June 9, 2025 • 24 mins
Feeling torn between resting and being productive over summer break? In this episode, we’re diving into the power of teacher summer boundaries...the key to enjoying your time off without guilt! We explore three essential types of boundaries—time, technology, and task—that help you protect your peace, be intentional with your time, and avoid burnout. Tune in to learn how to reset, recharge, and make this summer one that truly serves you!
Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-summer-boundaries/
Resources:
- Freebie: End of Year Roadmap
- Resource: Back to School Pattern Block Activities
- Resource: Back to School Lego Activities
- Podcast: Happier with Gretchen Rubin
- 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 131, To-Do List Magic - How to Prioritize Your Teacher Tasks This Summer
- Episode 134, The 10 Stages of Teacher Summer Break
- Episode 196, The 3 Step Plan to Park Those School Thoughts and Enjoy Your Summer Break
- Episode 197, A Teacher Summer Self Care and Recovery Plan That Doesn’t Feel Like Work
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Heidi (00:00):
This is episode 199 of Teacher Approved.
You're listening to TeacherApproved, the podcast helping
educators elevate what mattersand simplify the rest. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (00:14):
And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
Sindow, 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 atsecondstorywindow.net.
Heidi (00:29):
We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
the show.
Emily (00:36):
Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's
episode, we're talking about whyboundaries are the secret
ingredient for summer fun andback to school readiness, and
sharing a teacher approved tipfor making summer memory magic.
Heidi (00:51):
But first, it is time for Try It Tomorrow, a favorite
quick win that you can try inyour life right away. Tell us
about this week's try ittomorrow, Emily.
Emily (00:59):
This week I want you to make a to don't list. It's so
simple. Just write down fivethings you're giving yourself
permission to skip this summer.Maybe it's checking your school
email daily. Maybe it's redoingyour class decor from scratch
again.
Heidi (01:16):
Put that list somewhere visible, like, you know, on the
fridge or in your planner,somewhere where you will see it
and think of it as your summerpermission slip.
Emily (01:24):
If you like this idea or anything else we share here on
the podcast, would you take asecond and give us a five star
rating and review on Applepodcasts?
Heidi (01:33):
Over the years, Emily and I have created an extensive
library of back to schoolproducts to help you find the
tools that will make the startof your new year easier. Today
we are spotlighting our patternblocks activity set.
Emily (01:46):
Now you're probably not ready to think about the first
day of school yet, but we havegot some great tools to help you
check off one of your mostimportant first day tasks with
basically no prep. So this one'snot too painful to think about.
So on the very first morning,your students need something to
do when they arrive immediatelywhen they walk in the door.
Heidi (02:06):
And this can be so tricky to plan because you haven't
taught these students where toget the supplies, or your
expectations for managingsupplies. On the first day, kids
are probably going to bearriving at different times.
They often come in really early.And of course, everyone's
anxiety is super high.
Emily (02:23):
So for that first day activity, you need something
calming, open ended, and easy toengage with. Enter the pattern
blocks. You can print off someof our super cute school themed
pattern block mats. You put acouple on each desk along with
some blocks, and kids can stayhappily engaged for 20 or even
30 minutes.
Heidi (02:43):
We also have a similar set of activities that use
Legos. You get all the samebenefits of using the pattern
blocks, but it really might beeasier to round up a tub of
loose Legos than it is to get aclass set of pattern blocks.
Emily (02:55):
Plus you might feel like the older kids will have more
buy in to the activity when theysee Legos instead of pattern
blocks, although, in ourexperience, even the older kids
love a pattern block. You cancheck out the show notes for
links to both of these products,and give yourself the relief of
knowing that your first activityof the first day is already
planned, prepped and ready togo.
Heidi (03:16):
So here we are in June, which means that many of you are
either done with school or youcan see the finish line so close
ahead. And if you're anythinglike we were during our teaching
years, you might have someconflicted feelings right about
now.
Emily (03:28):
Oh yeah, there's this weird teacher thing that happens
in summer. You're exhausted andready for a break, but you also
feel guilty about how excitedyou are to be done, and then
there's this pressure toimmediately start being
productive.
Heidi (03:41):
Oh yes. I remember sitting on my couch the first
week of summer break, still inmy pajamas at noon or probably
three, let's be honest, andfeeling just overwhelming guilt.
Like, shouldn't I be organizingmy classroom library right now?
Or shouldn't I be planning nextyear's reading units?
Emily (03:59):
Instead of watching Doctor Who marathons, right? Or
if it's not the heaviness ofproductivity, guilt weighing you
down, it's that niggling senseof panic that you can't quite
escape. It's like being circledby a school of sharks, or, are
sharks in schools? What do theycall those?
Heidi (04:18):
Pods, collections, gathering? Whatever sharks do,
there is a lot of them, and itfeels like they are circling a
little bit closer every day. Ittakes a monumental amount of
work to get ready for the newschool year, and as much as we
just want to relax in oursummer, there's always the sense
that something is just off tothe side waiting to pounce.
Emily (04:39):
It makes me picture those little goblin guys from Disney's
Hercules. I think they're calledpain and panic, but I think for
a teacher, they could easily becalled guilt and panic.
Heidi (04:50):
Oh definitely. Just picturing them right now, that's
perfect. And they are persistentand ruthless, and one of them
sounds like Bobcat Goldplate,and that is an extra bummer for
sure.
Emily (05:03):
I'm impressed that you knew that guy's name. I know who
it is, but I did not know thatwas that guy's name.
Heidi (05:08):
I did live through the 80s, so, you know.
Emily (05:10):
So did I! Most of the 80s.
Heidi (05:12):
Only half of them.
Emily (05:15):
60%.
Now this may be a controversialopinion, but we believe teachers
deserve to enjoy their summerwithout constant jabs from
cartoon imps.
Heidi (05:26):
You can never say that we shy away from the hot takes
around here.
