May 5, 2025 • 20 mins
May might feel like survival mode, but it’s actually the perfect time to start planning for the year ahead. In this episode, we share five reasons why teacher end-of-year planning is a game changer, from reflecting on what worked to testing out new systems with your current students. Planning now helps ease your mental load over the summer, so you can enjoy a stress-free break and feel confident when school starts again!
Ready to swap back-to-school panic for peace of mind? Download our free End of Year Roadmap to get started!
Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-end-of-year-planning/
Resources:
- Don’t Trust Fish, by Neil Sharpson
- Free Resource: End of year Roadmap
- Ecosia
- Join the Teacher Approved Club!
- Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
- Shop our teacher-approved resources.
- Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
- Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!
Related Episodes to Enjoy:
- Episode 190, Do These 5 Easy Things in April to Make Back to School Easier!
- Episode 188, Ending the School Year Strong: 3 Steps to Help Teachers Thrive in Term 4
- Episode 62, End of Year Awards: 5 Reasons You Should Rethink This Classroom Tradition
- Episode 7, The Secret to End of Year Survival
Mentioned in this episode:
The July Secret: How Smart Teachers Use Summer to Start Strong, Not Stressed. Join us for a free training where we'll show you how to use July strategically so you can feel prepared for back-to-school without the guilt or overwhelm. Sign up at https://secondstorywindow.net/july
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Heidi (00:00):
This is episode 193 of Teacher Approved.
You're listening to TeacherApproved, the podcast helping
educators elevate what mattersand simplify the rest. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (00:13):
And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
Window, where we give researchbased and teacher approved
strategies that make teachingless stressful and more
effective. You can check out theshow notes and resources from
each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
Heidi (00:28):
We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
the show.
Emily (00:36):
Hey there. We're so glad you're here. In today's episode,
we're sharing why now, yes, evenin May, is actually the perfect
time to start thinking aboutnext school year. Plus, we've
got a free tool to help you dojust that without adding more to
your plate right now.
Heidi (00:53):
Let's kick things off with the try it tomorrow, a
quick win that you can try inyour classroom right away.
Emily, what is our idea thisweek?
Emily (00:59):
Tomorrow, try out a silent transition challenge. So
choose just one transition, likelining up for lunch or switching
from math to reading, andchallenge your class to do it
completely silently.
Heidi (01:13):
You can even set a timer to see how fast they can do it.
Tell them their goal is to beattheir best time without saying a
word. It adds a little bit offun and novelty to something
that you are already doing everyday.
Emily (01:25):
This is one of those sneaky tricks that helps clean
up your transitions and adds alittle end of year energy boost
when you know everyone's feelinga little wiggly.
Heidi (01:34):
And bonus, it gives you a calm moment in your day too. So
let us know how it goes.
Emily (01:39):
If you like this idea or anything else we share here on
the podcast, you know what I'mgonna ask, would you please take
a second and give us a five starrating, because ratings and
reviews are one way that newlisteners find us.
Heidi (01:52):
Today, we are talking about why May is actually the
perfect time to start thinkingabout next school year. And we
know what you're thinking. Arethey crazy? I'm just trying to
survive until summer.
Emily (02:04):
I know we get it, and we're not suggesting that you
whip out a fresh teacher plannerand start mapping out every
minute of the first week ofschool right now. But there are
some seriously good reasons whya little planning now can save
your future self from that backto school meltdown that we all
know so well.
Heidi (02:21):
So let's dive into it. Why is May such a smart time to
start planning ahead for nextschool year? Well, we have got
five key reasons why right nowis the sweet spot for this kind
of preparation, and I promisenone of these reasons involve
staying after school.
Emily (02:38):
So let's start with reason number one, your
classroom pain points arecrystal clear right now. We all
have a mental 'the things thatmake me want to pull my hair
out' list going on right now,right? So, whether we realize it
or not, that list is in there.
Heidi (02:55):
Definitely. In May, you have been living with your
classroom routines for whatfeels like forever, and you know
exactly which ones make you wantto scream into your Stanley Cup
every morning.
Emily (03:05):
In the middle of May, I can pinpoint with laser
precision which parts of myclassroom systems are causing
serious friction in my day, andit would still be fresh on your
mind how that new centerrotation system turned your
sweet students into tinytornadoes.
Heidi (03:21):
But fast forward to July, and most of that clarity has
faded into a blur of Wait, whatwas that problem again? May
gives you the rare chance tomake changes based on real time
insight, instead of having torely on fuzzy memories. Our
teacher brains have this magicalability to block out the painful
stuff once you've had a littlerelaxation time.
Emily (03:41):
I know it's like teacher amnesia. I think it's because we
wouldn't come back next schoolyear if we remembered everything
perfectly during the summer.
Heidi (03:49):
Oh, absolutely.
Emily (03:51):
And that's why, by mid summer, I'm thinking, oh, you
know what, my writing workshoproutine wasn't so bad, when in
reality, it made me want to pullmy hair out every day.
