Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 124: March Madness for Teachers

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Ep 124: March Madness for Teachers · New Teacher Talk

0:02
Welcome to New Teacher Talk,
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the podcast that gets real about the challenges and
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triumphs of being an educator.
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I'm Dr.
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Anna.
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And I'm Dr.
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Beth.
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Today,
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we're tackling what we like to call March Madness for
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Teachers.
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And no, we are not talking about basketball brackets.
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Although some days it does feel like we're competing in a
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high-stakes tournament, doesn't it Beth?
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Absolutely.
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March is that critical time, testing looms,
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spring break disrupts routines,
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work-life balance seems like a distant memory,
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and keeping everyone motivated is like an Olympic sport.
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So grab your coffee, tea, whatever keeps you going,
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and let's dive into surviving and maybe even thriving
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during this challenging season.
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Okay, Ann, let's start with the elephant in the classroom,
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standardized testing.
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As someone who coaches dozens of new teachers,
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what's your top advice to them?
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preparation without panic.
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I see so many new teachers making the mistake of either
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completely overhauling their teaching style right before
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tests or pretending that tests don't exist until the last
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minute.
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Both are dangerous approaches.
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Exactly.
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Instead, I recommend what I call integrated test prep.
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Starting about six weeks before testing,
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incorporate relevant question formats into your regular
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instruction.
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For example, if you're teaching a math concept,
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show students how that might appear on the state test.
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That's such an important point.
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Students need to be familiar with the format without it
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becoming sole focus of your teaching.
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And speaking of formats,
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use the last few weeks to teach test-taking strategies
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specifically, things like process of elimination,
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time management,
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and how to approach different question types.
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What about testing anxiety?
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I know that's huge for both students and teachers.
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Absolutely.
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I recommend scheduling short mindfulness practices,
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even just one minute of deep breathing before lessons.
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Research shows that this can significantly reduce anxiety
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and also be honest with the students about the purpose of
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the test without creating undue pressure.
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I love that, Anna.
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What about for test days themselves?
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Have a clear routine planned.
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Students should know exactly what materials they need,
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where they'll sit, what the procedures are.
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And I also recommend having small healthy snacks available.
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Brain food matters.
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And for teachers' monitoring tests?
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Comfortable shoes!
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But seriously, prepare yourself for the mental marathon.
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Bring water.
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Have a system for students who finish early and know the
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testing protocols backwards and forwards so you're not
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scrambling on test day.
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I'll add one more thing,
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remember that how you present during testing affects your
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students.
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If you're anxious and stressed,
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they'll pick up on that energy.
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Couldn't agree more.
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Project calm confidence even if you have to fake it a
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little bit.
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When you see someone persisting,
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give them a comforting smile or a thumbs up.
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When you see someone ready to give up, use your proximity.
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Share some positive energy with them.
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Now let's talk about the other March phenomenon,
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spring break.
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Just when you've got your class in a good routine,
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along comes a week off to disrupt everything.
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The struggle is real,
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but I actually think spring break can be leveraged to your
4:14
advantage if you approach it strategically.
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Anna,
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I'd love to hear how because most teachers I know either
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work through the whole break or completely disconnect and
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then face a mountain of work when they return.
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I recommend what I call the bookend approach.
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Set aside the first day and the last day of break for
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focused work.
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Grading, planning, or organize.
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Then give yourself permission to fully disconnect in
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between.
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That is brilliant.
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It creates boundaries while still acknowledging the reality
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of a teacher's workload.
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Exactly.
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And for the first day work session,
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focus on closing loops from before break.
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Finish grading.
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Update your grade book.
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Respond to any pending emails.
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For the last day session, focus on preparation.
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Create detailed lesson plans for your first days back.
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What about maintaining student routines around spring
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break?
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The week before break,
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I strongly recommend reviewing classroom procedures and
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expectations.
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Make it explicit.
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When we return from break,
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we'll pick up with our morning routine just like this.
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And afterbreak?
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Don't try to jump right back into heavy content.
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Plan an engaging review activity for your first day back.
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Something that reactivates prior knowledge while rebuilding
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community.
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Think of it as a soft re-entry.
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That makes so much sense, Anna.
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Students need that transition time just as much as we do.
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Before we move on,
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we need to address another aspect of March that is
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particularly stressful for many teachers: job uncertainty.
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This is such an important topic.
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For many teachers,
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March and April are when they find out about potential
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nonrenewals,
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displacements for school and grade level changes for the
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following year.
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It's incredibly difficult to stay focused on teaching when
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you're worried about whether you'll even be at the same
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school next year.
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Absolutely.
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And for new teachers,
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especially this uncertainty can be paralyzing.
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Suddenly you might be moved to a different grade level or
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even a different campus.
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What advice do you have for teachers facing this kind of
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uncertainty, Beth?
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First, you are not alone.
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This is a systemic issue in education,
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not a reflection of your worth or ability as a teacher.
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Second, control what you can control.
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Keep documentation of your accomplishments, student growth,
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and positive feedback.
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That's so important.
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Having a portfolio ready not only helps you if you need to
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interview elsewhere,
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but it also reminds you of your impact during a time when
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you might be questioning your effectiveness.
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I'd also recommend being proactive about communication.
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If you hear rumors about restructuring or cuts,
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try to get accurate information from the administration
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rather than letting your anxiety build around speculation.
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And what about for teachers who do receive notification
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about changes?
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Give yourself permission to grieve.
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It's a professional loss,
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and those feelings are truly valid.
