Winding Down? Winding Up! The Challenges of Getting Through June

In Episode 70 of After the Bell, before the Stunt Brothers get down to business, they take a tour through some classic conversation topics: the weather, gardening, and Roy's short torso. Eventually, the discussion shifts to hockey, as Martin and Roy break down the playoff series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Hurricanes. While praising Montreal's goaltender for turning away seemingly every puck that comes his way, Martin draws an unexpected parallel between tending the crease and teaching in the month of June. This observation sparks a lively conversation about one of education's biggest misconceptions: the belief that teachers are winding down as summer approaches. In reality, June often feels like the exact opposite. Join Martin and Roy for a fun, humorous, and relatable episode as they explore why teaching in June isn't winding down at all, it's winding up.
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keywords
teachers, June, school year, workload, self-care, education, teacher life, end of year, classroom management

key  topics
Myths about June being a winding down month
The intense workload of teachers in June
Emotional moments and good memories in June

 sound  bites
"June is not a winding down month, it's a winding up"
"Teachers work twelve months of hours in ten months"
"Getting enough sleep is more important than ever in June"

action  items
Prioritize sleep and self-care in June
Reflect on the year's successes and challenges
Share your June stories with us

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Transcript

Speaker 0:05

Good afternoon, podcast listeners everywhere. Welcome to After the Bell, a Stunt Brothers production. I'm Martin Stuible.

Speaker 2 0:13

And I'm Roy Hunt, and we share your pain, having taught a combined 70 years. 70 years. I know. Wow. So get out your marking, organize your supplies, or just pour yourself a coffee. I think I need something stronger. That's okay. Okay. And listen, engage, and interact with After the Bell, a podcast for you, the hardworking, dedicated teacher who wants free lesson plans, free advice, and a free meal.

Speaker 0:36

Well, I always show up for a free meal.

STS With The Stunt Brothers

Speaker 0:42

Okay. We're on. I'm I'm I have pressed record. Mr. Hunt, we are back in the box.

Speaker 2 0:48

No.

Speaker 0:48

I just tell you.

Speaker 2 0:50

Well, I'm glad this is audio because I don't have to do anything with my hair.

Speaker 0:53

We don't have to compare height.

Speaker 2 0:54

You don't have to compare height, right? You just see Roy slouching. Does he have a chair? I do not have a booster cushion or anything like that.

Speaker 1:02

You just slouch away and it's all about your voice.

Speaker 2 1:05

It's not slouching.

Speaker 1:06

It's all about the deep Roy Hunt radio voice.

Speaker 2 1:08

I don't know if it's deep, but uh we'll we'll work with it that way. But we'll change the subject right now. Because it's episode. Okay, yes, the episode.

Speaker 1:18

So you are eager. You want to get into this. But we always say what episode it is. And this is you you earlier I said we should celebrate episode a hundred. And you went, hundred? That seems like a long way away. Well it did when we were episode one. But we are not episode one. We are We are episode seventy. Aaron Powell. So that's something to celebrate.

Speaker 2 1:39

Right? Yes, it is. It's amazing.

Speaker 1:41

And uh season two.

Speaker 2 1:42

Season two. And that would be uh episode Oh my gosh, now I can't figure it out.

Speaker 1:48

Because now it's past the thirties.

Speaker 2 1:49

Yes, now past the thirties. So that would be episode 40.

Speaker 1:52

30 plus 40 is 70.

Speaker 2 1:54

70. There you go. Wow. There you go. So yes, 70. I don't know. We kind of like, woo-hoo! Uh confetti flowing. Absolutely. Yeah. Do we drink? Well, we can't now.

Speaker 2:05

We didn't bring anything. Well I'll do something later. Yes, well.

Speaker 2 2:09

Celebrate 70.

Speaker 2:10

And uh the sun is celebrating with us today.

Speaker 2 2:13

Yes, it is a very nice day.

Speaker 2:17

Yeah.

Speaker 2 2:17

But uh I think it should be this temperature where the starting is.

Speaker 2:20

It's a more normal May. It's like in in England, they just had the hottest May on record. I mean they're sweltering in 35 degree weather. Okay.

Speaker 2 2:33

And it's sizzle on the west coast.

Speaker 2:36

Okay.