Heidi (04:00):
That's why the first thing we recommend is jotting
down your wins, yourfrustrations and your don't
forget those next year ideaswhile they are still happening.
It's kind of like leavingyourself a little warning note.
Dear August Heidi, do not trythe paper passback system again
unless you enjoy paperavalanches and tears. Love May
(04:21):
Heidi.
Emily (04:23):
Throughout this episode, we're going to be mentioning our
free end of year roadmapresource that can help you end
this school year strong and getprepared for next year. We love
the fix it list in the roadmap.It's a place to capture those
thoughts before they disappear.
Heidi (04:38):
But another reason that May is the right time to start
thinking about back to school isthat you are still in your
classroom.
Emily (04:44):
If you have ever tried to fix a classroom routine in
August, you know how hard it isto remember exactly how things
were set up or where you shovedthat pile of math games in a
spring cleaning frenzy.
Heidi (04:56):
But in May, you can look at your supplies and systems
right now, and make smartdecisions. Your classroom right
now is a complete ecosystem,with everything in its perfect
place, more or less, right? Yourlibrary is organized, your
centers are stocked, and yourwalls showcase all of your
brilliant teaching systems.
Emily (05:14):
Don't underestimate how much easier it is to make
decisions and changes when yourclass is still set up and
running like usual, versusduring the summer, when you're
staring at bare walls and allyour stuff is piled into
corners.
Heidi (05:26):
That is so true. Take photos now. Take photos from
multiple angles, your readingcorner, your small group area,
how you organize your supplies.Seriously, open up your drawers
and cupboards and snap a pictureof how things are right now. And
even if you're going to beswitching rooms next year,
seeing exactly what you did inyour current room can make
future room setup so muchsimpler.
Emily (05:47):
Absolutely. So take all the photos. And then I think
it's a good idea to keep thephotos in a folder or a note on
your phone called classroomsetup. Did you know that you can
just paste pictures andscreenshots into a note? That's
really handy, too. So whenyou're a sweaty mess setting up
your classroom in August, youcan just pull up those photos
instead of relying on yourtired, summer fried brain.
Heidi (06:09):
Yes, the summer is a sweaty mess because, of course,
they don't have the air on. Anddon't forget to document your
classroom systems. Nothing worsethan standing there in August
wondering, Wait, how did Iorganize my library last year?
Emily (06:22):
And that leads perfectly into reason number three that
May is the perfect time to planfor back to school, and that is
that you still have time to testthings out with your current
class. They're like your ownlittle personal guinea pigs, but
cuter and with more opinions, Iguess.
Heidi (06:38):
Oh, all the opinions. And at this point in the year, they
have been trained in your ways.They know your expectations,
which makes them perfect forexperimenting with those What if
we tried it this way ideas.
Emily (06:50):
Yeah, your current students are like the beta
testers of your classroomsoftware. So maybe you've
realized your morning routine istaking twice as long as you want
it to. You can try a differentapproach now and get immediate
feedback on the changes.
Heidi (07:03):
Or maybe your dismissal routine is looking like a game
of hungry, hungry hippos, butwith backpacks and lunch boxes,
test out a new system now andwork out all of the kinks.
Emily (07:13):
And the best part of this is it often helps refresh those
end of year behaviors that weknow are getting so sloppy at
this time of year. Nothing likea little novelty to boost
engagement.
Heidi (07:25):
But don't limit your experimenting to just routines
and procedures. Don't be afraidto dream a little. Did you see a
fun reading idea on Tiktok orInstagram? Try it out with your
current kiddos, so you can seeif it's worth implementing next
year.
Emily (07:39):
Yeah, there is nothing worse than spending your summer
crafting the perfect plan forscience experiments or small
group math or Tinker lab, onlyto find out that it just doesn't
work, all those summer hourswasted on something you can't
even use.
Heidi (07:53):
So do yourself a favor and give it a go now, even if
you don't have all the piecesfigured out yet, give it a dress
rehearsal with your currentclass. Not only are this crop of
kids more able to pivot thanyour new students will be, you
also already have structures inplace to fall back on if you
need to abandon ship midstream.Experimenting now kind of gives
you a safety net, or flotationdevice, I guess in this
(08:17):
metaphor.
Emily (08:19):
Plus, as our Grammy used to say, a change is as good as a
rest. Trying something new nowjust might give you the
energetic boost you need to makeit to the end in one piece.
Heidi (08:29):
Now, for reason number four, why starting back to
school in May is a great idea,planning in May lightens your
summer mental load. You knowthat feeling when you're trying
to relax in June, but your brainis still running with all those
don't forget this for next yeartabs open.
Emily (08:45):
When you take a little time in May to offload those
thoughts onto paper, especiallyin a low pressure way, it gives
your brain permission to let go.
Heidi (08:52):
Without a plan, we end up either completely ghosting
anything school related allsummer, which leads to a real
nightmare come August, I havebeen there, or we spend the
whole break working withoutboundaries, and we end up
checking our emails during beachtrips.
