The Smooth December Framework Every Teacher Needs (And It Starts in November) [Episode 233]

Heidi  0:00

This is episode 233 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  0:35

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we are kicking off our five part series about how to teach in December, and prepare for January without adding to your overwhelm. And we’re sharing a teacher approved tip for how to manage all the details.

 

Heidi  0:52

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 is our suggestion this week?

 

Emily  0:59

This week, set a timer for the last five minutes of your planning time. Use it to clear one surface in your classroom—your desk, a table, the counter by the sink. Just pick one and you will feel so much better walking in tomorrow.

 

Heidi  1:13

Oh, I love that. You could even do this as a five minute wrap up before you walk out the door at the end of the day. Sometimes it’s the smallest resets that make the biggest difference.

 

Emily  1:23

Right? I’m always so surprised what a difference it makes when I can get a surface clean in my house or in my classroom. My classroom surfaces were always a trouble spot for me, and it’s just amazing how everything feels easier to manage when your environment feels calm, so you can just tackle it a little bit at a time.

 

Heidi  1:43

If you like this idea or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you mind giving us a five star rating? Ratings and reviews are one way that new listeners find us. So every rating and review really is a huge help for us.

 

Emily  1:55

Okay, you know how in the middle of November, it sort of feels like you’re in two places at once.

 

Heidi  2:02

Yes, like half of you is still dealing with fall stuff. You’re grading assessments and prepping for conferences and managing the upcoming Thanksgiving chaos, but the other half of you is already stressing about December and wondering how you’re possibly going to be ready for January.

 

Emily  2:18

It’s teacher limbo. You’re exhausted from everything that’s already happened, but you can also see what’s coming, and what’s coming feels big.

 

Heidi  2:27

So we try to manage that anxiety, but we don’t always do that in helpful ways. Either we try to do everything, stay late, work through weekends, plan everything in detail, so nothing is left to chance. And the thing is, you do get ahead that way, but you are completely burned out before your break even starts.

 

Emily  2:45

Or we are not over functioning. We manage that anxiety by ignoring it. This is how I tend to be. We do nothing in advance and tell ourselves that we will deal with it over break, and then the whole vacation is either spent feeling resentful because you’re working during your break, or feeling terrible that you’re not.

 

Heidi  3:05

I have been that teacher so many times, just so drained by December that even thinking about January had me sitting on the foot of my bed and crying. So I would pack my teacher bag with materials and good intentions, and then I would either ignore it completely or work through my days off and resent every minute of it.

 

Emily  3:26

Oh, yeah, I think we all know the feeling, but we do not want that for you. So the good news is that with some strategy, you can know exactly what to prep for January and have the time to do it before your break actually starts.

 

Heidi  3:37

And that is what we’re talking about today. This episode kicks off our smooth December series. I feel like we need some Kenny G or something. Over the next few weeks, we will help you plan meaningful December content, manage behavior effortlessly, and reset for a strong January.

 

Emily  3:54

Next week in Episode 234 we will be talking about how to plan December lessons that work in spite of the chaos. But today we’re going to start at the foundation, how to get ahead without adding to your stress.

 

Heidi  4:07

And before you panic about not having time for any of this, don’t worry. We are going to show you how to find time inside of the schedule that you already have.

 

Emily  4:17

Yeah, time hacking. This is where our smooth December framework comes in. You need a system to categorize the dozens of tasks ahead of you so you can get them done. Let’s focus on four specific things, your pockets of prep, your classroom reset plan, your student engagement hook, and your teacher comfort plan. These four areas will get you ready for January, and they’re all things that you can start now in November.

 

Heidi  4:43

Now, don’t let that sound overwhelming. We’ve got plenty of time still to sort out the details, and we will be talking about this on the podcast for four more weeks.

 

Emily  4:52

Plus, we built a resource to help you work through this step by step. It is our December teacher survival kit. It’s a digital editable planner that walks you through planning your December content, identifying what you need to prep for January, and creating a system to get it all done without losing your mind.

