The most important back-to-school prep no one talks about isn't about classroom decorations - it's about preparing YOU. In this episode, we reveal the three critical areas that transform your school year: supporting your life, prepping your teaching self, and creating a recovery plan. We'll show you how to go beyond traditional preparation and create systems that support you as a whole person, helping you not just survive, but truly thrive in the classroom.

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/the-most-important-back-to-school-prep-no-one-talks-about/

Resources:

• Procedures and Routines Planning Guide and Checklists
• Back to School Readiness Checklists
• LMNT - get a FREE sample pack with your purchase!
• Tamed Wild door hinge magnets
• 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 199, Time, Tech, & Tasks: The 3 Boundaries That Save Teacher Summers
• Episode 201, 20 Easy Back-to-School Teacher Tasks You Can Totally Do From the Couch
• Episode 203, 6 Teacher Traps We’re Saying No to This Back-to-School Season
• Episode 205, Use This One-Hour Teacher Trick to Start the School Year Calm and Ready
• Episode 207, No Class List? No Problem - Here’s What to Prep While You Wait

This is episode 209 of Teacher Approved.

You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping

educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story

Window, where we give research based and teacher approved

strategies that make teaching less stressful and more

effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from

each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to

the show.

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's

episode, we are sharing our best strategies for preparing

yourself, not just your classroom, to go back to school,

and we've got a teacher approved tip for creating a Sunday

routine that will save your sanity all year long.

But first, it's time for a try it tomorrow, a favorite

quick win that you can try in your life right away. Emily,

what is our suggestion for this week?

This week, take a photo of yourself doing something fun.

That's it. Just snap a picture of you in a moment when you're

laughing, relaxing, adventuring, reading, hiking, gardening,

eating something delicious, watching the sunset, or just,

you know, not being a teacher. And then come October, when your

to do list is longer than the school day, or in January, when

you're facing your 15th indoor recess, you can have this nice

reminder of the you who exists outside of school, the you who

still knows how to rest and laugh and wander and feel joy.

So this photo can become a visual love note from summer you

to school year you.

The key is to keep this photo somewhere where you will

see it. Make it your phone background, or print it and tape

it inside your desk drawer. Or, you know, you can tuck it in

your planner where only you will spot it, but you'll see it every

day.

You could put it in your joy drawer that we talked about

recently. That's a tongue twister, joy drawer, right?

Isn't that what we called it?

Yes.

So if you're doing something fun this week, even

something small, you can just pause for 30 seconds, snap a

photo and smile and save it for later.

If you like this idea, or anything else that we share here

on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star

rating? Ratings and reviews are one way that new listeners find

us. So every rating and review really is a huge help to us.

Over the years, we've created an extensive library of

back to school products. So to help you find the tools that

will make the start of your new year easier, we are going to be

spotlighting our procedures and routines planning guide and

checklists today. I know it has such an exciting name.

It's hard to give it a name that people can find it,

but makes it sound compelling. There's not a good balance

there. But this is such an important tool for helping you

get your school year started off on the right foot. We thought

through all of the different procedures that you might need

to make your classroom run smoothly, and we added them all

to a handy dandy checklist. You can go through the checklist on

paper, or you can do it digitally in Google Docs, and

then you can just check off the specific procedures that you

need for your classroom.

Then once you know which procedures you need, you can

open up the planning guide and decide on the exact steps that

students need to follow, identify your role in making the

procedure happen smoothly, and outline a plan for how to teach

the procedure to your class.

Once you have this kind of specific, personalized detail

about your procedures, you won't want to start the year without

it. You can find a link to the procedures and routines planning

guide and checklist in our show notes.

If you're feeling behind, tired, or like the summer

slipped away a little too fast, you are not alone. This episode

isn't about hustle or perfection. It's about creating

a soft landing so that when school starts, you don't crash

into it, you arrive, even if you are a little sleepy when you get

there.

But we're not going to focus too much on the classroom

right now. Instead, we are focusing on the most important

part of back to school success, and that is you.