Speaker 2 2:37

And then it's chilly on the east side of Canada. There you go. So uh w w wow. So to have compl two completely different weather uh uh formations, right? The West Coast to like sweating it out usually because uh in the southwestern uh Ontario, it's that's that's high humidity, it just sits in that area.

Speaker 3:02

But uh, everything is topsy turvy. And this is why I do the podcast, my friend, to uh to not dwell on weather. Better your triggers. Yeah. I find my joy here. So let's let's move away from that. And you know, I I move into the garden. That's what I've been doing. And it's been full-on garden season, and I've been there for hours every day. And I've already had cucumbers, I've had beetroot, I've had all kinds of things.

Speaker 2 3:32

I saw that picture of you. Pretty big, but pretty big beet. Yeah. It's almost almost as big as your wife's head.

Speaker 3:42

I'm glad you said that.

Speaker 2 3:48

Oh my gosh, where did that come from?

Speaker 3:50

You've been in the school, though.

Speaker 2 3:54

Yes, it is. No, no. Yeah, and then as then sitting down at the lunch table say, Well, you're pretty short torso there. Yeah. Or you're slouching.

Speaker 4:05

That's what they say now, right? Yeah, that's what they say. Roy walks in.

Speaker 2 4:07

Roy's a big slouch.

Speaker 4:08

That's kind of a tiny torso you got there. There's a tiny dancer.

Speaker 2 4:13

Tiny dancer is a new song. Yeah. But let's change the subject on to hockey. Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Hockey man. That's another good thing, right? Yes.

Speaker 4:19

Because there's a Canadian team. Montreal doing everything they can to stay in the playoffs. That's right. Wow, they're working hard.

Speaker 2 4:26

They are they're um what, they've won one and lost two a game four tonight.

Speaker 4:34

Against Carolina Hurricanes. The Western or Eastern Finals, I guess. Eastern Finals.

Speaker 2 4:39

So the West Conference has already been decided.

Speaker 4:41

It has.

Speaker 2 4:42

Uh Vegas, a Golden Knights, has uh moved ahead, and they're waiting to find out uh who they'll play uh between uh the Canadiens and uh the uh Hurricanes.

Speaker 4:54

Right, yeah. I mean, fingers crossed, um I'm I'm rooting for Montreal. It's gonna be hard. I mean, they're doing the best they can for their youth and their skill level is is fantastic, but they just don't have that experience that Carolina has. So I'm rooting for them, and especially their goalie. Like he is just stopping those pucks like you wouldn't believe.

Speaker 2 5:13

It's crazy. It's like things coming at them all the time.

Speaker 5:16

Um they get outshot like 30 to 2 or something, right?

Speaker 2 5:19

It's it's crazy. Like something yes. They have 15 shots uh for uh for the hurricanes and then four.

unknown 5:27

Yeah.

Speaker 2 5:27

For Canadians.

Speaker 5:29

We can do like a sports podcast now.

Speaker 2 5:32

Yes.

Speaker 5:33

After the bell, after the after the buzzer, after the buzzer. Yeah, but the way he stops those pucks, so I know it's uh uh amazing. Yeah. It keeps it going.

Speaker 2 5:45

So my question for you is they talk about you know, this is uh going into June, uh the school year is winding down.

Speaker 1 5:56

Yes.

Speaker 2 5:56

Yeah. Well, really, the the NHL is winding down too. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 6:01

It is, right? So the Vancouver Canucks would say that.

Speaker 2 6:05

Yes. So the Maple Leafs.

Speaker 6:07

It's winding over.

Speaker 2 6:08

The Toronto Maple Leafs, yes. But but do you think uh Montreal is saying, oh yeah, the the the season is winding over the thing.

Speaker 6:17

We're just having fun now, right? And it it it's funny because I've heard, in fact, you know, when they get their salary, they get their salary for the regular season. You don't get a bonus for the playoffs. So they actually are playing it just for the game now, right? So it's it's that it's that part of the year. So it's just kind of like a teacher. Oh that extra hours they put in, right? And then like a teacher, they hear oh, the season's winding down. Because that is just like June. Trevor Burrus, Jr. You must get ready to play golf.

