The Most Important Back-To-School Prep No One Talks About [Episode 209]

Heidi  0:00

This is episode 209 of Teacher Approved.

 

Heidi  0:05

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 sharing our best strategies for preparing yourself, not just your classroom, to go back to school, and we’ve got a teacher approved tip for creating a Sunday routine that will save your sanity all year long.

 

Heidi  0:52

But first, it’s time for a try it tomorrow, a favorite quick win that you can try in your life right away. Emily, what is our suggestion for this week?

 

Emily  1:00

This week, take a photo of yourself doing something fun. That’s it. Just snap a picture of you in a moment when you’re laughing, relaxing, adventuring, reading, hiking, gardening, eating something delicious, watching the sunset, or just, you know, not being a teacher. And then come October, when your to do list is longer than the school day, or in January, when you’re facing your 15th indoor recess, you can have this nice reminder of the you who exists outside of school, the you who still knows how to rest and laugh and wander and feel joy. So this photo can become a visual love note from summer you to school year you.

 

Heidi  1:39

The key is to keep this photo somewhere where you will see it. Make it your phone background, or print it and tape it inside your desk drawer. Or, you know, you can tuck it in your planner where only you will spot it, but you’ll see it every day.

 

Emily  1:51

You could put it in your joy drawer that we talked about recently. That’s a tongue twister, joy drawer, right? Isn’t that what we called it?

 

Heidi  1:58

Yes.

 

Emily  1:59

So if you’re doing something fun this week, even something small, you can just pause for 30 seconds, snap a photo and smile and save it for later.

 

Heidi  2:07

If you like this idea, or anything else that we share here on the podcast, would you take a second and give 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 to us.

 

Emily  2:20

Over the years, we’ve created an extensive library of back to school products. So to help you find the tools that will make the start of your new year easier, we are going to be spotlighting our procedures and routines planning guide and checklists today. I know it has such an exciting name.

 

Heidi  2:38

It’s hard to give it a name that people can find it, but makes it sound compelling. There’s not a good balance there. But this is such an important tool for helping you get your school year started off on the right foot. We thought through all of the different procedures that you might need to make your classroom run smoothly, and we added them all to a handy dandy checklist. You can go through the checklist on paper, or you can do it digitally in Google Docs, and then you can just check off the specific procedures that you need for your classroom.

 

Emily  3:07

Then once you know which procedures you need, you can open up the planning guide and decide on the exact steps that students need to follow, identify your role in making the procedure happen smoothly, and outline a plan for how to teach the procedure to your class.

 

Heidi  3:23

Once you have this kind of specific, personalized detail about your procedures, you won’t want to start the year without it. You can find a link to the procedures and routines planning guide and checklist in our show notes.

 

Emily  3:34

If you’re feeling behind, tired, or like the summer slipped away a little too fast, you are not alone. This episode isn’t about hustle or perfection. It’s about creating a soft landing so that when school starts, you don’t crash into it, you arrive, even if you are a little sleepy when you get there.

 

Heidi  3:52

But we’re not going to focus too much on the classroom right now. Instead, we are focusing on the most important part of back to school success, and that is you.

 

Emily  4:02

Right. We spend so much time getting our classrooms ready, and obviously that is very important, but we often forget to get ourselves ready. And we’re not just talking about having your teaching materials organized. We’re talking about how to truly prepare yourself, your life, your energy, your recovery plan, so that you’re set up to actually thrive when you go back to school.

 

Heidi  4:23

Think about it this way, you wouldn’t run a marathon without training your body and preparing your mind, right? Hopefully not anyway. Teaching is an endurance sport too, especially those first few weeks when everything feels new and so intense.

 

Emily  4:39

Back to school season really demands a lot of teachers, emotionally, physically, logistically, and especially in those first couple weeks. It can feel like your entire life gets rerouted through your classroom. If you’re not ready, it will chew you up and spit you out. So let’s talk about what we can do now, while summer still has some breath in it to support your future self.

 

Heidi  5:02

We’re going to walk through three simple categories that will help you feel calm, capable, and a little more like yourself when that first bell rings. The goal isn’t to start strong, it’s to help you manage your life, your energy and your recovery, so that you can sustain your energy all year long.

 

Emily  5:18

Okay, let’s dive into the first area, preparing your life to support you. This means setting up your personal life so it basically runs on autopilot for those first few weeks. Because, let’s be honest, decision fatigue is real, and by 4pm on a school day at the beginning of the school year, the last thing you want to do is figure out what’s for dinner.

