Hey teacher friend — you’re back in school, and guess what’s making its rounds again? Yep… the dreaded adjunct duty list 😬
In Part 2 of our Back-to-School 2025–2026 series, we’re tackling one of the most exhausting parts of a teacher’s year: having to sign up for extra duties you didn’t actually sign up for. From lunch supervision to leading yearbook, organizing graduation, or being “voluntold” to coach a sport, these adjunct duties can quickly turn your week upside down.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. 🙅♀️
In this episode, I’ll show you how to strategically approach the adjunct duty list so you can:
✅ Align duties with your passions
✅ Avoid energy-draining commitments
✅ Use your voice (and contracts!) to advocate for better boundaries
✅ Learn to say "yes" with limitations or confidently say "no" without guilt
✅ Shift your mindset from “I have to” ➡️ “I get to”
Plus, I’ll tell you the true story of how I unknowingly gave up YEARS of unpaid extra work… only for someone else to get a stipend and a sub when I finally stepped away. (Yep. That one stung.) 😅
🎯 This isn’t about being difficult — it’s about being intentional. You deserve to feel fulfilled, not frustrated.
🔥 You’ll Also Learn:
- Why saying no is actually saying yes to something better
- How to reframe the “martyr teacher” mindset
- The “Tale of Two Duties”: how one teacher’s dream duty is another’s nightmare (and vice versa)
- How to advocate for equitable duty distribution (especially if you're the newbie 🐣)
- What to do if you’ve always had the same duty and want OUT
- Scripts + mindset tips for negotiating your way to better balance 💬🧠
🎯 Binge These Related Episodes:
- 🎙️ Ep 2: How to Say No Without Sounding Like a Jerk (And Still Be Student-Focused)
- 🎙️ Ep 48: How to Say Yes With Limitations and Keep Your Sanity
- 🎙️ Ep 60: What to Do When Your Class List Feels Totally Unfair
- 🎙️ Ep 62: Why You Must Double Down on Classroom Management NOW
Want to truly thrive in teaching without sacrificing your personal life?
Check out my signature on-demand self-study course, Balance Your Teacher Life. Complete details here: www.gracestevens.com/balance
📘 My latest (and greatest!) book:
The Empowered Teacher Toolkit
Check out the best-selling Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers book here
Beat Teacher Burnout with Better Boundaries book here
My TPT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/grace-stevens-happy-classrooms
Wanna get social?
https://www.tiktok.com/@gracestevensteacher
https://www.facebook.com/GraceStevensTeacher
https://www.Instagram.com/gracestevensteacher
Old school: Website : www.GraceStevens.com (courses, blog & freebies!)
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.