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248. How Smart Teachers Prep for an Easy First Day Back from Spring Break · Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies

0:00
Heidi: This is episode 248 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 teacher approved
0:20
strategies that make teaching less stressful and more
0:23
effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from
0:26
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
0:40
episode, we are walking you through what a soft landing
0:43
first day back from spring break actually looks like, and sharing
0:48
a teacher approved tip for protecting your first afternoon
0:50
back.
0:51
Heidi: But let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share
0:54
a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away.
0:56
Emily, what is our suggestion for this week?
0:58
Emily: Okay, this week, try adding some rhythm to your
1:01
classroom. So this could look like call and response chants or
1:06
a clapping pattern for transitions, a quick song to
1:09
kick off the morning, anything like that. Rhythmic group
1:12
activities strengthen social bonds, and they support
1:16
emotional regulation, and they reduce stress.
1:18
Heidi: And you get all of that from something that takes like
1:22
30 seconds.
1:22
Emily: Yeah.
1:23
Heidi: If you like this idea or anything else we share here on
1:26
the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star
1:29
rating? It's one of the main ways that new listeners find us,
1:31
and it's really so helpful.
1:33
Emily: Okay, coming back from spring break is wonderful, right
1:38
up until Sunday night, when you realize you have no idea what
1:41
you are teaching Monday morning.
1:43
Heidi: Yeah. And then that Monday arrives and the kids walk
1:46
in like they have never been to school before in all of their
1:49
lives.
1:50
Emily: Yeah.
1:50
Heidi: So it ends up that all of you are just doing your best to
1:53
make it through to that final bell.
1:54
Emily: And then once the kids finally do walk out the door,
1:57
you are so wrecked. You're tired from trying to hold everything
2:01
together, and you probably are facing a mountain of work to get
2:04
everything back on track.
2:08
Heidi: Well, maybe that's not how it goes for you guys, but
2:10
that was definitely our experience of post spring break
2:14
teaching for a long time. The idea of preparing for the
2:19
transition back from spring break mode to full time
2:22
classroom mode, like that wasn't even on our radar.
2:24
Emily: No. And part of that was because by spring, who has the
2:28
energy to be that strategic in your planning? And part of it
2:32
was because what we considered preparing meant working through
2:36
the break, which we didn't want to do.
2:39
Heidi: I mean, honestly, we did spend a lot of spring break
2:42
hours in our classrooms, because like in our mind, the
2:46
alternative was just scrambling on that Monday morning.
2:49
Emily: Yeah, and that is so exhausting in a whole different
2:52
way. But now that we know a little more, we understand that
2:55
it's not an either or situation. You are not stuck choosing
2:59
between a highly structured day that requires working through
3:02
spring break, or a loosey goosey day that you're just trying to
3:06
survive.
3:06
Heidi: Yes, you can have a productive first day back
3:10
without sacrificing your energy or your free time. All it takes
3:13
is just a little bit of strategy.
3:16
Emily: Yeah, you really can have it all, guys, we'll show you.
3:19
Okay, so we're going to consider this first day back your soft
3:24
landing day. It gives enough structure that everyone has what
3:28
they need to settle back into the routine, but it doesn't take
3:31
so much work that you'll be left with a huge to do list. And in
3:35
this episode, we'll help you think through what that soft
3:38
landing needs to look like in your particular classroom.
3:42
Heidi: We have talked about the logistics side of this. Episode
3:46
181 is all about finding pockets of prep before you break, and
3:50
episode 186 covers the five things to do before you walk out
3:53
the door. So today is the next piece in this process. Once you
3:58
have done that prep, what are you actually going to do with it
4:02
on day one?
4:03
Emily: To make it easy, we're breaking the day into three
4:05
phases, the reunion, which is your first hour or so, the
4:09
bridge, which is your mid morning, and the re-anchor,
4:13
which gets you through the afternoon. Each one has a
4:15
specific job, and when you plan with those jobs in mind, the day
4:18
has a shape that works for everyone in the room.
4:22
Heidi: Okay, let's take a look at phase one, or the reunion.
4:26
Plan on this taking your first hour so. The goal is getting
4:29
kids reconnected with you, with each other and with the
4:33
classroom before you ask anything academic of them.