Speaker 2 6:44

What do you mean playing golf? I mean I'm in game four. Uh and we've we're down the what, we're down one game and we need to tie it up or go down two games and uh yeah. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 6:57

But that's like when I was in the class, and I know teachers are going through this right now, because this episode is gonna be it's gonna be June, June 1st, when this comes out. And you're looking at June and it looks like a long month. And people out there often say, Oh, must be nice. Just winding down, getting ready for summer. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 2 7:16

Well, in fact, I I overheard a parent talking to a teacher at uh one of the schools I was at. Okay. Please tell. And the parents the parent said to the teacher, uh, only four weeks left to school. Uh you you must be winding down. There you go. And uh I I give the teacher credit because they held it together. I didn't see any color change in the face or clench their fists or anything like that. And the teacher is polite and just said, um, there's still a lot of things left to do. And then the parent looked at them like really? And just couldn't believe it and walked away.

Speaker 7:55

Wow.

Speaker 2 7:57

What do you mean?

Speaker 8:00

I mean, what did the teacher really want to say? Like, what did they really want to say?

Speaker 2 8:04

The teacher really wanted to say. And Ms. Gondel, like, I'm gonna get maybe a bit of a manic voice kind of like, winding down. Yeah. Yesterday I supervised a track meet, worked on my report card comments, sorted lost and found items, organized my student placement forms for class building next year, attended a retirement tee, started packing up my room because I have to move, and chased permission forms for a year-in field trip.

Speaker 8:30

Sounds kind of like the Montreal goalie, right? Stopping those puts, right? No winding down the buttons, right? Yes. And then it's like, oh, you got two months off now. Paid. Summer break. How nice. Which it's not.

Speaker 2 8:45

It's not paid?

Speaker 8:46

And I think we're gonna get into that. I think we're gonna get into this winding up, winding down idea.

Speaker 2 8:50

Yep.

Speaker 8:51

What June is like, and what the reality is like for teachers in the month of June. I think we found our theme, my friend.

Speaker 2 8:58

Yes.

Speaker 8:59

We're not winding down. Not winding down. We're winding up. Winding up. So let's just wait for the nugget and go on from there.

The Nugget

Speaker 9:06

There's that sound.

Speaker 2 9:07

I haven't heard that sound for a long time.

Speaker 9:09

We have had so many guests this podcast season, right, that we have seldom done our full normal Stunt Brothers production episode. So today we're doing it, and the sounds are coming back, and that is the nugget. That is the nugget.

Speaker 2 9:21

And the nugget is is the takeaway, something that you can use in the classroom uh to help with your practice and help you in in your teaching. And it's really actually the nugget, there's not nothing. You can take away except for the fact it's recognition. It's recognition that June is not a winding down month in the winding up. It's a winding up uh time. And uh I think you ha really have to be a teacher to understand how all those things come flying at you.

Speaker 9:54

It's so filled with so many things. And like my entire career, I kind of heard the June myth, right? The misunderstanding of the public and other people who aren't in the teaching world who misunderstand. I mean, they they think, oh, must be nice, June, you're winding down, just you're showing movies every afternoon, letting students play games, counting down to summer, coasting to the finish line, right? That was just the words that I would hear from those who weren't in the middle of chaos. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 2 10:23

And and the whole idea is that we know that the students in the classroom, without some structure, it becomes chaotic.

Speaker 10:30

Yes.

Speaker 2 10:31

That's when all your the misbehaviors occur. Those students uh who have difficulty regulating become dysregulated, and the temperatures in the classroom rise because it's warmer, and then your temperature rises and right, and you're you're you're uh uh hopped up on caffeine and you've had three hours of sleep.

Speaker 10:57

But you're exhausted, right? You're exhausted. It's been hard every every other month you've been winding up. Yeah. And you're still winding up.

Speaker 2 11:04

And you've been going to the to the staff room and you're hungry and you didn't have time to make lunch, and there's a steady diet of cookies and chocolates and things from all the parties that they've had in the school, especially like retirement teas and things like that. And that's not good for you.

Speaker 11:20

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: And so what's the reality?

Speaker 2 11:22

So the reality is what's really happening is teachers are working on final assessments, uh, completing learning evidence. Uh they're working on their report cards. They have to communicate with parents as uh about what's going what's going on through the year. And uh uh there's student support meetings for the transitions for the students for next year. And then school organization. You're getting ready for next meetings. You're getting ready for next year with who's teaching what you don't know. Yes. So that's what's going on in the in the lens of the idea that, oh, I'm making a class for someone who I don't know who's going to take it over. Right. And sometimes, you know, when you know who the teacher is, and so when you're class building, and you say, Okay, I know that this student would work well in this classroom with this teacher. Right? Because but then you know, we when you have all these oh you're building a class for someone who you don't know.

