Episode 355: Start the School Year Strong, Protect Your Energy & Build a Classroom Kids Want to Be In

It’s the night before CJ heads back to school for year 21—and there’s still stuff left to do. And that’s okay.

In Episode 355 of Sunday Night Teacher Talk, we’re talking about what actually matters as a new school year begins: creating joy where you have control, staying grounded when you don’t feel appreciated, simplifying your systems, protecting your time, and building a classroom where students know you genuinely want them to win.

We also dig into some great teacher questions about mentoring new teachers, juggling teaching with graduate school, setting boundaries when students need more than you can give, grading without taking everything home, reading with struggling students, small-group instruction, and knowing when poor leadership is enough reason to leave a school.

In this episode:

• Why you should “sweep in front of your own porch”
• Creating joy even when your school culture doesn’t
• What to do when you feel undervalued at school
• Advocating for students when working conditions aren’t acceptable
• Helping brand-new teachers survive multiple preps
• Juggling teaching, graduate school, family, and your own goals
• Why CJ doesn’t believe in work-life “balance”
• Setting boundaries without becoming less caring
• Supporting students without becoming their entire support system
• Handling difficult personal seasons when returning to school
• Reading aloud vs. independent reading vs. small groups
• Grading and lesson planning without bringing everything home
• Teaching the same students for another year
• Making directions clearer—and embracing a little weirdness
• Making small-group work actually work

The goal isn’t to have everything perfect before students arrive. It’s to show up intentionally, pay attention to what works, and keep building from there.

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