In this episode, we revisit one of our favorite summer philosophies: recovery and readiness. To focus on the ‘readiness’ side of things, we share seven simple tasks that take 10 minutes or less but can help you feel more prepared for the new school year without turning your summer into a work project. From choosing your first-day outfit and first read-aloud to updating your emergency kit and collecting community-building activities, these small actions can prevent last-minute stress and help you ease into back-to-school season with greater confidence and peace of mind.

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/back-to-school-prep-for-teachers/

Resources:

• How to use Canva email templates
• How to create an email signature in Canva
• Kid friendly pop playlist
• Calming piano playlist
• Hulken bag large
• Hulken bag small
• Clevermade Hulken knock off (read reviews!)
• Preorder our book Structure and Spark
• Join The Teacher Approved Club
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow
• Shop our teacher-approved resources
• Join our Teacher Approved Facebook group
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!
• Leave a comment or rating on Spotify

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 262. Crashing Isn't Resting: The Summer Teacher Mistake to Skip This Year
• Episode 263. Can't Miss Classic: Stop Letting Guilt and Panic Steal Your Teacher Summer
• Episode 209. The Most Important Back-To-School Prep No One Talks About
• Episode 27. Your One Word Theme for The Year

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Teacher Approved Club, where members get seasonal morning work pages for grades K–5 this month to add fall and holiday fun without throwing off their routines: https://secondstorywindow.net/club

This is episode 266 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. Thank you for joining us today. In today's

episode, we are sharing seven small get ahead tasks that you

can knock out in 10 minutes each, plus we've got a

teacher-approved tip for setting up your email signature.

But first, let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we

share a quick win that you can try right away. Emily, what's

our suggestion this week?

Okay, this week set up one small area of your home as a

summer command center, just a spot, it can even just be a

basket or a shelf or part of your desk, for any school stuff

that comes up over the summer, because stuff will come up even

when you're trying not to think about it. You know, a binder you

brought home or a sticky note with an idea you don't want to

lose or something you couldn't resist at the school supply

aisle.

That you'll want to know where it is when August hits.

Yes.

Or you know, even stuff for your own kids' schooling,

because school's gonna start sending paper soon.

Yep, there's always so much kids' stuff, and right now

those things are probably scattered. So designate a home

base for your school stuff. That way when you're finally ready to

think about school again, you won't have to spend the first 20

minutes hunting all the things down.

And if you like this idea or anything else we share here

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

rating and review? Ratings and reviews are one way that new

listeners can find us, so every one really does help.

If you have been here for very long, you know that we have a

two-part recipe for summer success that we call recovery

and readiness. We love it so much. We've talked about it

every summer, going all the way back to 2022.

Hey, it's a good idea, but we need that clip from

Brooklyn Nine-Nine where Boyle says, 'You've told us this story

many times,' and Captain Holt shouts, 'And you'll hear it

again!'

Yes, i put my finger up to enunciate here, and we are

going to do it again, because it's that important. We are on a

mission to make teacher summers as incredible as possible, and

that starts with recovery and readiness. You need recovery to

refill your tank after a draining school year, and you

need readiness, so you don't drain it again the second you're

back in the classroom.

So, in the recent episode, episode 262, we walked

you through how to plan for summer recovery, and in episode

263 we replayed our episode about setting boundaries around

work time. So today, let's look at the readiness piece of

recovery and readiness.

And this is not the dive into your curriculum map kind of

readiness, that's too much. Instead, we've got simple tasks

that get the productivity ball rolling without requiring a

full-time commitment.

And bonus, they can all be done in 10 minutes or less.

Part of why back to school prep feels so heavy is that prep

comes in two very different sizes, and we tend to lump them

together. The big heavy stuff is things like rethinking your

whole reading block or overhauling your classroom

management plan. That work is real, and it's important, but

you don't have to deal with that in June.

And then the other tasks, the small light stuff is

different. There are the little decisions that don't take much

mental energy on their own, but if you leave all of them for the

last week before school, they just kind of pile up into one

giant stressful heap.

And that's what these seven tasks are. The small light

stuff pulled out of the heap and spread across the summer. You do

them whenever the mood strikes.

You know what, and if the mood never strikes, that's fine

too. Think of this like a menu, not a checklist. Pick the ones

that sound appealing, and you can just ignore the rest.

Okay, let's get started. Number one is to decide what you're

wearing on the first day.