Emily (05:30):
It's true. If it, if it needs to be said, we're gonna
say it. Teachers deserve abreak. So we're going to give
you the secret weapon for tamingteacher guilt and panic, and
that weapon is boundaries.
Heidi (05:42):
Wah, wah. Very anticlimactic. Boundaries are
not the most thrilling contentto be talking about, but they
are oh so summer saving. That'sbecause teaching doesn't stop,
just because our contract does,and if we're not careful, summer
just becomes a quieter form ofburnout.
Emily (06:00):
But with the right boundaries, you can actually
recover and still feel ready byAugust. Boundaries are the
invisible fences that protectyour peace, your time, and they
let you enjoy your life andstill start the year feeling
prepared.
Heidi (06:14):
Imagine how you might spend a typical summer. You're
on call for your family's everyneed. You end up planning three
vacations, organizing thepantry, attending 12 PD
webinars, overhauling your mathcenters, and when back to school
season rolls around, guess what?You feel anything but rested.
Emily (06:31):
And that's where boundaries come in, not as
another thing to do, but reallyas a way to protect the season
that you're in.
Heidi (06:39):
So today, we are walking you through three kinds of
boundaries that every teachershould consider this summer:
time, tech and task load. Welove a list, especially if it
can start with the same letter.Now these aren't rigid rules.
We're offering you some flexibleframeworks that you can adapt to
your own life and your ownneeds.
Emily (06:57):
When you set clear boundaries around your time,
your technology use, and yourtask load, you create space for
the kind of recovery thatactually prepares you to be the
teacher you want to be.
Heidi (07:08):
Our teacher approved summer plan, I feel like we
should have like a littletrademark, copyright or
something.
Emily (07:13):
Tmtm.
Heidi (07:15):
It has two parts, recovery and readiness. Last
week, in Episode 197 we talkedall about the four different
types of recovery and suggestedways for how you might want to
include them in your summerplans.
Emily (07:28):
Summer recovery is the best kind of recovery, so
definitely check out thatepisode if you missed it. But
the second part of our summerplan is readiness. We need
recovery to refuel after adraining school year, but we
need readiness so we don't findourselves completely burned out
by September 15 from trying toget the new year up and running.
Heidi (07:47):
The first step to our readiness plan is to imagine how
you want to feel as you headinto the new school year. If you
want to start the school yearfeeling more prepared than ever,
what tasks do you need toaccomplish to give you that
feeling?
Emily (07:59):
Then the next step is to identify the specific goals that
will help you get there. Youwill probably have some school
related goals in there, likereading a couple teaching books,
or finally figuring out how tofit more social studies into
your day.
Heidi (08:12):
And, of course, joining us for the Teacher Summer Talk
Summit and the Back to SchoolSuccess Course, right?
Emily (08:18):
Yes, you definitely want to grab your spots for those in
June. But also think aboutpersonal goals that can help you
get ready for school. Maybe youwant to start going to the gym
every day now, so that it'salready a habit when school
rolls around.
Heidi (08:32):
Or maybe you want to spend some time this summer
trying out easy meal prep ideasso that meal times during the
school year are way lessfrantic.
Emily (08:40):
If you want some help working through these readiness
goals, there's a page for thisin, you guessed it, our free end
of your roadmap that we've beentalking about nonstop. If you
don't have it yet, what are youdoing? There's so much good
stuff in there, so go grab thatfrom the link in the show notes
if you don't have it.
Heidi (08:56):
Once you have an idea of what back to school readiness
looks like for you, it's time toput some boundaries around those
goals. I know our peoplepleasers and our perfectionists,
they don't love the idea ofsetting boundaries.
Emily (09:09):
But you need to shove guilt and panic way back down
into the underworld by reframingyour thinking. Boundaries aren't
secretly going to turn youselfish or mean or lazy. They're
about being strategic with yourresources.
Heidi (09:24):
time boundaries. This is about being intentional with
when you work on school stuff,and probably more importantly,
when you don't.
Emily (09:41):
And I know what some of you are thinking. Emily, I have
so much to do. I can't just notwork on school things.
Heidi (09:49):
We are not suggesting that you don't work on school
things ever.
Emily (09:52):
We would be the most hypocritical people ever if we
told you not to do school stuffduring the summer, since that's
the main thing we usually usedto do during the summer.
Heidi (10:00):
Yep, every summer. But learn from our mistakes and be
strategic about when you work onschool stuff and how much you're
going to do.
Emily (10:09):
So instead of working too much, some teachers don't want
to think about it at all. And Iknow some of you are out there.
It's easy to assume summer meanswe have all the time in the
world, but unfortunately, thewhole I'll just do school stuff
when I feel like it plan oftenmeans that we never feel like it
until that lovely, motivatingsense of panic sets in.
Heidi (10:28):
Now it might seem like working too much and not working
enough are opposite problems,but they really are two sides of
the same coin.
Emily (10:36):
Yeah, it's like guilt and panic had a horrible baby, and
that baby is named anxiety.
Heidi (10:42):
Babies do cause anxiety. Let's be honest. If we feel
anxious, we might cope bythrowing ourselves into
unrealistic to do lists, or wemight cope by ignoring that to
do list altogether. Either way,we end up stressed out and
really not feeling any moreready.
Emily (11:00):
So let's not do that. Instead, try carving out
designated blocks of time forworking on school tasks. Those
time blocks will look differentfor everyone, and they'll likely
change over the course of thesummer.
Heidi (11:11):
Yeah, you may decide that you're going to work on school
tasks for 30 minutes everymorning, and then you can just
enjoy the rest of the day. Oryou may decide that you're going
to work in your classroom everyWednesday. Even just one hour a
week for intentional prep canwork wonders.
Emily (11:26):
I love this approach because it gives you both
structure and freedom. You knowyou have dedicated work time so
you really can relax during youroff time without that nagging
feeling that you should be doingsomething productive. You can
tell that feeling, hey, I have aplan. Back off.
Heidi (11:41):
Another option for managing your time is the
monthly approach. Maybe in Juneyou're not going to do any work.
