Latest / Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies / 268. Why You Should Add More Whimsy to Your Teacher Summer

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268. Why You Should Add More Whimsy to Your Teacher Summer · Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies

0:00
Heidi: This is episode 268 of Teacher Approved.
0:05
You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping
0:08
educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm
0:12
Heidi.
0:13
Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
0:16
Window, where we give research-based and
0:18
teacher-approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and
0:21
more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources
0:25
from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
0:28
Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
0:31
the show.
0:36
Emily: Hey there, thanks for joining us today. In today's
0:39
episode, we're making the case for adding a little whimsy to
0:42
your summer, plus we've got a teacher-approved tip for putting
0:46
together an analog basket.
0:48
Heidi: But let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share
0:50
a quick one that you can try right away. Emily, what is our
0:54
suggestion for this week?
0:56
Emily: This week, pick one tiny treat to indulge in. So maybe
1:00
it's buying yourself a bouquet of flowers at the grocery store,
1:04
or picking up the fancy iced coffee from the place that you
1:08
only let yourself go to sometimes, because it's, you
1:10
know, too expensive. Or you know, just getting a new candle,
1:15
anything like that. It doesn't have to be big, just claim one
1:18
small fancy thing, just for you.
1:21
Heidi: I love this. So much of life seems to run on autopilot.
1:26
We get through the day, there's the children to wrangle, we put
1:28
dinner on the table, we collapse. There's just not a lot
1:32
of space for enjoying things or noticing things.
1:36
Emily: Yeah, and a tiny indulgence is a reminder that,
1:40
you know, those small moments are where life happens, so it's
1:45
not just the big trips or the milestone events, but, you know,
1:49
the random Tuesday afternoon when you light a candle and sip
1:51
your coffee for 10 minutes. Those moments make up a lot more
1:54
of your life than the big things.
1:56
Heidi: Well, if you like ideas like this one, would you take a
1:59
second and give us a five star rating and review in your
2:01
podcast player? It is a small thing that makes a big
2:05
difference for us, and it helps new listeners find us. So we
2:08
really, really do appreciate everyone.
2:09
Emily: Yeah, we do. Okay, let's start with a trip down memory
2:14
lane. If someone asked, what did you do last summer, could you
2:19
remember? Not in like a, we went to the beach, but like
2:24
specifically, what did you do last summer.
2:28
Heidi: And I think for a lot of teachers the answers may be kind
2:30
of a shrug. You know you had time off, you know you were
2:34
definitely grateful for that, but most of the summer blurred
2:37
into, we did some stuff, and then it was August.
2:40
Emily: Yeah, and that's what we are talking about today, not how
2:44
to rest more, although we are big fans of rest, but how to
2:47
make a summer that you'll remember, and we're doing that
2:50
by making the case for a little summer whimsy.
2:54
Heidi: And it does feel a bit whimsical to dedicate a whole
2:57
episode to whimsy.
2:58
Emily: It does, we're so whimsy. But that might be like verging
3:04
into whimsy inception territory. Yeah, and none of us have the
3:09
brain power to unravel inception at the moment.
3:12
Heidi: No, we're not doing that. So, instead, let's start with
3:16
something that we have been circling around all summer.
3:19
We've talked a lot about recovery, especially in those
3:22
first weeks of break. And back in episode 262 we made the case
3:26
that recovery is more than just crashing on the couch.
3:29
Emily: And to be clear, we are fully encouraging you to crash
3:33
out on the couch, like do that as much as you need to. But
3:37
often when we talk about teacher recovery, we're talking about
3:40
taking things away, everyone wants less stress, less
3:44
pressure, and fewer responsibilities.
3:47
Heidi: If you remember our 4R recovery framework, all of those
3:52
taking away things lives under that first R, relax, and that,
3:57
of course, is important. But if your whole summer is only
4:00
focused on relaxing, you're missing three fourths of your
4:04
recovery plan. The other R's - refresh, refocus, and recharge -
4:09
are all about thoughtfully adding things that enrich your
4:12
life.
