5 Easy Ways to Reignite Student Engagement During the September Slump [Episode 225]

Heidi 0:01
This is episode 225 of Teacher Approved.

Heidi 0:06
You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

Emily 0:14
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 mid-September slump. What happens when that back to school honeymoon period officially ends, and how you can keep your students engaged without completely exhausting yourself in the process.

Heidi 0:53
Let’s start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away. Emily, what’s our suggestion this week?

Emily 0:59
This week, try switching up your Monday morning question. Instead of asking students how their weekend went, ask what they’re looking forward to this week.

Heidi 1:08
This small change can make a really big difference for some kids. Not everyone has great weekends, and starting Monday by asking them to think about something that might have been hard can really set a tough tone for the day.

Emily 1:20
Plus, for kids who struggle with being at school, reminding them about the fun they had at home can make it even harder to settle into the school week. Asking them to focus forward instead of backward helps them get mentally ready for what’s coming.

Heidi 1:31
It’s a simple way to help kids regulate their emotions and start the week thinking about positive possibilities rather than dwelling on what they’re leaving behind.

Emily 1:40
If you like this idea or anything else we share here on the podcast, could you take a moment and give us a five star rating and review in your podcast players?

Heidi 1:48
Well, we’re in late September now, and if you’re noticing that your adorable little angels are, well, maybe acting a little less angelic, you’re probably not imagining it.

Emily 1:59
No, because the honeymoon is officially over. Those first few weeks when kids were actually excited about your pencil sharpening procedure, when they hung on your every word about how to line up for the bathroom? Well, we hate to be the bearers of bad news, but that’s done.

Heidi 2:16
Oh yeah, it’s long done. This was always a bittersweet transition for me. It was nice to feel like life was settling into a routine after the chaos of back to school, but there was something so sweet about their wide eyed enthusiasm for everything. It’s so endearing when getting to use new glue sticks is the highlight of the day.

Emily 2:36
Yeah, but it wears off fast, doesn’t it? But the thing to remember is that this shift is supposed to happen. If everything stayed brand new and exciting all the time, then kids would be constantly overwhelmed. Their little brains need this shiny excitement to wear off so that they can focus on learning.

Heidi 2:54
Which, you know, is not as endearing, but I guess, is probably more important. That means that once the rhythm of the normal school day is setting in, those little brains start scanning the room like, Hmm, okay, I’ve mastered the morning work situation. I know exactly what happens during math time. What else is happening around here?

Emily 3:15
Yeah, it’s like they have this internal radar that’s just searching for the next interesting thing. You can just hear it beeping in your mind. And then if they don’t find it…

Heidi 3:25
Oh yeah, oh yeah, they will create their own entertainment. And I can promise you that their version of entertainment is not what you want to have happening during your reading lesson.

Emily 3:36
No, definitely not. So if you’re seeing more fidgeting kids rushing through work just to have something to do, or that glazed over look during lessons, their brains are simply saying, I need something worth paying attention to.

Heidi 3:48
But don’t let that get you down. We promise this is not a depressing episode. In fact, we think this dip in energy is actually a good thing, because once you understand this pattern, you can harness it instead of letting it run the show.

Emily 4:03
And you don’t need to overhaul anything to do it. A few simple tweaks can change everything. One of our favorite things to talk about on this podcast is the balance of structure and novelty in the classroom. We did a deep dive on this back in episode 99 if you want all the details. But as a refresher, picture one of those old fashioned scales, you know, like the ones you see in a courtroom that have like the two hanging buckets on it.

Heidi 4:25
One of those buckets represents structure. This is your procedures, your expectations, your daily schedule, and anything else that gives shape to your day. The other bucket is spark. This is novelty, surprise, excitement and anything else that adds a little flair to the normal.

Emily 4:41
When structure and spark are balanced, your students are engaged. Too much structure, and kids get bored and check out, too much spark, and they’re completely overwhelmed.

Heidi 4:50
At the beginning of the school year, that spark bucket is overloaded. Every single thing is brand new, new desks, new crayons, new routines and a whole lot of new faces. To balance all of that novelty, we lean heavily into structure at the start of the year. We work on getting to know each other, teaching procedures and settling everyone into the routine.