 

Heidi  5:38

Oh, yeah, been there. We’re not talking about being perfect or even having it all together. This is about being kind to your future self. Future you is going to be so tired, possibly overwhelmed, and definitely not in the mood to make a million tiny decisions.

 

Emily  5:54

So let’s start with food, because we all have to eat, and we all know we’re much nicer to be around if we don’t let ourselves get hangry.

 

Heidi  6:02

Oh yeah, guilty. So here’s what we suggest. Prepare freezer meals for the first one to two weeks of school. This isn’t about doing anything elaborate that’s going to take you all weekend to prepare. Think simple, nourishing meals that you can dump on a ziploc and then tuck in the freezer—soup, chili casseroles, or even just prepared ingredients for tacos or stir fry.

 

Emily  6:24

And don’t forget to set up some emergency dinners too, those pantry staples that can become a decent meal in 15 minutes when you’re too tired to think and you’re either out of freezer meals or you didn’t have time to make any. So that would be things like pasta with jarred sauce and frozen vegetables, or scrambled eggs and toast or a bag of frozen dumplings. Those can be lifesavers.

 

Heidi  6:45

If you’re someone who feels suffocated by the thought of committing to regular meal planning, try reframing it. This isn’t about a lifetime commitment to schedules. You’re just trying to make a rough time a little smoother, the same way that you would offer meals to a friend who just had a baby or to someone who is recovering from surgery. It doesn’t take a whole lifestyle change, just scheduling an afternoon to prepare some crock pot meals.

 

Emily  7:09

And speaking of food, let’s talk about your lunch situation. Again, even if you don’t meal prep all year, having a plan for your school lunches those first few weeks can make such a difference, whether that’s packing the same sandwich every day, buying lunch, or prepping a week’s worth of grain bowls, just decide ahead of time so that you’re not defaulting to a protein bar yet again.

 

Heidi  7:30

Okay, next up we have outfit planning. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Just pick out a week or two’s worth of outfits that make you feel confident and comfortable and have them ready to go.

 

Emily  7:43

Yeah, lay them out, take photos on your phone, whatever works, the goal is to eliminate that ‘I have nothing to wear’ moment when you’re already running behind. Make as many decisions as you can now, so that your tired brain has one less thing to deal with at back to school.

 

Heidi  7:57

And since we’re dealing with clothes, this is the perfect time for a laundry reset and a grocery restock. Do all the laundry, put it all away, that’s the kicker, and stock up on essentials so you’re not scrambling for clean socks or running out of coffee that first week.

 

Emily  8:14

Take care of all those neglected home systems too. You know, the things that have been on your ‘I’ll deal with this later’ list all summer. You can set up automatic bill pay if you haven’t already, clean out your car, your future self will really thank you for that one. Clean out your purse and your teacher bag, get your prescriptions refilled, or maybe even prep your morning routine and practice it a few days before school starts. I have to admit, I think that would be pretty impressive if you actually did that, but it would be smart if you did.

 

Heidi  8:37

And here’s something that sounds simple, but is actually revolutionary. Block out recovery time on your calendar for that first week. Unless you’re one of those people who thrives on lots of social interaction, try to limit your after school obligations for those first few weeks. Scheduled naps, no social evenings or nothing nights, right into your planner.

 

Emily  9:06

I love this because it gives you permission to say no to things and prioritize your own rest when you need it most.

 

Heidi  9:14

All right, now that we’ve got your life set up to support you, let’s move on to preparing your teaching self. This isn’t just about having the right supplies, though we will definitely talk about those. It’s about reconnecting with your why and making space for the teacher that you want to be this year.

 

Emily  9:29

Yeah, it’s so easy to get caught up in all the logistics and forget about the heart of why we do this work. So start by reflecting on your goals for this school year, both personal and professional. What kind of teacher do you want to be? What do you want your classroom to feel like? How do you want to take care of yourself this year? These big picture questions help you approach the year with intention, instead of just reacting to whatever comes your way.

 

Heidi  9:53

If you want support with this task in our digital back to school readiness checklist, there’s a whole section on teacher preparation. One of the resources is a journal page with guiding questions to help you reflect on what matters most as you’re heading into the new school year.

 

Emily  10:09

Once you’ve figured out your goals, it’s time to figure out your gear. Start with the basics, comfortable shoes so you can be on your feet for hours, a water bottle that you’ll actually use and a lunch bag that makes you happy to pack a lunch each day.

