Latest / Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies / 247. 4 Spring Classroom Management Headaches and How To Fix Them

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247. 4 Spring Classroom Management Headaches and How To Fix Them · Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies

0:00
Heidi: This is episode 247 of Teacher Approved.
0:05
You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping
0:09
educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm
0:13
Heidi.
0:14
Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
0:17
Window, where we give research-based and
0:19
teacher-approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and
0:22
more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources
0:26
from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
0:29
Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
0:32
the show.
0:36
Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's
0:39
episode, we are talking about why spring classroom management
0:43
needs more structure, not more control, and sharing practical
0:47
strategies you can use this week to make your days run smoother.
0:51
Heidi: Let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick
0:54
win that you can try in your classroom right away. Emily,
0:56
what is our suggestion for this week?
0:58
Emily: Okay, this week, try adding a 30-second silent reset
1:02
between transitions. So before you dismiss students to their
1:05
next activity, have everyone pause and take three deep
1:08
breaths together and mentally picture where they're going
1:12
next. Totally simple, but that tiny moment of regulation can
1:15
prevent the chaos that builds when your kids rush from one
1:19
thing to another without any processing time.
1:21
Heidi: I love that. It is such a low lift way to give kids a
1:26
chance to settle before they move. And if you like this idea
1:30
or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you take a
1:32
second and give us a five star rating? Ratings and reviews are
1:35
one way that new listeners find us, so every one really is a
1:38
huge help to us.
1:40
Emily: Well, we have officially made it to March, and by this
1:43
point in the year, your classroom probably feels a lot
1:46
different than it did in September.
1:48
Heidi: Yeah, in the spring, everything is a little louder
1:52
and looser, or a lot louder and looser. Transitions take longer.
1:56
You're probably finding yourself giving more reminders and more
1:59
warnings than you did in the fall.
2:02
Emily: Warnings, threats, whatever you want to call them.
2:04
Heidi: We don't judge.
2:06
Emily: And that totally makes sense, because if you have
2:08
followed us for long, you know that one of our favorite topics
2:11
is how the needs of your classroom shift over the course
2:14
of the school year. In fact, we like talking about this seasonal
2:18
shift so much that we literally wrote a book about it. Our book,
2:21
Structure and Spark is available for pre order now on, I know, I
2:26
know for sure it's on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
2:29
Heidi: That is so exciting, or you could find a link to it in
2:32
the show notes. But since our book will not be out until July,
2:37
you are on your own for surviving March. Sorry, friends.
2:40
Emily: Just kidding, we would never do that to you! Okay, so
2:46
let's take a look at what makes March so very March-like and how
2:49
that impacts what unfolds during the school day.
2:52
Heidi: To manage your March classroom, you need to
2:54
understand what makes this a unique time of year. So let's
2:57
look at two key characteristics. First, the stamina you had in
3:02
October just is not there anymore. And second, the energy
3:07
in the room has definitely gone up. The spring shift in daylight
3:10
and the warmer weather just brings increased chattiness and
3:14
all kinds of fun behaviors.
3:15
Emily: So we have this perfect storm of higher stimulation
3:18
paired with lower regulation. Think about a noisy transition
3:22
in October. Maybe a few kids got sidetracked halfway to the rug,
3:26
and they're having a little chat. So you stop and ask them
3:30
to try it again. You could tolerate the extra two or three
3:34
minutes that would take because you knew it was going to pay off
3:37
the next day and for the rest of the school year.
3:39
Heidi: And that's because back at the start of the year, oh, in
3:43
the good old days when you were so young, there was enough
3:46
energy in the system to think long term. But in March, when
3:50
that same procedure gets a little wobbly, instead of
3:53
resetting it, you move forward. You do just what you have to do
3:56
to keep the lesson moving.
3:57
Emily: And oh, have we all been there. Your gas tank is running
4:01
on empty here, and when you're running on empty, your brain
4:05
defaults to short term stabilization. You rely on
4:09
reminders and warnings because they are faster and they feel
4:12
easier, maybe, in the moment, than stopping to revisit an
4:15
expectation.
4:16
Heidi: And those reminders and warnings and maybe threats do
4:19
work for a minute, but if the classroom only functions while
4:24
you are actively holding it together, it's going to keep
4:27
demanding more and more of you.
