10 Tips for How to Leave School at School

Lots of people (including me) tell you to leave school at a particular time and shift to your personal time and personal life.

Easier said than done.

If you find yourself thinking about school once the day is over (replaying lessons, student interactions, parent emails, tomorrow’s to-do list), you’ll likely struggle to truly relax and disconnect, making it difficult to recharge.

Sound familiar?

I don’t have to tell you that this kind of stress is not sustainable.

Here are 10 tips I’ve found that might help. Try one or two and see how they work for you!

1 – Do a “brain dump.” Before you leave school (or as soon as you get home), write down everything that’s still going through your mind.

A quick list like “email parent, copy math page, update grades,” etc., gets all the tasks out of your head and onto paper, so you can relax, knowing they’re recorded and you don’t need to keep thinking about them.

2 – Set a hard “cut-off time.” Choose a specific time when you will stop checking email, grading papers, or lesson planning. Set an alarm on your phone if you need to. Tell yourself: “I’m done being Ms. _______ for today.” Say it aloud if you need to!

3 – Use your commute to process your day and get in a positive headspace.

You might use a certain amount of time or a certain distance (from your school to the first intersection, for instance) to think about your day and what is still bothering you.

Then make a conscious effort and decision to shift gears and get into a different headspace.

You might listen to the latest Taylor Swift album (my personal favorite) or a favorite playlist. Alternatively, you could listen to a book on Audible or a podcast on a topic other than education.

4 – Spend some time in silence when you get home (or before you get out of your car).

If your house or apartment is empty when you get home, you can take a few minutes for some meditation (the Headspace or Calm apps are great for this), or you can just sit quietly with your eyes closed.

If your house has people in it, either go to a quiet place (the bathroom works well for this!) and close your eyes for a few minutes. You could also spend some silent time in your car before you go into your house.

You are surrounded by noise and distractions all day long. Take a few minutes to just decompress. If thoughts of your teaching day or your students intrude on your silent time, mentally visualize putting those thoughts in a box, closing it, and putting it in a closet. You’re not “throwing it away,” but you are putting it “in storage” for later.

5 – Once you get home, create a transition routine. One idea is to change your clothes (and possibly take a shower) when you get home. You want to cue your mind that it’s time to shift from “teacher” to “human.”

6 – Even better: change your clothes and do some kind of movement break when you get home. Try to get outside if possible. It could be as simple as taking a walk, practicing yoga poses, or playing outside with your own children.

Even 10-20 minutes of walking, stretching, or yoga can help lower cortisol and boost your mood. Bonus points if you get some sunshine and fresh air along with the movement.

7 – Plan a snack and “tea time” for right after school. (You don’t literally have to drink tea.) You might even read a book or magazine (nothing education-related) during your “tea time.”

8 – Plan something to do right after school that will get you out of your head. This could be an exercise class, a walk with a friend (where you don’t talk about school), coffee with a friend, or some kind of art or crafts class.

Getting your mind on someone else (by spending time with them) or something else (by doing something else) will help you disconnect from school stress.

Some kind of hobby or even reading fiction that is totally unrelated to school can help you switch your mind to another “channel.”

Do something that helps you release stress and brings you joy.

Taking a walk, doing some yoga poses, dancing to your favorite song, doing some other form of exercise, taking a relaxing shower, playing with your kids, doing some kind of puzzle (Wordle, Sudoku, crossword puzzles), reading, or spending a few minutes on any kind of enjoyable hobby – all of these will help you touch base with another part of your life and help you release the stress of the day.

9 – Create a plan for dealing with unwanted school thoughts that might still come up.

If you find yourself thinking about things that you can do nothing about: try telling yourself something like I have done the best I can. This is out of my hands. Let it go.

If you find yourself thinking about things you need to do for school, open the Notes app on your phone and make a list. This lets your brain know that the thought is recorded somewhere, and you can let go of obsessing about it.

If you find yourself thinking about things you might have done wrong (or could have done better), try telling yourself something like Nobody’s perfect. I will do better tomorrow.

If it’s something for which you need to apologize, make a note to yourself on the Notes app to do that.

If it’s something that you could have done better (explaining a math concept, for example), forgive yourself, make a note if you think of something that could help improve it, and tell yourself to let it go and move on.

Here is something you can say to yourself:

My work for today is done.

What’s left unfinished will still be there tomorrow, and that’s okay. I’ve done what I could with the time and energy I had, and that’s enough for today.

Now, I’m choosing to be present for the rest of my life outside of school—to care for myself, enjoy my home, and spend time with the people I love.