 

Heidi  10:22

And then gather items that support your physical well being, because if you aren’t taking care of your body, everything is just going to get so much harder.

 

Emily  10:29

This is one of my favorite tips. Stock your desk or classroom cupboard with personal essentials. Think of it kind of like creating a survival kit for your teacher self.

 

Heidi  10:38

I love that. What kind of things are we talking about here, Emily?

 

Emily  10:42

Well, I think things like lip balm and hand lotion. Don’t you always find you need those in the middle of the day when you’re feeling so dry.

 

Heidi  10:49

So dry.

 

Emily  10:50

Yes, and all the talking, and you’ll want to pack some protein bars or nuts or crackers and maybe some electrolyte packets for those days when you forget to drink water until 2pm. And my extra credit is going to be useful for for these ideas, so stay tuned for that.

 

Heidi  11:08

Oh, that’s intriguing.

 

Emily  11:10

And don’t forget personal care items like contact solution. If you wear contacts you know how it is that suddenly, like something goes wrong with your contact and you don’t have any solution to deal with it.

 

Heidi  11:20

Ugh, the worst.

 

Emily  11:21

Yeah, and then throat lozenges, if your throat is feeling sore from all the talking, pain reliever for sure for headaches and cramps or anything else you might have, you’ll probably want supplies for upset stomachs. The Pepto liquid gel caps are like excellent to keep on hand. Extra hair ties, maybe even some mints or gum.

 

Heidi  11:43

And guess what, folks, there is a page for this in the back to school readiness checklist. We added more than 30 suggestions to the list already, but because it’s digital, it is so easy to edit the list to reflect the kinds of things that you actually need to have on hand.

 

Emily  11:58

And these might seem like small things, but when you’re in the thick of those first few weeks, having systems in place can make you feel so much more prepared and confident. And just having what you need in the moment that you need, it just makes you feel like such a rock star, like, Man, I wish I had some lip balm right now and then realizing, Oh, I do. That’s so nice.

 

Heidi  12:18

Such a lovely feeling to feel like you’re cared for, even if you’re the one having to care for yourself.

 

Emily  12:23

Yep.

 

Heidi  12:24

And that brings us to our final area, preparing your recovery plan. This is the section that’s easiest to overlook, but please don’t blow this off. It’s honestly so important. We are so good at thinking about how to start strong, but you know, we rarely think about how to recover well.

 

Emily  12:43

Recovery isn’t just about collapsing on the couch when you get home, though sometimes that’s exactly what you need, but it’s more about having intentional ways to help yourself decompress and recharge. So let’s start with building a recovery kit for your post school wind down. This is like a little gift you give to your future exhausted self.

 

Heidi  13:02

I love this idea. When the first day ends, you want to walk through your door and feel like you have stepped into a soft cloud of, hey you, you’ve got this.

 

Emily  13:11

So you can just grab a container and stock it with supplies to help hamper yourself after a long, long day. So you might want to put a bath bomb or a shower steamer in there so that you can literally wash off the school day, maybe some cozy loungewear, or even a special first week of school comfy outfit that makes you feel cozy.

 

Heidi  13:30

Lean into anything that reminds you that you’re a real human, not just a tired teacher. Stock up on your favorite treats or get some gift cards for meal delivery services, because sometimes the most loving thing you could do for yourself is not cooking dinner.

 

Emily  13:45

For sure, or get those groceries delivered, anything like that to treat yourself. Also include some low energy activities for when you want to decompress but you don’t want to just scroll your phone. So you could get a coloring book, and they have such cool different kinds of coloring books now, you could get a real fluffy read that you’ve been wanting to read, or a feel good movie that’s queued up and ready to go.

 

Heidi  14:08

And of course, Emily would always recommend having a puzzle on hand.

 

Emily  14:12

It’s true. It’s great way to decompress.

 

Heidi  14:14

You can even prep your bedroom and bathroom with relaxing essentials for better sleep. Sleep is so important, especially at the start of the school year. So think fresh sheets, a lavender pillow spray, or whatever is going to help you unwind. Make your room an oasis of calm, you know, at least for a couple days.

 

Emily  14:32

And of course, there’s a page full of ideas in the back to school readiness checklist, so you can grab the checklist from the link in the show notes.