4:13
Emily: So, think of summer recovery like a garden bed. You
4:16
can pull all the weeds, you can clear it out, you can get the
4:19
soil all ready, even though that doesn't sound relaxing, that's
4:23
essentially the work of relaxing. You're getting
4:26
everything out of the way, so you can be still.
4:30
Heidi: And I am told that that's an important step in gardening.
4:34
Emily: Yeah, we established last week on an outing that we do not
4:37
have green thumbs. We were trying to get into some
4:40
gardening, and, it didn't, it didn't go well, listeners.
4:45
Heidi: I did manage to kill the one little sprout that I got to
4:48
show up, but it's fine. It's fine.
4:50
Emily: My basil plant is already looking pretty droopy. I need to
4:53
re-pot it, but I haven't, ugh, see, we don't know anything
4:56
about gardening. We're making this analogy up.
4:59
Heidi: So if it's wrong, don't tell us. But tying that back
5:03
into recovery, you have to clear the path a little bit, clear the
5:06
bed, but nothing's going to grow if you never plant the seeds.
5:09
Emily: That that I do know is true, that's definitely true.
5:12
Heidi: Yeah, that's kindergarten level on that one. But after
5:18
relaxing, we got those three other R's, and we're not going
5:21
to go into all of them today. You can go back to episode 262
5:24
if you want the breakdown, but what all of those R's have in
5:27
common is that they're about reconnecting with who you are
5:32
when you're not being a teacher.
5:33
Emily: For some teachers, this comes pretty naturally, but for
5:36
a lot of us, even the thought of having to answer, what do you do
5:39
for fun, just makes you panic.
5:41
Heidi: Oh, 100%. Emily and I used to spend our summers
5:46
bouncing back and forth between our classrooms, working on big
5:49
projects.
5:50
Emily: I mean, we would take on like massive curriculum
5:53
overhauls, like writing something from scratch, like
5:56
that was, and we loved every minute of it. That's the crazy
5:59
part, but I don't know that we got any of this recovery done.
6:05
Heidi: No, it was fun, but I also kind of have to admit that
6:09
there was like a darker layer to it for me. Staying busy gave me
6:16
this feeling of accomplishment, without ever having to stop and
6:20
consider what I actually want for my life, and am I moving
6:24
toward that. So, even after Emily moved away, my summers
6:28
were still just full of that same level of work. Busyness was
6:32
so much easier than having to sit with those questions, and
6:35
maybe having to overhaul my life as a result.
6:38
Emily: Right. I think a lot of teachers will see themselves in
6:42
that description. When you've drifted from your sense of self,
6:46
the idea of finding your way back kind of feels overwhelming.
6:50
Heidi: Yeah, it's a bit like jumping from a plane with no
6:53
parachute. So, here is why we are dedicating today to whimsy.
6:58
It's because it's such a low pressure place to start. There's
7:02
no soul searching. You don't have to figure out what's
7:04
missing from your life. You just have to open the door to a
7:08
little bit of playfulness.
7:10
Emily: And our teacher-approved definition of whimsy, who cares
7:14
what Merriam Webster says.
7:15
Heidi: Well, we care a little bit, because we do like their
7:17
account.
7:18
Emily: It's true, they have a very good account on social
7:20
media, they're very funny, but our definition of whimsy is
7:24
deliberately making room for delight, curiosity, surprise,
7:28
and playfulness. So, on the surface, it probably sounds very
7:32
frivolous, but it's an important part of recovery. Whimsy
7:36
reconnects you with yourself, and it helps you get the most
7:38
out of your summer in a way that fills your tank back up instead
7:41
of draining it.
7:42
Heidi: But don't worry, we're not getting into the heavy
7:44
stuff. We're not going to suggest that you throw a
7:47
Bridgerton style tea party for 30 of your friends.
7:50
Emily: Although if you are, way to go. I bet your group texts
7:55
are lively. If you have 30 friends, that's amazing. But you
7:59
don't need 30 friends or tea parties to feel whimsical. All
8:03
it takes is something as simple as wearing llama earrings or
8:07
talking to your cat in an accent. Whimsy meets you where
8:11
you are with whatever energy you have to give.
