After The Bell with The Stunt Brothers | Season 3, Episode 8

🎃 Halloween is scary enough. But what about the Sunday Scaries?

In Episode 91 of After The Bell, Martin and Roy celebrate their first-ever Halloween episode by exploring some of the things that keep teachers awake at night. From the Sunday night dread of returning to school to the anxiety created by doom scrolling and the constant stream of troubling news, the Stunt Brothers take a look at why so many of us feel overwhelmed—and what we can do about it.

With Halloween approaching, the boys share some spooky teaching memories, including haunted houses, dry ice experiments, trick-or-treating, fireworks, and one unforgettable dog that took off running up Grouse Mountain!

But beneath the laughs is a serious conversation about teacher well-being, unrealistic weekend expectations, social media overload, and the growing feeling that the world is becoming too much to handle.

In this episode, we explore:

• 🎃 The Sunday Scaries: Why Sunday nights can bring anxiety about Monday morning, unfinished work, classroom challenges, and everything waiting for us at school.
• 📱 Doom Scrolling: How endless social media feeds, troubling headlines, and constant notifications can add to our stress and anxiety.
• 🌎 The Weight of the World: Climate change, world events, and the feeling that there is always something else to worry about.
• 🧠 Teacher Well-Being: Why unrealistic expectations, exhaustion, and the pressure to accomplish everything can leave teachers feeling overwhelmed.
• 🍬 Halloween Memories: From mad scientist costumes and dry ice experiments to haunted houses, pumpkin carving, candy, and fireworks.
• 🔔 The Stunt Brothers’ 24-Hour Reset: Practical ideas to help protect your mental health and make the transition into the workweek a little easier.

The Nugget 💡

Preparation can help us feel ready, but no amount of preparation can eliminate every uncertainty.

The goal isn’t to have every problem solved before Monday morning. It’s to do what you reasonably can, establish a starting point, and recognize that some things will have to wait.

That unfinished yellow bin of homework? It will live to see another day!

The Homework Board 📝

The Stunt Brothers challenge listeners to try a few small changes to help manage the Sunday Scaries:

1. Put boundaries around the news. Choose a specific time to check reliable news sources rather than repeatedly refreshing your feed.
2. Establish a Sunday night cutoff. Set a reasonable time to stop preparing for school. Write down unfinished tasks for Monday instead of trying to finish everything before bed.
3. Turn one worry into action. If something matters to you, identify one meaningful thing you can do—volunteer, donate, contact a representative, or have a thoughtful conversation.
4. Protect your mental health. Put your phone in another room, read a book, get outside, enjoy a hobby, or find something that helps you disengage from the constant stream of information.

The Stunt Brothers invite listeners to experiment with these small changes over the next week and see what works.

Detention Hall 🚨

This episode’s offender is algorithmic engineering.

The Stunt Brothers take aim at social media algorithms that keep users scrolling through an endless stream of anxiety-inducing headlines and content.

When the feed never ends, the information overload can leave us feeling more stressed, overwhelmed, and helpless rather than informed.

It’s time to consider whether these platforms are helping us understand the world—or simply keeping us anxious and engaged.

The Rearview Mirror 🔙

Halloween has always been a memorable time for teachers!

Martin looks back on dressing as a mad scientist, bringing dry ice into the classroom, and creating Halloween science experiments that students loved. He also remembers a Grade 7 class that created a haunted house for the school—complete with screams, frightened younger students, and a few adjustments to make things less terrifying!

The boys also share memories of pumpkin carving, roasting pumpkin seeds, trick-or-treating with their own children, and the exhausting reality of getting up early for school after a long Halloween night.

And, of course, there’s the unforgettable story of a family dog that ran all the way up Grouse Mountain after being frightened by fireworks.

A Final Halloween Message 🎃

Teaching can be exhausting. The world can be overwhelming. And sometimes Monday morning feels like a mountain we don’t want to climb.

But we don’t have to carry everything at once.

Prepare what you can. Find something that brings you joy. Connect with colleagues. Take a break from the endless scrolling. And remember that sometimes a good laugh is exactly what we need.

Thanks for joining the Stunt Brothers for Episode 91 of After The Bell.

Stay healthy. Stay happy. Stay fit. Eat well—not too much Halloween candy—and sleep well. And get off the social media!

🎧 Listen, engage, and interact with After The Bell, a podcast for the hardworking, dedicated teacher who wants free lesson plans, free advice, and a free meal!

🌐 Visit: stuntbrothers.ca

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After The Bell: A Stunt Brothers Production

Building resiliency for teachers everywhere.