Emily (11:47):
Except, of course, to join us in the Teacher Summer
Talk Summit. But don't worry,that's going to be so fun, it
won't even feel like work.
Heidi (11:55):
That does feel like the perfect thing for June. And then
in July, you might do light prepwork, and then in August, you
can really dive into morefocused preparation.
Emily (12:04):
Whatever you decide, the key is making a decision and
sticking to it, because when youdon't have boundaries, you end
up in this weird space whereyou're not really relaxing but
you're not really beingproductive either.
Heidi (12:16):
Yeah, you're not getting the benefits of rest, and you're
not doing your best work. It'skind of the worst of both
worlds. But when you have cleartime boundaries, you can be
fully present in whatever youhappen to be doing.
Emily (12:29):
So the second type of boundary is around technology,
and this one might be thehardest for some of us, many of
us, most of us.
Heidi (12:37):
Oh, yeah, definitely. We are supposed to be connected all
the time, checking email,scrolling Instagram for
classroom inspiration, we'rejust feeding on it constantly.
Emily (12:46):
One simple tech boundary is taking your school email off
your phone for the summer. Youcan still check it on a computer
or reinstall it briefly if youreally need to, but this makes
sure you're not just opening itout of habit and accidentally
ruining your summer peace, andwho hasn't been there.
Heidi (13:02):
Or if that feels too scary, maybe try putting
boundaries around when you checkit. Maybe you only check your
school email once a day, or,even better, once a week.
Emily (13:11):
You could also try being more intentional about which
teacher related social mediaaccounts you follow.
Heidi (13:17):
Pay attention to how you feel after looking at certain
accounts. Hold on to thoseaccounts that make you excited
to teach, and then justunsubscribe from the ones that
trigger your comparison brain.
Emily (13:28):
Yes, because social media can be such a double edged sword
for anyone, but especiallyteachers, because it can be so
inspiring. And hopefully ouraccount is super inspiring for
you, but it can also make youfeel like everyone else has it
more together than you do. Wedon't want that.
Heidi (13:44):
And while we're talking about social media, just a
warning to be careful aboutPinterest during the summer
break. I know we all lovePinterest, but it can quickly
turn from inspiration tooverwhelm.
Emily (13:55):
If you're going to venture into Pinterest land, try
setting a timer. Give yourself20 minutes to browse, save what
you love, and then close theapp. Don't let yourself fall
into that Pinterest rabbit holewhere suddenly it's 2am and
you've pinned 47 differentbulletin board ideas.
Heidi (14:10):
Yeah, nobody needs 47 bulletin board ideas. The goal
of tech boundaries isn't tocompletely disconnect from the
teaching world. It's to beintentional about how and when
you engage with it.
Emily (14:22):
The internet is so full of quote unquote inspiration,
but also full of comparisontraps and decision fatigue. So
don't let the tech bros stealyour summer, because they are
designing their apps to be sodang addictive.
Heidi (14:34):
Those dang tech bros.
Our third type of boundary isaround task load. We want to be
strategic about what we take onand what we let go.
Emily (14:44):
This one is huge, because teachers are natural
overachievers for the most part.We see all the things we could
do to improve our classrooms,and we want to do all the
things, all of them.
Heidi (14:54):
All the things, all the time. But as we have learned the
hard way, time and again, tryingto do everything usually means
you don't do anythingparticularly well. It's better
to focus on a few high impacttasks than to spread yourself
thin across dozens of smallprojects.
Emily (15:12):
Time boundaries and technology boundaries work
really well with taskboundaries. Once you schedule
your productive work time, youwant to make sure that that time
really is productive, and thatmeans having a clear vision for
what needs to be done duringthat time.
Heidi (15:26):
If you're going to go to the trouble of hiring a
babysitter for two hours so thatyou can work in a coffee shop,
you don't want to waste 45minutes of that time just
figuring out where to getstarted. Or what would be even
worse, spending 45 minutes insome kind of Tiktok rabbit hole.
Emily (15:41):
Yes. So having a list of tasks is important, but knowing
where to start on that list isvital. Back in episode 131 we
talked about how to prioritizeyour summer to do list. Go
revisit that episode if you wantto deep dive. But the first step
is to imagine how you want tofeel as you head into the new
school year, and then identifyspecific goals you can set for
the summer that will help youget there.
Heidi (16:03):
With that to do list in hand, ask yourself, which tasks
will help you move closer tofeeling prepared, and then you
start there. Yes, printing vinylcubby labels would be super
cute, but is that more usefulthan having your copies made for
meet the teacher night?
Emily (16:19):
It's probably definitely not as impactful on your mental
load, for sure. We alsorecommend setting boundaries
around other people'sexpectations. Maybe your
principal sends an email in Julysuggesting everyone update their
bulletin boards. You canpolitely acknowledge it and add
it to your to do list forAugust, or decide it's not a
priority this year.
Heidi (16:38):
Now, during the summer, you may also find that other
people in your life expect youto be at their beck and call
because you are on a break. Yourneighbor might think that you
should be happy to watch herkids because now you have all
this time off, or your parentsmight expect you to come help
stain their deck, because, Imean, what else are you doing
all day?
Emily (16:55):
When other people think you owe them their time, I've
found it often comes from aplace of jealousy, even if they
aren't aware of it. They wishthey had summers off too, while
completely ignoring that youstill have professional
development and planningresponsibilities and everything
else that comes with being ateacher. Oh, and you're not
getting paid for all of thateither. Let's not forget that
part.
Heidi (17:15):
So when this happens, try to assume that people who are
claiming your time aren't reallyaware that they're overstepping.
Let's be honest, that might notbe true, but at least you'll
feel better if you don't jump tothe worst conclusions.
Emily (17:28):
And then just say no if you need to, or offer a limited
role. Maybe you can watch yourneighbor's kid from nine to noon
one day a week, or you can helpyour parents with the deck one
afternoon. But you can't take onthe whole project.
