Teachers, July Is Still Yours.

July is here. And if you are honest, school has already entered your mind at least once this week. 

Not because you planned it. Not because anything official has started. Just a quiet thought. A text. A mental inventory of what your room still needs. And before you realized it, school was in the room. 

In this episode we are talking about the mental return — the drift that happens weeks before teachers physically walk back into the building. Most teachers never catch it. They just keep moving and call it being responsible. 

But that drift costs something. Even when it doesn't look like it. 

This is a NOTICE episode. No action plan. No list of things to do. Just an honest look at when the pull begins, what it looks like, and what it actually costs when school gets unlimited access to July. 

Because July is still yours.
 And protecting this space starts with seeing that clearly. 

 🎙️ Teaching Without Losing Yourself — The Podcast
 After the Bells | Kim Lester 

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Not sure where you are right now in your teaching journey? Take the Stage Finder — a quick tool that helps you identify exactly where you are in the process of teaching without losing yourself. It meets you right where you are. 

👉 afterthebells.org/pages/find-my-stage 

Ready to protect this space in a tangible way? The After the Bells subscription box is designed just for teachers — a monthly reminder that your time, your peace, and your life outside the classroom matter. 

👉 afterthebells.org/pages/box 

We’re not here to fix.
We’re here to notice. 

If this helped, pass it to another teacher who might need it. 

Until next time… 

give yourself the same care you give everyone else.