Emily (09:06):
We can speak from our experience that you don't really
want either of those extremes.
Heidi (09:10):
Yeah neither approach really screams relaxing summer.
But when we identify specificpriorities in May, we can
schedule focus work time andthen fully unplug the rest of
the time, like actually enjoyingthat Emily Henry book next to
the pool without guilt.
Emily (09:27):
Yes, you don't have to do a lot. You just have to get
intentional. It can even be assimple as if you're really
brave, only three work days onyour summer schedule, so one in
June, one in July, and one inearly August. Now if you know
exactly what you need toaccomplish on each today, thanks
to your time spent thinkingahead in May, you can close
(09:47):
those teacher work brain tabsout on the other days and get a
ton done on those three days.
Heidi (09:53):
And our end of year roadmap is a great place to
start listing all of those to dotasks that you'll want to start
on during your school work days.And that brings us to our fifth
reason, planning in May reducesback to school panic. You know
that day and summer, when you'reback to school, nightmares
suddenly start up again.
Emily (10:11):
Oh, the dreams where you show up on the first day and
your classroom is still astorage closet, or you're
teaching in pajamas, or mypersonal favorite, and this is
the one I usually have, whichis, I've forgotten that I even
had a teaching job until themorning of the first day of
school, and then I'm just like,in sheer panic trying to get the
(10:33):
class set up, and the studentsare like, already filing in. Oh
my gosh, it's such a nightmare.It's just as bad as the I wake
up in it and I have a collegefinal, and I never went to class
all semester.
Heidi (10:43):
Oh, my stomach is a knots, even just joking about
it.
Emily (10:47):
They are the worst dreams.
Heidi (10:49):
Why do teachers have this problem? But seriously, a little
intentional planning in May canslice that August panic in half.
Even just having lists of whatworked and what didn't, gives
you a roadmap.
Emily (11:02):
Instead of facing an overwhelming blank slate in
August with nothing but panicand diet coke to fuel you,
you'll be working from a planthat your May self thoughtfully
created for you. It's likehaving a time traveling teacher
assistant.
Heidi (11:17):
And when you've already documented your classroom setup
and identified your priorities,those August work days become so
much more manageable. You mighteven, dare I say it, enjoy
setting up your classroom.
Emily (11:29):
Ooh, maybe.
And speaking of making thingsmanageable, this is where our
free end of year roadmap comesin. We created this resource
because we know that May is notthe time for complex planning
systems that require 12different colored highlighters.
Heidi (11:45):
The free end of year roadmap includes simple
reflection prompts and ourfavorite list making tools, the
to da list for celebrating yoursuccesses, because you did have
wins this year. And it'simportant to notice that. The
fix it list for identifying whatneeds improvement, and your to
do list for planning your summerwork. It can help you make a
strategic plan for setting workgoals while maintaining summer
(12:08):
life boundaries. You can assigntasks to each month, sort tasks
by where you do them, when youneed to work on them, and how
long they take. And you canpinpoint which tasks are most
beneficial for meeting your backto school goals.
Emily (12:21):
And we've designed it to be flexible, so you can fill it
in all at once, or fill it in alittle at a time between Field
Day and end of year assessmentswith all your free time.
Heidi (12:30):
The goal with this roadmap is not to create more
work for you, but to help youorganize the thoughts that are
already bouncing around in yourbrain. Your brain is an
excellent idea generator. It'snot a great list keeper, so do
your poor brain a favor and geteverything written down.
Emily (12:47):
You can grab your free copy of the end of year roadmap
by clicking the link in our shownotes. It's completely free,
just a helpful tool from us toyou. Plus, since it's in Google
Sheets, you can type what youwant and then print it out if
you want a paper copy. So muchquicker to type things than it
is to hand write them.
Heidi (13:03):
And if you find the roadmap helpful, you might be
interested in coming to our freeteacher summer talk summit at
the end of June. It's theeasiest summer PD, but one that
you'll actually enjoy, becauseit is all about making back to
school easier, not harder.
Emily (13:18):
But more on that later. For now, let's recap those five
reasons why May is the perfecttime to start planning for next
year.
Heidi (13:25):
Number one, your classroom pain points are
crystal clear right now, likepainfully, painfully clear.
Emily (13:32):
Number two, you still have access to your fully set up
classroom. Document it nowbefore it disappears.
Heidi (13:39):
Number three, you still have time to test things out
with your current class. Theseare your own personal focus
groups right here.
Emily (13:46):
Number four, planning in May is actually a gift to your
summer self. Future You sendsthank yous and says you should
treat yourself.
Heidi (13:53):
Yes, always treat yourself. And number five,
planning in May reduces back toschool panic. Sleep through
August without those nightmares.
Emily (14:02):
Remember planning for the new school year in May isn't
about adding to your alreadyoverflowing plate, it's about
capturing insights that willmake your life easier later.
Heidi (14:09):
Just a few minutes of reflection and planning in May
can save you hours of stress andprobably tears in August.