Right. We spend so much time getting our classrooms

ready, and obviously that is very important, but we often

forget to get ourselves ready. And we're not just talking about

having your teaching materials organized. We're talking about

how to truly prepare yourself, your life, your energy, your

recovery plan, so that you're set up to actually thrive when

you go back to school.

Think about it this way, you wouldn't run a marathon

without training your body and preparing your mind, right?

Hopefully not anyway. Teaching is an endurance sport too,

especially those first few weeks when everything feels new and so

intense.

Back to school season really demands a lot of

teachers, emotionally, physically, logistically, and

especially in those first couple weeks. It can feel like your

entire life gets rerouted through your classroom. If

you're not ready, it will chew you up and spit you out. So

let's talk about what we can do now, while summer still has some

breath in it to support your future self.

We're going to walk through three simple categories

that will help you feel calm, capable, and a little more like

yourself when that first bell rings. The goal isn't to start

strong, it's to help you manage your life, your energy and your

recovery, so that you can sustain your energy all year

long.

Okay, let's dive into the first area, preparing your life

to support you. This means setting up your personal life so

it basically runs on autopilot for those first few weeks.

Because, let's be honest, decision fatigue is real, and by

4pm on a school day at the beginning of the school year,

the last thing you want to do is figure out what's for dinner.

Oh, yeah, been there. We're not talking about being

perfect or even having it all together. This is about being

kind to your future self. Future you is going to be so tired,

possibly overwhelmed, and definitely not in the mood to

make a million tiny decisions.

So let's start with food, because we all have to eat, and

we all know we're much nicer to be around if we don't let

ourselves get hangry.

Oh yeah, guilty. So here's what we suggest. Prepare

freezer meals for the first one to two weeks of school. This

isn't about doing anything elaborate that's going to take

you all weekend to prepare. Think simple, nourishing meals

that you can dump on a ziploc and then tuck in the

freezer—soup, chili casseroles, or even just prepared

ingredients for tacos or stir fry.

And don't forget to set up some emergency dinners too,

those pantry staples that can become a decent meal in 15

minutes when you're too tired to think and you're either out of

freezer meals or you didn't have time to make any. So that would

be things like pasta with jarred sauce and frozen vegetables, or

scrambled eggs and toast or a bag of frozen dumplings. Those

can be lifesavers.

If you're someone who feels suffocated by the thought

of committing to regular meal planning, try reframing it. This

isn't about a lifetime commitment to schedules. You're

just trying to make a rough time a little smoother, the same way

that you would offer meals to a friend who just had a baby or to

someone who is recovering from surgery. It doesn't take a whole

lifestyle change, just scheduling an afternoon to

prepare some crock pot meals.

And speaking of food, let's talk about your lunch

situation. Again, even if you don't meal prep all year, having

a plan for your school lunches those first few weeks can make

such a difference, whether that's packing the same sandwich

every day, buying lunch, or prepping a week's worth of grain

bowls, just decide ahead of time so that you're not defaulting to

a protein bar yet again.

Okay, next up we have outfit planning. It doesn't have

to be fancy. It doesn't have to be expensive. Just pick out a

week or two's worth of outfits that make you feel confident and

comfortable and have them ready to go.

Yeah, lay them out, take photos on your phone, whatever

works, the goal is to eliminate that 'I have nothing to wear'

moment when you're already running behind. Make as many

decisions as you can now, so that your tired brain has one

less thing to deal with at back to school.

And since we're dealing with clothes, this is the

perfect time for a laundry reset and a grocery restock. Do all

the laundry, put it all away, that's the kicker, and stock up

on essentials so you're not scrambling for clean socks or

running out of coffee that first week.

Take care of all those neglected home systems too. You

know, the things that have been on your 'I'll deal with this

later' list all summer. You can set up automatic bill pay if you

haven't already, clean out your car, your future self will

really thank you for that one. Clean out your purse and your

teacher bag, get your prescriptions refilled, or maybe

even prep your morning routine and practice it a few days

before school starts. I have to admit, I think that would be

And here's something that sounds simple, but is actually

pretty impressive if you actually did that, but it would

be smart if you did

revolutionary. Block out recovery time on your calendar

for that first week. Unless you're one of those people who

thrives on lots of social interaction, try to limit your

after school obligations for those first few weeks. Scheduled

naps, no social evenings or nothing nights, right into your

planner.