 ~Kim 🌿 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Okay, teacher, guess what? At some point this week, school entered your mind. Maybe it was a thought about your classroom and what you needed to do to get it ready for kids and for you. Maybe it was something you remembered you still needed to do. You didn't get a chance to talk to your AP. Your principal asked a question and you were going to go see her. You never got a chance. Maybe it was a date you noticed on the calendar and it kind of just made your stomach feel woozy. You weren't planning for it to happen. You were just kind of living your summer. And then there it was, school. And here's what I want you to notice about that. Teachers, you didn't go looking for it. It came to you. School is not back in, but something in you is already starting to return to that building. And most teachers don't catch that moment. They just kind of keep moving. They think, oh, this is me. I'm just being responsible. Look at me, doing what responsible teachers do, thinking about school. That's just me staying on top of things. I want to be ready to go. And I'm going to stay on top of it even in the middle of July. But gotta know this, you know, that pool, that pull back to the school in July, that has a cost. And today we're gonna look at it. Welcome back to Teaching Without Losing Yourself, the podcast. I'm Kim. I spent 28 years in education and I realized at some point that I couldn't fix what was wrong from the inside. So I made the hardest decision of my career and left. Because if I couldn't protect teachers from within the system, I could support them in protecting themselves from outside of it. That's why this podcast exists. This is the After the Bell series, a moment made just for teachers, even on the moon. And everything we talk about here is built around one idea. You can stay in teaching without losing yourself in the process. Nothing here is about fixing you. We're just here to see things more clearly so you can make better choices inside of your days. Guys, last month we spent four weeks inside one idea last month, June. What a glorious June. And the idea we worked on all month long was joy, joy on your own terms. What it means to rest without guilt. What it means to let summer actually be something that belongs to you. And we ended June with this: you are more than your usefulness. You are more than what people use you for. Summer is where you remember that. Now it's July. Oh my goodness, July, guys. In July, it carries its own pressure. Not the pressure of the last week of school. That's a different kind of thing. Not the leisure sickness. If you remember that, if you didn't go back and listen to that, but the leisure sickness of early June, where I had thousands, literally thousands of teachers on social media talking about leisure sickness and what that was, how that was happening to them. This July pressure is still a different kind of pressure. The July pressure is much, much quieter, guys. It's it's just much slower. But know this, it's just as real. In this month, we're working through one idea. Okay, and that idea for July is protecting this space. Because remember, guys, July is still yours, and something is already trying to take it from you. Here's what July looks like for most teachers. Now, the first week in July, guys, it kind of feels good. I think many teachers experience, you know, that um leisure sickness is ending or has ended, unless you're in summer school. Summer school teachers, I'm with you. I'm praying for you. You're not here. But for most other teachers, the first week feels pretty good. Maybe the best you've felt since June started. The exhaustion, the complete exhaustion from that leisure sickness, that's lifted some. Um, and you kind of feel like yourself again. You kind of feel like, you know, this is me doing my thing in summer, like summer's supposed to be. It's that first week in June, 4th of July, all the things. It's kind of a special, special week. You feel some kind of relief, but then something starts to happen, okay, teachers? And it and it happens right after that first week. So guess where we are? We're right after that first week. A thought creeps in about next year's class because the 4th of July is over. Your mind is opening up. A thought creeps in about next year's class. Oh my gosh, who am I gonna get? Who's gonna be in my room? Oh, is it gonna be that kid I saw walking down the hallway? Maybe a member, a team member of yours, texts you about a back-to-school meeting. Let's meet back up, guys. Let's get started, make this year count. Let's discuss responsibilities for the next school year for each team member. Let's start this year on the right foot. You find yourself doing kind of a mental inventory sometimes of what's in your room and what you still need. Maybe you're looking at that. Did I take that, you know, that bulletin board down? Did I leave it up? I don't remember what the rule was on that. Do I need to get more of XYZ? Will the school be re supplying XYZ? And then you start kind of counting the weeks. You've made it through that first week of July. It felt pretty good. And now you're counting your weeks. Because I know many teachers are going to go back to school that last week of July for pre-planning so that kids can come in the first week of August. And guys, none of that, you know, that thought about next year's class, that responsibility meeting with the team, none of that feels like a problem in the moment. You kind of feel like I've got this open calendar. I can do this for one day here and one day there, and 30 minutes there, and five hours there. I can do that because remember, it's summer and I've got an open calendar. It's just sitting there ready to be filled, right? So it doesn't feel like it's a problem. It kind of feels like you're being a good teacher. I love that good teacher. You love that good teacher, that being responsible teacher. It kind of feels like you're staying ahead. I don't know. Who's there right now? Have you been there before? Are you there right now? That moment where you realize school is back in your head, guys. That's where we are. And you didn't even invite it in. It just came. That's what this episode is about. It's not about the official stuff. Not when you officially walk back into the school building, not when you officially start pre-planning. You know, you get the calendar, um, the agenda from your principal with all the different things. I know I've made those of all the different things you'll be doing, and when you'll get to have lunch with your friends. Not, we're