 

Heidi  5:09

We will link to that in the show notes, but basically it has calendars and checklists and all of the tools that you need to make preparing in advance for January as smooth as possible.

 

Emily  5:19

Now, before you can get to any of the actual prep, you need to find time to do it. The thing about getting ahead is that most of us don’t need more motivation. We need more minutes.

 

Heidi  5:29

But unfortunately, no one is handing out extra planning time in November, no matter how often we ask, you have got the same schedule, the same responsibilities and the same endless list of things to do.

 

Emily  5:42

So since we can’t give you a longer prep period, you need to get better at spotting the tiny windows of time that already exist. Those in between moments that usually get lost in transition are what we call pockets of prep. We talked about this in more detail in episode 169 so you can go back and check that out if you want all of our best tips for identifying and utilizing pockets of prep.

 

Heidi  6:05

But if you need a refresher, pockets of prep are small, 10 or 15 minute windows that hide inside your regular school day. They don’t look like real prep time, but when you start noticing and protecting them, they add up fast.

 

Emily  6:18

So you kind of think of it like gathering loose change. One nickel is not much, but a handful of nickels turns into real money. 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there, and that is how you are going to buy yourself a real winter break.

 

Heidi  6:32

To find your pockets of prep, start by paying attention to your day. Are there any tiny pauses in your schedule that you could claim? Maybe you don’t have recess duty on Tuesdays, or you tend to spend the first 10 minutes of planning time scrolling your phone. No judgment. Write those down. We’re not going to do anything with them yet. We’re just finding the loose change.

 

Emily  6:52

Now, hopefully this time audit uncovers 60 spare minutes hidden in your day, but it just is not, probably very likely, so you’re going to have to get creative with making your own pockets of prep. Anytime students are working independently is a potential pocket of prep.

 

Heidi  7:08

So consider if you could swap out one science or social studies lesson a week for a video. Could you stretch morning work time, silent reading time, or independent work time five minutes longer? Once a week could you have students rotate through centers without doing a work with the teacher rotation?

 

Emily  7:24

How about having students play phonics games when you’d normally teach a lesson, or cutting a couple minutes off your small group times? Maybe you could put on an audiobook instead of reading aloud. It takes some finessing, but there’s a lot you can do to scrape up five minutes here and there across several days.

 

Heidi  7:39

Think of it like digging spare change out of the couch cushions. It’s not glamorous, but it gets the job done. If you can capture even two or three pockets of prep a day, that’s 20 to 30 minutes that you didn’t have before. You multiply that by a week, and you found two extra hours.

 

Emily  7:57

Now obviously this is not a long term strategy. We are not saying that any of these tweaks should be permanent, but unless they’re going to start paying you to prep during winter break, don’t feel bad about using your work time to complete work tasks.

 

Heidi  8:11

Yeah, as long as your students are engaged in meaningful tasks, you are not shortchanging them. You’re just repurposing their work time for some of your work time.

 

Emily  8:21

Once you identify those gaps in your schedule, protect them, put them on your calendar, just like a meeting. 10:15 to 10:25, pocket of prep. Maybe there’s not a lot you can do yet to prepare for January during that time, but right now, the main goal is creating awareness of the time that’s available.

 

Heidi  8:38

And by the time you do have your December and January to do list ready, you will already have this system built. You’ll know exactly when those pockets happen and be ready to slide tasks right into them, instead of having to work on your weekends.

 

Emily  8:52

So your homework this week is simple, track your time for a few days and then circle the gaps and label them pockets of prep, or maybe you want to label them pop, P-O-P.

 

Heidi  9:01

There you go. And you don’t have to fill these yet. Just find them. Future you is going to be so grateful.

 

Emily  9:08

And that’s the first piece of getting ahead without getting overwhelmed, learning to use time you already have. And just remind yourself that this isn’t forever.

 

Heidi  9:17

Yeah, we’re not suggesting that you have to optimize every second of the day so that you are always at peak efficiency. That will burn you out really fast. But as a short term solution, maximizing your pockets of prep can be exactly what you need to get your first January materials prepared before winter break starts.