Emily (14:16):
So download our free end of year roadmap using the link
in our show notes, and startgiving your future self the gift
of preparation.
Heidi (14:23):
We would love to hear how you're planning to set your
future self up for back toschool success. Come join the
conversation in our teacherapproved Facebook group. Bring
your successes, your strugglesand your end of year survival
strategies.
Emily (14:36):
Now for our teacher approved Tip of the Week, where
we share an actionable tip tohelp you elevate what matters
and simplify the rest. Thisweek's teacher approved tip is
preview next year's content toboost end of year engagement.
Tell us more about this, Heidi.
Heidi (14:51):
We all know that may classroom management can be,
challenging, shall we say? Oneof the reasons is that students
feel less invested. They'vementally checked out because
they think that they havelearned everything they need to
know and they don't careanymore.
Emily (15:07):
Yeah, their level of concern in May has dropped to
like approximately zero.
Heidi (15:11):
Yeah, but there's a simple way to raise that concern
level again, give them littlepreviews of what they'll need to
know next year. When studentsknow that what they're doing
right now matters for what'scoming next, it often gives them
a little extra motivation tostay engaged.
Emily (15:28):
And you can sprinkle in little comments like, Oh, you'll
need to know this for thirdgrade, or your next teacher is
definitely going to love thatyou already understand this.
It's not to scare them, but justto plant the idea that they're
leveling up soon, and thatbuilds excitement.
Heidi (15:43):
And if you know what your students are excited to learn
about next year, that can be agreat hook too. For example,
second graders might beespecially jazzed about learning
cursive or tiptoeing intomultiplication, so you might
say, you're going to need theseskip counting skills when you
start learning realmultiplication next year. Or
this kind of sentence writing iswhat gets you ready for cursive.
Emily (16:03):
It's a light touch strategy, and you don't want to
step on any teacher's toes fornext year, but it can really
help reignite some buy in duringthose wiggly end of your weeks
without adding more to yourplate.
Heidi (16:14):
This strategy works because it taps into students'
natural desire to grow up andmaster new skills. It gives them
a reason to care about reviewingconcepts that they think they've
already mastered. So next timeyour class seems to have checked
out, try giving them a littleglimpse into next year's
learning adventures. It might bejust the motivation boost they
need to finish this year strong.
(16:35):
To wrap up the show, we aresharing what we're giving extra
credit to this week. Emily, whatgets your extra credit?
Emily (16:40):
I'm giving extra credit to the new picture book Don't
Trust Fish by Neil Sharpton andillustrated by Dan Santat. And I
made Heidi look at thisyesterday because I gave it to
my kids for Easter. I had heardit was hilarious and it did not
disappoint. So I made Heidi readit too, when she came over. It's
like a nature guide that goeswrong when it veers into all the
(17:00):
reasons why you shouldn't trustfish, like, they spend all their
time in the water where we can'tsee them. Some are as big as a
bus, and that is not okay. Wedon't know what they're teaching
in their quote unquote schools,and they are likely plotting our
doom. This book is a must have.It would be perfect to launch a
writing activity as well. Ithink it is a delight.
Heidi (17:23):
It is so funny, very witty. I saw a picture of a fish
today, and like, the first thingmy brain said was, don't trust
fish.
Emily (17:31):
I saw someone showing this, like, cute fish shaped
basket for target, and Iimmediately, yeah, thought the
same thing. Oh no, don't trustfish.
Heidi (17:40):
And I think you could have a lot of fun with that at
the end of the end of the schoolyear, especially, you know a
twist on animal reports, why youshouldn't trust ring tailed
lemurs or something.
Emily (17:48):
Yes, I think that would be the most fun activity. Should
we make that activity? Let'sdrop everything and make a
writing activity today. Staytuned. Maybe we'll get it
together.
Heidi (17:59):
It's either that or fifth grade fractions. You can decide.
Emily (18:02):
So hard to pick. Okay, Heidi, what are you giving extra
credit to?
Heidi (18:07):
My extra credit goes to the Ecosia web browser. It's
like, you know, a different kindof Google. This is a great
company that plants trees basedon how many people use their
site. You can see on the homescreen how many trees they have
planted, and I just checked, soas of today, the number is
229,612,190 trees.
Emily (18:28):
Wow.
Heidi (18:29):
I also really appreciate that they are transparent about
where their money goes. Everymonth on Instagram, they share
how much they earned, how muchwent to trees, and then how much
went to other costs. It's justso refreshing to see a company
that has transparency andvalues. Now, I have to admit, it
was a bit of a pain to switchover from Google, because so
(18:49):
much about, you know, Googlejust already knew what I needed
it to do. And I still, I haven'tmoved completely over on my
phone, but baby steps. I'mmoving in the right direction.
Emily (18:58):
Oh, I'm gonna have to give that a try.
Heidi (19:00):
I've been very impressed. And I feel good doing my Google
searches. It does not work withRakuten, though, if you do have
a rakuten add on, it doesn't,doesn't work with their browser.