not talking about that. This is about a quiet, early return, one that you didn't even really know you were having. It's that mental drift, right? That happens before anything official. Again, we're not talking about the official. The mental drift that happens with you before the official, we're back in it. Let's go, let's go, let's go, begins. That drift, that mental drift, teachers, that costs something. And it costs something even when it doesn't look like it does. It costs something even when you're saying to yourself, oh my gosh, my calendar is so open. I've already been on the family vacation, I've already cleaned my house. Uh I haven't, by the way, if anybody wants to know. I've already cleaned my house, I've already done these things. So there's space for that, right? That mental drift is happening, even when it doesn't look like it's happening. So let's talk about what this looks like. So let's just say you're at home, you're having that slow morning, you've got your hot morning coffee, you got your barefoot moments going on with your nice candle in the background. No alarm goes off. Guys, I turned that alarm off so fast when school ended. I don't even know if I can turn it back on. So no alarm went on, none was needed. You don't have anything on your schedule. Remember, it's kind of empty. You've done the major things you wanted to do. So nothing's on there, nothing has to happen. And somewhere in all of that glorious, beautiful, quiet, school enters. Enters mentally, enters through your phone, enters through your email that you're checking anyway. School enters on your nice July day. Maybe school enters because it's a list, you know, things you want to do differently. You started that list. Maybe school enters because there's supplies you need to order. You know, there are things that you need to put together and put your supply list together, and you're sitting there enjoying your hot morning coffee, and you start thinking about the supplies. Maybe school enters because you remember, oh my gosh, this is the state of Georgia. Last year we had one year freebie with the ELA standards, and now they count. Oh my goodness, I need to rework that's that unit again, that instructional unit again, so that I'm ready to go. Maybe that's how it enters. And you think, because these are small things, supplies, you know, the instructional unit. You think, I'll just make, take a moment, I'll just make just a few notes because it's on my mind while I'm thinking about it. So you do that. You start making just a few notes, and 20 minutes pass, and you look up in that quiet, beautiful barefoot morning with honeysuckle in the air is gone. Or let's say you get a text. Let's let's say it's maybe a text, a teammate checking in. Hey girl, how you doing? How's your summer? How the kids got a quick question about schedules. Next thing you know, it's a group chat. Everybody's on it, and there's back to school talk, back to school talk. Did you know? Did you hear? What about this? What about this? Did you have? Do you know where that is? I've got to go get mine. Oh my gosh, I forgot that. Your summer morning, beautiful barefoot morning is now a group chat with all your team, and you love them. I'm not saying you don't, but with all of your team doing all that back to school talk, and you respond in the beginning just once, then again, then again, and of course you respond. This is your team, these are your people. Y'all take care of each other. But that's what you do, you respond over and over again, and now you're really, not physically, but you're really back in school. And it's still July. Look at what just happened. School has entered the room, and guys, once school enters the room, you know, like I know. So I'm talking to you know, the professionals. Once school enters the room, you're having those conversations, you're making those lists, you're thinking about those ELA standards. School does not leave easily. Again, remember, this is July, not even late July, this is early July. Do you know that feeling you have like when you spend one hour on a school thing and you kind of set aside sometime, and I'm just gonna spend this hour, and the next thing you know, the whole day feels like you had a whole school day. It feels like you almost were in the building, clocked in, signed in, working for a whole school day, and you just kind of started wanting to do one thing. Yeah, that's what's happening. Not because you did anything wrong, not because school is, you know, something that is pulling you physically, mentally. People are saying you have official duties to do. That's not what happened. That is happening because school, guys, is super good at expanding, taking something small that you want to do. You're gonna do this list, you're gonna do this real quick. School is very good at expanding, reaching out to fill whatever space you give it. And this matters. I want to be clear about something. This matters. This episode, this podcast is not telling you do nothing. I want you to know that. I am a realist. This is my work. I've done it for 28 years. Okay, it's not saying school should never, can never, will never end to July. I am a realist. I've done this 28 years. School's gonna come in. I know that. There are things that have to be done before you return. And we're gonna talk about that for another week. We're just talking about where we are today. This is what I want you to notice right now, right today. Just notice. Okay. I want you to notice when did school start entering your thoughts this summer? Think back a little bit. When did it enter? Did school enter your thoughts during week one of June, like in the middle of your leisure sickness? You start thinking about it? Was it like the second week of July, like right now? We're in a second week of July. Did it just enter? Or has school been there the whole time? Like, did you even get a break from it? Did you even let it go for a second? Or was it always sneaking on in there? Where are you losing your precious, precious July time before you physically return to the school building? Because for most teachers, most teachers, the answer is earlier than they realize. You kind of think I'm doing my summer thing. You're not even paying attention to all the energy time that you're giving to school when you don't even plan to do so. The mental returns, the mental return to school, guys, that that happens before the physical one. Before you physically walk in the door, you're mentally returning to school. The assumption is this. This is the assumption. Summer is summer until the day you walk back in. I