Speaker 12:21

No. No. And trying to create these new groups of kids to work together and hope it's gonna work based on the best knowledge that you know. And all that's going on and you have almost nothing left in the tank. That's just your gas tank is almost empty.

Speaker 2 12:36

Aaron Ross Powell So if you were to say, I don't know, uh ask a question like what is June like for teachers?

Speaker 12:45

There's a few.

Speaker 2 12:47

What would you come up with?

Speaker 12:48

I I would say June is like the final lap of a marathon in flip-flops, right? Bare feet on gravel?

Speaker 2 12:58

Yeah. That's what it feels like. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 13:00

Just a few nails sticking out once in a while. What else?

Speaker 2 13:05

June is like educational Jenga. One wrong move and it all collapses.

Speaker 13:10

That's how it feels at that point, right? Oh, yes. For sure. How about June is like a staff meeting held inside a sauna, right? Some of our classrooms get so hot. Oh, and the enthusiasm level is not there from any party, right?

Speaker 2 13:28

How about June is like Christmas Eve for students and dental word for teachers.

Speaker 13:35

I think because that's the excitement level you're dealing with with the students and teachers, it's more like going to the dentist. It really is.

Speaker 2 13:42

Get those wisdom teeth pulled out.

Speaker 13:44

Aaron Ross Powell And actually in thinking, because I I I said the marathon earlier, how about all so June is like sprinting to the finish line while carrying 30 backpacks, right?

Speaker 2 13:53

Yes.

Speaker 13:54

But you're still sprinting.

Speaker 2 13:55

You're still sprinting.

Speaker 13:57

Teachers are still giving it all. Like even though they're exhausted, you go in a classroom in June and teachers are still giving everything they've got. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 2 14:05

Yep. June is like a weather report, partially sunny with 90% chance of chaos.

Speaker 14:13

Or how about June is like the last five minutes of a hockey game? Loud, messy, and emotional.

Speaker 2 14:19

Oh, I like how you brought that back to hockey.

Speaker 14:21

Yeah. And it is an emotional time. That's the other thing that's going on. You've been with these kids since September, and I know for me they were like a family. And I was looking forward to my summer holiday. I'm not saying that, right? I was so ready for the end. But my family is now coming to an end in many ways, right? And some you'll see in the school, some might be in your class next year. But it's such an emotional time.

Speaker 2 14:44

It is.

Speaker 14:50

So lots going on. I think listeners though, I would like to hear what you think. Give us, you know, go to stuntbrothers.ca, go to our Facebook group after the bell, and tell us what it what June is like for you. Give us some good analogies, metaphors, however you want to put it. And uh let's let's hear from you, listeners. Stuntbrothers.ca or uh Facebook after the bell.

Speaker 2 15:11

So the next thing I'd like to do is I would like to talk about the June calendar.

Speaker 15:16

Like the way the way it looks. Like you go in there. No.

Speaker 2 15:19

The calendar of Dune.

Speaker 15:20

Okay. I see. It's not empty, is it?

Speaker 2 15:25

It's not empty.

Speaker 15:26

Okay. What's on this calendar? Okay. Week one. Week one, okay. For June. Okay.

Speaker 2 15:30

Right. Sports Day.

Speaker 15:31

Yeah. Oh, lots of sports days. Fun day now, I guess. Oh, let's get into that debate.

Speaker 2 15:37

Yeah, it's not fun day. Sports Day. And then next one is Raino Sports Day. Okay. Right? And then the uh Sports Day Makeup Day. And then volunteer appreciation events. Yeah. And then the year-in field trip planning.

Speaker 15:56

Often going on. And then week two, actual field trip, bus cancellation. Oh yes. Rescheduled field trip. Grade wide celebration. And then farewell assembly rehearsal.

Speaker 2 16:09

Just the rehearsal. Just the rehearsal.

Speaker 16:11

Not the assembly itself.