4:29
Emily: If you are stuck in that 'I just need to make it through
4:32
this tough moment' energy, it means you're relying on control
4:36
to move through the day. Control is teacher-centered, though,
4:40
it's you actively holding the classroom together. Now that
4:44
does stabilize behavior, but only as long as you are actively
4:48
monitoring it. If you don't give the reminder, the talking
4:51
continues.
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Heidi: Control feels efficient because it is immediate, but it
4:56
has to be repeated again tomorrow and the next day, and
4:59
it only works as long as you are the one working it.
5:02
Emily: But structure works differently than control. While
5:05
control is based on your physical presence, structure is
5:07
based in the environment. It's your consistent attention
5:11
signal, your procedures and all of the expectations that don't
5:14
change based on your energy level.
5:17
Heidi: Now, while structure is more permanent, the trade off is
5:20
that it demands a lot up front. It means stopping to practice,
5:24
reteaching the expectation and making it clear what happens if
5:28
the students don't follow through. Once it's solid,
5:30
though, it gives energy back, meaning you do not have to carry
5:34
every piece of the day all by yourself.
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Emily: Here at the beginning of March is actually the perfect
5:38
time to take a good look at how well your structure is holding
5:41
up. As we've talked about before, a lot of teaching
5:44
headaches are predictable. Spring brings higher energy,
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more social drive, schedule disruptions from testing and
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assemblies and students who are just done with sitting still and
5:55
being quiet.
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Heidi: And because we know that this spring fever is coming, if
5:59
it's not already here, we can do something to mitigate it. Your
6:03
instinct might be to crack down harder, but what students
6:06
actually need is clear containers for all of that
6:10
spring energy.
6:11
Emily: All right, so let's talk about four common spring
6:14
problems and the structural solutions that make them easier
6:17
to manage without constant teacher intervention from you.
6:21
And we're going to start with one of the biggest headaches,
6:23
sloppy transitions.
6:25
Heidi: Oh, the worst. You know how it goes. Students take
6:28
forever to line up. They're chatting the whole way to the
6:30
rug. Materials are getting dropped or forgotten, and you
6:33
are repeating yourself constantly.
6:35
Emily: And here's where that control versus structure
6:37
distinction shows up. The control response is to keep
6:41
reminding, "kids talking by the cubes are going to owe me some
6:43
Bonus Bucks if they don't hurry," over and over every
6:47
single transition.
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Heidi: And while a warning feels more efficient than stopping to
6:51
reteach, especially when you're tired, you're going to give that
6:55
warning tomorrow and the next day, and maybe every single day.
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In the long run, all you're doing is teaching your students
7:01
to wait for your voice instead of following the routine.
7:03
Emily: Yeah. When it comes to management, control asks, How do
7:07
I get them to stop? But structure asks, How do I support
7:10
what I want to see? So let's look at how to solve this
7:13
problem using structure. And the first step is pausing to
7:16
identify the reason transitions have gotten sloppy. Are the kids
7:20
talking by the cubes because they're feeling chatty, or
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because they're confused about what's expected?
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Heidi: Also consider if every sloppy transition is suffering
7:29
from the same breakdown. If you are seeing the same problem
7:32
multiple times a day, maybe kids are talking every time you shift
7:35
between activities, a standard solution could solve multiple
7:38
problems at once.
7:40
Emily: Yeah, a great strategy for decreasing talking is to
7:43
decrease the opportunities to talk. Instead of calling the
7:46
whole class to line up at once, try dismissing a table at a
7:49
time. Or if kids are frequently confused about what they're
7:52
supposed to be doing during a transition, try listing the
7:55
steps on the board.
7:56
Heidi: Providing a visual support is such a great way to
7:59
let the environment of your room do some of your management for
8:03
you. If a student seems confused, just direct them to
8:06
the list. That way you don't have to stop, figure out what's
8:09
confusing this particular child, and then coach them through the
8:11
next steps. The list does all of that for you.
8:14
Emily: Now, of course, if a kid is genuinely confused, you want
8:16
to help them, but a list on the board probably answers 95% of
8:20
the 'what are we supposed to do' questions.
8:23
Heidi: I hate that question so much.
8:25
Emily: Yep, it's always like the minute you just finished
8:28
explaining what to do.
8:29
Heidi: And then once you pinpoint which part of your
8:31
transition needs to reset, reteach it like it's brand new,
8:35
even if you did it in September. Model what careful listening
8:39
looks like. Discuss how to move around the space quickly and
8:41
quietly, and then practice.