8:14
Heidi: So, to give a little example from my own life, Emily
8:17
and I are both big fans of Gretchen Rubin and her podcast,
8:20
Happier. And every year she talks about how to design your
8:24
summer so that it feels special and not just three months of
8:27
sweating. So, a couple of years ago, I took Gretchen's idea, and
8:31
I did The Summer of Parks and Rec, because I had never seen
8:35
that show all the way through. I'd only watched the first
8:36
season. So my to-do list was watching every episode and
8:40
listening to the Parks and Rec podcast. It's pretty low, it's
8:43
pretty low key, and I cannot say that that project made me a
8:47
better person, but it definitely made me a happier one.
8:50
And then another summer I did the summer of Audrey Hepburn, so
8:54
I listened to her biography, and I watched all of her movies in
8:57
order, not all of them, I couldn't find all of them on
8:59
streaming, but all the ones I could. And I have these clear
9:02
memories of that summer, like one afternoon where I treated
9:05
myself to a fancy soda, because we get all the fancy sodas here,
9:08
and I was listening to this story unfold of young Audrey
9:13
working with the Dutch resistance to take down Nazis.
9:17
And like this moment was not anything special, but because
9:20
summer's our busy season for work, and everything just has to
9:24
be wedged in around my other responsibilities, having
9:26
something lighthearted to focus on reminded me that life is
9:31
about more than my to-do list.
9:33
Emily: Yeah, and I feel like for us, because now we serve
9:36
teachers and summer is like go time for us, it's really easy to
9:40
just like let the summer pass by, and so I do think adding in
9:45
these rituals or moments of whimsy can really help you feel
9:50
connected to your summer. A couple years ago, I think I
9:53
talked about it here on the podcast when I came up with the
9:56
idea, which is that I wanted to have the summer of movies. So I
9:59
just had this realization that I love going to the movies, it's
10:04
just this nice escape where you're fully locked into
10:07
something and not being distracted and just enjoying a
10:10
movie, and then you can get your little movie snacks and watch
10:13
previews. I just, I just love it.
10:15
It's even better now that all of the theaters around us have very
10:19
nice recliner seats and things like that. But it was such a
10:23
nice summer having this thing that I wanted to do feel more
10:28
like something I should do, because I had set the intention
10:32
to do it, so then it did give me that thrill of, like, check, I'm
10:36
checking things off of my list. But it is just easier to
10:40
prioritize something when you name it.
10:42
Heidi: And I love how expansive this idea is. You can have the
10:46
summer of anything, really, the summer of trying every ice cream
10:50
parlor in town, or reading on the porch, or learning the names
10:53
of the birds in your yard. We recently downloaded the Merlin
10:57
app, so we are becoming experts.
11:01
Emily: I sent my youngest out with that to check on some birds
11:04
that she was watching, and they flew away, so she didn't, she
11:08
didn't catch anything, but she tried doing some fake noises,
11:11
thinking that she could trick it, and I have to tell you, the
11:14
Merlin app is too smart, she could not trick it.
11:19
Heidi: It's a wild Eloise. Now before you chalk all this up to
11:25
just, you know, fluffy feel-good nonsense. There is some real
11:28
psychology backing this up. Heavy emotions like stress
11:32
narrow our attention. So, think about how we all feel in the
11:35
middle of testing season. We are just zeroed in on the problems
11:39
and tracking all the deadlines and all the things that need
11:42
fixing.
11:43
Emily: And that's useful when you're trying to survive a hard
11:46
stretch, but it can wreak havoc on your mind and your body if
11:50
you spend every day wound up like that.
11:53
Heidi: Yeah, that's how we end up with brain fog and insomnia
11:56
and digestive issues.
11:59
Emily: And if it goes too long, we end up with problems like
12:02
heart disease and autoimmune disorders. So it's really
12:06
important to learn to manage your stress.
12:09
Heidi: And one way to do that is to lean into lighter feelings.
