The summer is winding down, the back-to-school displays are everywhere, and teachers are preparing to jump back onto the speeding train that is another school year.
Welcome to Season 3 of After the Bell with the Stunt Brothers!
In our Season 3 opener, we talk about the excitement, anxiety and exhaustion that come with the first week of school. After more than 80 episodes and a combined 70 years of teaching experience, we know that September can be both one of the most exciting and most challenging times of the year.
The good news? September is also a chance for a fresh start.
10 Back-to-School Rules for Teachers
One of our biggest themes throughout After the Bell has been teacher well-being and mental health. This episode focuses on ways teachers can protect their energy and avoid burnout before the school year gets away from them.
Our 10 rules include:
- Put your own oxygen mask on first. Self-compassion isn’t selfish.
- Tap into your passions. Bring your interests and personality into your teaching.
- Set hard off-the-clock boundaries. Your workday has to end sometime.
- Forget perfection. You won’t have every student engaged 100% of the time.
- Learn to say no. “No” is a complete sentence.
- Fake the enthusiasm until it becomes real. Sometimes energy creates energy.
- Remember you’re not an island. Lean on trusted colleagues.
- Embrace the flops. Taking creative risks means some lessons won’t work.
- Practice self-kindness in the moment. Small moments of mindfulness can make a difference.
- Focus on what you can control. Concentrate on what happens inside your four walls.
The Most Important Back-to-School Tip
Ten rules might sound like a lot, so we narrowed it down to one piece of teacher self-care advice:
Set your boundaries from Day One.
Don’t wait until November or December, when you’re already exhausted.
Decide when you’re going to shut the computer, stop checking email and leave school behind. Schedule the things that matter to you—exercise, family time, hobbies, walking the dog, music or simply doing nothing.
Put those things in the suitcase first.
When Do Teachers Get Their New Classes?
We also put something in Detention Hall: the growing practice of making teachers wait several days before receiving their new class lists.
We discuss the impact of spending the first week with last year’s students, family grouping, classroom organization and the lost opportunity to begin building relationships with a new group of students.
We want to hear from teachers everywhere:
When do you get your new class?
Why Labour Day Matters
Finally, our Rearview Mirror takes us back to Labour Day and the history of the labour movement. It’s more than simply the last long weekend before school starts. It’s an opportunity to remember the struggles that helped create many of the workplace rights we have today.
Listen to Season 3, Episode 1
If you’re a teacher heading back to school, this episode is a reminder that looking after yourself isn’t something to think about once you’re already burned out.
Start in September. Set your boundaries. Protect your energy. Find your passion. And give yourself permission not to be perfect.
Listen to After the Bell with the Stunt Brothers and join us for Season 3!
Stay healthy. Stay happy. Stay fit. Eat well. Sleep well.
A Stunt Brothers Production 