And it's a little crazy that we're starting with this

one, but we like to live on the edge.

Yeah, we're adrenaline junkies around here, and doing

this task now has two big benefits. The first is

it removes a decision before the stress hits, because

if you don't do this now, picking a first day outfit is

going to drop to the bottom of your to-do list.

Yeah, and then that's how you end up standing in front of

your closet the night before school, or heaven forbid, the

morning of the first day of school, stressed, trying on

clothes, trying to figure out what you're going to wear, and

just praying that you can find something that isn't wrinkled.

The second benefit of doing this right now is more

fun, because doing this now gives you this little rush of

being ahead. Even if you don't get anything else done to prep

for school this summer, you still get to say my first day

outfit is picked out and hanging up in the back of my closet, all

ready to go.

And that sentence, it will feel amazing in August, but

it is even more of a rush when you get to say it in June. I'm

not gonna lie, I thrive on this kind of a rush, it's my favorite

kind of getting ready is to be super ready, like so far in

advance. I'm way less motivated to do it if it's like only a

week away. So do it super early, because even though it's such a

small thing, it makes you feel like you've got it together.

And you know what, this genuinely is a 10 minute task.

Just pull out three outfits from your closet, try them on, pick

the one that you can imagine, you know, walking around for six

hours, 'cause you're not gonna get a break, and then hang it

somewhere where you can get to it, and you'll remember where it

is, so you're ready to go.

And if you're someone who likes to buy a new outfit for

the first day, more power to you. Go ahead and start shopping

now, so that you can get that task off your list as soon as

possible.

Okay, our second 10 minute task is to pick your

first read aloud of the year, and you can decide, does this

mean your first classroom chapter book read aloud or a

picture book for the actual first day of school, or you

know, pick both if you want to do that.

Start by scanning your bookshelf and checking the

library app to see what sounds good. If you need a copy, put a

hold on it or order it now, so it shows up with plenty of time.

Read alouds are some of the best community building that

you will do all year, and they couldn't be simpler or more

enjoyable. I think they might be my favorite part of teaching.

Absolutely, and I just want to say, your kids are never

too old to be read to. Like, I think there's value even in

secondary teachers reading a novel out loud to their

students, so prioritize this read aloud time. For us, it's

the highlight of the day. We loved it so much, we dedicated

our second ever podcast to it.

Way back then, back when we thought we would have an

academic focused podcast.

Yeah, it's it's grown since then.

Who knew we liked classroom management so much?

We should have known, actually.

But picking that first title now means it's one less

thing to worry about, and this is something that feels kind of

fun, definitely not a chore.

Yeah, choosing books is just never going to be

unpleasant. Okay, our third 10 minute task is to pick your

morning music playlist for the year.

Don't underestimate the power of a good playlist to set

the mood. You can make a playlist out of songs that you

already love, or use this as an opportunity to find something

that somebody's already made, and you can just save it to your

account.

If you've never done morning music before, this is a

chance to add a little spark to your daily routine in a way that

doesn't amp the kids up. What you're going for is across the

threshold moment, so when kids walk into your room, there

should be a feeling that things are different in here than they

were out in the hallway. Music is the easiest way to create

that feeling, and it signals that you've arrived, you're

somewhere calm and welcoming now. The day is starting, and

you know what to expect.

Just a couple of practical notes: if this is new

to you, you don't need a long playlist. You just need enough

to cover arrival time, so maybe 15 or 20 minutes of music, and

think about what you want that music to do. Morning music

probably shouldn't be a dance party, not trying to get kids

energized and loud right before you want them to settle.

Yeah, the goal is usually the opposite, right? Something

pleasant and fairly mellow, that takes the edge off the morning,

so obviously instrumental works well, and quiet familiar pop at

a low volume. You want kids humming but not bouncing off the

walls.

And if making a playlist from scratch sounds like more

than 10 minutes, we have some teacher-approved playlists on

Spotify that you can use. There is a kid-friendly pop one, if

you want a little more energy, although you might want to save

that for, you know, your cleanup at the end of the day.

Yes.

We also have a calming piano one, if you want more of a

settled vibe, and we will link to those in the show notes.

Okay, number four is to write your future you page. This

one is a little different from the others, it's less of a task

and more of a reflection.

But don't skip over it, because it's not urgent right

now. In summer, you have perspective. You're rested

enough to know what matters, but school year you, especially in

those first few overwhelming weeks, loses that perspective

fast.