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Then when you're ready,
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try to view it as an opportunity rather than just a
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setback.
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And remember that your students need consistency right now,
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even if you're dealing with uncertainty.
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It might help to focus on the present moment with them
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rather than worrying about next year.
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And don't be afraid to reach out to your support network
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inside and outside of your school.
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You've done research on teacher burnout,
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especially during high pressure times like March.
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What are you seeing about work-life balance during this
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period?
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Well,
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the honest truth is that many teachers report having virtually
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no work-life balance in March.
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It's between the test prep and the grading and planning
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around breaks, it can feel impossible.
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That matches what I'm hearing from our listeners, too.
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But here's what's interesting.
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The teachers who report better well-being during this time
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aren't necessarily working fewer hours.
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They're being more intentional about how they use their
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time and energy.
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Can you elaborate on that?
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Yes,
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instead of trying to achieve perfect balance every day,
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which is unrealistic,
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they practice what I call strategic imbalance.
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They identify their absolute non-negotiables for physical
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and mental health.
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Like what?
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The most common ones are sleep,
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some form of physical movement,
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and at least one meaningful connection with somebody
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outside of the school each day.
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They protect these fiercely,
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even if it means other things slide.
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that makes so much sense.
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It's not about doing everything.
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It's about doing the right thing.
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Exactly.
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Another strategy I see working is calendar blocking.
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Instead of an endless to-do list,
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successful teachers schedule specific blocks for tasks.
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Like Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m.
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is for parent emails and nothing else.
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And that helps prevent the workday from expanding
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indefinitely.
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Precisely! The last thing I'll mention is March is not the
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time to volunteer for additional committees or take on new
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initiatives.
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That's a tough one for new teachers who are eager to prove
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themselves though.
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But remember,
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saying no now means you'll have the energy to say yes to
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opportunities that matter more to you later.
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That makes great sense, Beth,
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and it brings us to our final topic and possibly the most
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challenging one.
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Staying motivated and keeping students engaged when
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everyone, including you,
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is counting down the days until summer.
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The notorious spring fever phenomenon!
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It's real.
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I remember one March day looking out at my class and
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realizing not a single student was mentally present in the
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room.
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I probably was barely there, too.
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They were all staring out the window at the first sunny day
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we'd had in months.
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So what did you do, Anna?
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I scrapped my lesson plan, grabbed some clipboards,
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and took the class outside for a nature observation that
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tied into our science unit.
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Sometimes you have to work with the energy, not against it.
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That is such good advice.
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Read the room.
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I think flexibility becomes even more important during this
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time of year.
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Stay flexible.
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Absolutely.
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Another strategy is to build more movement and
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collaboration into your lessons.
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When energy and attention are flagging,
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getting students up and working together can revitalize the
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room.
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So what about for the teacher's motivation?
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Two things have helped me.
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First, documentation.
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I keep that folder of positive notes,
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student work that shows growth,
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and photos of classroom moments.
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On tough days,
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I review it to remind myself why I'm doing this work.
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I absolutely love that practice, Anna.
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And second, connection with other teachers.
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March is not the time to isolate yourself.
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Whether it's a quick lunch with a colleague or a text
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thread with other teachers,
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sharing the load makes it lighter.
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So true.
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And for student engagement,
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I found that incorporating their interests become even more
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important during this time.
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Absolutely.
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Let them bring their outside passions into academic content
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where possible.
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A student obsessed with baseball can analyze statistics
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from their favorite teams.
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A student into fashion can explore the geometry of pattern
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making.
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There are all kinds of ways to do this.
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I like those ideas a lot.
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And don't forget the power of authentic audiences.
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When students know their work will be seen by someone
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beyond the teacher, whether it's their parents,
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other classes, community members,
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engagement typically increases.
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That's such an important point.
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Even something as simple as displaying work in the hallway
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or sharing it on the class website can boost motivation.
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Absolutely.
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We have covered a lot of ground today, Anna.
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Testing strategies to spring break planning,
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work-life balance to maintaining motivation.
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It's clear that March requires some special teacher magic.
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My head is spinning, and it definitely does.
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But I hope our listeners take away that they don't need to
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be superhuman.
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It's about making strategic choices,
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protecting what matters most,
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and remembering that this challenging season will pass.
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Agree and perhaps most importantly being kind to yourself.
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Give yourself grace
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Absolutely.
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We always say teaching is a marathon, not a sprint,
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and March is just one of the uphill portions of the race.
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I couldn't agree more, but before we wrap up, Anna,
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let's leave our listeners with one practical tip they can
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implement today to make March a little more manageable.
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That's a great idea, Beth.
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So I'll say,
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schedule one joy-bringing activity for your class each week
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between now and spring break.
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Something simple,
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a read-aloud time under desks with their flashlights,
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a quick dance party between lessons, or a class game.
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These moments build community and give everyone something
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to look forward to.
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Perfect.
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Mine would be identify your energy drains and see if you
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can eliminate just one.
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Maybe it's a report you create that no one actually reads
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or a classroom management approach that's creating more
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work than it's worth.
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And, I've been there before.
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That's great advice, Beth.
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Well, that's all for this episode of New Teacher Talk.
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Please share your own March survival strategies on our
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socials @NewTeacherTalk.
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Until next time, keep teaching with heart and purpose,
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even during the madness of March.
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And remember, spring is coming,
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both literally and figuratively.
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Hang in there.
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Don't forget, connect with us on social media.
16:04
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16:35
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