11 End of Year Survival Strategies - E124

Rachel: 0:40

In this episode, we are going to give you some strategies to survive the rest of the school year.

Katie: 0:48

We don't know about you, but we are certainly feeling quite tired and rundown, and so we are sharing some of what we are going to be doing to make it to the end of the year.

Rachel: 0:58

Let's get started. This week Katie and I are gonna talk about some strategies to get through the rest of this school year. So, you know, we are getting close to finishing our school year, but we've still got a few weeks to go as this podcast episode comes out. So we wanna just talk about getting over that last little hump and getting to the end of the school year. Hopefully still sane.

Katie: 1:30

Yes. This was not the plan for this recording, however. We've discovered that we're just both extremely exhausted. And we know we're not alone. So we figured we may as well talk about or brainstorm, maybe that's a better word for it. Um, How we're gonna make it to the end of June, cuz we go right to the bitter end this year.

Rachel: 1:52

We really do. We go until, I think it's June 30th.

Katie: 1:56

And that's like weird. I don't know the last time we've actually gone that long, but yes, it is what it is. So how, how do we get through?

Rachel: 2:06

That is such a fantastic question

Katie: 2:09

Oh, I know, and I mean, as the sun comes out, I feel like I'm, I am less tired because of the dark mornings and nights, and that's been nice. So I do have more energy that way, but, There's so much happening in the buildings right now. Like so much.

Rachel: 2:25

Yeah, it's, it's been a rough few weeks, I would say, especially in our building too. I, I almost feel like our students are, are ready for summer. Already. And that's kind of scary. Like that never normally happens in a school year at this time of year.

Katie: 2:42

No. Normally we have until like the beginning of June and then they start to check out,

Rachel: 2:46

Right.

Katie: 2:47

but no.

Rachel: 2:48

But, uh, yeah, so it's, it's been pretty challenging and I think that's why I'm finding it particularly draining at this point in the year because there's just been so much extra, kind of layered in on the typical day-to-day stuff too.

Katie: 3:01

and I don't know about you, but at our school for the past few weeks, every week there's been an evening event, at least one, and that's continuing through until almost the middle of June. So like the number of events is overwhelming right now, and, you know, I, I feel the pressure to be there, but they also are on the same nights as, as my course that I'm taking, so that's hard too. But yeah, it's, it's been a lot of, a lot going on.

Rachel: 3:28

I think that's actually one good strategy maybe that we should talk about first then is being okay with saying no to things.

Katie: 3:36

Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's hard. But yes, and, and I think that it's okay to not go to every single event. Choose one, maybe two. You know, do what um, do what you can, but don't stretch yourself too thin.

Rachel: 3:50

Yeah, for sure.

Katie: 3:51

I don't know about you when I do go to these nighttime events. I am so tired on that Friday cuz they're always Thursday nights. Friday is so hard

Rachel: 4:00

Mm-hmm.

Katie: 4:02

cuz it's a complete change of routine.

Rachel: 4:03

I'll be quite honest. And um, a lot of, I, like, I've been struggling with a lot of stuff with my health this past year like my gut health and everything, and so that really, really affects me and I find those late nights are even harder this year and I've had to actually take the next day off just because I can't, I can't even function properly. The day after following event events like that. So I really do have to be very picky and choosy about which ones I am attending this year. And I'm kind of sticking, I'll be honest, I'm sticking to the ones that I have to be there, and I'm saying no to everything else I have to just to take care of myself.

Katie: 4:48

and commence commencements are coming up, so graduation ceremonies

Rachel: 4:51

I'm not sure I'm gonna go to that, to be quite honest.

Katie: 4:55

I'm, I can't, I actually feel badly cuz I know that I, I've been there for the past couple years and it's been a lot of fun, but, and it's nice to see the students and quite a few of mine are graduating. But it's the last night of my course and I have a presentation, so I'm like, I can't go.

Rachel: 5:09

Yeah, that, that's tough. It's tough when you have different commitments out outside of school, so, But. You do have to say no to those things, and it's easier said than done. Right. But you have to also not feel too guilty

Katie: 5:25

I know, I know. That's hard.

Rachel: 5:28

It's so hard.

Katie: 5:29

The guilt I tell you. but no, it's, it's, there's a lot going on right now.