Heidi (17:41):
But, you know, still say no. You can say no, and I know
it is so hard to do, but it doesget better with practice, and
you are not unreasonable todecline an assignment that you
didn't ask for. The goal isn'tto be rebellious or difficult.
The goal is to protect yourenergy for the things that truly
matter in your life.
Emily (18:01):
So as you're making your summer plans, remember these
three kinds of boundaries. Timeboundaries to help you be
strategic about when you workand when you rest. Technology
boundaries to create space fromthe constant input of teacher
demands. And task loadboundaries to focus on what
truly matters instead of tryingto do everything.
Heidi (18:19):
When you have clear boundaries, you can be fully
present in whatever you'redoing. When it's work time, you
can focus completely on the taskat hand, and when it's rest
time, you can truly rest withoutguilt. We're saying no to
teacher guilt.
Emily (18:33):
Again, you can count on us to stand up and say the
unpopular things. No to teacherguilt. Plus boundaries help
prevent the end of summer panic.When you have boundaries and
stick to them, you end up with amuch more realistic sense of
what you can accomplish. No moreover promising to yourself and
then feeling disappointed.
Heidi (18:52):
If saying no is a struggle for you, like it is for
so many people, try thinking ofeverything you get to say yes to
because you're not taking on toomuch. You get to say yes to
enjoying your unpaid time off.You get to say yes to
reconnecting with loved ones.You get to say yes to
rediscovering the parts of yourlife that just kind of get
buried during the school year.
Emily (19:13):
And most importantly, you get to say yes to showing up in
August well rested and excitedabout teaching, even if your
bulletin boards aren't Pinterestperfect. And whose are, really?
Heidi (19:23):
Teacher well-being directly impacts student
outcomes. When you take care ofyourself, you are taking care of
your students too. Your futurestudents deserve a teacher who's
rested, excited and ready togive them their best, and
boundaries are what make thatpossible.
Emily (19:39):
We would love to hear what you are saying no to this
summer. Come join theconversation in our teacher
approved Facebook group.
Now for our teacher approved Tipof the Week, where we share an
actionable tip to help youelevate what matters and
simplify the rest. This week'steacher approved tip is make a
summer sensorium. Tell us aboutit, Heidi.
Heidi (19:58):
So we talked about this back in episode 134, but since
it happens to be summer again,it seems like a good time to
revisit this topic. So I learnedabout this from Gretchen Rubin
on her podcast, Happier?
Emily (20:11):
Yeah.
Heidi (20:11):
Somehow that didn't seem right.
Your sensorium is your differentsensory perception taken as a
whole. Our brain takes thedifferent inputs from each of
our senses and then assemblesthem into what our perceived
experience of a moment is. So inthis episode, we have talked a
lot about what to say no to, butit is also important to
(20:32):
prioritize the things that wewant to say yes to.
Emily (20:35):
And hopefully one of the things you want to say yes to is
really experiencing your summerbreak. Take a minute to think of
your favorite summer sights,sounds, touches, tastes and
smells, and then make a plan forhow to include them in your
summer activities. This willhelp ensure that you're really
savoring the full scope of whatthis season has to offer. And I
(20:56):
feel like we're good at doingthis at the holidays, if you're
someone who really lovesChristmas, but I don't know that
it's ever occurred to me to dothis in the summer, so it
probably hasn't occurred to alot of you either.
Heidi (21:06):
Yeah, and summer's, summer's great. We really need
to soak this in. Think howenriched and rejuvenated you'll
feel after a summer of sweet,drippy watermelon and those
chlorine scented kids andtwinkling fireflies and living
room dance parties and walkingbarefoot in the grass.
Emily (21:24):
Summer has some really great sensory opportunities, so
do what you can to soak them allup.
Heidi (21:30):
To wrap up the show we are sharing what we're giving
extra credit to this week.Emily, what gets your extra
credit?
Emily (21:34):
Well, my extra credit is something that I think all of us
can appreciate and connect to,which is turning off almost all
of my many daily alarms forsummer.
Heidi (21:45):
Ah, the best feeling.
Emily (21:46):
Giving so much extra credit to that. Having three
kids at three different schoolshas meant a lot of running
around to get everyone wherethey needed to be last year, and
it was just the best treat theother day to turn all of those
off, and I get to enjoy sleepingin pretty much every day, which
is my ultimate joy in life.
Heidi (22:05):
I love that so much for you, that is such a treat.
Emily (22:08):
Thank you. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?
Heidi (22:11):
Well, I'm giving extra credit to Resident Alien season
four, since it finally started.My favorite kind of TV show, if
you've been here for a while,you probably heard me talking
about this, but I love a TV showthat is quirky with a big heart.
So things like Ghosts, what aresome other favorites?
Emily (22:30):
Ted Lasso.
Heidi (22:31):
Ted Lasso! Oh, yeah, Community, Office, obviously.
And this show gets five starsfor both quirkiness and big
heartedness. So if you areunfamiliar, Harry is an alien
who crash lands on Earth, and soto fit in, he kind of has to
cosplay as the town doctor. Andas he does so, he learns all the
ups and downs of being humanalong the way. He's obsessed
(22:52):
with Law and Order and pie andhis mortal enemy is a nine year
old boy, and the insults thatthey sling back and forth at
each other are hilarious. So ifyou need a summer show, this is
perfect. It's funny and it'sheartfelt and it's not too
heavy. And if you're not intosci fi, I promise the sci fi is
more just like comedy than it islike heavy space travel stuff.
(23:14):
So I love the show. I've, Ithink I've re watched it three
times. I still, I laugh every time.
Emily (23:20):
Well, you've harassed me about it for years now, so I am,
I am committing that I willfinally watch this, because I'm
out of all my other shows, soI'm gonna watch this one.
Heidi (23:31):
Well, I'm glad you got to the bottom of the bucket, and as
Sheriff Mike would say, Ladieslove their buckets.
Emily (23:38):
I'm excited to know what that means.