Tomorrow, I’ll show up rested, recharged, and ready to give my best to my students again.

10 – Make your last hour before bed completely non-school. No lesson planning. No grading. No scrolling teacher Instagram or TikTok. Try reading, journaling, or listening to a calming playlist instead.

The fact is: teaching tasks (and obsessing over them) can be never-ending if you let them. No matter how much you do or how well you do it, there can always be more to do. You have to set your own limits. Protecting your time and energy outside of school will not only help you be a better teacher, but also a happier person. And being a well-rested, happier person will make you a better teacher. Win-win.

Need more help with teacher overwhelm? Grab my 7 Steps to Deal with teacher Overwhelm freebie!

All of my content is intended to save teachers time and energy. My goal is to make good teaching sustainable while having a life outside of teaching. Let me know how I can help YOU with this quick form!

Finding Your Rhythm: Getting Into Routines at Home and at School

The start of the school year can feel like a juggling act – lesson planning, grading, responding to parent emails, attending after-school meetings, and somehow still remembering to switch the laundry.

The truth is, teaching doesn’t just require classroom routines; it requires life routines that help you keep everything going both at school and at home.

When you streamline the “behind-the-scenes” work, you free up your energy for what really matters: teaching and connecting with your students AND having energy for your personal life.

Here are some routines and time-management strategies to help you find your rhythm this year.

1. Establish Anchor Points at Home

I think of “anchor points” as non-negotiable routines that set the tone for my day.

Here are some examples.

Morning Launch Pad: Prep lunches, backpacks, and your teacher bag the night before. Having one place where everything goes prevents last-minute scrambling in the morning.

Evening Reset: Spend 10–15 minutes tidying common spaces (kitchen counters, desk, living room). Waking up to a clean (or clean-ish) house helps you start your day calmly.

Weekly Meal Rhythm: Instead of planning seven brand-new dinners, create a simple rotation (Taco Tuesday, Pasta Wednesday). This cuts down decision fatigue.

Consider meal prepping your breakfasts and lunches so all you have to do is grab and go in the morning. Examples: bagged smoothie ingredients (so all you have to do is dump it in your blender, jarred salads, wraps or sandwiches.

2. Manage the Paper Flow at School

Paper piles can multiply faster than fifth-graders lining up to go to recess. Set up a system so you handle each paper only once.

In Trays: Designate a place for student work, parent notes, and office handouts.

Quick Triage: Ask yourself: Does this need to be done, delegated, scheduled, or tossed? (The classic Do-Delegate-Schedule-Delete system.)

End-of-Day Sweep: Before heading home, clear your desk and reset your trays. Future You will be grateful tomorrow morning.

3. Batch Your Work

Instead of bouncing between tasks all day, group similar tasks together.

Grading Power Hour: Set a timer for 45–60 minutes, and only grade during that block. No scrolling, no multitasking.

Email Windows: Check and respond to email at two set times a day (before school and after dismissal). Turn off notifications in between.

Copy Runs: Choose one planning period to make all the copies you’ll need for the week. Keep a “copy ready” folder so you’re always prepared.

4. Create Transition Routines

Both kids and teachers benefit from predictable transitions.

Classroom Transitions: Use consistent signals (chimes, countdowns, music, hand signals) to move smoothly from one subject to the next.

Home Transitions: When you walk in the door, have a mini-ritual that helps you shift out of “teacher mode.” Change clothes, take a quick walk, or light a candle—whatever signals to your brain: workday over.

5. Plan for Reflection & Adjustment

Even the best routines need tweaking. Take five minutes each Friday to ask:

Which routines worked this week?

What drove me crazy?

What can I streamline for next week?

These small check-ins keep you from sliding back into chaos.

Final Thought

You don’t need dozens of complicated systems—just a few consistent routines that work for you. Think of it as teaching yourself the same way you teach your students: model, practice, and revisit until it sticks.

A little structure at home and at school can make a huge difference in how calm, organized, and present you feel – both in front of your students and in your own life.

If you want more tips for establishing routines, take a look at my teacher routines course here!

Common Stresses in the First Month of School (and How to Handle Them)

The first month of school is exciting – but let’s be honest, it can also feel like a whirlwind.

Even for veteran teachers, those first weeks can bring challenges that leave you drained by the end of the day. If you’re feeling it, you’re not alone. Upper elementary students bring big energy, big emotions, and big expectations, and teachers juggle just as much behind the scenes.

Here are some of the most common stresses teachers face in the first month of school—and some simple ways to manage them.