12:13
Where stress and anxiety narrow our focus to whatever problem is
12:17
right in front of us, delight and playfulness do the opposite;
12:21
they help us see the possibilities again.
12:24
Emily: And now we're going to use real research here.
12:26
Researcher Barbara Fredrickson calls this broaden and build
12:31
theory. So, the idea is that we counter the narrowness that
12:34
stress brings by opening up to emotions and behaviors that
12:38
broaden attention. So, over time, those broadened moments
12:42
help us build lasting relationships, skills, and
12:45
coping strategies.
12:47
Heidi: Or in other words, whimsy is not just a TikTok trend, it's
12:52
part of how we heal and come out even stronger on the other side.
12:55
Emily: And I just think this is especially important for
12:57
teachers all day long, you're scanning for who needs help,
13:01
what's missing, what did I forget, what problem is about to
13:03
become my problem. I mean, that is really the job, to be waiting
13:08
for an issue all day long.
13:11
Heidi: Yeah, that is the job, which is why teaching has a way
13:14
of swallowing up huge parts of who you are. You become the
13:18
planner, the organizer, the caretaker, the problem solver,
13:21
and your world gets a little smaller without you even
13:24
noticing.
13:25
Emily: So, summer isn't only a break from the stress, it's also
13:29
your chance to widen the lens again. So, you spent 10 months
13:32
narrowing. Summer is when you get to broaden back out.
13:35
Heidi: You know, we love reflection questions around
13:37
here. So, let's take a minute to think about a couple things.
13:41
First, what did you love before teaching took up so much of your
13:45
attention? And second, what are you curious about right now?
13:50
Emily: And this is the thing about those summer themes. The
13:53
summer of Audrey Hepburn wasn't really about Audrey Hepburn,
13:57
right, Heidi?
13:58
Heidi: No, it really wasn't. It was about having a no stress
14:02
reason to walk away from my computer sometimes. I just used
14:06
Audrey and also Leslie Knope as my doorways.
14:10
Emily: Right. And my movie summer wasn't really about
14:13
movies, it was about me realizing, like, oh, there's
14:16
this thing that I actually really enjoy, and I'm never
14:20
doing it, because I haven't made any space for it in my life. So
14:24
now I need to make the space for it.
14:26
Heidi: It's a chronic problem. When we were at the nursery the
14:29
other day, I came home, and I can't tell you, like, I had so
14:31
much guilt that we had gone to the nursery in the afternoon.
14:34
Emily: I know, in the middle of a work day.
14:37
Heidi: And I just was like, what? What is going on in my
14:40
brain that I can't let this go?
14:43
Emily: Uh huh.
14:43
Heidi: We are just so conditioned to justify
14:45
everything. We don't move unless it counts as exercise. We track
14:49
the minutes that we're spending on our phones. We feel guilty if
14:53
the books we read aren't serious enough. Everything has to earn
14:56
its keep.
14:56
Emily: But I have a secret for you, the. Rules are made up. You
15:02
are a grown-up. You can do something just because it
15:05
interests you. It doesn't have to be productive, and it doesn't
15:09
have to make you better. It can just be fun and silly and
15:13
completely pointless if we want it to be.
15:16
Heidi: And that is what whimsy gives you. It creates room for
15:20
experiences that don't have to justify themselves. And the
15:24
funny thing is those things tend to end up being some of the most
15:28
meaningful parts of life anyway.
15:30
Emily: But the catch is that those moments almost never just
15:33
happen on their own. So, if you want some place to start, use
15:36
Gretchen Rubin's idea of giving your summer a theme. This year
15:40
maybe you want the summer of state parks, or the summer of
15:43
musicals, or the summer of library visits.
15:46
Heidi: The nice thing about a theme is that it creates
15:48
anticipation and a little bit of structure, but there's not too
15:52
much extra work involved.
15:54
Emily: And that brings us right back to the question that we
15:56
started with. Years from now, the summer of 2026 might not
15:59
mean anything if you hear that, but you might remember, oh, that
16:03
was my summer of wildflowers.
