The Teacher Toolkit: Wrapping Up & Resetting without Burnout

Approaching the end of the school year can feel hard; sometimes harder than the beginning of the school year. There's so much going on, a lot to still do, and the classroom may feel more challenging. 

I want to help you wrap up and reset without burnout. 

Segment 1: "What to do now so you don’t hate yourself in August"

There are ways for you to wrap up so that when you get back into your classroom in August, you can truly focus on the coming school year rather than organizing what you left at the end of the previous school year. 

• Archive and Organize Digital files
• Reflect and Document
• Capture Data

Segment 2: "Leave your classroom like a gift to future you"

I always think about future me. For example, every night I do the dishes from dinner. Why? So that future me is grateful that she can just focus on getting ready for the day rather than cleaning dishes that were in the sink from the night before. That's exactly how you should be thinking about your classroom. What would future you want when they come back to the classroom for a new school year?

• "bare minimum" clean
• Label bins, drawers, etc.
• Let the kids help

Tip: Clean doesn’t have to mean pretty. Clean just has to mean you’ll know where everything is.

Segment 3: "You are not behind—you’re exactly where you need to be"

This is probably the easiest trap to fall into, especially if you're a high achiever like me. I am always thinking I need to do more or that I'm not where I'm supposed to be. Here's the thing.. one way or another, you'll figure out that you are where you need to be. It's just a matter of when. 

• Releasing pressure from over planning for the next school year
• One small step toward prepping for the next school year
• Be sure to set boundaries for yourself over the summer in regards to work