1. Teaching and Reteaching Routines

The truth is: you’ll feel like a broken record in September. Walking through each step of lining up, turning in work, or getting out materials can feel exhausting, especially when you’ve explained it for the tenth (or hundredth) time. But consistency now saves you headaches later.

Tip: Break routines into small chunks, model, practice, and repeat. Keep a calm tone and remind yourself that every time you reteach, you’re investing in smoother days ahead.

Need some help with classroom procedures? Here’s my free guide!

2. Relationship Building Takes Energy

You want to know your students deeply – their strengths, quirks, and stories. But in the first month, you’re also balancing curriculum pacing, assessments, and family communication. It can feel like too much at once.

Tip: Focus on small daily interactions. A quick “How was soccer?” or “I noticed you helped a classmate – thank you!” goes a long way. Relationship-building doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be consistent.

Here are my tips for building relationships throughout the year, not just at back-to-school time!

3. The Academic Gap Reality Check

The first month often reveals just how wide the academic gaps are in your classroom. Some kids are soaring ahead, while others are still struggling with last year’s skills. That can leave you scrambling to differentiate right out of the gate.

Tip: Use quick formative checks and flexible grouping. You don’t have to “fix” everything at once. Set small, realistic goals for where you want students to be by the end of the first quarter.

Here are my tips for the “fast finishers” in your classroom!

4. Communication Overload

Emails from parents, reminders from admin, team planning, and district updates can make you feel like your brain is constantly buzzing. It’s easy to feel like you’re behind before you even start teaching.

Tip: Batch communication. Decide when you’ll check email (maybe before school and once after dismissal) and protect your teaching block from interruptions. Templates for common replies (“Thanks for reaching out! I’ll follow up after I . . .”) can save you time.

5. Managing Your Own Energy

By Friday of week one, you may already feel like you’ve run a marathon. The emotional output of being “on” all day, plus the physical demands of moving around the room, is no joke.

Tip: Build in small resets. Sit for a few minutes at lunch. Step outside for fresh air after dismissal. Give yourself permission to let some things slide at home during these first weeks. Rest is not a luxury—it’s necessary.

Here are my tips for back-to-school tired!

Final Thought

The first month of school will always be full of big emotions, high energy, and yes – stress. But it’s also when you set the foundation for the entire year. Give yourself grace, lean on your routines, and remember: you don’t have to do everything at once. Your students need a calm, consistent teacher far more than they need a Pinterest-perfect classroom.

✨ If you’re looking for more support, my Back to School Planning Guidebook and First Two Weeks Teacher’s Guide are packed with tips, templates, and ready-to-use activities to help you start the year with confidence and calm.

The First Two Weeks of School in Upper Elementary Classrooms

This post is from the Introduction in my e-book Upper Elementary Teacher’s Guide to the First Two Weeks of School. You can learn more about that e-book HERE.

We all know the importance of the first days of school. We want our students to settle into routines quickly, our classrooms to run smoothly, and everyone to work well together, so we can get down to the business of teaching and learning as soon as possible.

So how do we get there?!

This is your guide for planning your first days of school: teaching and practicing those routines, establishing your expectations for social skills and work habits, getting to know your students and helping them get to know each other, and easing into your academic content.

I am a big fan of The Responsive Classroom resources. One of my favorite books is Teaching Children to Care by Ruth Sidney Charney. In this book, she talks extensively about the importance of the first six weeks of school.

Here’s what she says:

I have grown to appreciate the task of helping children learn to take better care of themselves, each other, and their classrooms. It’s not a waste. It’s probably the most enduring thing that I teach. In a world filled with global violence, threats of . . . environmental devastation, where drugs and guns are available on nearly every street corner, learning to be more decent and to build caring communities is hardly a waste of time.

In building that community, we set certain expectations. We expect our students to:

Know and use each other’s names
Learn about others’ interests
Take turns
Share
Join activities in a positive way
Invite others to join
Be friendly and include everyone
Cooperate
Solve conflicts

Planning appropriate activities for the first days of school helps establish these expectations and gives students plenty of opportunities to practice.

Charney says:

I spend the first six weeks of school teaching my children how to behave. It rarely takes less time; sometimes, it takes more. I cannot presume that what was so clear last year will be remembered and accepted this year. I start again.

As we teach our routines and procedures and expectations, we also get to know our students and help them to feel “seen.”

We do this with carefully selected activities, yes, but also by observing our students and letting them know that we “see” them, but not in a creepy way! This is about noticing what they are doing and commenting positively on what we see.

How do we do that? We make comments that are encouraging (and support student efforts), specific (naming behaviors and accomplishments instead of just saying “good job”), and positive (saying, “show me what you will do” instead of saying, “don’t do that.”)