Heidi (23:42):
And it is streaming on like three different things. So
I think it's on Sci Fi, it's onUSA, and it's on Peacock, and it
might even be on Netflix. Soit's easy to find these days.
Emily (23:52):
Sweet.
Heidi (23:54):
That is it for today's episode. Boundaries are the
secret ingredient for a summerthat is both joyful and
successful.
Emily (24:01):
And don't forget our teacher approved tip to create
your own summer sensorium list.
Heidi (24:08):
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (24:12):
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 (24:18):
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 (24:25):
Bye.
This is episode 199 of Teacher Approved.
You're listening to TeacherApproved, the podcast helping
educators elevate what mattersand simplify the rest. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (00:14):
And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
Sindow, 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 atsecondstorywindow.net.
Heidi (00:29):
We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
the show.
Emily (00:36):
Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's
episode, we're talking about whyboundaries are the secret
ingredient for summer fun andback to school readiness, and
sharing a teacher approved tipfor making summer memory magic.
Heidi (00:51):
But first, it is time for Try It Tomorrow, a favorite
quick win that you can try inyour life right away. Tell us
about this week's try ittomorrow, Emily.
Emily (00:59):
This week I want you to make a to don't list. It's so
simple. Just write down fivethings you're giving yourself
permission to skip this summer.Maybe it's checking your school
email daily. Maybe it's redoingyour class decor from scratch
again.
Heidi (01:16):
Put that list somewhere visible, like, you know, on the
fridge or in your planner,somewhere where you will see it
and think of it as your summerpermission slip.
Emily (01:24):
If you like this idea or anything else we share here on
the podcast, would you take asecond and give us a five star
rating and review on Applepodcasts?
Heidi (01:33):
Over the years, Emily and I have created an extensive
library of back to schoolproducts to help you find the
tools that will make the startof your new year easier. Today
we are spotlighting our patternblocks activity set.
Emily (01:46):
Now you're probably not ready to think about the first
day of school yet, but we havegot some great tools to help you
check off one of your mostimportant first day tasks with
basically no prep. So this one'snot too painful to think about.
So on the very first morning,your students need something to
do when they arrive immediatelywhen they walk in the door.
Heidi (02:06):
And this can be so tricky to plan because you haven't
taught these students where toget the supplies, or your
expectations for managingsupplies. On the first day, kids
are probably going to bearriving at different times.
They often come in really early.And of course, everyone's
anxiety is super high.
Emily (02:23):
So for that first day activity, you need something
calming, open ended, and easy toengage with. Enter the pattern
blocks. You can print off someof our super cute school themed
pattern block mats. You put acouple on each desk along with
some blocks, and kids can stayhappily engaged for 20 or even
30 minutes.
Heidi (02:43):
We also have a similar set of activities that use
Legos. You get all the samebenefits of using the pattern
blocks, but it really might beeasier to round up a tub of
loose Legos than it is to get aclass set of pattern blocks.
Emily (02:55):
Plus you might feel like the older kids will have more
buy in to the activity when theysee Legos instead of pattern
blocks, although, in ourexperience, even the older kids
love a pattern block. You cancheck out the show notes for
links to both of these products,and give yourself the relief of
knowing that your first activityof the first day is already
planned, prepped and ready togo.
Heidi (03:16):
So here we are in June, which means that many of you are
either done with school or youcan see the finish line so close
ahead. And if you're anythinglike we were during our teaching
years, you might have someconflicted feelings right about
now.
Emily (03:28):
Oh yeah, there's this weird teacher thing that happens
in summer. You're exhausted andready for a break, but you also
feel guilty about how excitedyou are to be done, and then
there's this pressure toimmediately start being
productive.
Heidi (03:41):
Oh yes. I remember sitting on my couch the first
week of summer break, still inmy pajamas at noon or probably
three, let's be honest, andfeeling just overwhelming guilt.
Like, shouldn't I be organizingmy classroom library right now?
Or shouldn't I be planning nextyear's reading units?
Emily (03:59):
Instead of watching Doctor Who marathons, right? Or
if it's not the heaviness ofproductivity, guilt weighing you
down, it's that niggling senseof panic that you can't quite
escape. It's like being circledby a school of sharks, or, are
sharks in schools? What do theycall those?
Heidi (04:18):
Pods, collections, gathering? Whatever sharks do,
there is a lot of them, and itfeels like they are circling a
little bit closer every day. Ittakes a monumental amount of
work to get ready for the newschool year, and as much as we
just want to relax in oursummer, there's always the sense
that something is just off tothe side waiting to pounce.
Emily (04:39):
It makes me picture those little goblin guys from Disney's
Hercules. I think they're calledpain and panic, but I think for
a teacher, they could easily becalled guilt and panic.
Heidi (04:50):
Oh definitely. Just picturing them right now, that's
perfect. And they are persistentand ruthless, and one of them
sounds like Bobcat Goldplate,and that is an extra bummer for
sure.
Emily (05:03):
I'm impressed that you knew that guy's name. I know who
it is, but I did not know thatwas that guy's name.
Heidi (05:08):
I did live through the 80s, so, you know.
Emily (05:10):
So did I! Most of the 80s.
Heidi (05:12):
Only half of them.
Emily (05:15):
60%.
Now this may be a controversialopinion, but we believe teachers
deserve to enjoy their summerwithout constant jabs from
cartoon imps.
Heidi (05:26):
You can never say that we shy away from the hot takes
around here.
Emily (05:30):
It's true. If it, if it needs to be said, we're gonna
say it. Teachers deserve abreak. So we're going to give
you the secret weapon for tamingteacher guilt and panic, and
that weapon is boundaries.
Heidi (05:42):
Wah, wah. Very anticlimactic. Boundaries are
not the most thrilling contentto be talking about, but they
are oh so summer saving. That'sbecause teaching doesn't stop,
just because our contract does,and if we're not careful, summer
just becomes a quieter form ofburnout.
Emily (06:00):
But with the right boundaries, you can actually
recover and still feel ready byAugust. Boundaries are the
invisible fences that protectyour peace, your time, and they
let you enjoy your life andstill start the year feeling
prepared.