Yeah, it gets crazy. So, write it down now, while you can

still see clearly, and think about what you hope you remember

when school starts, the things that helped you this summer that

you want to carry forward, like getting outside or moving your

body, or actually resting when you're tired, instead of pushing

through all the time.

And then write down what's important to remember

when things start to feel overwhelming. That might be

permission like, I don't need to create every resource myself, or

it might be a reminder like, my job is important, but it's not

my entire identity.

It's using the perspective summer gives you to

make the start of the year a little gentler on yourself.

Future you will be so grateful that summer you took 10 minutes

to write it down.

But if you do this, just make sure to write it somewhere

where you will actually see it again. Writing it on a napkin

that you promptly lose is not super helpful, so put it in the

front of your planner, or take a photo of it and make it the lock

screen on your phone for the first few weeks, or tape it

inside the cabinet that you open every day.

The whole power of this is the rereading. In the frantic

pace of back to school season, you need this note front and

center in order for it to do its job. So decide now where it's

going to live.

And for club members, there is a page for exactly this

in the Tired Teacher Planner, which is your club resource for

June. It's already set up with prompts, so if you would rather

not start from a blank page, it's waiting for you there. You

can print it and write on it by hand, or type write in it, and

then print it if that's your preference.

Yeah, I always prefer to type if I have the chance. Okay,

our fifth task is to update your teacher emergency kit. This is

the little stash of personal essentials that you keep in your

desk or classroom cupboard, so you can manage any human moments

that get in the way of being a teacher.

Every teacher needs one of these, and most of us have

learned that the hard way. You forget the advil one time, then

you make sure you are always stalked after that.

Yeah, if you're allowed to have pain reliever in your

room, definitely grab that. Also, think of things like lip

balm or hand lotion, nail clippers, a few protein bars, or

crackers, maybe some electrolyte packets.

Oh yeah, don't forget the throat lozenges for your poor

overused voice. Extra hair ties, contact solutions if you wear

contacts. That one got me several times. Mints or gum,

soft tissues instead of the cheap scratchy ones, make a

list, so you can make sure you get it all.

Yeah, the 10 minute version of this task is the

taking inventory part, so look at what you've got, see what ran

out last year, and make a list of what to restock. You don't

have to go shopping right now, you just need the list.

We talked about this emergency kit back in episode

209 and there is a page for it in the back to school readiness

checklists with more than 30 suggestions already on it. It's

digital, so you can edit it to just the things you use.

And the back to school readiness checklists, if you are

a club member, you can get that with your download credits, or

if you're an annual member, you can download it anytime. And

these things that we're talking about seem really small, because

they are small, but when you're in the thick of those first few

weeks, having this little kit to take care of your needs, it

makes you feel noticeably more prepared.

And if you've got a teacher friend or teammates that

you like, consider adding some care items to their survival

kits as a thoughtful back to school gift. It's a way to show

that you're looking out for them, even when you can't be

there to take care of them.

Okay, our next task is to save five favorite community

building activities to a week one folder. So search Pinterest,

search your notes app, listen to some of our back to school

podcast episodes. You can look through social media and your

camera roll for whatever you've saved over the years, and just

pick five of these ideas that you love and put them all in one

folder or a note, so that they're ready to grab.

And this might be the most useful task on this list,

because the success of your school year hinges on community

building. Student cooperation depends on whether kids are

willing to cooperate with your vision, and they're much more

willing when they feel like their teacher likes them and

that they matter in the classroom. So, having five good

activities ready to go during the first week is really worth a

lot.

And remember, community building is not just filling

time, it really is the foundation of your year, so when

you're looking for your five ideas, try to pick a range, not

five versions of the same thing. So maybe one quick icebreaker,

something that gets kids moving, one that's calmer or

partner-based, one full class activity, and one you can come

back to and repeat throughout the year.

I found that something that works well as a morning

meeting game is perfect for community building in the first

week, and then you can just use it in morning meeting all year

long. And doing this now means you can just browse calmly and

pick good ideas instead of having to make do with whatever

comes up first. You got time, pick the good stuff.

Yeah, and even get some of the light prep out of the way

early. If you want to do a team building STEM activity, maybe

you can package supplies in bags while you watch TV. We love a TV

task. It's no stress and the feeling of productivity without

having to get off your couch.