I love this because it gives you permission to say no

to things and prioritize your own rest when you need it most.

All right, now that we've got your life set up to support

you, let's move on to preparing your teaching self. This isn't

just about having the right supplies, though we will

definitely talk about those. It's about reconnecting with

your why and making space for the teacher that you want to be

this year.

Yeah, it's so easy to get caught up in all the logistics

and forget about the heart of why we do this work. So start by

reflecting on your goals for this school year, both personal

and professional. What kind of teacher do you want to be? What

do you want your classroom to feel like? How do you want to

take care of yourself this year? These big picture questions help

you approach the year with intention, instead of just

reacting to whatever comes your way.

If you want support with this task in our digital back to

school readiness checklist, there's a whole section on

teacher preparation. One of the resources is a journal page with

guiding questions to help you reflect on what matters most as

you're heading into the new school year.

Once you've figured out your goals, it's time to figure

out your gear. Start with the basics, comfortable shoes so you

can be on your feet for hours, a water bottle that you'll

actually use and a lunch bag that makes you happy to pack a

lunch each day.

And then gather items that support your physical well

being, because if you aren't taking care of your body,

everything is just going to get so much harder.

This is one of my favorite tips. Stock your desk

or classroom cupboard with personal essentials. Think of it

kind of like creating a survival kit for your teacher self.

I love that. What kind of things are we talking about

here, Emily?

Well, I think things like lip balm and hand lotion. Don't

you always find you need those in the middle of the day when

you're feeling so dry.

So dry.

Yes, and all the talking, and you'll want to pack some

protein bars or nuts or crackers and maybe some electrolyte

packets for those days when you forget to drink water until 2pm.

And my extra credit is going to be useful for for these ideas,

so stay tuned for that.

Oh, that's intriguing.

And don't forget personal care items like contact

solution. If you wear contacts you know how it is that

suddenly, like something goes wrong with your contact and you

don't have any solution to deal with it.

Ugh, the worst.

Yeah, and then throat lozenges, if your throat is

feeling sore from all the talking, pain reliever for sure

for headaches and cramps or anything else you might have,

you'll probably want supplies for upset stomachs. The Pepto

liquid gel caps are like excellent to keep on hand. Extra

hair ties, maybe even some mints or gum.

And guess what, folks, there is a page for this in the

back to school readiness checklist. We added more than 30

suggestions to the list already, but because it's digital, it is

so easy to edit the list to reflect the kinds of things that

you actually need to have on hand.

And these might seem like small things, but when you're in

the thick of those first few weeks, having systems in place

can make you feel so much more prepared and confident. And just

having what you need in the moment that you need, it just

makes you feel like such a rock star, like, Man, I wish I had

some lip balm right now and then realizing, Oh, I do. That's so

nice.

Such a lovely feeling to feel like you're cared for, even

if you're the one having to care for yourself.

Yep.

And that brings us to our final area, preparing your

recovery plan. This is the section that's easiest to

overlook, but please don't blow this off. It's honestly so

important. We are so good at thinking about how to start

strong, but you know, we rarely think about how to recover well.

Recovery isn't just about collapsing on the couch when you

get home, though sometimes that's exactly what you need,

but it's more about having intentional ways to help

yourself decompress and recharge. So let's start with

building a recovery kit for your post school wind down. This is

like a little gift you give to your future exhausted self.

I love this idea. When the first day ends, you want to

walk through your door and feel like you have stepped into a

soft cloud of, hey you, you've got this.

So you can just grab a container and stock it with

supplies to help hamper yourself after a long, long day. So you

might want to put a bath bomb or a shower steamer in there so

that you can literally wash off the school day, maybe some cozy

loungewear, or even a special first week of school comfy

outfit that makes you feel cozy.

Lean into anything that reminds you that you're a real

human, not just a tired teacher. Stock up on your favorite treats

or get some gift cards for meal delivery services, because

sometimes the most loving thing you could do for yourself is not

cooking dinner.