 

Heidi  14:40

One more idea for how to prepare your recovery is to schedule something to look forward to once the back to school madness has calmed down. It doesn’t have to be a big event. Maybe it’s just trying a new coffee shop, or going for a hike, or having a movie marathon. Knowing you have something fun on the horizon can carry you through those first few challenging days.

 

Emily  15:00

Now, here’s one of our favorite tips from our friend Sharika, which is so funny because I was thinking about her when you were talking about the pillow spray, because she always had a pillow spray that she loved. We all knew this about her, because she loved this pillow spray so much. So here’s another great tip from Sharika. You want to leave at the end of your contract time on the first day. So to make that happen, you need to prepare your second day of school at the same time as your first day. Day one is going to be exhausting no matter how well it goes, and so the last thing that you’re going to want to do is stay late trying to prepare for day two.

 

Heidi  15:34

Exactly. This way you can go home and actually use that recovery kit you prepared. And don’t let this sound like a difficult goal, the second day of school is basically a light version of the first day. So while you’re doing all that first day planning, you may as well figure out day two at the same time.

 

Emily  15:51

Yeah, and can you imagine how cared for you will feel on the first day of school if you take some time in July to prepare for those first few days back.

 

Emily  16:00

So let’s recap our three areas for preparing yourself for back to school.

 

Heidi  16:04

First, prepare your life to support you. Set up meals, outfits and home systems so that your personal life can run on autopilot those first few weeks, and don’t forget to literally schedule rest time in your calendar.

 

Emily  16:18

Second, prepare your teaching self. Reconnect with your goals, gather supplies that support your well being, and stock your classroom with personal essentials. Think of it as caring for the whole person who happens to be a teacher.

 

Heidi  16:31

And third, prepare your recovery plan. Build a kit for post school decompression, plan something fun to look forward to, and prep day two at the same time that you prep day one so that you can actually leave on time.

 

Emily  16:43

We would love to hear how you prepare for taking care of yourself at back to school. Come share your best tips in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

 

Emily  16:52

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 create a Sunday reset routine that will save your sanity all year long. So Heidi tell us more about this.

 

Heidi  17:07

A Sunday reset routine is basically a gentle way to prep for the week ahead without feeling overwhelmed. The key is keeping it simple and manageable, maybe 30 minutes to 45 minutes max. Start with just three quick wins, maybe a surface level tidy of your living space, some light meal prep or planning, and laying out your clothes for Monday. That’s it. This can become a gentle ritual to help you transition from the weekend to work mode. The goal is to eliminate some decisions from your busy weekdays. Using Sunday to make Monday a little softer saves you precious mental energy in a moment when your brain isn’t fully online yet. And once you get in the habit, this routine actually becomes relaxing. It’s like you’re taking care of your future self, which always feels good.

 

Emily  17:54

So why are we talking about this in July? Well, once the school year starts, it’s go, go, go. But right now, you have space to experiment. You can test out a Sunday routine that actually supports you, not stresses you. That way, when August hits, you’re not scrambling to reinvent your week.

 

Heidi  18:10

If you want to make this routine even more nurturing, pair it with something you enjoy. You can light a candle, put on your favorite playlist or a podcast, pour a glass of something delicious. This doesn’t have to be a productivity sprint. It can just be 30 minutes of peace and prep. You can even give it a fun name, like your Sunday Soft Start, or your Future Me Time. Call it something that makes it feel like a treat, not a task.

 

Emily  18:36

And if 30 minutes feels like too much, just start with 10. Pick one area, even that small step can create a feeling of calm momentum. Mondays are always going to be Mondays, but they don’t have to be miserable. So give your Sunday a little intention, and you might be surprised how much smoother your whole week feels.

 

Heidi  18:55

To wrap up the show, we’re sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. And okay, Emily, this is the big reveal. What is getting your extra credit?

 

Emily  19:02

I’m giving extra credit to my new favorite electrolytes flavor. So element, which is L M N T, is my favorite.

 

Heidi  19:12

I did not guess that that’s how that was pronounced.

 

Emily  19:14

I have called it L M N T for a year. I think it was like a month ago that I was like, it’s element, oh. So now we all kno,w little lesson for us. But they’re my favorite of, I’ve tried several different electrolytes, and they’re by far my favorite. And they have a new flavor that’s called lemonade salt, and it is so good. I like to mix it with a can of sparkling water, and it’s so nice on a hot day. I do think it’s a limited time flavor, though, so if you want to try that specific flavor, you probably want to hop on it. But they have other ones that are good. Their citrus salt one is usually my go to, but they’ve got a bunch of different ones. They apparently even have one that’s chocolate salt that either you love or you hate. I’ve never tried it, but maybe I will. Maybe I will.