Rachel: 5:33

I do agree though, like the brighter days, the earlier mornings, like it's been really nice driving in and having the sun, well this week has been awful. It's rained every single day, I think this week, which is probably why we're feeling quite drained as well, but, You know, having the sun shining when you're driving into work, it, it is very energizing and you know, it's starting to get lighter out at nights too, so I, I am finding that helpful, but I'm finding I am coming home and taking a nap almost every day.

Katie: 6:06

Nice. But that's okay.

Rachel: 6:08

Mm-hmm.

Katie: 6:08

I do think that that's, it's almost a good way to have, like if it's a little mini nap, It's a good way to just kind of re-energize.

Rachel: 6:16

Yeah, there are not many

Katie: 6:17

Oh, see, I do a, like if I'm really tired, I'll do a 26 minute nap. That's my magical number. I don't know why. I don't know how, but 26 minutes and I can be refreshed and it doesn't go, like I don't go into deep sleep.

Rachel: 6:31

I've never been a napper. So this is really unusual for me. I normally hate napping cuz I always wake up feeling so groggy and like gross. But I am, you know, just laying down and sleeping for like a good hour or so.

Katie: 6:48

Wow.

Rachel: 6:48

Yeah. So I know I'm tired. I know I'm like being stretched really thin right now. If I am doing that.

Katie: 6:56

Yeah. No kidding. So how are you going to re-energize and get through to the end of June?

Rachel: 7:01

I think I'm also giving myself permission to not be the best teacher right now.

Katie: 7:08

Yeah. And don't like for those listening, don't take that the wrong way. Like she's still, she's still a phenomenal teacher. She's just not gonna go huge. And, and I think that's okay because that takes time and energy. And at this point in the year, it, it's been a really weird year cuz it has felt busier than normal. I think that's, that's a, that's a healthy thing to do. You have to draw your boundaries.

Rachel: 7:30

I think some of it is coming from feeling a bit burnt out from this year with all the new planning and the new sort of implementation and rolling out new projects and mastery based learning. While it's been amazing and such an amazing journey, I am feeling that at this point in the year, so just kind of, I don't know, trying to rely a little bit more on my team. I am very. type A needs to be done my way, like organized needs to look a certain way with certain fonts and, uh,

Katie: 8:02

of that.

Rachel: 8:03

It's, I know

Katie: 8:04

You and your fonts.

Rachel: 8:05

it's absolutely ridiculous. So I'm trying to rely a little bit more on my team and let them sort of pull some of the weight. So that's, that's maybe taking a little bit of the pressure off me as well. And then also, Not putting the pressure on myself to add in new stuff at this point in the year.

Katie: 8:25

Yes. And there's a lot of people asking, I don't know about you, but there's lots going on right now in the buildings where people are like, come help us. We need help. And I'm like, no, I can't. So the I, it is being able to say no and not take on too many extras beyond what you're already doing.

Rachel: 8:40

Mm-hmm.

Katie: 8:41

Yeah, it's been a weird year and I said that before, but I was talking with somebody, a colleague, and we were trying to figure out why it's felt so weird, and I think it's because we had a taste of like work life balance during Covid and so, and then a couple of years where it was like that weird hybrid and. And so we weren't totally back to normal, couldn't run everything. And this is the first full year where everything's back. And I think we're feeling how little balance that leaves us. And I think we had that taste of balance and we've realized we needed,

Rachel: 9:17

The balance was amazing. I have to say, especially when I was in my instructional coaching role. I like, I loved the balance of that and I loved sort of the flexibility. I'm going to different schools and things like that. I've realized now, I actually thought about this the other day, like, I spend five hours a week just commuting.

Katie: 9:38

Oof.

Rachel: 9:38

And so, you know, like that, that five hours, like that is a big chunk of time. Can you, you, you can think about how much planning or how much you could get done in five hours a week.

Katie: 9:52

Yeah, and there are teachers who do almost an hour each way. So like, I can't even imagine that that extra strain.

Rachel: 9:59

Yeah, so I think that that is probably another sort of reason why we're feeling like time constrained a little bit more and feeling that pressure on getting things done and not having enough time again, is because we've added that commute back into our day.