But I figure the trees are worthit.
That is it for today's episode.Remember that May is the perfect
(19:20):
time to reflect on what workedthis year and start planning for
next year. Download our free endof year roadmap using the link
in the show notes to help youget started. And don't forget
our teacher approved tip topreview next year's content to
get your students engaged.
Emily (19:33):
And stay tuned for information about our upcoming
free teacher summer talks eventat the end of June, where we'll
be sharing our best back toschool strategies.
Heidi (19:43):
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (19:47):
And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
or subscribe in your podcast appso that you never miss an
episode.
Heidi (19:54):
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 (20:00):
Bye.
This is episode 193 of Teacher Approved.
You're listening to TeacherApproved, the podcast helping
educators elevate what mattersand simplify the rest. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (00:13):
And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
Window, where we give researchbased and teacher approved
strategies that make teachingless stressful and more
effective. You can check out theshow notes and resources from
each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
Heidi (00:28):
We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
the show.
Emily (00:36):
Hey there. We're so glad you're here. In today's episode,
we're sharing why now, yes, evenin May, is actually the perfect
time to start thinking aboutnext school year. Plus, we've
got a free tool to help you dojust that without adding more to
your plate right now.
Heidi (00:53):
Let's kick things off with the try it tomorrow, a
quick win that you can try inyour classroom right away.
Emily, what is our idea thisweek?
Emily (00:59):
Tomorrow, try out a silent transition challenge. So
choose just one transition, likelining up for lunch or switching
from math to reading, andchallenge your class to do it
completely silently.
Heidi (01:13):
You can even set a timer to see how fast they can do it.
Tell them their goal is to beattheir best time without saying a
word. It adds a little bit offun and novelty to something
that you are already doing everyday.
Emily (01:25):
This is one of those sneaky tricks that helps clean
up your transitions and adds alittle end of year energy boost
when you know everyone's feelinga little wiggly.
Heidi (01:34):
And bonus, it gives you a calm moment in your day too. So
let us know how it goes.
Emily (01:39):
If you like this idea or anything else we share here on
the podcast, you know what I'mgonna ask, would you please take
a second and give us a five starrating, because ratings and
reviews are one way that newlisteners find us.
Heidi (01:52):
Today, we are talking about why May is actually the
perfect time to start thinkingabout next school year. And we
know what you're thinking. Arethey crazy? I'm just trying to
survive until summer.
Emily (02:04):
I know we get it, and we're not suggesting that you
whip out a fresh teacher plannerand start mapping out every
minute of the first week ofschool right now. But there are
some seriously good reasons whya little planning now can save
your future self from that backto school meltdown that we all
know so well.
Heidi (02:21):
So let's dive into it. Why is May such a smart time to
start planning ahead for nextschool year? Well, we have got
five key reasons why right nowis the sweet spot for this kind
of preparation, and I promisenone of these reasons involve
staying after school.
Emily (02:38):
So let's start with reason number one, your
classroom pain points arecrystal clear right now. We all
have a mental 'the things thatmake me want to pull my hair
out' list going on right now,right? So, whether we realize it
or not, that list is in there.
Heidi (02:55):
Definitely. In May, you have been living with your
classroom routines for whatfeels like forever, and you know
exactly which ones make you wantto scream into your Stanley Cup
every morning.
Emily (03:05):
In the middle of May, I can pinpoint with laser
precision which parts of myclassroom systems are causing
serious friction in my day, andit would still be fresh on your
mind how that new centerrotation system turned your
sweet students into tinytornadoes.
Heidi (03:21):
But fast forward to July, and most of that clarity has
faded into a blur of Wait, whatwas that problem again? May
gives you the rare chance tomake changes based on real time
insight, instead of having torely on fuzzy memories. Our
teacher brains have this magicalability to block out the painful
stuff once you've had a littlerelaxation time.
Emily (03:41):
I know it's like teacher amnesia. I think it's because we
wouldn't come back next schoolyear if we remembered everything
perfectly during the summer.
Heidi (03:49):
Oh, absolutely.
Emily (03:51):
And that's why, by mid summer, I'm thinking, oh, you
know what, my writing workshoproutine wasn't so bad, when in
reality, it made me want to pullmy hair out every day.
Heidi (04:00):
That's why the first thing we recommend is jotting
down your wins, yourfrustrations and your don't
forget those next year ideaswhile they are still happening.
It's kind of like leavingyourself a little warning note.
Dear August Heidi, do not trythe paper passback system again
unless you enjoy paperavalanches and tears. Love May
(04:21):
Heidi.
Emily (04:23):
Throughout this episode, we're going to be mentioning our
free end of year roadmapresource that can help you end
this school year strong and getprepared for next year. We love
the fix it list in the roadmap.It's a place to capture those
thoughts before they disappear.
Heidi (04:38):
But another reason that May is the right time to start
thinking about back to school isthat you are still in your
classroom.