 

Heidi  19:59

Oh, wow, wild woman.

 

Emily  20:01

I know, I know, but it there is something about electrolytes. When you need them, they just really make you feel so much better. So, if you’re thinking about them.

 

Heidi  20:11

I have never tried, it’s never even crossed my mind to try it.

 

Emily  20:13

Really? I think of, I think I started doing them last summer, and I was like, Oh, this is like a nice afternoon boost. I mean, it’s not like caffeine or anything, but it just like, kind of, I don’t know, makes you feel better, but it is very salty, so you have to be okay with that. I think it’s sort of an acquired taste.

 

Heidi  20:31

Okay. Well, maybe I’ll give it a go. Maybe I’ll steal one of yours first.

 

Emily  20:35

You should, you should. I’ve been trying to convert my teenager that’s in color guard and in the marching band and like doing these long summer days, trying to convert her to electrolytes. And so we’ve bought every kind of electrolyte under the sun at this point, and she still doesn’t like any of them

 

Heidi  20:52

She’s missing out clearly.

 

Emily  20:53

Yeah, well, she is. What do you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

 

Heidi  20:57

Okay, well, my extra credit goes to these door hinge magnets that I bought from Tamed Wild. Now I love a little sneaky touch of whimsy in my house, and these are so cute. They’re just little figures about one inch tall. I’m holding up my fingers. That’s not going to help you see this. They’re about an inch tall, and they have a little magnet in their base. So they sit on top of your door hinge and they just stay there. And I wanted the gnome, but they were out of stock, so I ended up getting the dragon, which was a good choice, because I just love it. And the fun surprise was that when it came it was a set of three. I thought I was just getting one, but it was a set of three. So now I have a little dragon guarding over all of my doorways. It’s so cute.

 

Emily  20:57

Oh my gosh, that is so cute.

 

Heidi  20:58

And now I was thinking, if you have kids, because Emily, I was going to give your son one for his birthday, and I was like, that ends up in the carpet and someone steps on it in 10 minutes.

 

Emily  20:58

Maybe, I don’t know they’re getting older now. They might be trustworthy. Or if we put it on that top hinge so they’re less, like, constantly yanking it down.

 

Heidi  20:58

If you have kids, definitely put it up high, but it’s just a fun little bit of whimsy as you’re going in and out of your house. And I just checked Tamed Wild, and right now they only have the bunny and the cat in stock, which are both darling. But if you also want a little door dragon or a frog or a bat, and the bat is fun because you can hang it upside down on the bottom of your door.

 

Emily  22:18

Cute.

 

Heidi  22:19

You can sign up to get emails when they restock.

 

Emily  22:21

I want the little gnome.

 

Heidi  22:23

It’s cute. There’s a link to the store in the show notes, if you also need a little touch of whimsy at your house.

 

Emily  22:30

I feel like I’m on a mission to have more whimsy, whimsy in my life, because I didn’t intentionally lose whimsy. I think you just get busy and you don’t realize that, like, you’re missing those little, fun little sparks. And then you hear other people, well, since this has been, like, the online trend right on threads and stuff, Instagram, of people sharing what they do to add whimsy in their life. And I’m like, oh, everybody’s having more fun than I am. I gotta give it, get on this, because I feel like I, it’s, my personality should be more whimsy, but I’m just always like, go, go, go. So I appreciate this easy to implement idea for whimsy.

 

Heidi  23:08

That’s why I like whimsy, because it’s like, manageable fun. You don’t need to round up a bunch of people, you don’t have to make plans. You’re just like, I’m just gonna have this little funny inside joke with myself and then it makes me smile.

 

Emily  23:19

And then that’s how you have a little Sebastian in your guest bathroom.

 

Heidi  23:24

And a crossword puzzle, on the wall.

 

Heidi  23:27

That is it for today’s episode. We hope you feel inspired to start preparing, not just your classroom, but yourself for going back to school. Remember, our goal is to work smarter, not harder. A little preparation now can save you so much stress and energy later.

 

Emily  23:41

So give the Sunday reset routine a try, start building your recovery kit, and don’t forget to schedule some rest time for those first few weeks back.

 

Heidi  23:52

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

 

Emily  23:56

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  24:03

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  24:09

Bye.