4:37
Emily: And if you've ever tried to launch a math lesson at 8am
4:39
on the first day back, you already know why the order here
4:43
matters. You got to start with the reunion.
4:45
Heidi: Yeah. So a good first day actually starts right at the
4:49
door. The kids haven't even come in yet. Greet your students
4:53
intentionally as they come in, you know, with a high five, eye
4:56
contact, and a genuine, I'm so glad to see you. It just sets
5:00
the tone for everything that follows. Even if this isn't a
5:04
routine that you normally have time for in the mornings, and we
5:06
totally get it if that's the case, but try to make an effort
5:09
to include it on that first day back.
5:11
Emily: If you want to make the return a little more special,
5:14
consider having something ready at students' seat. It could be a
5:17
little sticky note that says, I'm happy to see you, a sweet
5:20
message on the board or some gentle music playing. Anything
5:24
that signals that this is a warm place and you are excited to be
5:27
with them again.
5:29
Heidi: Well, even if maybe you wouldn't mind another week or
5:32
two of break.
5:33
Emily: Hey, they don't have to know what you really feel
5:35
inside. This is the outside feelings.
5:39
Heidi: Yeah, we'll just make it our little secret.
5:41
Emily: Yes. So after you've figured out your warm welcome,
5:44
you will want some kind of structured reconnection
5:47
activity.
5:48
Heidi: So I think a go-to activity for this transition
5:51
time is, Tell us what you did during your break. That seems
5:55
like it might be a good way to recognize each student and help
5:58
them settle in, but there are a couple of reasons why you might
6:01
want to rethink that approach. First, that kind of question
6:04
really highlights inequalities.
6:06
Emily: Yeah, if one kid went on a cruise and another spent the
6:09
week at home, that gap lands hard at exactly the moment
6:13
you're trying to build a connection.
6:14
Heidi: And the second reason you might want to avoid that
6:16
question is for kids who are already finding that transition
6:20
back to school really hard. Dwelling on the fun that just
6:24
ended can actually make your job harder. It tends to increase
6:28
oppositional behavior.
6:29
Emily: Yeah, we don't want that at 8:15 on a Monday.
6:32
Heidi: No. So use forward focus prompts instead. A quick partner
6:38
share works really well. Give them one specific thing to
6:41
share, like one word to describe their break, or one thing they
6:43
ate, or one thing they are glad to be back for.
6:46
Emily: Of course, the kid who went on a cruise deserves to be
6:48
excited about that, but maybe the right format to share that
6:51
excitement is by writing about it and not explaining it to the
6:54
whole class at your morning meeting.
6:57
Heidi: Yes, or you can just talk to the students about their
6:59
break as they come in the door. That allows for reconnection
7:03
with you without spotlighting the differences in student
7:06
experiences.
7:07
Emily: You can also lean into silliness. Ask everyone to share
7:10
one genuinely boring detail from their break. Lead with your own.
7:14
Maybe you washed socks and had a ham sandwich and lost your phone
7:19
in the couch cushions.
7:21
Heidi: Kids really love hearing the mundane details of their
7:24
teachers' lives.
7:25
Emily: Yeah, it's so funny how everything that you do outside
7:29
of school feels like such a mystery to them, and when they
7:33
hear you share something boring, it takes all the pressure off of
7:35
them to come up with something interesting.
7:38
Heidi: Now, if you are already someone who does a regular
7:40
morning meeting with your class, you probably don't need to plan
7:43
a separate connection activity, because your meeting is already
7:46
doing that work.
7:47
Emily: But if you're up for it, you can make your normal meeting
7:49
routine feel a little special. You could revisit a favorite
7:52
class game, bring back your class cheer, or add a new
7:56
component to your meeting, like a daily affirmation that you
7:59
have students repeat.
8:00
Heidi: This is the perfect time of year to sprinkle in that
8:03
little bit of spark. By now, students are really comfortable
8:07
with your classroom structure, but something small, like a new
8:10
addition to your morning meeting routine just makes everything
8:13
feel fresh at a time when the staleness can really start to
8:16
feel heavy.