8:44
Emily: Now this could easily take 10 minutes, and that might
8:46
feel like time you don't have right now, but what you're
8:49
teaching is that the expectation isn't optional, and the next
8:53
transition and the transitions tomorrow will be smoother
8:56
because students know that you will follow through.
8:59
Heidi: This is where accountability comes in.
9:02
Accountability means consistently enforcing
9:04
expectations, even when you're tired. I know it's so hard, but
9:07
it's so important. If students aren't meeting the expectation,
9:11
stop and have them practice doing it right.
9:14
Emily: Nagging, on the other hand, is reminding students over
9:16
and over, without following through. "Please line up
9:19
quietly. I said quietly. I'm still waiting for quiet!" That
9:25
teaches students, they can ignore what you say until you're
9:27
really serious.
9:30
Heidi: And if you find yourself thinking, I don't have time for
9:32
this, stop and challenge that little voice in your mind. What
9:37
you don't have time for is to give reminders all day long. Ten
9:40
minutes now means less work every day after.
9:44
Emily: Because so many things are happening at once during
9:46
transitions, they can be a huge source of management stress. If
9:49
you want to really dial in on how to troubleshoot your
9:52
transition structure, we did three whole episodes on it.
9:56
Heidi: Yeah, we did try to condense it to one episode, but
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we found quickly there was just too much to say. So go back to
10:02
episodes 48, 49 and 50, and I know those numbers off the top
10:06
of my head because we've referenced them so much. There
10:08
you will find a complete deep dive on all things transitions.
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Emily: Okay, now you've got your transition structure sorted out.
10:15
Let's look at another upcoming spring problem, messiness.
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Heidi: You know how it goes. You look at your room at the end of
10:22
the day, the centers are a disaster the classroom library
10:25
looks like a tornado hit it, supplies are everywhere, and you
10:28
are spending half of your after school work time just cleaning
10:31
things up.
10:33
Emily: And now the control response here is constant
10:35
monitoring and verbal corrections. Who left these
10:38
books on the floor? If you keep leaving the caps off the markers
10:41
we won't have any left in May! You can so easily turn into the
10:44
mess police.
10:46
Heidi: Oh, that felt way too familiar. But if you have been
10:49
reminding students for weeks and nothing has changed, they need
10:53
more than reminders. What they need is a reset, and sometimes
10:57
that reset needs to be big enough to really get their
10:59
attention. This is where a wake up call moment can work.
11:03
Emily: A wake up call isn't about shaming students. It's
11:06
about creating a strategic intervention that makes the
11:09
problem visible and creates urgency to fix it. It keeps the
11:13
focus on the unwelcome consequences instead of calling
11:15
out individual students.
11:18
Heidi: So here's an example. Let's say your math centers have
11:20
been consistently left messy. The manipulatives are
11:23
everywhere. There's loose number cards. The game boards are bent
11:26
because they're just getting shoved in the drawer instead of,
11:28
like, put in nicely. I don't have any rage over those
11:32
memories, it's fine, it's fine. But after school one day,
11:35
instead of cleaning up, you leave everything exactly as the
11:38
students left it. Maybe you even tape off the area like a crime
11:41
scene with some strips of yellow paper.
11:43
Emily: Then when students arrive the next morning and start
11:46
asking questions, you have the perfect opening. You call a
11:48
class meeting, show them the mess and have an honest
11:51
conversation. This is what our math centers looked like
11:53
yesterday. Why is this a problem? What do we need to do
11:56
differently?
11:57
Heidi: And then you can get specific about expectations and
12:00
consequences. Here's what I expect to see when centers are
12:03
cleaned up, and here's what will happen if materials are not put
12:06
away correctly, and then you got to follow through.
12:09
Emily: The wake up call isn't a punishment, it is a reset.
12:12
You're making the problem impossible to ignore, so
12:15
students understand why change needs to happen.
12:18
Heidi: Now this definitely takes more effort than just nagging
12:20
them about the mess, but the nagging hasn't worked. The wake
12:24
up call creates a moment where students decide they don't want
12:27
to keep losing privileges or dealing with consequences, so
12:30
they choose to act more helpfully going forward.
12:34
Emily: Okay. The third problem in March, and something we have
12:37
already touched on, is chattiness. Students are talking
12:40
during work time, during transitions, during lessons, the
12:43
noise level is up, the focus is down, and you feel like you're
12:46
losing your mind.
12:48
Heidi: We actually did a whole episode on managing a chatty
12:50
class back in episode 119, so if this is your biggest struggle
12:55
right now, go back and listen to that one. In that episode, we
12:58
shared five targeted strategies for taming chattiness.