Heidi (06:14):
Imagine how you might spend a typical summer. You're
on call for your family's everyneed. You end up planning three
vacations, organizing thepantry, attending 12 PD
webinars, overhauling your mathcenters, and when back to school
season rolls around, guess what?You feel anything but rested.
Emily (06:31):
And that's where boundaries come in, not as
another thing to do, but reallyas a way to protect the season
that you're in.
Heidi (06:39):
So today, we are walking you through three kinds of
boundaries that every teachershould consider this summer:
time, tech and task load. Welove a list, especially if it
can start with the same letter.Now these aren't rigid rules.
We're offering you some flexibleframeworks that you can adapt to
your own life and your ownneeds.
Emily (06:57):
When you set clear boundaries around your time,
your technology use, and yourtask load, you create space for
the kind of recovery thatactually prepares you to be the
teacher you want to be.
Heidi (07:08):
Our teacher approved summer plan, I feel like we
should have like a littletrademark, copyright or
something.
Emily (07:13):
Tmtm.
Heidi (07:15):
It has two parts, recovery and readiness. Last
week, in Episode 197 we talkedall about the four different
types of recovery and suggestedways for how you might want to
include them in your summerplans.
Emily (07:28):
Summer recovery is the best kind of recovery, so
definitely check out thatepisode if you missed it. But
the second part of our summerplan is readiness. We need
recovery to refuel after adraining school year, but we
need readiness so we don't findourselves completely burned out
by September 15 from trying toget the new year up and running.
Heidi (07:47):
The first step to our readiness plan is to imagine how
you want to feel as you headinto the new school year. If you
want to start the school yearfeeling more prepared than ever,
what tasks do you need toaccomplish to give you that
feeling?
Emily (07:59):
Then the next step is to identify the specific goals that
will help you get there. Youwill probably have some school
related goals in there, likereading a couple teaching books,
or finally figuring out how tofit more social studies into
your day.
Heidi (08:12):
And, of course, joining us for the Teacher Summer Talk
Summit and the Back to SchoolSuccess Course, right?
Emily (08:18):
Yes, you definitely want to grab your spots for those in
June. But also think aboutpersonal goals that can help you
get ready for school. Maybe youwant to start going to the gym
every day now, so that it'salready a habit when school
rolls around.
Heidi (08:32):
Or maybe you want to spend some time this summer
trying out easy meal prep ideasso that meal times during the
school year are way lessfrantic.
Emily (08:40):
If you want some help working through these readiness
goals, there's a page for thisin, you guessed it, our free end
of your roadmap that we've beentalking about nonstop. If you
don't have it yet, what are youdoing? There's so much good
stuff in there, so go grab thatfrom the link in the show notes
if you don't have it.
Heidi (08:56):
Once you have an idea of what back to school readiness
looks like for you, it's time toput some boundaries around those
goals. I know our peoplepleasers and our perfectionists,
they don't love the idea ofsetting boundaries.
Emily (09:09):
But you need to shove guilt and panic way back down
into the underworld by reframingyour thinking. Boundaries aren't
secretly going to turn youselfish or mean or lazy. They're
about being strategic with yourresources.
Heidi (09:24):
time boundaries. This is about being intentional with
when you work on school stuff,and probably more importantly,
when you don't.
Emily (09:41):
And I know what some of you are thinking. Emily, I have
so much to do. I can't just notwork on school things.
Heidi (09:49):
We are not suggesting that you don't work on school
things ever.
Emily (09:52):
We would be the most hypocritical people ever if we
told you not to do school stuffduring the summer, since that's
the main thing we usually usedto do during the summer.
Heidi (10:00):
Yep, every summer. But learn from our mistakes and be
strategic about when you work onschool stuff and how much you're
going to do.
Emily (10:09):
So instead of working too much, some teachers don't want
to think about it at all. And Iknow some of you are out there.
It's easy to assume summer meanswe have all the time in the
world, but unfortunately, thewhole I'll just do school stuff
when I feel like it plan oftenmeans that we never feel like it
until that lovely, motivatingsense of panic sets in.
Heidi (10:28):
Now it might seem like working too much and not working
enough are opposite problems,but they really are two sides of
the same coin.
Emily (10:36):
Yeah, it's like guilt and panic had a horrible baby, and
that baby is named anxiety.
Heidi (10:42):
Babies do cause anxiety. Let's be honest. If we feel
anxious, we might cope bythrowing ourselves into
unrealistic to do lists, or wemight cope by ignoring that to
do list altogether. Either way,we end up stressed out and
really not feeling any moreready.
Emily (11:00):
So let's not do that. Instead, try carving out
designated blocks of time forworking on school tasks. Those
time blocks will look differentfor everyone, and they'll likely
change over the course of thesummer.
Heidi (11:11):
Yeah, you may decide that you're going to work on school
tasks for 30 minutes everymorning, and then you can just
enjoy the rest of the day. Oryou may decide that you're going
to work in your classroom everyWednesday. Even just one hour a
week for intentional prep canwork wonders.
Emily (11:26):
I love this approach because it gives you both
structure and freedom. You knowyou have dedicated work time so
you really can relax during youroff time without that nagging
feeling that you should be doingsomething productive. You can
tell that feeling, hey, I have aplan. Back off.
Heidi (11:41):
Another option for managing your time is the
monthly approach. Maybe in Juneyou're not going to do any work.
Emily (11:47):
Except, of course, to join us in the Teacher Summer
Talk Summit. But don't worry,that's going to be so fun, it
won't even feel like work.
Heidi (11:55):
That does feel like the perfect thing for June. And then
in July, you might do light prepwork, and then in August, you
can really dive into morefocused preparation.
Emily (12:04):
Whatever you decide, the key is making a decision and
sticking to it, because when youdon't have boundaries, you end
up in this weird space whereyou're not really relaxing but
you're not really beingproductive either.