8:17
Emily: Okay, by now, you have warmly greeted everyone and had
8:20
a chance to reconnect. Next up, you want to try having students
8:24
do a quick reset of the room. Ask them to tidy their desks or
8:28
clean out backpacks and folders. The movement wakes up the little
8:32
bodies that might still be a little groggy, and resetting the
8:36
space helps kids feel like they belong there again.
8:39
Heidi: To keep this from becoming chaotic, keep it
8:42
structured. Make a specific list of things you want students to
8:46
do. It's even better if you have photos that you can show so they
8:49
know exactly what you mean.
8:50
Emily: And here's a little tip from an old pro, have a second
8:54
list of classroom tasks ready for your fast finishers, or for
8:58
the kids whose desks don't need as much attention. This could be
9:02
things like testing which glue sticks still work, straightening
9:05
the class library, doing a deep clean of individual whiteboards,
9:09
or sorting through the lost and found. This is when, when we
9:13
were kids, it would be clapping the erasers outside.
9:16
Heidi: It always felt like a treat.
9:18
Emily: Yep.
9:20
Heidi: And that list of extra tasks is also going to be
9:22
extremely useful when it is time to pack up your classroom at the
9:26
end of the year. Just a little heads up.
9:28
Emily: Yeah, keep that list handy.
9:31
Heidi: Once your classroom is reset, move into something
9:33
simple and familiar. On these transition days, one idea we
9:37
always champion is assigning students independent work they
9:40
can do without very much instruction from you.
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Emily: And there are so many benefits of this. For one, it
9:46
gives a feeling of immediate success. When kids accomplish
9:49
something straightforward right away, it settles the room before
9:53
you increase the demands.
9:56
Heidi: Plus, it frees you up to start to tackle some of your own
9:58
tasks. If the kids are busy with a review packet, you can finally
10:03
look at that overflowing email inbox that you hopefully have
10:06
not checked in a week.
10:06
Emily: Or you could start to plan tomorrow's lessons. That
10:09
will help you know exactly what tasks to focus on during your
10:12
prep time.
10:14
Heidi: Okay, so on your first morning back, think about four
10:17
things: a warm welcome, a moment of reconnection, a room reset,
10:21
and simple academics.
10:23
Emily: My own sequence on the first day back was actually a
10:25
little different from what we've described. I went from the warm
10:29
welcome straight into simple academics, which in my class was
10:31
morning work. It was a familiar routine, and the kids knew
10:35
exactly what to do without needing much from me, and it
10:37
helped get them settled right away. Then came morning meeting
10:40
and our chance to really reconnect. And then I rounded
10:43
out the reunion time with a classroom tidy.
10:46
Heidi: So it can be really flexible. Do what works for you
10:48
and your class. The order isn't rigid. What matters is that
10:52
you've covered all of the pieces before you try to move back into
10:55
your full academic schedule.
10:57
Emily: And then by mid morning, you're probably ready to start
11:00
waking up that academic thinking. And don't worry,
11:02
you're just easing back in. And so we're going to call this the
11:05
bridge.
11:07
Heidi: I love it. And the best tool here is low stakes review.
11:11
You know, can't say enough about that.
11:13
Emily: If we had a dollar for every time we talked about that.
11:16
Heidi: Seriously. We'd have $2...no. So think about
11:21
something that gets their brains working with content that they
11:24
already know before you're asking them to take in anything
11:27
new. This could be playing a Kahoot review game, having
11:31
students draw concept maps about what they remember on a topic,
11:34
or letting partners quiz each other.
11:36
Emily: Now, while review is so important to helping your
11:39
students consolidate their understanding, it serves a bonus
11:42
purpose for you the tired teacher. That's because review
11:45
is easy to plan in advance.
11:48
Heidi: Yes, this is so important. If you are trying to
11:51
avoid working during your break, you need to start planning for
11:54
your return before the break hits, right? But you might not
11:58
know exactly where you're going to land in your math or literacy
12:01
units before the break, which makes planning new content for
12:04
the return kind of tricky.
12:06
Emily: But if you just decide now to spend mid morning
12:08
reviewing something from six weeks ago, you can plan that
12:11
right away.
12:12
Heidi: So after your review activity, think of some other
12:15
low effort academic tasks that will engage your students. This
12:19
could be a great time for something like a reader's
12:22
theater, or you could pick up some new books to read aloud.