13:02
Emily: But for today, we want to highlight one thing. When kids
13:05
are chattier in spring, they don't need stricter
13:07
consequences. They need clearer containers for sound. That means
13:11
being explicit about when talking is okay and when it's
13:15
not.
13:16
Heidi: This is when visual cues like voice level lights or
13:18
charts that show, you know, silent work time versus partner
13:21
talk time can come in handy.
13:23
Emily: And yes, you probably went over a lot of this at the
13:26
start of the year. They know better, but spring energy and
13:29
spring distractions make it harder for them to regulate
13:32
without clear reminders built into the environment.
13:36
Heidi: Which is why we are excited to share that this
13:38
month, Teacher approved Club members are getting a brand new
13:42
resource specifically designed for spring chattiness called the
13:45
Quiet Class Quest.
13:47
Emily: Oh, we're so excited about this. It's so cute. Okay,
13:50
so this is a three day mini unit designed to reset your
13:53
classroom's noise level through structure, not control. It
13:57
includes three short lessons with ready to use materials,
14:01
each focused on helping students understand expectations for
14:04
different types of work time and practice meeting those
14:07
expectations. And it has a cute castle theme since we're on a
14:11
quest.
14:13
Heidi: We love a theme here. And the best part is that in mid
14:17
March, we are hosting a guided implementation challenge in the
14:21
club. You'll get daily support and encouragement as you work
14:24
through the quest with your students, so you aren't doing it
14:26
alone.
14:27
Emily: Plus club members get a bonus audio training with even
14:30
more tips for managing that springtime chattiness. Our goal
14:34
isn't to turn you into the noise police or make your kids
14:37
miserable. Instead, we just want to give you the tools to channel
14:41
their spring energy into a productive outlet that works for
14:44
them and for you.
14:46
Heidi: If you're not a Club member yet, and spring
14:48
chattiness is draining your energy every single day, this is
14:51
a great time to join. You can find more information at
14:55
secondstorywindow.net/club.
14:55
Emily: We'll come back to the Quiet Class Quest in a minute,
15:00
but first, let's talk about the fourth spring problem, behavior
15:03
outside the classroom.
15:05
Heidi: So when students are loud in the hallway or disrespectful
15:08
in the lunchroom, it can feel extra frustrating, because these
15:12
moments are often when you have the least control. You are
15:15
moving through shared spaces, other adults might be watching,
15:18
and you're trying to keep things together while also getting
15:21
everyone where they need to be when they need to get there.
15:23
Emily: One way I've seen teachers deal with this is to
15:25
ignore that it's happening. They just don't know how to fix the
15:28
problem that's happening outside the room, so they let that
15:32
complaint from the music teacher slide.
15:34
Heidi: But I have also seen teachers handle it the complete
15:37
opposite way, and crack down with threats and punishment. I
15:41
mean, I guess at least they're addressing it. But taking away
15:43
recess for the next three days isn't really solving the
15:47
behavior problem in music class.
15:49
Emily: So let's look at how we can address this problem using
15:52
structure. One helpful solution is to revisit expectations
15:55
before and after the event.
15:57
Heidi: Now this goes beyond a quick, 'remember you need to be
16:00
respectful in the lunchroom.' It means taking time to actually
16:04
make expectations visible and holding students accountable for
16:07
reflecting on how they did.
16:09
Emily: For example, if hallway behavior has been rough, before
16:12
you leave the classroom, pull up a quick visual of hallway
16:14
expectations. You can post them on the board or project them on
16:18
your screen. Go through each one. We walk quietly. We keep
16:21
our hands to ourselves. We stay in line. If you've got a minute,
16:25
you may even have a discussion about how these expectations
16:28
protect other classes' learning time.
16:30
Heidi: Now this is the part that a lot of people overlook. After
16:33
you return to the classroom, take two minutes to reflect. How
16:37
did we do? Did we meet our expectations? What do we need to
16:40
remember for next time. If students didn't meet your
16:43
expectations, be clear about what will happen if the behavior
16:46
continues.
16:47
Emily: This is also a great place to use our procedure
16:49
review slides. These are slides designed specifically for
16:53
revisiting classroom procedures with your students in a
16:56
structured, visual way.