 

Emily  9:34

Next, we’re moving on to one of our favorite strategies for a calm January, prepping your classroom so it feels fresh and ready before you even leave for break.

 

Heidi  9:43

So the goal here is for you to walk back into your classroom in January and feel like your room has already had its coffee.

 

Emily  9:50

Oh yeah, that is the best feeling. Now, since we’re still in November, there is not a ton we can do at the moment to get our rooms ready for the new year. Any decluttering you do now will probably just get recluttered before winter break.

 

Heidi  10:03

Yeah, and your kids would be a bit confused if you suddenly switch over the calendar to 2026, just so you can get ahead. But there are two steps we can take now to set us up for success later. The first step is to set up a system for collecting everything you will need in January.

 

Emily  10:19

This is so simple. All you need is two bins. Label one After The Break for things you can wait to deal with in January. Label the other January Ready, for things you’re prepping in advance. You’ll probably have way less in the after the break bin than the January ready bin. So take that into account when you’re choosing your bin sizes.

 

Heidi  10:38

And I know the wheels are turning already. Don’t make these cute. A cardboard box works, a plastic tub works, even just two different colored folders. The system is what matters, not the supplies.

 

Emily  10:49

And it’s so important to have these done early on. As you’re prepping for January, you need a home for everything. Imagine how sad you’d be if you lost that stack of math papers that you worked so hard to get copied in advance.

 

Heidi  11:01

in your after the break bin, put everything you need to deal with that is not time sensitive. If your literacy coach hands you a stack of papers for the assessment that you need to give on January 14, put it in that bin.

 

Emily  11:13

Yeah, that is a 2026 problem. It can wait. Stick it in the after the break bin. Use your January ready bin for things like a pack of newly sharpened pencils, copies ready to go, prepped centers, anything you want to have waiting for you when you get back.

 

Heidi  11:27

Once you have your bins prepped, you can look at the second classroom reset task, and make a list of everything your room needs before you walk out the door in December. Write down tasks like taking down your December bulletin board, organizing your supply closet, switching out seasonal books, assigning class jobs, maybe even adjusting your seating chart if you want to start the year with a new desk arrangement.

 

Emily  11:49

In the December teacher survival kit, there’s a checklist with 35 classroom reset tasks. Of course, you don’t have to do all of them, but it can help you think through what your space needs. Having this list made early means you can start chipping away at things now.

 

Heidi  12:02

Right, it is probably too early for tasks like swapping out your seasonal books, but there are odds and ends that you can take care of early, like sharpening that batch of pencils and stashing them in your January ready bin.

 

Emily  12:13

These are the sorts of tasks that fit perfectly in your pockets of prep. We’ll be talking more about pockets of prep in next week’s episode. But if the suspense is killing you, just go back and listen to episode 169 for a deep dive while you wait.

 

Heidi  12:27

The third piece of our smooth December framework is your student engagement hook. This is one fun low prep activity that makes the first week back engaging.

 

Emily  12:37

Yeah. The idea is to give kids a sense of a new beginning. Coming back from a break can feel kind of like a big letdown. All the sparkle is over and now it’s just regular, boring school in the middle of winter, but if you’ve got something engaging planned, it will help shift that energy.

 

Heidi  12:51

This could be goal setting for the new year, a time capsule, a class challenge, or a vision board with goals for the second half of the year. This really doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest activities are the most meaningful.

 

Emily  13:03

The key is you’re looking for something that’s low prep for you and high interest for them. Think, little spark of fun, not Fourth of July fireworks.

 

Heidi  13:12

And if your engagement hook is something that makes you excited to come back too well, that’s even better. Lean into what you enjoy about teaching to make crawling out of your cozy bed a little bit easier.

 

Emily  13:25

And that leads us right to the fourth piece of the smooth December framework, your teacher comfort plan. This is all about setting future you up for success.

 

Heidi  13:34

We spend so much time thinking about what students need, but coming back from winter break is hard for teachers too. It’s dark, it’s cold, and spring break feels like it’s in another lifetime. So what can you do now to make that first week back easier?