Emily (04:44):
If you have ever tried to fix a classroom routine in
August, you know how hard it isto remember exactly how things
were set up or where you shovedthat pile of math games in a
spring cleaning frenzy.
Heidi (04:56):
But in May, you can look at your supplies and systems
right now, and make smartdecisions. Your classroom right
now is a complete ecosystem,with everything in its perfect
place, more or less, right? Yourlibrary is organized, your
centers are stocked, and yourwalls showcase all of your
brilliant teaching systems.
Emily (05:14):
Don't underestimate how much easier it is to make
decisions and changes when yourclass is still set up and
running like usual, versusduring the summer, when you're
staring at bare walls and allyour stuff is piled into
corners.
Heidi (05:26):
That is so true. Take photos now. Take photos from
multiple angles, your readingcorner, your small group area,
how you organize your supplies.Seriously, open up your drawers
and cupboards and snap a pictureof how things are right now. And
even if you're going to beswitching rooms next year,
seeing exactly what you did inyour current room can make
future room setup so muchsimpler.
Emily (05:47):
Absolutely. So take all the photos. And then I think
it's a good idea to keep thephotos in a folder or a note on
your phone called classroomsetup. Did you know that you can
just paste pictures andscreenshots into a note? That's
really handy, too. So whenyou're a sweaty mess setting up
your classroom in August, youcan just pull up those photos
instead of relying on yourtired, summer fried brain.
Heidi (06:09):
Yes, the summer is a sweaty mess because, of course,
they don't have the air on. Anddon't forget to document your
classroom systems. Nothing worsethan standing there in August
wondering, Wait, how did Iorganize my library last year?
Emily (06:22):
And that leads perfectly into reason number three that
May is the perfect time to planfor back to school, and that is
that you still have time to testthings out with your current
class. They're like your ownlittle personal guinea pigs, but
cuter and with more opinions, Iguess.
Heidi (06:38):
Oh, all the opinions. And at this point in the year, they
have been trained in your ways.They know your expectations,
which makes them perfect forexperimenting with those What if
we tried it this way ideas.
Emily (06:50):
Yeah, your current students are like the beta
testers of your classroomsoftware. So maybe you've
realized your morning routine istaking twice as long as you want
it to. You can try a differentapproach now and get immediate
feedback on the changes.
Heidi (07:03):
Or maybe your dismissal routine is looking like a game
of hungry, hungry hippos, butwith backpacks and lunch boxes,
test out a new system now andwork out all of the kinks.
Emily (07:13):
And the best part of this is it often helps refresh those
end of year behaviors that weknow are getting so sloppy at
this time of year. Nothing likea little novelty to boost
engagement.
Heidi (07:25):
But don't limit your experimenting to just routines
and procedures. Don't be afraidto dream a little. Did you see a
fun reading idea on Tiktok orInstagram? Try it out with your
current kiddos, so you can seeif it's worth implementing next
year.
Emily (07:39):
Yeah, there is nothing worse than spending your summer
crafting the perfect plan forscience experiments or small
group math or Tinker lab, onlyto find out that it just doesn't
work, all those summer hourswasted on something you can't
even use.
Heidi (07:53):
So do yourself a favor and give it a go now, even if
you don't have all the piecesfigured out yet, give it a dress
rehearsal with your currentclass. Not only are this crop of
kids more able to pivot thanyour new students will be, you
also already have structures inplace to fall back on if you
need to abandon ship midstream.Experimenting now kind of gives
you a safety net, or flotationdevice, I guess in this
(08:17):
metaphor.
Emily (08:19):
Plus, as our Grammy used to say, a change is as good as a
rest. Trying something new nowjust might give you the
energetic boost you need to makeit to the end in one piece.
Heidi (08:29):
Now, for reason number four, why starting back to
school in May is a great idea,planning in May lightens your
summer mental load. You knowthat feeling when you're trying
to relax in June, but your brainis still running with all those
don't forget this for next yeartabs open.
Emily (08:45):
When you take a little time in May to offload those
thoughts onto paper, especiallyin a low pressure way, it gives
your brain permission to let go.
Heidi (08:52):
Without a plan, we end up either completely ghosting
anything school related allsummer, which leads to a real
nightmare come August, I havebeen there, or we spend the
whole break working withoutboundaries, and we end up
checking our emails during beachtrips.
Emily (09:06):
We can speak from our experience that you don't really
want either of those extremes.
Heidi (09:10):
Yeah neither approach really screams relaxing summer.
But when we identify specificpriorities in May, we can
schedule focus work time andthen fully unplug the rest of
the time, like actually enjoyingthat Emily Henry book next to
the pool without guilt.
Emily (09:27):
Yes, you don't have to do a lot. You just have to get
intentional. It can even be assimple as if you're really
brave, only three work days onyour summer schedule, so one in
June, one in July, and one inearly August. Now if you know
exactly what you need toaccomplish on each today, thanks
to your time spent thinkingahead in May, you can close
(09:47):
those teacher work brain tabsout on the other days and get a
ton done on those three days.