Emily 5:11
Yeah, we’re just working overtime, on loading up that structure bucket. And that was perfect for back to school season, but now that bucket is getting pretty heavy, so it’s time to add some spark to balance things back out.

Heidi 5:22
And we are using the word spark on purpose because we are talking about tiny, little glints, not a full fireworks show.

Emily 5:31
Yeah, think small, intentional moments that signal to kids, Hey, learning is pretty fun. And the best part is that most of these cost nothing and take almost no prep. All they need from you is a bit of intention.

Heidi 5:44
So let’s talk about five simple ways to add that spark back into your day. And these really are simple. Think micro novelties, little effort, big payoff. And the first one is to change something.

Emily 5:58
Changing something can be as basic as moving your read aloud to a different corner of the room, or it can be letting kids do their spelling practice with markers instead of pencils. Suddenly, spelling feels special, even though it’s the exact same words.

Heidi 6:10
A simple way to make a change is switching up where you teach lessons. Instead of standing at the front board, try teaching math back at the carpet one day. Your lesson plan can stay exactly the same, but your students will instantly be more tuned in.

Emily 6:25
A great way to create that, oh, something’s different feeling at the end of September is to rearrange your desks. You are probably going to change seats at some point soon anyway, you might as well use it strategically.

Heidi 6:37
And we have lots of thoughts about how to do this process strategically.

Emily 6:41
Who us, have lots of thoughts?

Heidi 6:43
I know. You might even say we have all of the thoughts about this. So your seating arrangement is one of your greatest classroom management tools. So let it work for you. You can find the details in episode 97 where we walk you all the way through all of the details for our teacher approved seating system.

Emily 7:02
Also check out our digital seating chart tool that lets you try out lots of different strategic arrangements. Twenty minutes of planning a well balanced seating chart can buy you two months of decreased management issues. It’s a very smart investment, and there’s a link to it in the show notes.

Heidi 7:19
Okay, besides changing something. The second way to increase Spark is to add to what you’re already doing. Add a quick brain break between subjects, add a funny prop or a sound effect. You can even try out a new accent for a few minutes. And if your accent is terrible, that’s even better.

Emily 7:38
Thank you, Pepe Le Pew.

Heidi 7:40
Should I do the whole episode like this?

Emily 7:43
I’m gonna say no on that one.

Heidi 7:45
Spoilsport.

Emily 7:46
Or you can add movement to something that’s usually done sitting down. So instead of reviewing math facts at their desk, you can have kids stand to do jumping jacks while they practice. You’re still meeting your math goals, but with a totally different energy.

Heidi 7:59
You could also think about adding something unexpected to your routine. For example, maybe you add comedy captain to your class jobs. That person’s job is to read the day’s joke to the class at the start of morning meeting. Or you could try ending the day with a silly clap or a chant.

Emily 8:14
Adding a new element makes old routines feel like an upgrade, but don’t feel like you have to make this a year long commitment. We want novelties to stay novel. So once everyone in the class has had a turn to be comedy captain for the day, you can retire that position until you need it in February, because then you can bring it back as a way to enliven the dreary winter days.

Heidi 8:35
Yeah, the goal is to sprinkle in just enough newness to keep things fresh, and then take it away so it keeps feeling fun.

Emily 8:44
That sounds mean, but it’s not mean. We’re not giving them something and then ripping it away.

Heidi 8:48
We’re doing it out of love.

Emily 8:50
We’re just pulling it back a little for later.

Emily 8:53
So the third way to add Spark is to celebrate something. And before you panic, we are not talking about classroom parties.

Heidi 9:00
No, we would need three episodes to talk about classroom parties. Check out episodes 33, 34 and 96 if you don’t believe me, but the celebrations that we are talking about today are much more low key.

Emily 9:12
Much, much, much, much more low key. Think 30 second dance break because it’s Wednesday afternoon, or, you know, one of those silly whatever the daily holiday is, like, you know, did you know there’s a National Cheese Day?

Heidi 9:28
Of course, there is. There’s a national day for everything.