Heidi (12:16):
Yeah, you're not getting the benefits of rest, and you're
not doing your best work. It'skind of the worst of both
worlds. But when you have cleartime boundaries, you can be
fully present in whatever youhappen to be doing.
Emily (12:29):
So the second type of boundary is around technology,
and this one might be thehardest for some of us, many of
us, most of us.
Heidi (12:37):
Oh, yeah, definitely. We are supposed to be connected all
the time, checking email,scrolling Instagram for
classroom inspiration, we'rejust feeding on it constantly.
Emily (12:46):
One simple tech boundary is taking your school email off
your phone for the summer. Youcan still check it on a computer
or reinstall it briefly if youreally need to, but this makes
sure you're not just opening itout of habit and accidentally
ruining your summer peace, andwho hasn't been there.
Heidi (13:02):
Or if that feels too scary, maybe try putting
boundaries around when you checkit. Maybe you only check your
school email once a day, or,even better, once a week.
Emily (13:11):
You could also try being more intentional about which
teacher related social mediaaccounts you follow.
Heidi (13:17):
Pay attention to how you feel after looking at certain
accounts. Hold on to thoseaccounts that make you excited
to teach, and then justunsubscribe from the ones that
trigger your comparison brain.
Emily (13:28):
Yes, because social media can be such a double edged sword
for anyone, but especiallyteachers, because it can be so
inspiring. And hopefully ouraccount is super inspiring for
you, but it can also make youfeel like everyone else has it
more together than you do. Wedon't want that.
Heidi (13:44):
And while we're talking about social media, just a
warning to be careful aboutPinterest during the summer
break. I know we all lovePinterest, but it can quickly
turn from inspiration tooverwhelm.
Emily (13:55):
If you're going to venture into Pinterest land, try
setting a timer. Give yourself20 minutes to browse, save what
you love, and then close theapp. Don't let yourself fall
into that Pinterest rabbit holewhere suddenly it's 2am and
you've pinned 47 differentbulletin board ideas.
Heidi (14:10):
Yeah, nobody needs 47 bulletin board ideas. The goal
of tech boundaries isn't tocompletely disconnect from the
teaching world. It's to beintentional about how and when
you engage with it.
Emily (14:22):
The internet is so full of quote unquote inspiration,
but also full of comparisontraps and decision fatigue. So
don't let the tech bros stealyour summer, because they are
designing their apps to be sodang addictive.
Heidi (14:34):
Those dang tech bros.
Our third type of boundary isaround task load. We want to be
strategic about what we take onand what we let go.
Emily (14:44):
This one is huge, because teachers are natural
overachievers for the most part.We see all the things we could
do to improve our classrooms,and we want to do all the
things, all of them.
Heidi (14:54):
All the things, all the time. But as we have learned the
hard way, time and again, tryingto do everything usually means
you don't do anythingparticularly well. It's better
to focus on a few high impacttasks than to spread yourself
thin across dozens of smallprojects.
Emily (15:12):
Time boundaries and technology boundaries work
really well with taskboundaries. Once you schedule
your productive work time, youwant to make sure that that time
really is productive, and thatmeans having a clear vision for
what needs to be done duringthat time.
Heidi (15:26):
If you're going to go to the trouble of hiring a
babysitter for two hours so thatyou can work in a coffee shop,
you don't want to waste 45minutes of that time just
figuring out where to getstarted. Or what would be even
worse, spending 45 minutes insome kind of Tiktok rabbit hole.
Emily (15:41):
Yes. So having a list of tasks is important, but knowing
where to start on that list isvital. Back in episode 131 we
talked about how to prioritizeyour summer to do list. Go
revisit that episode if you wantto deep dive. But the first step
is to imagine how you want tofeel as you head into the new
school year, and then identifyspecific goals you can set for
the summer that will help youget there.
Heidi (16:03):
With that to do list in hand, ask yourself, which tasks
will help you move closer tofeeling prepared, and then you
start there. Yes, printing vinylcubby labels would be super
cute, but is that more usefulthan having your copies made for
meet the teacher night?
Emily (16:19):
It's probably definitely not as impactful on your mental
load, for sure. We alsorecommend setting boundaries
around other people'sexpectations. Maybe your
principal sends an email in Julysuggesting everyone update their
bulletin boards. You canpolitely acknowledge it and add
it to your to do list forAugust, or decide it's not a
priority this year.
Heidi (16:38):
Now, during the summer, you may also find that other
people in your life expect youto be at their beck and call
because you are on a break. Yourneighbor might think that you
should be happy to watch herkids because now you have all
this time off, or your parentsmight expect you to come help
stain their deck, because, Imean, what else are you doing
all day?
Emily (16:55):
When other people think you owe them their time, I've
found it often comes from aplace of jealousy, even if they
aren't aware of it. They wishthey had summers off too, while
completely ignoring that youstill have professional
development and planningresponsibilities and everything
else that comes with being ateacher. Oh, and you're not
getting paid for all of thateither. Let's not forget that
part.
Heidi (17:15):
So when this happens, try to assume that people who are
claiming your time aren't reallyaware that they're overstepping.
Let's be honest, that might notbe true, but at least you'll
feel better if you don't jump tothe worst conclusions.
Emily (17:28):
And then just say no if you need to, or offer a limited
role. Maybe you can watch yourneighbor's kid from nine to noon
one day a week, or you can helpyour parents with the deck one
afternoon. But you can't take onthe whole project.
Heidi (17:41):
But, you know, still say no. You can say no, and I know
it is so hard to do, but it doesget better with practice, and
you are not unreasonable todecline an assignment that you
didn't ask for. The goal isn'tto be rebellious or difficult.
The goal is to protect yourenergy for the things that truly
matter in your life.
Emily (18:01):
So as you're making your summer plans, remember these
three kinds of boundaries. Timeboundaries to help you be
strategic about when you workand when you rest. Technology
boundaries to create space fromthe constant input of teacher
demands. And task loadboundaries to focus on what
truly matters instead of tryingto do everything.