Heidi (09:53):
And our end of year roadmap is a great place to
start listing all of those to dotasks that you'll want to start
on during your school work days.And that brings us to our fifth
reason, planning in May reducesback to school panic. You know
that day and summer, when you'reback to school, nightmares
suddenly start up again.
Emily (10:11):
Oh, the dreams where you show up on the first day and
your classroom is still astorage closet, or you're
teaching in pajamas, or mypersonal favorite, and this is
the one I usually have, whichis, I've forgotten that I even
had a teaching job until themorning of the first day of
school, and then I'm just like,in sheer panic trying to get the
(10:33):
class set up, and the studentsare like, already filing in. Oh
my gosh, it's such a nightmare.It's just as bad as the I wake
up in it and I have a collegefinal, and I never went to class
all semester.
Heidi (10:43):
Oh, my stomach is a knots, even just joking about
it.
Emily (10:47):
They are the worst dreams.
Heidi (10:49):
Why do teachers have this problem? But seriously, a little
intentional planning in May canslice that August panic in half.
Even just having lists of whatworked and what didn't, gives
you a roadmap.
Emily (11:02):
Instead of facing an overwhelming blank slate in
August with nothing but panicand diet coke to fuel you,
you'll be working from a planthat your May self thoughtfully
created for you. It's likehaving a time traveling teacher
assistant.
Heidi (11:17):
And when you've already documented your classroom setup
and identified your priorities,those August work days become so
much more manageable. You mighteven, dare I say it, enjoy
setting up your classroom.
Emily (11:29):
Ooh, maybe.
And speaking of making thingsmanageable, this is where our
free end of year roadmap comesin. We created this resource
because we know that May is notthe time for complex planning
systems that require 12different colored highlighters.
Heidi (11:45):
The free end of year roadmap includes simple
reflection prompts and ourfavorite list making tools, the
to da list for celebrating yoursuccesses, because you did have
wins this year. And it'simportant to notice that. The
fix it list for identifying whatneeds improvement, and your to
do list for planning your summerwork. It can help you make a
strategic plan for setting workgoals while maintaining summer
(12:08):
life boundaries. You can assigntasks to each month, sort tasks
by where you do them, when youneed to work on them, and how
long they take. And you canpinpoint which tasks are most
beneficial for meeting your backto school goals.
Emily (12:21):
And we've designed it to be flexible, so you can fill it
in all at once, or fill it in alittle at a time between Field
Day and end of year assessmentswith all your free time.
Heidi (12:30):
The goal with this roadmap is not to create more
work for you, but to help youorganize the thoughts that are
already bouncing around in yourbrain. Your brain is an
excellent idea generator. It'snot a great list keeper, so do
your poor brain a favor and geteverything written down.
Emily (12:47):
You can grab your free copy of the end of year roadmap
by clicking the link in our shownotes. It's completely free,
just a helpful tool from us toyou. Plus, since it's in Google
Sheets, you can type what youwant and then print it out if
you want a paper copy. So muchquicker to type things than it
is to hand write them.
Heidi (13:03):
And if you find the roadmap helpful, you might be
interested in coming to our freeteacher summer talk summit at
the end of June. It's theeasiest summer PD, but one that
you'll actually enjoy, becauseit is all about making back to
school easier, not harder.
Emily (13:18):
But more on that later. For now, let's recap those five
reasons why May is the perfecttime to start planning for next
year.
Heidi (13:25):
Number one, your classroom pain points are
crystal clear right now, likepainfully, painfully clear.
Emily (13:32):
Number two, you still have access to your fully set up
classroom. Document it nowbefore it disappears.
Heidi (13:39):
Number three, you still have time to test things out
with your current class. Theseare your own personal focus
groups right here.
Emily (13:46):
Number four, planning in May is actually a gift to your
summer self. Future You sendsthank yous and says you should
treat yourself.
Heidi (13:53):
Yes, always treat yourself. And number five,
planning in May reduces back toschool panic. Sleep through
August without those nightmares.
Emily (14:02):
Remember planning for the new school year in May isn't
about adding to your alreadyoverflowing plate, it's about
capturing insights that willmake your life easier later.
Heidi (14:09):
Just a few minutes of reflection and planning in May
can save you hours of stress andprobably tears in August.
Emily (14:16):
So download our free end of year roadmap using the link
in our show notes, and startgiving your future self the gift
of preparation.
Heidi (14:23):
We would love to hear how you're planning to set your
future self up for back toschool success. Come join the
conversation in our teacherapproved Facebook group. Bring
your successes, your strugglesand your end of year survival
strategies.
Emily (14:36):
Now for our teacher approved Tip of the Week, where
we share an actionable tip tohelp you elevate what matters
and simplify the rest. Thisweek's teacher approved tip is
preview next year's content toboost end of year engagement.
Tell us more about this, Heidi.