 

Emily  13:48

This might look like having your welcome slides ready to open on that first morning, or having your sub plans updated so if you get sick, you’re not scrambling, or restocking your favorite pens or coffee pods.

 

Heidi  13:59

A pro tip is to buy a box of protein bars or another snack that you like and stash it in a cabinet. Walking in and finding those waiting is like getting a little care package from past you.

 

Emily  14:12

Bonus points if you add some chocolate into that stash too. It sounds small, but it matters, because when you walk in that first day and your slides are done, your copies are made, your pencils are sharpened, and there’s a snack in your drawer, you’re going to feel so much more ready to tackle the day.

 

Heidi  14:28

So take a few minutes to think through what would make your first week back feel a little smoother. Write it down, and there’s a page for this in the December teacher survival kit, if that is helpful. And then make sure those things happen before you leave for break.

 

Emily  14:43

Okay, let’s pause for a second, because that probably felt like a lot, but remember, you have four weeks to work on this. We’re not going to do it all today. Over the next few weeks, we will break down exactly how to make each piece of this framework happen.

 

Heidi  14:56

Right. This whole series is designed to walk you through this step by step. Today, we’re just introducing the framework, and except for finding bins, all of this is mostly just thinking.

 

Emily  15:07

And you can find bins, that’s not so hard. November is your setup month for a December calm and January readiness. Think about how you can sneak in some extra pockets of prep, how to reset your room before break, how to excite your students when you come back, and think about what you need to do to take care of yourself in January. Then start a few lists, and then you’ll feel like you are a productivity champ.

 

Heidi  15:28

And of course, if you want help walking through all of this, grab that December teacher survival kit. It’s got checklists and calendars and all of the tools that we could think of that will help make this process smooth and doable. And there’s a link to that in the show notes.

 

Emily  15:42

So we’ve dropped a lot on you today. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with your classroom reset plan. Get two bins and label one After The Break and label the other January Ready, and you have made a great start.

 

Heidi  15:53

And then you can start on your list of everything your room needs before you walk out the door in December. Even if you don’t have much to add to it, yet, at least having a place to write ideas down as they come to you will be such a relief.

 

Emily  16:06

And see, that’s not so bad, right? You can do this in five minutes, small steps, and then we’re going to help you get this done.

 

Heidi  16:12

You deserve a winter break that is actually a break. The work you do now as a gift to the teacher that you’ll be in January. Imagine walking into your classroom in January realizing that you are ready. Slides are done, your copies are made, all those pencils are sharpened. Everything is calm and prepared,

 

Emily  16:29

And that’s the real holiday miracle.

 

Heidi  16:32

Yeah, why doesn’t Hallmark have a movie for that one?

 

Emily  16:34

We’ll write it.

 

Heidi  16:36

Yes. In next week’s episode, we are talking about how to plan December lessons that work with the chaos. We will cover how to balance structure and spark, how to keep students engaged, and protect your sanity.

 

Emily  16:48

So make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss that episode or any of the rest of this series. We are going to walk you through this whole season together.

 

Heidi  16:56

But in the meantime, get started on those bins.

 

Emily  16:58

We’d love to hear any tips you have for preparing in advance. Come join the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

 

Emily  17:05

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 check out our playlist. Tell us about it, Heidi.

 

Heidi  17:17

Oh, I would love to. You know we love to share tips for planning ahead so that you can enjoy your winter break. Obviously, we’ve been doing it since, what 2022?

 

Emily  17:27

Yeah.

 

Heidi  17:28

And since then we have amassed quite a catalog of episodes addressing all of the ins and outs of teaching in December. We’ve got episodes on classroom management, strategies, lesson planning tips, ways to manage your energy, ideas for meaningful activities, basically everything you need to survive and thrive during the holiday ramp up season. We will be revisiting a lot of that information this year, but if you don’t want to wait for our new episodes, our back catalog has lots of helpful takeaways to get you started on your planning. It’s like having a whole library of teacher coaching sessions ready whenever you need them.

