, so disposable champagne flutes for the win. The next step is to send out an invitation a few days in advance so it doesn’t get lost in the back to school chaos. Clearly promise that it will be very quick or people will not be excited to attend.

Heidi 17:16
And then once everyone arrives, literally, set a timer for 10 minutes, 15 minutes max. This is really important. By setting a timer, you show that you understand how stressed everyone is and that you respect their time.

Emily 17:29
And your time, because you still got stuff to do, of course.

Heidi 17:34
Then offer one or two simple questions for everyone to answer, something like, what made you smile today? Or, what are you proud of right now? This keeps things moving and makes sure that everyone gets a chance to share without it turning into a whole complaint session, or without a few strong personalities hijacking the whole thing. And finally, just wrap it up with a quick toast to the new school year.

Emily 17:54
It’s such a simple thing, but it can transform an exhausting afternoon into a moment of real connection and perspective, all while protecting your time and energy for getting ready for tomorrow. From time to time, we all need a reminder that we’re not in this alone, and it’s especially important to build those relationships with your coworkers.

Heidi 18:12
If this sounds like something you would be interested in doing, we have a little freebie for you. We give you a step by step guide for how to organize a cheers and chat check in, and have an editable invitation that you can use. We even include ideas for your toast to the new year and some recipes. I’m using air quotes, a few simple recipes for some fancy sodas.

Emily 18:33
Well, we’re from Utah, so we know a fancy soda. Okay, so we were not gonna leave you all hanging, and we’ll have a link to this in the show notes where you can go grab it for free. It’s a freebie.

Heidi 18:45
To wrap up the show, we’re sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

Emily 18:53
I’m giving extra credit to ice cream taste testing.

Heidi 18:53
Well, I would like to co sign that.

Emily 18:56
Yeah, we did this as a family recently, and it was just so much fun. Everybody loved it. I got, I don’t know, eight pints of fun ice cream flavor. So I went for, like, fancier brands or really unique flavors, and then I got those little plastic condiment cups, and then I put a scoop of each flavor into each cup. But I mean by scoop, it’s probably more like…

Heidi 19:17
A melon baller.

Emily 19:17
Yes, a robust spoonful. So everyone could get, you know, maybe a couple spoonfuls out of it, just enough to taste, and then everyone would have a stack of cups to try. This way. I wasn’t having to, like, run back and forth scooping for each flavor. I did all the scooping in advance, and then put it right back in the freezer to hold up. And then I numbered the cup so that we could all try the same one at the same time. And then we gave it a rating out of 10. I think last year we did it out of five, but the kids wanted to do it out of ten. And then I averaged all the scores. So our winner this year was Van Lewin, which my father speaks Dutch, and he let me know I am not at all pronouncing that correctly, but you’ll forgive me. It is their pistachio flavor, and it was tasty and so fun. I loved it, and that was a really yummy flavor.

Heidi 20:04
Yes, I was shocked that the kids liked it.

Emily 20:05
I thought that would be the least favorite, pistachio. I got it because I like pistachio, and I was like, Well, I’m getting it for me, but everybody loved it, even the kids. It was so good.

Heidi 20:15
Yeah, it was really good. I’ve been craving it now.

Emily 20:17
Highly recommend it. We also, in our family, celebrate a little holiday called flavor day, which is Labor Day. But when my youngest was younger, much younger, she thought it was flavor day, and kept calling it flavor day. And we decided that from henceforth it shall be known as flavor day. And so we usually go get ice cream. So if you would like to adopt flavor day for your own family. I think an ice cream taste test would be an excellent way to celebrate that.

Heidi 20:49
Yes, that would be perfect.

Emily 20:49
And this is the exact kind of thing we talk about on our other podcast, the Holiday Headstart. So if you want to hear more about traditions and ice cream, come on over to the Holiday Headstart. That was an unplanned plug.

Heidi 20:58
And we really would love to have you there. If how we plan back to school resonates with you, you will love how we plan Christmas.

Emily 21:06
Get a load of how we prepare for Christmas.

Heidi 21:09
Oh, boy, yeah, we’re not ready.

Emily 21:11
We overthought that one too so you don’t have to. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

Heidi 21:17
I’m giving extra credit to the book The Spell Shop by Sara Beth Durst. I think the second in this series just came out recently, which I haven’t read yet, but just read the spell shop, and it was so sweet. I love a cozy fantasy. And this just checked all the right boxes. The blurb on Amazon calls it a hallmark rom com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic. And I could not have summed it up any better.

Emily 21:40
Sign me up.

Heidi 21:41
So I’m not sure how to pronounce this character’s name. That is the downside to fantasy novels is like, how do we say these names? We don’t know, so I’m just going to give it my best guess. But the premise is that librarian Kyla and her sentient spider plant Kaz, I was calling him Kaz, I don’t know if that’s right. They escape a revolution and return to the tiny island where Kyla grew up. Her goal is to build a life while at the same time hiding the forbidden magic books that she saved from the burning library. And so she ends up opening a jam shop that just happens to sell spells on the side. And of course, along the way, she learns that life is better when you have other people to trust. It’s very sweet and imaginative. If you’re looking for something to escape into, like after a long first day of school, it’s just the perfect little getaway into imagination.

Emily 22:30
Oh, I love it. I’m putting on my TBR right now.

Heidi 22:34
That is it for today’s episode. Remember to prep your back to school sandwich. Take care of yourself before, during and after that first day. You have got this and we are cheering you on every step of the way.

Emily 22:46
And don’t forget to grab our cheers and chat freebie from the link in the show notes.

Heidi 22:53
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I’m Heidi.

Emily 22:57
And I’m Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

Heidi 23:04
You can connect with us and other teachers in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. We’ll see you here next week. Bye for now.

Emily 23:10
Bye.