mean, shouldn't that really be the case? It should be summer. Summer should be summer until you walk back in. Remember, you don't get paid for the summer. I've talked about that as well. Your summer is non-paid time. So summer is summer until the day you walk back in. That should be the case. But teachers know that's not true. The mind goes back long before the body does. Okay? And that matters because those weeks, those days, teachers, those are yours. We know the school year is coming. No worries. School is coming, back to school cells are already there. It is coming. We all know it. And it's gonna start. But can we just agree to this? Even though it is coming, even though it is on the way, we can see it. School does not get to take the entire runway to August. It just doesn't get to take all that time. It is not a July is here, July 4th. Now let's do school all the way until I walk in the building. July doesn't get to take the entire runway and get all of your time. Can we just agree to that? Okay. So let know this. I I was on summer break one summer. Uh, and I went to my daughter's volleyball tournament. And I'll never forget this. We were in Orlando, Florida, which is a massive, huge convention hall. And I think I was on like court 140 or so volleyball. If you've been there, you know. And there were like, I don't know, 200 courts. There were a bunch of courts. I'm amazed when I look at it. My husband is there, my daughter is playing. Guys, I was like 100% present. Okay. It was the very end of June. And then my phone rang. Um, and it was a district leader, and she knew I was out of town. She she knew. She said she knew I was on a break away with my family at my daughter's tournament, but she just needed a minute. She just needed a moment of my time. Well, I'm in a convention center, guys. I can't hear. Have you ever been in a convention center when there's any kind of sport? No, you cannot hear. So I walked. I walked through the courts, I walked past, you know, the Isa E bowl. I walked past all those things all the way through that convention hall out of the doors, so I can find myself a place that was kind of quiet to have that conversation. Because of course it's important. And I'm not going to say it wasn't. I'm just going to say I was, you know, at the convention center. And that conversation lasted about 10 minutes. When that was over, I took my same way back. I walked back past the acai bowls. I didn't stop and get one, even though I do. They're $25 in case you didn't know. But I walked back in all the way back in through that place and found my court. I don't know, court 140 or so. And when I got there, that set was over. I didn't see it. I heard about it. I heard it went very well. Everyone seemed really excited when I got there. The girls won, and it was a lot of excitement. My daughter was smiling, and I missed it. That is what it costs. I mean, yeah, I'm going to see a lot more games. I was there to see most of them, you know, more of them. But I missed that set. I missed that moment. Okay, so it costs. It's not always something really big that it costs you. Sometimes it's just a set. And I know there are many sets. I'm there for four days normally, all day long. But it's a moment you don't get back. And I want what I want you to kind of sit with when we're talking about this is you know, yeah, my daughter played. I left. The district leader knew I was there. She called anyway. I walked out anyway. Yeah, I did that. Because you know what? That's what we're trying to do. School calls, physically, mentally, it didn't matter. School calls, we answer. Even in Orlando, even in June and July, even in the middle of something that really matters. When school calls, each of us, we answer. So here's what I want to leave with you today. I don't want you to give, I don't want to give you any kind of plan or anything. I don't want you to make a list of anything. We're not doing that. It's still summer. But I do want to leave you with this. Teachers, pay attention to when school is entering your peaceful July moment. Just super intentionally slow down and think about it. Pay attention to when school is entering your barefoot moments in July. I want you to notice it. Speak it, say it. This just happened. I'm not saying you gotta stop it because it might be something like my phone call. I noticed that. But I want you to notice it. And I don't want you to feel guilty about it when it happens. But you've got to be able to see it first. Change does not happen without us doing things intentionally. What I want you to do intentionally, guys, is start to notice. Notice what triggered it. Notice how long it stayed. I want you to notice, make note of it, know that it happened. What did it cost you? For me, it cost me time. For me, it cost me a moment watching my daughter, who is now a senior in high school, play. It costs. What did it cost you? Because again, intentional, intentional is my favorite word. Intentional awareness changes things. It doesn't change things immediately, it doesn't change things dramatically, but it does change. When you can see the moment school enters your summer, you start to see that you have more to say in it than you thought. Even for me, in the example I gave you, what if I just didn't answer? I knew who it was. The district comes up on my phone. What if I chose not to answer it? A voicemail would have been left. I could have gotten it between games. I could have gotten it when we got back to the condo. When you see that the moment school enters your summer, you start to see that you have more say in it than you thought. Even if it is thinking about a list, even if it is thinking about your classroom, you have more to say and whether or not you do that than you thought. Teachers, it's July. It is still yours. It is not empty time waiting to be filled just because the calendar says so. And July is not a runway for school to start building on early. Okay. July is yours. And teachers, that is worth you protecting. So this is where we're starting July. Just noticing, just paying attention to when the pool, the pull back into the school begins, whether it's physically or mentally, the pull and what it looks like for you specifically. Next week, we're gonna go a little deeper into the quiet way schools will creep back in before you can officially return. And why some of that pull comes from the system, and guys, you don't want to hear it, but some of it comes from you. This is where protecting this space begins. Right here, right now, in July. Until then, guys, give yourself the same care you give everyone else.