Katie: 10:14

Yeah, totally. Yeah, it's been a, it's, it's strange how it, everyone seems to be feeling so tired. It's, it's very much an overwhelmingly common experience for teachers this year and resignations are up in other boards, and so like that, that really has to get you thinking like, what's going on in teaching right now?

Rachel: 10:33

Yeah. I had come across a post on Twitter about that too, about resignations, especially in a board that's pretty close to the one that we're in. I won't name it. But you know, they, they've, they're saying there's as many or even more resignations than there are retirements this year.

Katie: 10:51

Yeah. And I think that speaks to how teachers are feeling this year plus the whole no contract and. How political things tend to get and not so nice. They end up being in the public.

Rachel: 11:03

Yeah, it's, it's been a lot of political stuff going on in the background here too, so that's not helping matters whatsoever.

Katie: 11:11

No, no. So I mean, it sounds terrible, but I have been avoiding the news quite a bit lately, and I know you have been too.

Rachel: 11:19

Yeah, so we were just like, before we hit record here, we were just chatting about that and, and what we've, Katie was asking me if I'd seen a few things on Twitter and whatnot, and I'm like, Nope. I pretty much have not been on social media I'm finding. That, that's helping a little bit. It's, blissful ignorance, I guess. You know, I, I don't wanna get sucked into the politics right now of our contract negotiations and what's going on in the media. I did that in our last round of negotiations and like, that just really, I don't know, it hit me pretty bad, so I didn't, I, I don't wanna get sucked into that again. I also, you know, when I'm feeling a bit burnt out like this, like I just, I don't need that more negativity in my life.

Katie: 12:08

and weirdly, Or not weirdly, I don't know. My, my phone news, like I'm not texting as much. I'm not calling people as much. Like I'm really kind of buckling down and, and almost going inward and focusing on just more rest and taking care of the things I need to do and not really worrying about the rest.

Rachel: 12:27

Yeah, I, I find I'm kind of doing that myself as well, but I don't know if it's necessarily the best strategy because I think we, one of the ways that you can kind of recharge or refill your bucket is by connecting with people that you're close to. And so even taking, you know, a little bit of time on a weekend and just. Deciding, you know, there's this one person I'm going to connect with this weekend and go and just spend a couple of hours with them or, or talk to them on the phone even, or just hop on a Google meet or something and just make that connection. I think that can help really refill buckets and I think that's something that I'm gonna try and. start doing again to kind, I don't know, help, help me get over this hump of like, what's remaining of this school year.

Katie: 13:17

Yeah. No, but I was like wasting so much time on my phone, like watching stupid videos and scrolling through social media. I'm not doing that and it feels so good. But we've, we've also started camping, so our camping season has begun. And so that's, I think, been another positive. But it means I'm really unplugging even more, like it's a crazy time of year for like time tabling and stuff like that, but last weekend I didn't really even have data, so it was a complete like removal and not going to think or open anything, which is nice.

Rachel: 13:52

Yeah, I know you, Katie, ha, you've talked about on the podcast before how you, you don't, or at least you're trying not to look at email outside of school hours and, and sort of staying off that. I'm really kind of embracing that at this point in the school year.

Katie: 14:09

Yep. It's, it's huge. It is so good. It's for anybody listening and you're wondering, it reduces your stress levels at night so much because you get into this habit of. I'm not checking, and you know that, and it's like a hard limit and so then it's, I don't know, I have checked a couple of times this week, I do have to say,

Rachel: 14:28

it's hard when we're in the positions we're in, in leadership positions. When it's time tabling time, you, you get a lot of emails and a lot of, I don't know, especially in a larger school that I'm in, there's a lot of moving wheels and it is a very tricky thing to do.

Katie: 14:48

yep. I believe it. My school is much smaller, so I kind of had it easy or easier, but it is like a puzzle and it's not easy.

Rachel: 14:56

No, but I do really enjoy it. I, I enjoy the puzzle and I like seeing how things fit together. And I like thinking about, okay, well where do I want my teams to be next year and what are kind of our goals? So I do enjoy having that say in that process. there were a few times this week where I'm like, all right, I got my time table set. I'm all good. And then I get an email

Katie: 15:18

Huh, of course.