16:05
Heidi: So, if you need a whimsical on-ramp, try naming
16:09
your summer. But if you want to go a different route, why not
16:13
try something we are calling a whimsy menu. So, here's the
16:17
problem it solves: when we are tired, we default, and the
16:20
default is almost always scrolling.
16:23
Emily: Yes, so guilty every time. So, to combat that, let's
16:27
make some decisions ahead of time. Find a moment when you
16:30
have a little energy and make a plan that you'll benefit from
16:33
later when you're feeling sluggish. It's, you know, the
16:37
gift for your future self. We love to do it. So, start with a
16:40
list of categories, and if you need some ideas, you could try
16:42
creative, outdoor, social, silly, or curious.
16:47
Heidi: And then think about some things you might want to do in
16:49
each category. You will be more likely to follow through if you
16:53
make the item specific. So, instead of writing "have fun,"
16:57
write, "try three new homemade popscroll recipes," or instead
17:01
of, "spend more time outside," put, "walk the trail behind the
17:05
library every Tuesday." That way you know if you have achieved
17:08
your goal or not.
17:09
Emily: And remember, this is not about chasing productivity, so
17:12
please mix in some easy ones.
17:15
Heidi: Or honestly, do all easy if that's more realistic for
17:18
your season. No one's grading you.
17:21
Emily: Yeah, this is a menu, not a contract. You are not failing
17:26
your summer if you don't get to all of it. You're just giving
17:28
yourself good options for the moment you'd otherwise reach for
17:31
your phone.
17:32
Heidi: And even though we are moving into July, there is still
17:34
a lot of summer left. So, what do you want to get out of it?
17:38
What would help you broaden your view?
17:40
Emily: So try naming your summer. Follow a curiosity. My
17:44
friend just told me that she's super into sandhill cranes right
17:47
now. I was like, okay, I love it. And you know, watch the
17:53
movies, give yourself something to remember, and give yourself a
17:55
chance to just be a person again before it's time to be a
17:59
teacher.
18:00
Heidi: And this is exactly the spirit behind something we've
18:02
got coming up that we are so excited about, it's almost time
18:06
for our annual teacher summer talk summit.
18:09
Emily: And I'm so excited about this. This is something we do
18:13
every summer, it's been a few years of doing this now, and
18:16
what is really important to us, if we're going to ask teachers
18:20
to come spend some of their personal time working on
18:23
professional development, then we're going to make sure you
18:26
have a really good time. So last year our theme was 90s theme, a
18:31
90s summer theme, and oh, we went hard. Anyone who was at it
18:35
knows we leaned all the way into the 90s. We had a snack food,
18:40
90s snack food bracket that we voted on to figure out what was
18:44
the best 90 snack, and we just had such a fun time.
18:48
And so I knew we needed a different theme this year. I
18:52
wasn't sure we could top it until I came up with summer camp
18:56
theme, and not just any summer camp, like parent trap summer
19:00
camp, like, very nostalgic, all the fun. We are going to have a
19:05
total blast, and you'll get to get ready for back to school
19:08
from the comfort of your own couch. And then, along the way,
19:11
you can earn merit badges. This is the part I'm so excited
19:15
about. And then also the chance to win prizes while you're
19:18
learning, so it's win, win, win.
19:20
Heidi: It's basically permission to make getting ready for fall
19:24
feel a little more whimsy and a lot less like a chore.
19:27
Emily: The summit is free, and the tickets open up on July 1.
19:30
So, mark your calendar, and believe me, we will have all the
19:33
details for you as we get closer.
19:36
Now, for our teacher-approved tip of the week, where we share
19:40
an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and
19:43
simplify the rest. This week's teacher-approved tip is make an
19:46
analog bag. So, tell us about an analog bag, Heidi.
19:50
Heidi: Well, if you are online a lot, like I am, this is
19:53
something you're probably familiar with, because it's kind
19:56
of everywhere right now.
19:57
Emily: It's the it thing, this summer.