Emily 9:31
Yeah, and I think we just missed Talk Like a Pirate Day for this year. But National Random Acts of Poetry Day, American Touch Tag day and National Grouch day are all in October.

Heidi 9:43
Oh, put those on your calendar. And also in October, if you’re looking for more of a personal celebration, there is National Bra Day and National No Bra Day.

Emily 9:55
Oh my gosh. Maybe don’t put those on the classroom calendar, though. I think you can just keep that one to yourself.

Heidi 10:03
Yeah, probably for the best. But you aren’t limited to the calendar when it comes to planning celebrations. Pick a day this week and have everyone whisper for the entire morning just because. Kids eat that stuff up.

Emily 10:15
Yep. The fourth simple way to increase spark is to add choice, and this is so motivating for kids. Maybe you let them pick where to work for one assignment, they can sit at their desk or under their desks or in the reading corner.

Heidi 10:27
Just make sure that whatever choices you give them are choices you can live with. Don’t offer the choice to work under their desks unless you’re actually okay with kids crawling around down there.

Emily 10:39
Yeah, you can only be the fun teacher, or if you’re also okay being the lay down the law teacher. For choice to work, you have to hold students to high expectations. It’s that warm demander mentality that we were talking about. I don’t know if that was last week or two weeks ago. So it’d be saying like, Oh, it sounds like you’re playing under your desk instead of working, so time to move back to your chair. You can decide if you want to give the student a second chance after a few minutes, or if it’s just better for them to be done for the day.

Heidi 11:05
With classroom structure, the boundaries are clear for students. Adding spark, however, can come with some boundary pushing. Kids naturally want to see how far they can go, because, as we like to say here on the podcast, the minimum standard of behavior in any classroom is, what can the students get away with?

Emily 11:25
The potential payoff from adding spark to your day is worth some hassle, but also be willing to walk it back if it sends your kids into overwhelm. And if a big choice like choosing where in the room to work is too big for your students to handle, just keep it small.

Heidi 11:38
Yeah, even something like letting students choose between solving their math problem on a whiteboard or on a sticky note, can make the whole day feel fresh and exciting. Either way, they’re doing their work, which is a win for you, but the kids feel like they got a treat, which is a win for them.

Emily 11:53
And that brings us to the fifth way to add spark to your day, and that is to solve something. Kids love a good mystery or challenge. So start phonics with a riddle, or present your science lesson as a problem that they need to figure out.

Heidi 12:07
You could write clues on the board and have them guess what today’s vocabulary word will be, or create a simple classroom mystery, like someone has stolen our pencil sharpener. Let’s examine the evidence.

Emily 12:18
A great way to add a little mystery in math is to give students story problems with no numbers. You can cover up the numbers in the problem or just leave a blank space. At the park, Devin saw some birds in a tree and some in the grass. How many more birds were in the tree than in the grass?

Heidi 12:34
Because the students are missing key information, their brains are much more interested in figuring things out, instead of just solving for a quick answer. And if you have taught this type of story problem before, that is especially helpful, because when they hear how many more, how often do kids just jump to addition, even though it’s a subtraction problem?

Emily 12:52
Yeah.

Heidi 12:53
This bit of mystery slows everybody down and it gets them thinking before you reveal the numbers.

Emily 12:58
Solving something can also look like meeting a challenge. Activities like finish before the timer beeps, find three mistakes in my work, or solve the puzzle before the bell can be extremely motivating.

Heidi 13:09
Just make sure that you’ve included accommodations for any learners who might find this type of activity more pressure than pleasant. We don’t want to stress kids out in the name of having fun.

Emily 13:19
You really don’t have to add something big to spark curiosity. Even small surprises signal, Hey, pay attention, something different is happening here.

Heidi 13:27
But while you are adding these moments of spark to your day, you also want to keep an eye out for any early warning signs that your structure might also need some attention. As our procedures become routines, little cracks can start to show.

Emily 13:40
Think of these as your check engine lights. Yes, you can probably drive for a while with that light on, but eventually you’re going to have bigger problems if you don’t deal with it soon.