 

Emily  18:00

If you need some place to start, episode 107 goes along really well with today’s episode. It’s all about how to prepare in advance for your return in January. So make sure to visit the show notes for this episode to find a link to our December teaching podcast playlist.

 

Heidi  18:13

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

 

Emily  18:20

I’m giving extra credit to the Woobles crochet kits. So first of all, these are adorable, and they are the perfect kits for beginners, because they come with videos to walk you through every step. And I think this is like, maybe the best part, the kit is pre started, which is so helpful, because anyone who’s crocheted before knows that starting is the hardest part of crocheting, especially for a beginner. And then they also have their own easy peasy yarn, which is designed for beginners so it doesn’t fray or snag. And I feel like it’s, I don’t know how to describe it, because it’s not textured, but it almost feels like grippy on your hook, in a good way, not too grippy.

 

Heidi  18:59

Oh, so it doesn’t slip.

 

Emily  19:00

It doesn’t slip, and so I find it so much easier to use. Now, they’re not cheap, for sure, but I’ve been really impressed with the quality and everything you get in the kit. So my kids have gotten these before, and a couple of them are getting new kits for Christmas. So I thought I would mention them here, in case you want to keep this idea handy for gifts. And yes, they are great for kids, but there are tons of fun for anyone who likes cute things and wants to learn crocheting.

 

Heidi  19:27

They are very, very cute. And the nice thing is, you don’t have to buy a ton of supplies just to get started with one thing. It’s all right there for you.

 

Emily  19:33

And the kids have levels so you can get into harder projects too. It’s not just they’re all one easy beginner level, they get harder and harder if you want to increase your skill.

 

Heidi  19:43

Well, that’s cool. Your kids will love it.

 

Emily  19:45

Yeah, Neil’s getting a cute little Snoopy and Addie wants the Elise Myers collaboration, it’s like this really cute little frog with a backpack, because she’s recently discovered Elise Myers. Oddly enough, she discovered her on Spotify. She, like didn’t even know, she because she’s not on social media, she didn’t know she, like, has the whole thing of videos. So I had to introduce her to those. Anyway, so fun. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

 

Heidi  20:10

Well, my extra credit goes to the Hero Bread herb and cheese croissant rolls. If you aren’t familiar, Hero bread is a high fiber bread. But the thing is, it actually tastes good.

 

Emily  20:21

Yeah, like, shockingly, it really does.

 

Heidi  20:23

They have regular sliced bread, which is awesome, but I recently tried these croissant rolls, and they’re so good.

 

Emily  20:30

They are so good.

 

Heidi  20:31

Each one has 13 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. But you honestly could never guess it from the taste, because they are so light and fluffy, and I found they go great with a bowl of soup, which is what you want in the fall. So there is a link in the show notes if you want to check this out. I think you have to get most of it online. You can get the regular bread, and I think like hamburger buns in the grocery store here. But the other stuff, I think you have to order online. And it is kind of hit or miss about what’s available. It goes out of stock really fast, because everyone wants it. So if you see something, jump on it. The nice thing is that everything I’ve tried so far freezes really well. So check that out.

 

Emily  21:05

I think I saw that Thrive Market has some of these now too. So that could be potentially a little bit of a cheaper way to get them than directly from the Hero website, because you have to order things in multiples of two, and it can get kind of expensive. So you could check out that if you use Thrive Market.

 

Heidi  21:22

And also sometimes on their website, you have to get a subscription, like some things are only available by subscription. Yes, so I just sign up for the subscription and then cancel it once the thing ships.

 

Emily  21:31

Always.

 

Heidi  21:31

But it’s worth it.

 

Heidi  21:35

Alright, that is it for today’s episode. Next week, we are tackling the big question, what do you actually teach in December, and we’ll talk about how to manage your chaotic December schedule and how to keep kids engaged without sending them into orbit.

 

Emily  21:47

So make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss an episode. We’re walking you through this whole season together.

 

Heidi  21:52

But in the meantime, get started on those bins.

 

Heidi  21:57

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

 

Emily  22:01

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  22:07

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  22:14

Bye.