16:58
Heidi: These are so handy, all you have to do is add the names
17:01
of any procedures you want to discuss, like walking in the
17:04
hallway, or lining up for lunch, to the slides. And then you
17:07
gather your students and ask them to hold up one to five
17:10
fingers to rate how well they think they are meeting your
17:13
expectations for that procedure.
17:15
Emily: So let's say students rate walking in the hallway as a
17:18
three. You click the slide three times and three stars appear.
17:21
Now you have a visual representation of where things
17:24
stand.
17:24
Heidi: And then you just lead a discussion. All right, we rated
17:27
this a three. What are we doing well that we need to keep doing?
17:31
What do we need to work on to get to a four or a five? If a
17:34
procedure is going smoothly, maybe hopefully your morning
17:37
routine is a solid five. Include that in the list too, so
17:40
students recognize that they are doing some things well, it's not
17:43
everything that needs to be overhauled.
17:45
Emily: Right. And then after the discussion, you can revisit the
17:48
rating. Now that we've talked about this, what's our plan
17:50
going forward? What are we committing to? This keeps
17:53
expectations front and center, instead of letting them fade
17:56
into background noise.
17:58
Heidi: The procedure review slides can be done in about five
18:00
minutes, but that five minute investment means students are
18:03
thinking about expectations instead of you having to remind
18:07
them constantly. It's structure doing the work instead of you.
18:12
Emily: All right, let's recap what we've covered today. Spring
18:14
classroom management isn't about cracking down harder, it's about
18:18
rebuilding structure so the day requires less of you tomorrow
18:22
than it did today.
18:23
Heidi: We discussed four common spring problems and their
18:26
structural solutions. So problem one, sloppy transitions. Reteach
18:30
your expectations and hold students accountable, not by
18:33
nagging, but by stopping and practicing until they get it
18:35
right. Problem two, messy spaces and materials. Use a wake up
18:40
call reset to make the problem visible and create urgency for
18:43
change.
18:44
Emily: Problem three, spring chattiness. Give students clear
18:47
containers for sound. And if this is your biggest struggle,
18:50
check out the quiet class quest in the Teacher Approved Club.
18:54
And problem four, behavior outside the classroom. Keep
18:57
expectations alive by pre teaching before transitions and
19:00
reflecting after. Use tools like our procedure review slides to
19:04
make this quick and structured.
19:06
Heidi: If you want more support for spring management, join us
19:08
in the Teacher Approved Club. And mid March, we are hosting a
19:12
guided challenge to help you implement it with your students.
19:15
You'll get lesson plans, materials, daily encouragement
19:18
and a community of teachers working through it with you.
19:20
Emily: You can learn more and join at
19:23
secondstorywindow.net/club, or you can find the link in the
19:26
show notes, and make sure to grab the procedure review slides
19:29
and our other spring management resources from the links in the
19:32
show are working for you. Come join
19:36
the conversation in the teacher approved Facebook group.
19:40
Now for our teacher approved Tip of the Week, where we share an
19:43
actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and
19:45
simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is
19:48
front-load your hardest transition. Tell us more about
19:51
it, Heidi.
19:51
Heidi: Well, if there's one transition during your day that
19:54
consistently goes off the rails, maybe it's coming back from
19:57
recess or switching from whole group to centers, or packing up
20:01
at the end of the day, try front loading it. Front loading means
20:05
you spend 30 seconds before the transition to set students up
20:08
for success. You're not just reminding them what to do,
20:12
you're activating their mental picture of what success looks like.
20:15
So for example, if cleanup time is always chaotic, before you
20:19
dismiss students to clean up, have them close their eyes and
20:22
picture exactly what they're going to do. You're going to put
20:25
the markers in the bins with the lids on tight. You're going to
20:28
stack the papers neatly. You're going to push in your chair. I
20:30
want you to picture all of that in your mind. And then you can
20:33
ask a quick check in question. Thumbs up if you know exactly
20:36
what you're cleaning up first. This gets students mentally
20:39
committed before they make any kind of movement.
20:42
Emily: And that sounds so simple, but the tiny moment of
20:45
mental rehearsal reduces the cognitive load during the
20:49
transition. Students aren't figuring out what to do, they're
20:51
executing a plan that they already made.
20:53
Heidi: The beauty of front loading is that it takes about
20:56
30 seconds, and if you pair it with a posted list of steps, you
20:59
are really setting students up for a successful transition.
21:02
Emily: So try it with your hardest transition this week and
21:05
see if it makes a difference. Our guess is you will see
21:08
smoother, faster transitions with way less teacher
21:11
intervention.