Heidi 13:49
And it’s the same thing in your classroom. If you notice that you are giving the same reminders over and over and over, or the same kids keep making the same mistakes with procedures, that is your warning light blinking.

Emily 14:01
For example, maybe morning work completion is getting sloppy. A few kids aren’t finishing, others are rushing through without thinking. It’s easy to just remind those kids individually and keep moving.

Heidi 14:12
But if you find this happening, step back and really look. If it really is just a couple of kids, you can find ways to support them individually. But if it’s more widespread, that’s your signal to hit the brakes and reteach.

Emily 14:26
I know the last thing any of us wants to do is go backwards and reteach something we covered in detail just a few weeks ago, but trust us, taking two days to reset expectations now will save you weeks of frustration later.

Heidi 14:37
When I taught second grade, I learned this the hard way. I would notice my morning routine getting a little loose about this time of year. And I would think, Oh, I know they’ve got it. They’re just being kids. They’ll settle in and things will be fine. But a few weeks later, my whole morning would be chaotic, because when one piece goes, it takes the whole system down with it.

Emily 14:57
This is not the fun part of teaching. And the kids don’t enjoy it any more than you do, but when they know exactly what’s expected, kids are free to focus on learning, instead of trying to figure out the rules or figure out a way around the rules.

Heidi 15:11
So as you navigate this mid-September transition, remember that what’s happening is totally normal. It’s a signal that your new students are ready for the next level.

Emily 15:21
Keep those solid routines, that structure is still super important, but start sprinkling in some small surprises and choices and pay attention to the warning signs before they become bigger issues.

Heidi 15:32
These aren’t huge overhauls, they’re just tiny tweaks that can make a big difference in keeping your students engaged as you settle into your school year rhythm. And if you want more ideas for increasing engagement at the start of the year, make sure to go back and check out episode 156.

Emily 15:48
We’d love to hear how you handle the September slump. Come join the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Emily 15:55
Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week’s tip is about getting ahead on parent communication by scheduling emails now. So tell us about this, Heidi.

Heidi 16:08
Well, this one is such a time saver. If you know you’re going to need to send the same type of email to parents multiple times throughout the year, sit down and draft those emails now. So for example, if you do a star student each week, just draft the email. Your child will be star student in two weeks, please send me a photo for their poster by Friday, and then schedule it to send two weeks before each child’s turn.

Emily 16:31
You can do the same thing for field trip permission slips, conference sign ups, or any regular parent communication. Draft the email once, then schedule when it needs to go out.

Heidi 16:40
Now if you want some bonus points, cc yourself on these emails. That way you get a copy in your inbox as a reminder that the email went out and that you should expect responses.

Emily 16:51
Oh so smart. This is a great way to save time and make sure you stay on top of important communication. Most email systems let you schedule messages. You just compose the email like normal, then look for the option to schedule it instead of sending immediately.

Heidi 17:03
The key to making this work is having your important dates mapped out ahead of time. If you know when your conferences are, when field trips are happening, or any special events that are coming up, like dress up days, you can definitely schedule those reminder emails now.

Emily 17:17
This same system works for positive communication too. Maybe you want to send a ‘great job this week’ email to three different parents throughout the month. Draft those emails now and schedule them to go out when you want.

Heidi 17:27
This way parents get the information with plenty of notice, and you’re not spending Sunday nights frantically writing emails. So I think this is a win all around.

Emily 17:35
Yeah, maybe you want to consider setting aside one of your planning times this week to set up your scheduled emails for the next month or two, and your future self will be so grateful if you do.

Heidi 17:44
To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

Emily 17:50
I’m giving extra credit to the new game from the New York Times that’s called Pips. It has a cute name, and it’s a cute game. It’s a game where you rotate dominoes to fit into a game board, but there are certain parts of the board that have conditions, like all of the numbers in a certain part of the board must be the same, or certain squares must be greater than or less than a specific number. It kind of reminds me of, like the logical rules of playing Sudoku, but this is probably more fun. Yeah, I’d say this is more fun. Especially because it’s like visual and they have three levels of difficulty that you can play each day. So it’s a new fun addition to my daily puzzle schedule.