19:59
Heidi: That and whimsy, but I think everyone is latching onto
20:03
it, because it makes so much sense. The idea is to just round
20:06
up a bunch of stuff that you can do while you're relaxing,
20:08
instead of scrolling your phone. So, in my analog bag, I have a
20:12
couple of books, a needle punching project that I'm just
20:15
learning how to do, some puzzle books that I got for my
20:19
birthday, a sticker by number book, and then I also have this
20:22
little word game tin called Cue List that our mom got us for
20:26
Easter.
20:27
Emily: Oh, yeah, yeah.
20:28
Heidi: It's perfect because it's just a one-player game, and then
20:30
you just need something to store it all in, so that it's as handy
20:33
to reach for as your phone. Obviously, I have the perk of
20:36
not having kids around, so I don't have to worry about kids
20:37
getting into it. I'm using a felt diaper tote, but I've seen
20:42
people use baskets or canvas bags, or even fun gardening
20:46
totes.
20:47
Emily: Yeah, and you just want to look for something that has a
20:49
lot of little pockets, I think, because sometimes there's just
20:51
little bits and pieces for some of the things you might want to
20:54
add.
20:55
Heidi: So, I'll put a link in the show notes to the diaper
20:57
tote I'm using. It's really nice, it's got little pockets on
21:00
the side and big spaces in the middle, and then your challenge
21:03
this week is to start rounding up stuff at your house, because
21:06
I bet you've got more bits and pieces scattered all over that
21:08
would work well for an analog bag. You probably don't even
21:10
need to buy anything, but this is a good reason to use the
21:13
stuff that you've always been meaning to get to.
21:16
To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're giving extra
21:18
credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?
21:21
Emily: Well, I wanted to think of something whimsy for the
21:23
extra credit this week, so I am giving extra credit to myself
21:28
for this idea. No, I'm giving extra credit to rock exchanges.
21:32
So I had the thought that out by my little free library in my
21:37
yard, it would be perfect to have a little rock exchange
21:40
there, so the kids in the neighborhood can decorate rocks,
21:43
and they can come drop them off, and they can grab one of the
21:46
other ones and take it home, and then they can drop them off
21:49
places where they want to, you know, you can just leave a cute
21:51
rock in the park, or whatever. So I just thought it was such a
21:54
fun little summery thing to do, and so my extra credit actually
21:59
is going to the paint markers that I found that are supposed
22:02
to be good for rocks.
22:04
Heidi: That's such a fun idea. I don't have painted rocks, but
22:06
I've got some random rocks that kids might like.
22:09
Emily: Oh, I do love your ladybug rocks.
22:11
Heidi: Oh, that's a fun idea. Maybe I'll bring those over.
22:14
They're just sad in my yard right now. I inherited someone's
22:18
rock collection that got passed from, like, I think someone's
22:22
parents had collected, and it made its way to me. So, I got
22:25
these like pretty rocks. I don't do it, but maybe the kids would
22:28
want to decorate them.
22:29
Emily: Yes, maybe that's a good idea. What are you giving extra
22:33
credit to, Heidi?
22:34
Heidi: Well, also in the theme of whimsy, I'm giving extra
22:37
credit to plant magnets. Have you seen these, Emily?
22:41
Emily: Yes.
22:41
Heidi: They're so fun. They're just like little magnetic eyes
22:45
or shapes that you can put on the leaves of your plants. So,
22:48
I've got this big tall snake plant in the corner, the one
22:51
plant I've managed to keep alive. So, I put all these
22:54
little eyes on it, and it just makes me laugh. I love it. It's
22:59
not very expensive, it doesn't take up any extra space, so I'll
23:02
put a link in the show notes, but there's tons of brands out
23:05
there. If you want something to make you smile, plant magnets
23:08
are it.
23:09
Emily: I love it.
23:10
Heidi: That is it for today's episode. Pick a theme for your
23:13
summer, make yourself a whimsy menu, and give yourself a summer
23:16
worth remembering.
23:19
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi.
23:23
Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
23:26
or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an
23:28
episode.
23:29
Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the
23:32
Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.
23:35
Bye for now.
23:36
Emily: Bye.