21:12
Heidi: Okay, to wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're
21:16
giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your
21:21
extra credit?
21:22
Emily: I'm giving extra credit to the Shark Stain Striker
21:24
portable carpet cleaner.
21:24
Heidi: I'm impressed. You could say it, that's like a tongue
21:24
twister.
21:24
Emily: I know, and it's such a mom thing to be like, I love my
21:28
little carpet cleaner. So I used to have a Bizzle little green
21:33
machine, I think is what they were called, and it did the job
21:37
okay, of cleaning up like little carpet messes. But I always
21:40
hated how hard it was to clean after. It just always seemed
21:43
like you couldn't really get it clean. So I upgraded to this
21:47
Shark Stain Striker several months ago when my kids had a
21:50
tummy bug, if you know, you know. And, but it is so good, it
21:55
has an onboard self cleaning tool that runs clean water and
21:59
cleaning solution through the whole machine, including the
22:02
hose and the attachment, so you can put it away knowing it's not
22:06
gross in there, like it's all cleaned out.
22:08
Heidi: That's amazing.
22:09
Emily: It's amazing. But not every model of this strain
22:11
striker, oh see the tongue twister got me there. Not every
22:15
model of the Stain Striker has the onboard self cleaning. So
22:19
double check the description of whichever one you're looking at,
22:22
make sure it says that. But I got the hair pro version, which
22:26
I think is designed, probably for pets, and that has it. So
22:29
just make sure you definitely want that feature.
22:31
Heidi: Yeah, that sounds like a handy dandy tool, especially if
22:34
you've got kids around.
22:35
Emily: Yeah, you don't want a cleaning tool that then needs to
22:38
be cleaned. And you know, if you even can't get it clean, then
22:42
that's just so frustrating. Like, well, I don't want to use
22:44
this because I don't think it's clean inside, gross. So this is
22:47
a win.
22:47
Heidi: I feel like I picked up that habit when we were
22:49
custodians in college, we'd have to clean our vacuum.
22:53
Emily: Yeah.
22:54
Heidi: I still clean my vacuum all the time.
22:56
Emily: Yep, or I can't tell you how many hours I spent cleaning,
23:00
like the detergent drawers in the washing machines, and just
23:04
like, well, gotta get this nice and clean in here. Gotta clean
23:07
the cleaner. Do I do that in my house now? No, I don't. I
23:11
probably should. Okay, what are you giving extra credit to,
23:16
Heidi: Well, my extra credit goes to Clay Moo craft kits. I
23:17
Heidi?
23:19
know I mentioned these a few months ago because I got them
23:21
Heidi: make two little rose baskets. Oh, cute. And I loved
23:22
for Emily's youngest for Christmas. But now I've tried
23:26
them myself, so I can give it a two thumbs up. My order for
23:29
Eloise qualified for a surprise bonus kit, and the kit that came
23:33
was a basket of roses. And I just don't think a 10 year old
23:37
would be into that. Having made it now I could see she
23:40
definitely wouldn't be, so I kept it for myself. She got
23:43
cute, like a unicorn, and there's lots of fun ones.
24:06
having just a nice activity to do at the end of the day that
24:09
wasn't doom scrolling on my phone. So I'm gonna have to
24:12
check out some of their other kits now. And even with my poor
24:15
arthritic hands, it wasn't too bad. So definitely worth a shot
24:18
if you need something for your analog basket.
24:20
Emily: Well, I mean, that's our new thing is analog hobbies.
24:23
We're all in on it. So we'll add this to the list of things you
24:27
can do without your phone.
24:29
Heidi: Perfect. Yeah, I think last week I was talking about
24:31
sticker by number. So I guess I'm a whole new woman this year.
24:34
Emily: Yeah, yeah. We've got coloring, sticker by numbers, I
24:37
was cross stitching the other day, which was something I used
24:39
to do all the time, but not in many moons. So check us out.
24:44
We're so analog.
24:46
Heidi: That is it for today's episode. Remember, structure
24:49
isn't about working harder. It's about making the day require
24:53
less of you tomorrow than it did today.
24:55
Emily: Try one of these strategies we shared today and
24:57
let us know how it goes in the Teacher Approved Facebook group.
25:01
Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of teacher approved. I'm
25:04
Heidi.
25:05
Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
25:08
or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an
25:11
episode.
25:12
Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the
25:14
Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.
25:18
Bye for now.
25:18
Emily: Bye.