Speaker 2 16:12

And you go to the rehearsal and you tell the students, okay, here in in the farewell assembly, this is your seating order. And says, like and then one student says, there's there are ten students missing that day. Yeah. And and there are all these spaces in between. And then the student goes to sit, no, you can't sit there. There's going to be a person sitting there who I can tell you the name, but you don't know the face. And just sit down.

Speaker 16:38

Then the real assembly comes along and they sit back where they were sitting, and suddenly there's three kids trying to sit in the same seat. Yes. I know.

Speaker 2 16:46

Week three. Week three. What happens week three? Yeah. And then you have to do a classroom inventory with all your books and where everything is.

Speaker 16:56

Put some things back where they should go if if you do, you know. Or some people don't. And then whatever you needed from the art cupboard, you don't find the next year. Right. Because Mr. Hunt kept it.

Speaker 2 17:07

Well, yes, you find those things, right? And then there's there's technology return. Right, right. Right. And then you've got you know, maybe you had some manipulative math manipulative science kits and things that all of those things had to be returned. Then you have an awards ceremony. Yeah. Right. And then you have student transition meetings because you're thinking about next year, right?

Speaker 17:30

Trying to get those organized. So that's the thing. At the same time, you are thinking about September. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 2 17:35

And and while this is all these are all the things that are on the schedule, you notice that it doesn't include the regular stuff that you're doing, which is this is all extra. This is the extra stuff.

Speaker 17:47

There's still stuff you're trying to finish because you have report cards to do, right? There's still learning outcomes, other things you're trying to do. You're still parents are coming in because some of them are leaving early, so they want an interview now and they want to hear how things are going. And it is still loaded with that. Yes. Yeah. And then week four. Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Week four. Packing your classroom. Okay. Moving classrooms. That happens more often than not, right? Oh no, we've got an idea. We got an idea. We're going to put all the grade three teachers together in the East Wing. And then suddenly off you go, and you just go, I moved last year. Well, this is this is better for educational philosophy, and we've got this all figured out this year.

Speaker 2 18:22

Trevor Burrus Do I have to move to that room because that's the hottest room in school? Or can I have a room with light?

Speaker 18:34

And then you say goodbye to the students. That's it. There's the emotional part again.

Speaker 2 18:37

Yeah.

Speaker 18:38

Say goodbye to staff members too. And you often have a staff luncheon, some kind of goodbye, and then retirement celebrations. And this year, there seems to be more than ever. There's lots going on. And I think maybe it's just this many people my age who are also at the point where they're retiring, and I've known them for a long time. But busy, busy, busy. But uh it's not really a calendar anymore, is it? It's a it's a it's a cry for help. It really is.

Speaker 2 19:03

Yes.

Speaker 19:04

But there's jobs on top of this. There's not just the calendar that's filled, it's not just the report cards and the curriculum you have to teach, it's not just the dealing with the students who w are already checked out for summer. There's a lot of other extra jobs to do.

Speaker 2 19:19

Right? There's the hidden jobs. Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Yeah.

Speaker 19:22

So there's class building's a big one. Right. Where teachers and administrators carefully create next year's classes. They they really do. Parents listening. Because often, you know, I think parents don't understand the time, the thought, the care that teachers take building classrooms. And it's never going to be perfect because it's not an exact science. Yeah. You know, you thought these two should work together and they would look good in your class, but suddenly next year they're a year older and it they're oil and water now for something, right? Things change.

Speaker 2 19:50

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: The friendships break up. Yeah. I'm no longer their friend. What? When does that happen? Over the summer.

Speaker 19:55

Yeah. But you're balancing those friendships. You're looking at the learning needs, behavioral considerations, academic strengths, social dynamics, all these things you're trying to do to create what you hope will be a manageable class for the teacher next year.

Speaker 2 20:10

And then it all falls apart. It's hard, right? Different students that you didn't even predict that would be in the classroom.

Speaker 20:18

Right, exactly. And kids go through new things too, and there's something something else is going on. So it's it's really hard to do. And I think at the end of the day, teachers do an admirable job of doing this, working with the LST, working with the administration, doing their best to create the best class they can.

Speaker 2 20:32

And then well, we have staff changes. And that's uh some years very few uh changes, and then some years it's like it's a landslide.

Speaker 20:42

Yeah, in North Van this year, there's lots of staff changes because there's a brand new school opening up in North Van. That's caused a lot of adjustment in other schools.

Speaker 2 20:49

Oh yes.