Here are some examples of commenting on what you see.

Reinforcing:
I notice the way you remembered . . .
I notice that many of you like . . .
I notice lots of different ideas for . . .
I notice that most of you are taking time to read the directions and are now figuring things out for yourself.

Reminding:
Before we go to specials, remind me what we do.
Who remembers what we need to be ready for math? Please show me.
Remind me, what do you do if you . . .
If someone asks you to play a game, what are friendly ways you might respond? Remind me.
Remind us what happens in our class if someone makes a mistake.
Remind me, what’s your job right now?
Remind me what happens if someone needs to use your markers. What can you say?

Redirecting
Pencils are for writing.
I hear a lot of talking. This is your time to get your folders.
I hear conversations about movies. What do you need to be thinking about now?

We teach routines and procedures, establish our expectations, and build community by getting to know our students and helping them get to know each other.

Another tip to remember is to “go slow to go fast.”

We spend the time we need to spend to practice routines and build community. We also “open” the classroom gradually. We introduce different materials and areas of the classroom over the first two weeks of school instead of all at once, on the first day. When we introduce those materials and areas, we also teach the expectations and responsibilities for using those resources.

With that in mind, here are my goals for the first two weeks of school:

establish relationships with students, giving everyone a fresh start
build community in our classroom with student interaction
help my students get to know me
teach and reinforce routines & procedures
begin academic content with low-stress activities
teach/review growth mindset
assess student needs and learning styles

Feel free to borrow my goals or create your own!

My goals for the first day are more specific. Here they are:

greet students and help them feel welcome and safe in my class
learn names and correct pronunciation of names
get to know my students and help them get to know me
build classroom community with games and team-building
establish expectations for classroom routines and procedures (but not all on the first day!)
incorporate lots of read-alouds
get everyone home safely
make them want to come back the next day! 😉

Michael Linsin of Smart Classroom Management says this:

“My number one goal on the first day of school is that my students love being in my class.
The reason, simply put, is that it makes anything and everything to do with effective teaching and classroom management easier.”

You can read more of Michael’s post here.

Finally, here’s your last word of wisdom from Ruth Sidney Charney:

I first must give children the security that I “see” them as individuals and as a group. Then I work to “see everything,” to extend this positive sense of security beyond my sight. When children begin to internalize positive expectations, they are then free to learn in an atmosphere that fosters independence and responsibility.

Ready to get started? Grab the Upper Elementary Teacher’s Guide to the First Two Weeks of School!

Three Steps to (Nearly) Perfect Upper Elementary Classroom Procedures

You can have the most creative lessons, the most engaging activities, and a classroom that looks like it came straight off Pinterest – but if your procedures aren’t solid, your days are going to feel a lot harder than they need to feel.

Strong classroom routines and procedures are the secret sauce that makes everything else work. They’re what keep your day running smoothly, your students feeling safe and confident, and you from running on fumes by 2 p.m.

But here’s the thing – routines and procedures don’t just magically appear because we hope for them. (Hope is not a strategy.) They don’t happen because we post a list of rules or review them once on the first day of school.

They happen because we teach them, step by step, until they become second nature for our students.

Here are three steps for achieving (or nearly achieving) perfect classroom procedures.

Step 1: Make it visual, model the routine, and practice.

This is where most teachers start during that first week of school. You show students exactly what the routine looks like, explain each step clearly, and give them time to practice – sometimes more than once. It’s all about clarity and repetition, so there’s no guessing.

Step 2: Continue to practice and gamify the process

Continue to practice routines daily. And yes, this can get tedious if you don’t change up how you do it.
I have several suggestions listed in the resources at the bottom of this blog post.

One of my favorites is to challenge your students to complete a procedure within a specific time frame. Keep it reasonable (you don’t want them to knock each other over to get the carpet quickly), but encourage them to “beat their time.”

Another way to make a game of it is to have students earn points for every time they complete a procedure well, or you have 90-100% of your students doing it well. When students earn a certain number of points, offer them free time or extra recess. Then, start over, but make the points goal a little higher.

Step 3: Revisit and practice routines all year long

Even the best routines and habits fade if you don’t maintain them. Strong classroom teachers know this and make a habit of revisiting expectations throughout the year – especially after long weekends, substitute days, school breaks, or during those mid-year slumps. A quick reset can prevent weeks of frustration.

When you intentionally teach, practice in fun ways, and revisit your routines and procedures, you create a classroom that essentially runs itself. Then you can spend your energy on the fun, meaningful aspects of teaching instead of constantly micromanaging.