Rachel: 15:20

and everything changes. So, I think it's locked in though now. Fingers crossed.

Katie: 15:25

Fingers crossed. Here's hoping.

Rachel: 15:27

It'll change in a couple weeks time. It's all good.

Katie: 15:29

Of course. So what else can we do to get through this year? Coffee.

Rachel: 15:36

Well, coffee's always a great option.

Katie: 15:39

It's funny. In our, in our workroom we, we have a Keurig machine and It went from like only a couple people using it, but lately it's been so many more people. Everyone's like, no, we need coffee. We need that boost.

Rachel: 15:53

Yeah. I wouldn't not get through my days if I didn't drink coffee in the morning.

Katie: 15:57

No. One thing I've been trying to do because I know, well, it's healthier anyhow, but even just trying to eat healthier, more veg and stuff, cuz I find I feel better and more energetic when I'm eating well than eating crappy foods. And I know that seems silly and I should be doing that no matter what. But that's made a big difference for me over the last couple of weeks because it's, I'm less, I don't know, I'm less blah.

Rachel: 16:18

And kind of going along with that same thread, I have been ke I, I've still been keeping up with my workouts, but I'm really listening to my body. So if I wake up on a morning and I am just fried and so tired, I give my per self the permission to skip that day. You know, no questions asked. It's okay because I'd rather do that and keep my routine as consistent as I can and skip a day, skip a day here or there, rather than like burn myself out Totally. And not continue to work out, and then just fully stop. So I'm kind of just. Basing it on the, on the day. And most days I do still work out, which is good. But you know, like tomorrow morning I'm, might I'm feeling pretty tired today, so I think tomorrow morning I'm gonna take a day.

Katie: 17:04

Good for you.

Rachel: 17:05

But I do find that that still gives me energy and that is helping a lot along with food like, Right now I have so many food issues, so it's uh, my, my diet is pretty restricted anyway, and I eat very, very healthy. But along then and adding in that exercise I don't know, I, I find it good, something I look forward to, even though I do it at five o'clock in the morning.

Katie: 17:29

Oh, geez, Louise. That sounds like torture.

Rachel: 17:34

It's like a tiny bit of torture, but then it's okay once you get going.

Katie: 17:37

Yeah, I guess so. And it does energize you? Yeah, I am not a morning person. That wouldn't work for me. I would be so grumpy.

Rachel: 17:46

Yeah. If I don't, if I don't do that workout in the morning, it won't get done. Because I'm usually pretty tired once I come home, and then I'm just like, Nope, I'm good. Like it's, it's easier to find a million excuses when I get home versus first thing in the morning. The only excuse I have is getting outta bed.

Katie: 18:04

And if you're already in that routine, then your body's not like it is pretty used to it. It does get used to your wake up times,

Rachel: 18:10

it does.

Katie: 18:11

Hobbies. That's what I'm gonna say. Do things that bring you joy. Make some time for it. Even if you're feeling stressed and like you have to mark and do all of these things. Just don't give up all of your joy. Uh, You really do need it. That's what's gonna help kind of balance you out and, and make you feel like you can do all of the marking and everything else.

Rachel: 18:30

that's great advice. I have actually given up a couple of my hobbies over the past couple weeks. I know, I know, She's pointing at me. I like to knit and so I'd be making um, making a spring cardigan. It's, it's a really nice cotton, so it's, and it's short sleeves, so it's like perfect to wear at this time of year, and I'm so close to being done and I just like, I haven't worked on it for weeks. I've also been learning how to play piano and, but I haven't practiced in weeks. I have not been doing very well with my hobbies.

Katie: 19:04

No, you need to get those back. It really does clear your head when you do it.

Rachel: 19:07

What are you doing, Katie?

Katie: 19:09

Well, I'm still doing violin lessons and so I've been doing that. And practicing. I've been practicing not too badly, but so the things about getting old, so I told you over March break that I cracked my neck funny, and my shoulders been wonky ever since. Yeah, that hasn't really gone away. So I do practice my violin, but because it's also the one that holds the violin up, and so I have to have it up, I have to take breaks a lot. I feel old. But um, no, it's, it's good. And I actually, I haven't, I played the piano for fun. I don't do lessons I did when I was a kid, but just this evening, I actually was playing it for the first time in probably a good month. Because it's just been too busy. And I was like, nah, I'm gonna sit down and play. Why not? And that's good. I always find music as a good stress relief for me.