Really, it's my favorite kind of productivity. That

brings us to our final 10 minute task. Pick your one word theme

for the year. Sit down with your coffee and jot down words that

resonate with how you want next year to feel or how you want to

show up.

We've covered the one word theme idea before, back in

episodes 27 and 86 so this isn't new for longtime listeners, but

it's worth revisiting because it's such a simple tool. It's a

nice exercise but the benefit comes when you use your word as

a filter. So if your theme for the year is joyful, it reminds

you to prioritize the kinds of lessons that you enjoy teaching.

If your word is relaxed, it tells you to prioritize the

systems that help your day move smoothly.

In my, like, third or fourth year of teaching, I chose

the word present, because when I thought back to my memories of

the previous year, most of my memories were of me looking down

at my desk or at my computer screen instead of what was

happening with my students. I was just so busy planning and

prepping and worrying about the next thing, I was missing what

it actually meant to be present and with my students.

Well, I mean, it's easy to do because there's so much

going on in a school day, and so you can just easily lose sight

of what matters, so your word, your theme becomes your filter

that helps you stay focused on your priorities.

Full transparency, I have to admit, I had very mixed

success with staying present. But at least the sticky note on

my computer reminded me to just walk away sometimes, just let it

go for now.

Yeah, because unfortunately having a one-word

theme isn't just magic that means you will nail it every

day, but even just having the word on a sticky note doing its

job to kind of nudge you back on track more often than you would

have been, that's that's a win.

So those are our seven minute tasks. Pick your first

day outfit, pick your first read aloud, make your morning

playlist, write your future you page, update your emergency kit,

save five community building activities, and pick your one

word theme.

And if this kind of low pressure high payoff approach to

getting ahead is appealing, we want to tell you about

something. It's basically this episode, but bigger, and that is

our upcoming summit.

Teacher Summer Talks is four days of short focus

sessions designed to help you get ready for the new year

without the overwhelm. It's the same energy as these 10 minute

tasks, just more of it, and more guided.

And if you've been to one of our teacher talks events

before, you know that we like to have a lot of fun. We always

have a fun theme, and I'll give you a little hint that this year

is giving summer camp, parent trap vibes. It's going to be a

real good time. You will not want to miss it. And the tickets

are free, and they are available on July 1.

We will have all the details in the show notes. And

if the seven tasks today felt good, teacher summer talks is

the next natural step.

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 update your email signature. What do

you got in mind, Heidi?

Well, okay, if you don't know, your email signature is

that little block of text that automatically shows up at the

bottom of your emails, and it can be a helpful tool in your

parent communication. Your signature should include your

name and contact info, obviously, and your office hours

if you have them. But you can also add your response policy,

something like I usually respond within two days during the

school week.

And then that line manages parent expectations

before they even become a problem. It will let the parents

know you're not going to be answering emails at 10pm.

They still might hope you'll answer at 10pm but yes,

at least you've told them in writing what is reasonable. But

email signatures can be even more. You can include a photo, a

little icon, or a short quote if you want some personality in

there.

And if you don't have a signature yet, or if you want to

update yours. The nice part is you can design the whole thing

in Canva for free, even with a free account. It's really easy

to make yours cute, but still professional, or you know,

whatever your vibe is.

And in the show notes, we will include a link to a YouTube

video that walks you through how to set all of this up in Canva,

and we will include a second link about Canva's new email

templates.

Yeah, I mean, bonus tip: if you want to get really ahead,

those email templates mean you can draft some of the emails you

already know you'll need, like your welcome email, your first

day of school email, and you know, the standard reminder

email that you send before every school holiday. But that's only

if you're ready to start thinking about school tasks, no

pressure.

That's very optional.

To you wrap up the show we're sharing what we're giving extra

credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

My extra credit goes to Hulken bags.

They have the worst name.

I know, I know, but I mean they work hard like the

Hulk, I don't know. So they are these collapsible, foldable bags

that have like a sturdy base that has wheels, and then you

can get the sides open, and they're thick, easy to wipe off

material, but it, it looks kind of nice, it's a nice looking

bag, and then it has various kinds of handles on it, so you

can carry it in lots of different ways. You can do it

right next to you, you can pull it behind you with the longer

one, and the thing I love about these is you can fit so much

stuff in them. They're so handy, like I needed to haul in like

four big boxes of nothing but cake, little bunt cake things

for a PTA meeting, and I could get them all in that bag, just

barely, but I could. So they're just so handy to have.