Need some free resources? I’ve got you!

Classroom procedures freebie

Classroom procedures free course

Back-to-school planning timeline freebie

Classroom procedures review freebie on TPT

If you want more tips, take a look at one of my courses or e-books!

Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades

Upper Elementary Teacher’s Guide to the First Two Weeks of School

Get Started Teaching in Upper Elementary Grades

Share your favorite ideas for practicing procedures with me!

11 Tips for Success in Upper Elementary Classrooms on the First Day of School

Getting your school year started on the best, most positive note is always the goal on the first day of school.

How to do that? Here are 11 tips!

1 – Get to school at least 15 minutes before students arrive and get yourself prepared.

Develop a routine to set yourself up for the day and get your head in the game. (I’ve got some tips for that in this resource.)

When you’re there before your students and you’re prepared for them to walk in the door, you set the tone for your students. When there’s no “downtime” (while waiting for you to get ready), they know that they need to get down to business.

2 – Be prepared and organized for your first teaching block of the day.

Have any technology ready to go, teaching supplies readily available, and directions displayed on the board. Again, this prevents student “downtime” and messing around. Once your students get off track, it’s more difficult to rein them back in. Save yourself that stress!

3 – Greet your students at the door.

This may seem like a small thing, but it is incredibly important. Simply smile and say “good morning,” using their name.

Greeting your students helps them feel “seen” from the very first moment they enter your classroom. Greeting them allows you to see who might need a little extra attention or redirection.

4 – Teach your routines, procedures, and expectations from the first moment of the first day of school.

And then plan to repeat and practice every day for at least the first two weeks.

Before planning your first academic lessons, consider a plan for teaching your routines, procedures, and expectations. It’s some of the most important teaching you will do all year. Here is a free resource for teaching procedures.

If you need more in-depth help with this, see my Back to School Planning Guide and The Upper Elementary Teacher’s Guide to the First Two Weeks of School.

5 – Prepare to rinse and repeat with the routines, procedures, and expectations.

Be consistent. When you are consistent, students feel “safe” because they know exactly what you expect and exactly what will happen. It’s kind of like knowing where the lane lines are on the highway. (They might still veer out of their lane from time to time, but teaching the “lane lines” will help minimize that!)

6 – Be flexible.

Always have a plan, but be prepared for interruptions. Some activities or lessons may take longer than you anticipated, and you might need to plan more time for that lesson the next day. Some activities or lessons may not take as long as you expected, so be prepared with some “sponge” activities to use the time effectively.

7 – Get to know your students. Here are some ways to do that.

Begin classroom community circles. See my post here for step-by-step instructions on how I implement circles.

Assign homework that allows students to share more about themselves. A very popular activity is to give students a brown paper lunch bag with a list of topics or ideas for things they might share. The trick is that everything that they share must fit inside the brown bag. (They can’t fit their dog inside, for instance, but they could include a picture of their dog!). Here’s a ready-to-use version of this activity on Teachers Pay Teachers!

Consider implementing dialogue journals. Here is my post about how to do that.

Learn more about your students’ likes and dislikes with these questions. Here are some questions you can use.

Getting input from students’ families/caregivers is also very helpful. Here is a ready-to-use resource for doing that.

8 – Read aloud to your students! Here is a link to some of my favorite chapter books and favorite picture books for upper elementary students.

9 – Give your students information about you!

Use a slide presentation to share more about yourself with your students! I call mine “The Care and Feeding of Mrs. Smith”. Tell your students more about you, what you love, what you hate, and what you expect from them. Create a Google Slides presentation of facts about you. To keep this activity (or any activity) from becoming too long and tedious, just share a few facts each day.

10 – Plan for movement breaks and stretch breaks, but stay on track! More frequent, but shorter breaks tend to be most effective.

11 – Initiate positive contact with parents/caregivers. Here are some tips.

To recap, here are 11 things to do to ensure success from your first day of school:

1 – Get to school a little early and get prepared
2 – Organize for your first teaching block of the day
3 – Greet your students at the door
4 – Teach your routines, procedures, and expectations on the very first day
5 – Plan to re-teach and practice those routines, procedures, and expectations!
6 – Be flexible! Have a plan for extra time.
7 – Get to know your students
8 – Read aloud!
9 – Tell your students about yourself
10 – Plan movement/stretch breaks
10 – Initiate positive contact with parents/caregivers

Need help with how to implement all of this in a step-by-step way? Take a look at my Upper Elementary Teacher’s Guide to the First Two Weeks of School!

Let me know how these tips work for you. Have a great first day of school!

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