Heidi (14:51):
We all know that may classroom management can be,
challenging, shall we say? Oneof the reasons is that students
feel less invested. They'vementally checked out because
they think that they havelearned everything they need to
know and they don't careanymore.
Emily (15:07):
Yeah, their level of concern in May has dropped to
like approximately zero.
Heidi (15:11):
Yeah, but there's a simple way to raise that concern
level again, give them littlepreviews of what they'll need to
know next year. When studentsknow that what they're doing
right now matters for what'scoming next, it often gives them
a little extra motivation tostay engaged.
Emily (15:28):
And you can sprinkle in little comments like, Oh, you'll
need to know this for thirdgrade, or your next teacher is
definitely going to love thatyou already understand this.
It's not to scare them, but justto plant the idea that they're
leveling up soon, and thatbuilds excitement.
Heidi (15:43):
And if you know what your students are excited to learn
about next year, that can be agreat hook too. For example,
second graders might beespecially jazzed about learning
cursive or tiptoeing intomultiplication, so you might
say, you're going to need theseskip counting skills when you
start learning realmultiplication next year. Or
this kind of sentence writing iswhat gets you ready for cursive.
Emily (16:03):
It's a light touch strategy, and you don't want to
step on any teacher's toes fornext year, but it can really
help reignite some buy in duringthose wiggly end of your weeks
without adding more to yourplate.
Heidi (16:14):
This strategy works because it taps into students'
natural desire to grow up andmaster new skills. It gives them
a reason to care about reviewingconcepts that they think they've
already mastered. So next timeyour class seems to have checked
out, try giving them a littleglimpse into next year's
learning adventures. It might bejust the motivation boost they
need to finish this year strong.
(16:35):
To wrap up the show, we aresharing what we're giving extra
credit to this week. Emily, whatgets your extra credit?
Emily (16:40):
I'm giving extra credit to the new picture book Don't
Trust Fish by Neil Sharpton andillustrated by Dan Santat. And I
made Heidi look at thisyesterday because I gave it to
my kids for Easter. I had heardit was hilarious and it did not
disappoint. So I made Heidi readit too, when she came over. It's
like a nature guide that goeswrong when it veers into all the
(17:00):
reasons why you shouldn't trustfish, like, they spend all their
time in the water where we can'tsee them. Some are as big as a
bus, and that is not okay. Wedon't know what they're teaching
in their quote unquote schools,and they are likely plotting our
doom. This book is a must have.It would be perfect to launch a
writing activity as well. Ithink it is a delight.
Heidi (17:23):
It is so funny, very witty. I saw a picture of a fish
today, and like, the first thingmy brain said was, don't trust
fish.
Emily (17:31):
I saw someone showing this, like, cute fish shaped
basket for target, and Iimmediately, yeah, thought the
same thing. Oh no, don't trustfish.
Heidi (17:40):
And I think you could have a lot of fun with that at
the end of the end of the schoolyear, especially, you know a
twist on animal reports, why youshouldn't trust ring tailed
lemurs or something.
Emily (17:48):
Yes, I think that would be the most fun activity. Should
we make that activity? Let'sdrop everything and make a
writing activity today. Staytuned. Maybe we'll get it
together.
Heidi (17:59):
It's either that or fifth grade fractions. You can decide.
Emily (18:02):
So hard to pick. Okay, Heidi, what are you giving extra
credit to?
Heidi (18:07):
My extra credit goes to the Ecosia web browser. It's
like, you know, a different kindof Google. This is a great
company that plants trees basedon how many people use their
site. You can see on the homescreen how many trees they have
planted, and I just checked, soas of today, the number is
229,612,190 trees.
Emily (18:28):
Wow.
Heidi (18:29):
I also really appreciate that they are transparent about
where their money goes. Everymonth on Instagram, they share
how much they earned, how muchwent to trees, and then how much
went to other costs. It's justso refreshing to see a company
that has transparency andvalues. Now, I have to admit, it
was a bit of a pain to switchover from Google, because so
(18:49):
much about, you know, Googlejust already knew what I needed
it to do. And I still, I haven'tmoved completely over on my
phone, but baby steps. I'mmoving in the right direction.
Emily (18:58):
Oh, I'm gonna have to give that a try.
Heidi (19:00):
I've been very impressed. And I feel good doing my Google
searches. It does not work withRakuten, though, if you do have
a rakuten add on, it doesn't,doesn't work with their browser.
But I figure the trees are worthit.
That is it for today's episode.Remember that May is the perfect
(19:20):
time to reflect on what workedthis year and start planning for
next year. Download our free endof year roadmap using the link
in the show notes to help youget started. And don't forget
our teacher approved tip topreview next year's content to
get your students engaged.
Emily (19:33):
And stay tuned for information about our upcoming
free teacher summer talks eventat the end of June, where we'll
be sharing our best back toschool strategies.
Heidi (19:43):
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (19:47):
And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
or subscribe in your podcast appso that you never miss an
episode.
Heidi (19:54):
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 (20:00):
Bye.
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