So I have the large one, and let me tell you, it is large, like I

thought, oh, it's okay if I don't totally fill it up. No,

this should be called Extra Large. It is so big. So then I

got a medium for Christmas, because that's probably more

what you're expecting with a large. So I would say the medium

is more versatile, but it is really nice to have the Extra

Large one.

So I will say, though, Costco did come up with a knockoff, I

think it's the Clever Me brand, which I have their collapsible

laundry baskets that I have given extra credit to before, so

I know they're a good company, and I did see somebody that I

trust compare the two, and it stacked up pretty well. It was

not as sturdy, like the wheels weren't as heavy duty as the

Hulken bags, but they're like $40, they're way cheaper.

Oh, wow.

So, but they only have one size, and it's like between

the medium and the large sizes of the Holken.

I bet they come out with more sizes soon, though.

Yeah, they might. They totally might. So, I did notice

on Costco's website that there were quite a few reviews about

the wheels not holding up, like after a few months. But there

were plenty of people who said it was great, so it could be

something worth looking into, but also, if you see a deal on a

Hulken bag, might be worth just upgrading if you're gonna use

them forever. So I'll like to both.

It'd be so nice to have that hauling stuff back and

forth from school all summer.

I know, especially that really big one. Well, honestly,

even both, I have frequently had that thought of like, I would

have loved these when I was hauling things in and out of the

classroom, or schlepping, as the Hulken company would say, that

these bags are made for schlepping.

I love it.

What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

Okay, well, my extra credit goes to Jury Duty

Corporate Retreat, but the bonus episodes.

Because you already gave extra credit to the series,

right? I didn't know there were bonus episodes.

I didn't either! This is such a fun little surprise. So,

okay, to back up. Years, like, 2022 Jury Duty comes out, and

it's a hidden camera show, kind of like, but everyone's an

actor, except for one guy who thinks he's part of this

documentary about being on a jury. And all this crazy, insane

stuff happens, and everyone's like, Oh my gosh, that was

hilarious, too bad they can never do it again, because now

everyone knows. Well, they did it again, except now it's not a

jury duty, they did it at a corporate retreat, and I think I

like this one even better. I love jury duty, but corporate

retreat...

I know, corporate retreat, something about this,

the hero, I mean, that's what they call them, that's the

person who doesn't know that it's all fake. I loved the guy

in the first year, but he was a little more reserved. This guy

was in it. The guy at corporate retreat is like he's our, he's

becoming, he's a temp, he just barely met these people, but

he's becoming best friends with them by the end of the week,

like he.. Oh my gosh, I just love him so, so much.

He was a gem of a human, and the nice thing is, they

don't ever set him out to be the butt of the joke. All of the

character actors are the butts of the joke.

Yes.

So they call him the hero because he gets to be the hero

and save the day, and it was just so fun. Anyway, so I

finished up the last episode, and I was so sad. And then it

just immediately starts into the next episode, so they show you,

there's an episode about where they show how they did it, how

they set it up, like how they built this whole camp, like all

of the places the cameras were hidden, and how they

communicated when things went off the rails. I could watch

multiple episodes of that.

Yes, give me all the behind the scenes. I want to see

it all.

James Marsden was in jury duty, and he came back to host,

like, a reunion special with the cast, so that was so fun.

Oh I want to watch that!

They had the two hero guys sit down and have a talk

about their experiences, and then they go through and they

redo the corporate retreat episodes, but with the

commentary from the people that were doing it, so that you'd be

like, oh, well, in this moment you don't know what just

happened, because over here we had to do this because you did

this. And so it was so lovely.

Are they watching it with the hero, so he's getting filled

in too?

Yes, and they're asking, "Well, what were you thinking

when she did this? And he's like, "I just thought that was

weird, but this was, you know." So yes, highly recommend. 10 out

of 10.

I cannot get enough. I will absolutely be starting that

tonight.

And the good news is I was on IMDB looking something

up, and I saw that it looks like there's a season three coming

out, so.

Hopefully they've already been working on it sneakily, so

that they could get another surprise in there.

Yeah, so this came out in 2026 and they filmed it in 2024.

I know. I was kind of surprised how long it took just

to edit it. I was like, seems like the setting up would be way

more worse than the editing. But what do I know?

Well, that is it for today's episode. Pick one task

off the list and enjoy how far ahead it makes you feel.

And keep an eye out for the tickets for the Teacher

Summer Talk Summit. They become available on July 1.

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.