12:24
Emily: But whatever you plan, aim to keep your lesson block
12:27
shorter than usual. Add a movement break between them.
12:31
This is not the day to launch a new unit or give a major
12:33
assessment. Save that for later in the week, when everyone's
12:36
stamina has had a chance to rebuild, including yours.
12:40
Heidi: Especially yours.
12:42
All right, you made it to lunch. You started the day with a warm
12:46
reunion and then transitioned into some light academic work.
12:50
By the afternoon, you can move back to your normal schedule and
12:52
your familiar structures.
12:54
Emily: Just continue to keep the cognitive demand low. Activities
12:57
like centers, partner work, or anything students already know
13:01
how to do will help everyone thrive. Familiar formats reduce
13:05
friction and let you reinforce expectations without a lot of
13:08
logistics.
13:10
Heidi: And if you work with small groups during a normal
13:13
school day, we are giving you permission right now to consider
13:17
skipping them on this first day back. We promise your kids will
13:20
be fine.
13:20
Emily: We know some teachers want to get back to their normal
13:23
routine as fast as possible, and pulling small groups helps you
13:26
feel like things are on track. Then, for sure, go for it. But
13:29
if you're on the fence, you can totally skip it. We won't tell.
13:32
Heidi: Yeah, let the kids work independently, and then use that
13:33
time to plan the rest of the week. Consider it a pocket of
13:37
prep.
13:38
Emily: Love a bonus pocket of prep. And do not feel guilty
13:41
about this. You are meeting their needs and taking care of
13:43
yourself at the same time, and that's a huge win.
13:46
Heidi: Now, at some point in the afternoon, it's a good idea to
13:49
take 15 or 20 minutes to revisit a few classroom procedures. This
13:53
is how you're going to stay ahead of the problems that crop
13:55
up this time of year.
13:57
Emily: You can make this review feel like a game instead of a
13:59
chore. Start by having students brainstorm your class
14:03
procedures. Write everything they come up with on the board,
14:07
then give pairs or small groups a positive outcome, like, this
14:10
procedure helps us be kind, or this procedure helps us learn.
14:15
And ask them to find a procedure from the list that fits, then
14:18
have a class discussion about what they picked and why. Keep
14:21
things moving quickly so no one gets bored.
14:23
Heidi: Or you could flip this around. Ask students to
14:26
brainstorm the benefits of a specific procedure, like, how
14:30
does following all the steps for unpacking your backpack help our
14:33
class? This approach reframes procedures as something that
14:36
benefits everyone, instead of rules that the teacher has just
14:39
imposed.
14:40
Emily: If you have time, you can really lean into the game
14:42
element. Secretly assign each group a procedure to act out
14:46
charade style. Suggest that the groups choose some students to
14:49
model it correctly and some to model it incorrectly.
14:53
Heidi: They love that. The moment you give kids permission
14:55
to do something wrong on purpose, you know, engagement
14:58
just goes through the roof.
14:59
Emily: Yeah, just make sure you've got your attention signal
15:02
ready to calm things down if they get a little too
15:05
enthusiastic.
15:06
Heidi: Yes, you know that will happen. Before the day ends,
15:10
give students something specific to look forward to tomorrow, a
15:14
new book that you'll start, a class challenge that you might
15:16
be launching, or something coming up next week. You want to
15:20
end the day with some forward momentum.
15:22
Emily: Then close with a quick connection circle. We talked
15:25
about this back in episode 186 so if you haven't heard that
15:28
one, go back and listen. Here's a quick version you can use
15:31
right away. Gather students in a circle and give them a moment to
15:34
silently reflect. Then offer a few prompts. What felt easy
15:38
today? What felt tricky? What's one thing you want to remember
15:41
tomorrow?
15:42
Heidi: Trust us, as people who have been there, the kids need
15:45
those guiding questions. Without some support, the reflection
15:48
tends to go sideways pretty fast.
15:49
Emily: Yeah, I can hear the I don't knows, and I can't see the
15:53
blank stares, we're just now in my memory. Have kids give a
15:57
thumbs up when they know what they want to say so you're not
16:00
waiting forever for each person, and then go around the circle
16:02
and let everyone share a response.