Rachel: 19:57

It's always been a really good stress relief for me too.

Katie: 20:00

And then I always have my standing girls night where I get together with a couple of my close friends, and that once a week. And so I haven't been given that up It keeps me level-headed and helps me vent and get everything out, and then I can approach the week.

Rachel: 20:13

And I think what you just said there was important, having that critical friend that you can vent to as you need to.

Katie: 20:21

Yes, it is so vital. Otherwise, like I find I just bottle it up and then it explodes eventually and it's just not a healthy outlet. So we just vent to one another and we feel better afterwards. And then we just chat about life in general and it's good.

Rachel: 20:38

I think there's always something to vent about in education.

Katie: 20:41

You don't say, but, uh, no, I'm, I'm ready for the summer.

Rachel: 20:48

I'm ready for the summer too.

Katie: 20:50

And that very first day of our summer break, that's when we start our first trailer trip, like our, our V trip. So that is something I'm looking forward to. So even like planning something so that you have something to look forward to and be excited about, that I think is going to help me because now I can say a little more to go then I can go away and be relaxed.

Rachel: 21:09

Yeah, so we're, we're kind of planning forward too. So couple weeks time we're gonna get a puppy.

Katie: 21:16

Oh, yay. I was wondering if you were going to get a puppy.

Rachel: 21:20

Yeah. So we're kind of planning now for puppy to come home and Oh my goodness. It's gonna be a lot of work, which I don't know if the timing is right with ending the school year and taking this on, but, but it will be good.

Katie: 21:37

Why don't we have an episode about how stressed we are, and then talk about how we're adding stress.

Rachel: 21:44

So yeah, we are, we're uh, we're looking forward to even. Maybe doing some like tent camping over the summer and taking the puppy with us, right. And starting to create some new memories. So I'm really looking forward to that.

Katie: 21:58

and I think that is one of the things that will get us through probably more so than others, is just that something to look forward to and look ahead to. It's a good thing to have any other big plans for your summer.

Rachel: 22:08

Not really. We were gonna do a bunch of trips then we decided to get a puppy.

Katie: 22:15

I love that. Like travel slash trips or puppy. I, I get why the puppy wins. I do get that. It's part of why we don't have an animal yet, because we're not quite ready.

Rachel: 22:25

Well, we, we still are gonna try and do, like I said, try and do some, some tent camping maybe, and, you know, not necessarily go too far or spend too much money, but just to get out and. Especially, you know, with a puppy, you have to socialize them so much in the first couple months of their life. So we want to expose this puppy to everything we possibly can. So it's gonna be a lot of going out and, getting outside and kind of just enjoying Nature.

Katie: 22:57

Yeah, I like that.

Rachel: 22:59

Yeah. So I'm really looking forward to that, even though it's gonna be a lot of work.

Katie: 23:02

The puppy will bring you so much joy.

Rachel: 23:04

Well, I think we've come up with a few good ideas, even if it didn't come out as a very organized list, because like Katie said at the beginning of the episode, this was kind of off the cuff and, and just something that we wanted to chat about. But I think we've got some good strategies

Katie: 23:22

I think so too. It may not be organized, but I think it's, cuz we're just so darn tired. This isn't even our normal recording time and we're just, we're feeling a little bit done, but, uh, no, there is some in there and like, be sure to share your strategies if you have any that are working for you, because I think we all need. All the help we can get.

Rachel: 23:43

Definitely. So what we'll do is we'll include any links or resources we talked about today in our show notes. You can access our show notes for this episode@edgygals.com slash 1 24. That's edu G a l s.com/ 1 24.

Katie: 24:00

And if you like what you heard today, then feel free to share it with a colleague or a friend. And don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app. So that you don't miss out on any future content.

Rachel: 24:10

And if you wanna share any of those strategies that Katie was just asking about, you can go onto our flip at edgy gals.com/flipgrid and leave us a video message there. Or you can go onto our website@edgygals.com and leave us a written response.

Katie: 24:25

Thanks for listening and see you next week.