Heidi 18:32
I could see this being really popular with older students, like this would be a perfect math warm up.

Emily 18:37
For sure, yeah.

Heidi 18:38
Might have to build up to the harder level.

Emily 18:41
Yes, those take a little bit more brain power.

Heidi 18:45
Yes, that is a very fun addition to what the New York Times has offer. I’m just bitter that they locked up the mini crossword. It’s fine. It’s fine. I’ll get over it.

Emily 18:53
I know, I’m so sorry, and I subscribe, but only because it was only $5 a month. When that expires, if they want me to pay more, I probably won’t pay more, but I’m willing to pay $5 a month to get to play the mini every day. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

Heidi 19:09
Well, I’m giving extra credit to simmer pots. Now that it is finally cooling down, I’m leaning into all things cozy and fall. I love having a pretty pot bubbling away on my stove, and I have been preparing.

Emily 19:23
Wow.

Heidi 19:24
So during this summer, I used my air fryer, oh my gosh, I can’t believe I did this. I used my air fryer to dehydrate lemon and orange slices for this moment.

Emily 19:34
Oh my gosh, Martha Stewart.

Heidi 19:36
I know pretty much. Now, did this make a task of slicing fruit 4000 times harder and more complicated than it should have been? Yes. But it means that I can make a simmer pot anytime the mood strikes, even if I don’t have fruit on hand. And that was always the hang up for me. I was like, oh, this would be the perfect day to have, you know, some orange and cinnamon going on the stove. I don’t have any oranges.

Emily 20:03
Uh huh.

Heidi 20:04
So I was like, oh, add it to the grocery order and then get it a week later, and that, you know. So this way I’m totally prepared. Now, I did a little investigating, Heidi science corner here. So I did an orange, dehydrated it, and put it on the stove, and it did not have any scent.

Emily 20:21
Oh, no!

Heidi 20:22
I was very bummed. But then I did a fresh one in it also did not have any scent in a simmer pot. Like, if, if I put my face right in it, like close enough that I was having to hold my hair back so it didn’t catch on fire, like that close, then it had some orange scent to it. But the fresh ones didn’t smell any stronger than a dehydrated orange. So I just now I’m using it for esthetics, although I did then get some orange oil in there. So we’ll see. I turned a simple task into a production. But that is fully my MO. If you have been here for more than five minutes, you know this about me. So this is where we’re at.

Emily 21:01
Well, it could have been this really awesome hack.

Heidi 21:04
Well, it is, because, like, it’s not pretty without the citrus floating in there.

Emily 21:09
Oh, for sure. The only thing I hate is that, like, it doesn’t stay pretty for very long once you’ve put the the fruit in, it all turns.

Heidi 21:16
Especially if you do the cranberries ones.

Emily 21:18
Yes, yes, that’s true. And I do usually do the one with cranberries. If I did one without cranberries, I bet it would hold up a little longer, but the oranges do turn into a big mushy mush.

Heidi 21:26
Yes, and we can tell, because we have glass simmer pots for this.

Emily 21:31
Obviously.

Heidi 21:32
And I did if, if anyone else is on this same kick, I did put a link in the show notes so you can find one. But the one that’s the thing too, is not anything special, just look for something that’s about two liters, I found that’s a good size, because you need it big enough to hold all the bits and pieces and then water.

Emily 21:49
Well, I feel like now is the moment to mention that if you like this content about dehydrated fruit for simmer pots in your pretty glass pots, then you would probably like our podcast The Holiday Headstart, where we talk all about ideas for making every day special, especially season changes and the holidays. So come join us over there, if you like this riveting content.

Heidi 22:15
Yes, that’s how you will know if you like that podcast. If this sounded interesting to you, that podcast is the place for you.

Emily 22:22
You know what, if this doesn’t sell that podcast, I don’t know what would.

Heidi 22:27
Well, that is it for today’s episode. Remember, the September slump is completely normal, but you can make it work for you and not against you by keeping routines steady and adding small moments of surprise and delight.

Heidi 22:42
We hope you enjoyed this episode of teacher approved. I’m Heidi.

Emily 22:46
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 22:52
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 22:59
Bye.