Speaker 20:50

And a lot of a lot of concern, I'm sure.

Speaker 2 20:52

Trevor Burrus, Jr. So for uh staff changes, uh you've got teachers moving grades. Yes. Right? And oftentimes when you're moving grades, you're gonna end up moving a classroom because uh especially if you were teaching at a low uh lower end, so maybe intermediate or lower end primary. If you're going uh moving up in primary or you're moving up an intermediate, oftentimes uh the the staff in the administration say, okay, well we like to have you know grade uh sevens and grade sixes. I'm not gonna say that combination that never goes crazy about. And we like them to be at that end of the school.

Speaker 21:27

Yeah.

Speaker 2 21:27

So now you have to move.

Speaker 21:29

But do you really want them all together? Sometimes I don't know if that really makes sense.

Speaker 2 21:32

Right? And then here we have uh we have people who uh who get notifications of being surplused. And so there's uh and for uh being surplused, then uh basically uh you have to get ready to to leave.

Speaker 1 21:47

Yeah.

Speaker 2 21:47

And there there is a a chance along the way that you might be surplused, but then you could come back into the school. Right. But you still have to get out of the yeah.

Speaker 21:57

You gotta get ready and get your classroom ready for the next person. And that might be you, but you still have to prepare for that. So another layer. Trevor Burrus.

Speaker 2 22:04

And then we have the new hirees.

Speaker 22:06

Yeah. They want to get they're eager.

Speaker 2 22:07

And they're eager and they want to get in it. Where's my classroom? I'm not even out of it yet.

Speaker 22:11

Well, I've got a truck out front with all my stuff here. Where do I put it? Just put it in the hall.

Speaker 2 22:17

And then we have all the teachers who are retiring. Yes. And as you said, there are a number of retirees this year.

Speaker 22:23

Trevor Burrus, you can tell them. They're the giddy ones.

Speaker 2 22:29

What is it? A water off a duck's back? It's like, oh, you have to do this and do this. Okay. There's a smile on their faces. Oh yeah. And they're saying. I'm gone. And then there are always timetable adjustments, right?

Speaker 22:41

Things don't go into the way you thought it was. There's a new class coming in, there's adjustments that then you go, oh, we just did it, now we've got to do it again. Yeah. And then there's the old classroom packu. You know, you still, even if you're in the same room, you still got to clean up, right? Go through your room, organize it, get it ready so the custodians can work in there and do a good cleanup. And then you start finding things, right? A variety of food containers with a variety of levels of decomposition I've found over the years, right? And no one and if you do a you know a check with the class, like say you got a bunch of things in the cloakroom, and you go, whose shirt is this?

Speaker 2 23:17

Yeah.

Speaker 23:17

Whose boots are these? Nobody seems to own them.

Speaker 2 23:20

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: It's like some stranger comes in your classroom, disrobes, uh, you know, kicks off their boots, and just then leaves.

Speaker 23:28

Yeah. I mean, I've had 20 pieces of clothing sitting on the floor before, and for some reason, not one person in my class owned them. It was like some random stranger just drops clothes into our classroom and leaves.

Speaker 2 23:40

It's great. I'd like that to be money please. And then I'll claim it. Is that it? Is that it? No. No, there's no.

Speaker 23:48

I'm exhausted just going through my brain remembering all the things.

Speaker 2 23:51

Exhausted just saying all this.

Speaker 23:53

I don't have to do it anymore, and this sounds too much.

Speaker 2 23:55

And and then there are the June events.

Speaker 23:58

Yeah.

Speaker 2 23:58

Right? The actual scheduled events. Of course. Right. So we have track meets. And then we have uh and then the the the kind of the culmin culmination of of all the track meets is Swan Guard.

Speaker 24:12

Yes.

Speaker 2 24:12

Right? And that's where and that's the interesting thing. On a hot day in June, uh maybe half your class, maybe a quarter of your class, maybe only two students from your class go to Swan Guard.

Speaker 24:26

Trevor Burrus, Jr. Speaking of Swan Guard, just to totally deviate as I tend to do. Yes. I guess Richmond has their own Swan Guard.

Speaker 2 24:32

Okay.

Speaker 24:33

And this year, there's you know they're gonna run, but there will be no acknowledgement of who comes in first, second, or third.

Speaker 2 24:40

Oh.