16:05
Heidi: And obviously the format with this is going to look a
16:08
little different in fourth or fifth grade than it does in
16:09
first, but the idea works the same at any level. You want to
16:13
close with something that marks your class as a community. If
16:16
you have a class cheer or a song, you can use that now, or,
16:19
you know, try a new send off ritual.
16:21
Emily: Keep the whole thing to 10 or 15 minutes at most. It
16:25
doesn't need to be a deep debrief. It's just helping the
16:28
day end with a sense of completion, rather than just
16:30
running out of time.
16:31
Heidi: Okay, so let's pull it all together. Your first day
16:34
back has three phases. Phase one, the reunion. Plan a warm
16:39
welcome that fosters reconnection.
16:41
Emily: Phase two, the bridge, is about waking up academic
16:44
thinking without overwhelming anyone. Think low stakes review,
16:48
a read aloud and shorter lesson blocks than usual.
16:52
Heidi: And in phase three, the re-anchor, it's about restoring
16:56
your normal rhythms with low cognitive demand. Stick with
17:00
what's familiar, revisit a few procedures in a fun way. Give
17:02
your students something to look forward to, and then close with
17:05
the moment of connection.
17:07
Emily: If you want some more spring break prep tips, make
17:11
sure to go back to Episode 181 and 186 for some guidance. We
17:16
promise that the first day back runs a whole lot smoother if you
17:19
plan before you leave, rather than figuring it out at your
17:22
desk on Monday morning.
17:23
Heidi: Yeah, ask us how we know about that.
17:25
Emily: Plus, then you can really enjoy your spring break, because
17:28
you know you have a plan for when you get back.
17:30
If this kind of discussion is helpful for you, come join us in
17:34
the Teacher Approved Club. Each month we focus on how to manage
17:37
that month's particular challenges with a targeted
17:41
strategy and a brand new resource to help you take it to
17:44
your classroom and put it to work. You can find the link to
17:47
the teacher Approved Club in the show notes.
17:49
Heidi: And if you haven't listened to episodes 181 and 186
17:52
yet, those are the perfect companion episodes to this one.
17:56
Episode 181 is about finding pockets of prep before the
17:59
break, and 186 covers the five things to do before you walk out
18:03
the door. Together the three of these episodes give you the full
18:06
picture.
18:07
Emily: And we would love to hear how you are planning your soft
18:10
start. Come join the conversation in our Teacher
18:12
Approved Facebook group.
18:14
Now for our teacher approved Tip of the Week, where we share an
18:17
actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and
18:20
simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is about
18:23
protecting your first afternoon back. Heidi, tell us more about
18:26
this one.
18:27
Heidi: Yes, this is so important. We focus so much on
18:30
students that we often forget to prioritize our own needs. You
18:34
probably know exactly how this plays out. You make it through
18:37
the first day, the kids leave, and suddenly you're staring down
18:40
everything that you pushed aside before the break, the emails,
18:43
grading, planning for the rest of the week, and your instinct
18:46
might be just to tackle it all at once.
18:48
Emily: Which is a great way to end your first day back
18:51
completely depleted.
18:53
Heidi: Yeah, exactly. So instead, before the kids leave
18:57
that day, make a short list of only what absolutely must be
19:01
done before tomorrow. We know you've got a lot that needs
19:03
attention, but for right now, just worry about tomorrow's
19:06
essentials.
19:08
Emily: And then do those things and stop.
19:11
Heidi: And that's the whole tip. Do those things and stop. Leave
19:15
the grading. Leave the catch up planning. You're probably
19:17
running at about 50% capacity right now, and you will make
19:20
better decisions about all of it tomorrow, once your routines are
19:23
re established.
19:25
Emily: The other piece of this is avoiding scheduling meetings
19:28
or extra obligations on the first afternoon if you have any
19:31
control over it. It's really not the ideal time for high level
19:34
decision making.
19:35
Heidi: Yeah, but you know, unfortunately, you might not get
19:38
much say about when the principal decides to schedule a
19:40
staff meeting, but make it your goal to end the first day with
19:44
some momentum intact. Don't try to compensate for the whole week
19:47
off in one afternoon.
19:49
Emily: Because if you burn yourself out on day one, the
19:51
rest of the week gets harder, not easier, and we've worked too
19:55
hard on that first day plan to let the afternoon undo it.