Heidi (18:19):
When you have clear boundaries, you can be fully
present in whatever you'redoing. When it's work time, you
can focus completely on the taskat hand, and when it's rest
time, you can truly rest withoutguilt. We're saying no to
teacher guilt.
Emily (18:33):
Again, you can count on us to stand up and say the
unpopular things. No to teacherguilt. Plus boundaries help
prevent the end of summer panic.When you have boundaries and
stick to them, you end up with amuch more realistic sense of
what you can accomplish. No moreover promising to yourself and
then feeling disappointed.
Heidi (18:52):
If saying no is a struggle for you, like it is for
so many people, try thinking ofeverything you get to say yes to
because you're not taking on toomuch. You get to say yes to
enjoying your unpaid time off.You get to say yes to
reconnecting with loved ones.You get to say yes to
rediscovering the parts of yourlife that just kind of get
buried during the school year.
Emily (19:13):
And most importantly, you get to say yes to showing up in
August well rested and excitedabout teaching, even if your
bulletin boards aren't Pinterestperfect. And whose are, really?
Heidi (19:23):
Teacher well-being directly impacts student
outcomes. When you take care ofyourself, you are taking care of
your students too. Your futurestudents deserve a teacher who's
rested, excited and ready togive them their best, and
boundaries are what make thatpossible.
Emily (19:39):
We would love to hear what you are saying no to this
summer. Come join theconversation in our teacher
approved Facebook group.
Now for our teacher approved Tipof the Week, where we share an
actionable tip to help youelevate what matters and
simplify the rest. This week'steacher approved tip is make a
summer sensorium. Tell us aboutit, Heidi.
Heidi (19:58):
So we talked about this back in episode 134, but since
it happens to be summer again,it seems like a good time to
revisit this topic. So I learnedabout this from Gretchen Rubin
on her podcast, Happier?
Emily (20:11):
Yeah.
Heidi (20:11):
Somehow that didn't seem right.
Your sensorium is your differentsensory perception taken as a
whole. Our brain takes thedifferent inputs from each of
our senses and then assemblesthem into what our perceived
experience of a moment is. So inthis episode, we have talked a
lot about what to say no to, butit is also important to
(20:32):
prioritize the things that wewant to say yes to.
Emily (20:35):
And hopefully one of the things you want to say yes to is
really experiencing your summerbreak. Take a minute to think of
your favorite summer sights,sounds, touches, tastes and
smells, and then make a plan forhow to include them in your
summer activities. This willhelp ensure that you're really
savoring the full scope of whatthis season has to offer. And I
(20:56):
feel like we're good at doingthis at the holidays, if you're
someone who really lovesChristmas, but I don't know that
it's ever occurred to me to dothis in the summer, so it
probably hasn't occurred to alot of you either.
Heidi (21:06):
Yeah, and summer's, summer's great. We really need
to soak this in. Think howenriched and rejuvenated you'll
feel after a summer of sweet,drippy watermelon and those
chlorine scented kids andtwinkling fireflies and living
room dance parties and walkingbarefoot in the grass.
Emily (21:24):
Summer has some really great sensory opportunities, so
do what you can to soak them allup.
Heidi (21:30):
To wrap up the show we are sharing what we're giving
extra credit to this week.Emily, what gets your extra
credit?
Emily (21:34):
Well, my extra credit is something that I think all of us
can appreciate and connect to,which is turning off almost all
of my many daily alarms forsummer.
Heidi (21:45):
Ah, the best feeling.
Emily (21:46):
Giving so much extra credit to that. Having three
kids at three different schoolshas meant a lot of running
around to get everyone wherethey needed to be last year, and
it was just the best treat theother day to turn all of those
off, and I get to enjoy sleepingin pretty much every day, which
is my ultimate joy in life.
Heidi (22:05):
I love that so much for you, that is such a treat.
Emily (22:08):
Thank you. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?
Heidi (22:11):
Well, I'm giving extra credit to Resident Alien season
four, since it finally started.My favorite kind of TV show, if
you've been here for a while,you probably heard me talking
about this, but I love a TV showthat is quirky with a big heart.
So things like Ghosts, what aresome other favorites?
Emily (22:30):
Ted Lasso.
Heidi (22:31):
Ted Lasso! Oh, yeah, Community, Office, obviously.
And this show gets five starsfor both quirkiness and big
heartedness. So if you areunfamiliar, Harry is an alien
who crash lands on Earth, and soto fit in, he kind of has to
cosplay as the town doctor. Andas he does so, he learns all the
ups and downs of being humanalong the way. He's obsessed
(22:52):
with Law and Order and pie andhis mortal enemy is a nine year
old boy, and the insults thatthey sling back and forth at
each other are hilarious. So ifyou need a summer show, this is
perfect. It's funny and it'sheartfelt and it's not too
heavy. And if you're not intosci fi, I promise the sci fi is
more just like comedy than it islike heavy space travel stuff.
(23:14):
So I love the show. I've, Ithink I've re watched it three
times. I still, I laugh every time.
Emily (23:20):
Well, you've harassed me about it for years now, so I am,
I am committing that I willfinally watch this, because I'm
out of all my other shows, soI'm gonna watch this one.
Heidi (23:31):
Well, I'm glad you got to the bottom of the bucket, and as
Sheriff Mike would say, Ladieslove their buckets.
Emily (23:38):
I'm excited to know what that means.
Heidi (23:42):
And it is streaming on like three different things. So
I think it's on Sci Fi, it's onUSA, and it's on Peacock, and it
might even be on Netflix. Soit's easy to find these days.
Emily (23:52):
Sweet.
Heidi (23:54):
That is it for today's episode. Boundaries are the
secret ingredient for a summerthat is both joyful and
successful.
Emily (24:01):
And don't forget our teacher approved tip to create
your own summer sensorium list.
Heidi (24:08):
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm
Heidi.
Emily (24:12):
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 (24:18):
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 (24:25):
Bye.
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