OTT 268: Bonus November: The We-Do-Not-Care List

Send us a text

The pre‑Thanksgiving stretch can feel like a sprint you didn’t sign up for, and we’re done pretending it’s fine. This candid bonus drop is for every tired teacher who needs permission to step off the hamster wheel, set healthier boundaries, and protect hard‑won peace. We name the pressure points—grading through the parade, last‑minute bulletin boards, “extra PD” masquerading as team building—and swap them for choices grounded in truth and sustainability.

We walk through a November “not‑doing” list that rejects toxic positivity without rejecting hope. That means saying no to performative joy and yes to real joy, the kind that fits into your day without stealing your energy. It looks like keeping the break a break, using emergency sub plans when you’re sick, and choosing light‑lift, purposeful activities that actually support learning. If you want something festive, we talk about gratitude prompts and a Molly’s Pilgrim reader response—both engaging, standards‑aligned, and kind to your bandwidth. Along the way, we remember what we still love about teaching, even if we don’t love the system, and we find solidarity in the beautiful, messy reality of the work.

You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. You get to choose less guilt, more truth, and only what truly matters. If you’re planning to not plan over Thanksgiving week, grab the free sub plan day mentioned, breathe, and let yourself rest. If this resonated, follow for more real‑talk teacher support, share it with a colleague who needs it, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your peace matters—and you’re not alone.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Thanksgiving Teaching Ideas

Support the show

🌿 You can’t pour from an empty cup — but with the Sub Survival System, you’ll never have to panic when you need a day.
Ready-to-go sub plans designed by a teacher who’s been there.
Because rest isn’t a luxury — it’s part of the job.

👉 [Explore the Sub Survival System on TpT]

Subscribe and Review:

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. Click here for iTunes.

Now, if you’re feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review. Reviews help other teachers find my podcast. Click here to leave a review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review,” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to One Tired Teacher episode 268.

(00:04):
This is a bonus episode.
It's we're talking about whatwe're not doing this month, a
real talk episode.
Hey there, my tired teacherfriend.
Today's episode is not polished.
It's not filled with strategiesor curated Pinterest perfect
advice.
It's just real.
It's a bonus drop becausehonestly, some things just need

(00:27):
to be said out loud.
So welcome to the We Do Not CareClub teacher chapter.
Let's talk about what we are notdoing this month.
Hope you stick around.

SPEAKER_01 (00:43):
Welcome to One Tired Teacher.
And even though she may need anap, this teacher is ready to
wake up and speak her truthabout the trials and treasures
of teaching.
Here she is, wide awake.
Wait, she's not asleep rightnow, is she?
She is awake, right?
Okay.
From Trina Debori Teaching andLearning, your host, Trina

(01:03):
Debori.

SPEAKER_00 (01:05):
Hey, so this month, what we're not doing, just rapid
fire.
I'm just gonna read it out toyou and you can take it or leave
it.
We're not writing lesson plansover the break.
Nope.
That's called a break, friend.
Keep it a break.
We're not grading long paper orpapers during the Thanksgiving

(01:30):
parade.
If you want to shop, go for itbecause there's some really good
deals.
But we're not grading papersduring the Thanksgiving parade.
In fact, most of us will becooking.
Not me, because I don't cook.
I usually go somewhere wheresomeone else cooks, or I go to a
restaurant because I don't cookThanksgiving, but I do love
watching the Thanksgiving paradeand I like shopping for early

(01:52):
Black Friday deals.
We're not pretending extra PDthe day before break is team
building.
We're not saying yes tolast-minute bulletin boards,
family feasts, or dress-up daysunless we want to.
We're not letting guilt creep inbecause we need to take a day or

(02:14):
three.
We're not hosting Thanksgivingin our classrooms.
I mean, goodness gracious.

(02:35):
We're not performing joy just tomake someone else comfortable.
We're not pushing throughsickness.
And if you are, grab thoseemergency subplans and go lay
down.
We're not pretending this jobhasn't gotten heavier.
We're just carrying it with moregrace than anyone should have
to.

(02:56):
Those are just some of thethings we're not gonna do this
November.
But here's what we are going todo.
And we are going to use these asempowerment, and we're going to,
we're not gonna, we're not doingpositive toxicity.
We are or positive, toxicpositivity.

(03:18):
Positive toxic, whatever.
You know what I mean.
Toxic positivity.
We're just going to, we're justgonna keep this grounded in the
truth.
We're going to protect ourpeace.
We're going to create moments ofjoy, real joy, not just glitter,
glue, chaos.
We're letting go of what doesn'tmatter and anchoring into what

(03:41):
does.
We're showing up imperfect andhuman.
And that is more than enough.
We're remembering what we loveabout teaching.
That doesn't mean that we haveto love the system.
We're laughing because if wedon't, we'll cry.
And sometimes we do both in thesame planning period.

(04:04):
We're finding solidarity in thismess, in this beautiful, messy,
exhausting thing we do.
All right.
Now, if you're planning to notplan during that Thanksgiving
week, good.
I've got you.
You can grab my one free day ofsubplans and use it if you need

(04:24):
to.
Take a minute for yourself.
And if you want to sneak insomething fun and festive that
doesn't require a second prepperiod, check out my gratitude
craft or my or my Molly'sPilgrim reader in response.
That is so such a fun thing todo in November.
They're both purposeful and theywon't drain you and leave you
with no energy.

(04:45):
So wherever you are, howeveryou're showing up, even if
you're just barely holding ittogether with a vinty coffee and
a scratchy throat, you're notalone.
You don't have to do it all.
You don't have to do whateveryone else is doing.
You get to choose.
And this month we're choosingless guilt, more truth, and only
things that truly matter.

(05:06):
I'm glad you're here.
I'll see you next week.
In the meantime, if you want tocheck out Will We Do Not Care
Club teacher chapter on TikTok,come find me.
All right.
Have a great extra few days, andI'll see you soon.
Until then, sweet dreams andsleep tight.