19:59
Heidi: Okay to wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're giving
20:02
extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra
20:06
credit?
20:06
Emily: I'm giving extra credit to the book I just read called
20:07
Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your
20:10
Life, by Bill Perkins. So this is a unique money book about
20:14
saving you from over saving and under living. So I love how he
20:20
talks about ways you can use your money throughout your life
20:23
to make memories and have experiences while you're young,
20:26
especially, instead of saving all your money for when you're
20:29
too old to enjoy it. So I wouldn't necessarily say you
20:33
should follow everything he says to the T here, but it's a really
20:37
different way to think about your money and your saving and
20:41
retirement and all of that. And I haven't stopped thinking about
20:44
it since I read it. So it's definitely an interesting one to
20:47
read.
20:47
Heidi: I have to check that out. That sounds really interesting.
20:50
It's a different reframe to think of money as a resource to
20:53
support the life you want to have, instead of supporting the
20:56
kind of life you want to have 40 years from now.
21:00
Emily: Yeah, he talks about how, you know, it's the modern
21:02
mentality, maybe not even just modern, but you know, we think
21:05
only about retirement. We can't wait to retire one day, and we
21:08
want to make sure we can live super comfortably when we
21:11
retire, which, of course, we want to do. But most people are
21:15
sacrificing experiences and quality of life before that when
21:20
they don't necessarily have to, so they're over saving for
21:22
retirement, when they don't necessarily need to save that
21:26
much.
21:26
And he shares some ways that you can kind of get a good idea of
21:30
what you would need to save, because that's the thing is,
21:32
it's like, well, if you're scared of the unknown, it's that
21:35
feeling, well, how would I know how much I'll need? I need to
21:38
save a lot just in case, because you don't know what's gonna
21:40
happen, but he has some ways you can kind of get an idea of how
21:44
long you might live and what kind of risk you might be at,
21:48
but also things you can do to mitigate some of that risk,
21:51
things I like did not even know were a thing. So yeah, so very
21:55
interesting read.
21:56
Heidi: I'll have to check that out.
21:58
Emily: And what are you giving us credit to, Heidi?
22:00
Heidi: Well, my extra credit goes to flying wish paper. This
22:04
is something that we have done on New Year's Eve for the past
22:06
few years. But you don't have to limit yourself to New Year's
22:09
Eve. I think this could be a fun end of the school year or a
22:12
birthday tradition. So how this works is you have everyone write
22:16
a little wish on this special paper, and you kind of have to
22:19
curve the paper into a cylinder, and then you light it on fire.
22:24
Emily: So do this outside, if you're gonna do this.
22:27
Heidi: Although we've done it in the kitchen plenty of times.
22:30
Emily: But maybe we should clarify, don't do this in your
22:32
classroom. We're not saying to light things on fire in your
22:35
classroom.
22:36
Heidi: But it could be a fun family tradition, or maybe you
22:39
want to get together with some co workers for the last day of
22:42
school hurrah, and just let everyone make a wish for their
22:44
break. It's an easy way to add a little bit of magic to a
22:47
gathering and kind of elevate the connection and give it some
22:51
meaning, which I think is something that we're all chasing
22:53
these days. We want to feel more connected, and this is a fun,
22:56
easy way to do that. And I did put a link to the paper in the
22:59
show notes.
23:00
Emily: Yeah, it's a really memorable thing to do. And if
23:03
you have any little pyros, like at my house, my 10 year old was
23:07
just desperate, begging to light everybody's wish paper on fire
23:11
because she was enjoying it so much.
23:12
Heidi: And catching the ash as it came.
23:14
Emily: Yes, which then crumbles it everywhere and makes a big
23:17
mess. So I do not recommend that in your house, but it is super
23:22
fun.
23:23
Heidi: That is it for today's episode. Go ahead and map out
23:26
your three phases before you leave for spring break. Think
23:29
about your reunion, your bridge and your re-anchor. And protect
23:32
that first afternoon. Make your short list, do those things and
23:36
then go home.
23:39
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi.
23:42
Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
23:46
or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an
23:48
episode.
23:49
Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the
23:51
Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.
23:55
Bye for now.
23:56
Emily: Bye.