For sure, or get those groceries delivered, anything

like that to treat yourself. Also include some low energy

activities for when you want to decompress but you don't want to

just scroll your phone. So you could get a coloring book, and

they have such cool different kinds of coloring books now, you

could get a real fluffy read that you've been wanting to

read, or a feel good movie that's queued up and ready to

go.

And of course, Emily would always recommend having a

puzzle on hand.

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

You can even prep your bedroom and bathroom with

relaxing essentials for better sleep. Sleep is so important,

especially at the start of the school year. So think fresh

sheets, a lavender pillow spray, or whatever is going to help you

unwind. Make your room an oasis of calm, you know, at least for

a couple days.

And of course, there's a page full of ideas in the back

to school readiness checklist, so you can grab the checklist

from the link in the show notes.

One more idea for how to prepare your recovery is to

schedule something to look forward to once the back to

school madness has calmed down. It doesn't have to be a big

event. Maybe it's just trying a new coffee shop, or going for a

hike, or having a movie marathon. Knowing you have

something fun on the horizon can carry you through those first

few challenging days.

Now, here's one of our favorite tips from our friend

Sharika, which is so funny because I was thinking about her

when you were talking about the pillow spray, because she always

had a pillow spray that she loved. We all knew this about

her, because she loved this pillow spray so much. So here's

another great tip from Sharika. You want to leave at the end of

your contract time on the first day. So to make that happen, you

need to prepare your second day of school at the same time as

your first day. Day one is going to be exhausting no matter how

well it goes, and so the last thing that you're going to want

to do is stay late trying to prepare for day two.

Exactly. This way you can go home and actually use that

recovery kit you prepared. And don't let this sound like a

difficult goal, the second day of school is basically a light

version of the first day. So while you're doing all that

first day planning, you may as well figure out day two at the

same time.

Yeah, and can you imagine how cared for you will feel on

the first day of school if you take some time in July to

prepare for those first few days back.

So let's recap our three areas for preparing yourself for back

to school.

First, prepare your life to support you. Set up meals,

outfits and home systems so that your personal life can run on

autopilot those first few weeks, and don't forget to literally

schedule rest time in your calendar.

Second, prepare your teaching self. Reconnect with

your goals, gather supplies that support your well being, and

stock your classroom with personal essentials. Think of it

as caring for the whole person who happens to be a teacher.

And third, prepare your recovery plan. Build a kit for

post school decompression, plan something fun to look forward

to, and prep day two at the same time that you prep day one so

that you can actually leave on time.

We would love to hear how you prepare for taking care of

yourself at back to school. Come share your best tips in our

Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an

actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and

simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is to

create a Sunday reset routine that will save your sanity all

year long. So Heidi tell us more about this.

A Sunday reset routine is basically a gentle way to prep

for the week ahead without feeling overwhelmed. The key is

keeping it simple and manageable, maybe 30 minutes to

45 minutes max. Start with just three quick wins, maybe a

surface level tidy of your living space, some light meal

prep or planning, and laying out your clothes for Monday. That's

it. This can become a gentle ritual to help you transition

from the weekend to work mode. The goal is to eliminate some

decisions from your busy weekdays. Using Sunday to make

Monday a little softer saves you precious mental energy in a

moment when your brain isn't fully online yet. And once you

get in the habit, this routine actually becomes relaxing. It's

like you're taking care of your future self, which always feels

good.

So why are we talking about this in July? Well, once

the school year starts, it's go, go, go. But right now, you have

space to experiment. You can test out a Sunday routine that

actually supports you, not stresses you. That way, when

August hits, you're not scrambling to reinvent your

week.

If you want to make this routine even more nurturing,

pair it with something you enjoy. You can light a candle,

put on your favorite playlist or a podcast, pour a glass of

something delicious. This doesn't have to be a

productivity sprint. It can just be 30 minutes of peace and prep.

You can even give it a fun name, like your Sunday Soft Start, or

your Future Me Time. Call it something that makes it feel

like a treat, not a task.

And if 30 minutes feels like too much, just start with

10. Pick one area, even that small step can create a feeling

of calm momentum. Mondays are always going to be Mondays, but

they don't have to be miserable. So give your Sunday a little

intention, and you might be surprised how much smoother your

whole week feels.

To wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're giving

extra credit to this week. And okay, Emily, this is the big

reveal. What is getting your extra credit?

I'm giving extra credit to my new favorite electrolytes

flavor. So element, which is L M N T, is my favorite.

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

I have called it L M N T for a year. I think it was like

a month ago that I was like, it's element, oh. So now we all

kno,w little lesson for us. But they're my favorite of, I've

tried several different electrolytes, and they're by far

my favorite. And they have a new flavor that's called lemonade

salt, and it is so good. I like to mix it with a can of

sparkling water, and it's so nice on a hot day. I do think

it's a limited time flavor, though, so if you want to try

that specific flavor, you probably want to hop on it. But

they have other ones that are good. Their citrus salt one is

usually my go to, but they've got a bunch of different ones.

They apparently even have one that's chocolate salt that

either you love or you hate. I've never tried it, but maybe I

will. Maybe I will.

Oh, wow, wild woman.

I know, I know, but it there is something about

electrolytes. When you need them, they just really make you

feel so much better. So, if you're thinking about them.

I have never tried, it's never even crossed my mind to

try it.

Really? I think of, I think I started doing them last

summer, and I was like, Oh, this is like a nice afternoon boost.

I mean, it's not like caffeine or anything, but it just like,

kind of, I don't know, makes you feel better, but it is very

salty, so you have to be okay with that. I think it's sort of

an acquired taste.

Okay. Well, maybe I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll steal

one of yours first.

You should, you should. I've been trying to convert my

teenager that's in color guard and in the marching band and

like doing these long summer days, trying to convert her to

electrolytes. And so we've bought every kind of electrolyte

under the sun at this point, and she still doesn't like any of

them

She's missing out clearly.

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

Oh

Okay, well, my extra credit goes to these door hinge

Heidi?

of your house. And I just checked Tamed Wild, and right

magnets that I bought from Tamed Wild. Now I love a little sneaky

touch of whimsy in my house, and these are so cute. They're just

little figures about one inch tall. I'm holding up my fingers.

That's not going to help you see this. They're about an inch

tall, and they have a little magnet in their base. So they

sit on top of your door hinge and they just stay there. And I

wanted the gnome, but they were out of stock, so I ended up

getting the dragon, which was a good choice, because I just love

it. And the fun surprise was that when it came it was a set

of three. I thought I was just getting one, but it was a set of

three. So now I have a little dragon guarding over all of my

doorways. It's so cute.

now they only have the bunny and the cat in stock, which are both

darling. But if you also want a little door dragon or a frog or

a bat, and the bat is fun because you can hang it upside

down on the bottom of your door.

Cute.

You can sign up when they restock.

I want the little gnome.

It's cute. There's a link to the store in the show notes,

if you also need a little touch of whimsy at your house.

I feel like I'm on a mission to have more whimsy,

whimsy in my life, because I didn't intentionally lose

whimsy. I think you just get busy and you don't realize that,

like, you're missing those little, fun little sparks. And

then you hear other people, well, since this has been, like,

the online trend right on threads and stuff, Instagram, of

people sharing what they do to add whimsy in their life. And

I'm like, oh, everybody's having more fun than I am. I gotta give

it, get on this, because I feel like I, it's, my personality

should be more whimsy, but I'm just always like, go, go, go. So

I appreciate this easy to implement idea for whimsy.

That's why I like whimsy, because it's like, manageable

fun. You don't need to round up a bunch of people, you don't

have to make plans. You're just like, I'm just gonna have this

little funny inside joke with myself and then it makes me

smile.

And then that's how you have a little Sebastian in your

guest bathroom.

And a crossword puzzle, on the wall.

That is it for today's episode. We hope you feel inspired to

start preparing, not just your classroom, but yourself for

going back to school. Remember, our goal is to work smarter, not

harder. A little preparation now can save you so much stress and

energy later.

So give the Sunday reset routine a try, start building

your recovery kit, and don't forget to schedule some rest

time for those first few weeks back.

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

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow

or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an

episode.

You can connect with us and other teachers in the

Teacher approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.

Bye for now.

Bye.