Speaker 24:41

Which I don't know, there's a bit of an outrage. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 2 24:44

Well, I bet.

Speaker 24:47

I don't know what Swan. Here in North Vancouver we have Swan Guard, which is our final track meet. Yes. I mean call me old-fashioned. Call me old-fashioned. What about FIFA?

Speaker 2 25:04

Because everybody's here playing and playing, and in the end, everybody gets the same thing. They all get the participation trophy in Canada, right? There you go. Did I win? No. But you got the same as what the the the best look like the best team. You got the same trophy as them.

Speaker 25:20

I think we've got another episode about it. That'd be good. What else is going on at the end of June? Is that it? Because I now I'm done. No, there's no. Okay. So you have year-end concerts oftentimes this school band? Yes, of course.

Speaker 2 25:33

They want to show that those teachers have been working hard, so they want to show look at what look what the kids can do. And then you've got the the farewell the finally you get to the farewell assembly. Yeah. Right. And then you have celebrations. Uh uh oftentimes in in uh the year-end um just before school is is out, there's a uh year-end assembly. Yeah. They recognize uh teachers who are retiring, uh teachers who have been surplused and and move and moving on.

Speaker 26:02

Right? It's an emotionally confusing time, June. It really is.

Speaker 2 26:09

Yes, you're proud, you're exhausted, you're nostalgic. Excited. Yeah. You're trying not to cry while you're carrying your six plants to your car.

Speaker 26:17

That's me. I had this massive plant. It was in this massive pot, right? It was one of those uh Swiss cheese plants, you know. But like I I'm surprised I didn't put my back out every year because I would get that into the car, right? I do it the like the last thing before I go home. Like that could have that could have been the straw that broke the camel's back, literally. Right. Literally. But it's emotional. And saying goodbye to the kids, saying goodbye to the staff, it's hard. And like I've said before, you've bonded with that classroom, and now you're this is it. So what goes through the heads of students, you think? Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Well, they they not the same.

Speaker 2 26:53

Not the same?

Speaker 26:54

They're not concerned about this. They think, hey, we're basically done.

Speaker 2 27:00

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: No, no. We're basically done, but they look at you and say, but I'm really done.

Speaker 27:07

And teachers are going, hey, we still have 17 learning outcomes, three projects, and a report card to finish, right? There's the we're not done. We're not done. But report cards are done, aren't they? I'm bored. That is our nugget is to show you and share with you just how hard June is. And for us, Roy and I, to celebrate that we're not there. Oh my gosh. Our nugget. Our nugget is to say, I'm glad I'm not dealing with that anymore. If honestly, when I when I go through this and I think I went through that I did that? Well, and and I think that's the thing. How did I do that?

Speaker 2 27:43

That's the thing that truly amazes me when um you know I I look at my time teaching and I've retired, and then when I go back and I see I see the the speed at which things are going in the school. And and I I have the same sort of like moment, uh the the wow moment that I actually went at that speed. Yeah. It's you know, being retired and going into a school that has all this stuff going on in June, it's it's like merging on on the Cocahola highway when everyone's going a 120 kilometers and I'm I'm trying to get on the road on my bike. Right? It is.

Speaker 28:28

I go like, how do I even get up to this speed? I don't know. And if if right now, if I was told, because June is coming today, today as you listen to this podcast, it's June 1st. If I was told, okay, Martin, you're going in this class, you're gonna deal with June now. I I I think I'd just crawl under the table and talk about it, I'd be emotional. I'd be crying.

Speaker 2 28:47

With with your plants in your arms.

The Homework Board

Speaker 1 28:57

What's that sound?

Speaker 28:58

What's that sound? And there's the homework board sound. Here it is. It's back telling us maybe it's homework, despite it being June. I am done. We've got more work for you. Oh, no more homework for you. Okay, no. Well, but let's make it.

Speaker 2 29:10

But this You're going to give homework to the teachers after we just said all the stuff they're going through. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 29:16

Yeah, but I think that teachers, in my mind, for homework, should find time for themselves. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 2 29:21

Oh, thank you, Mr. Obviously. Come on. Find time for yourself.

Speaker 29:25

Oh, and eat a bell meal. Make sure you're cooking properly. Roy, when you run a marathon, you still have to take a sip of water, right? Yeah. Or get some sleep.

Speaker 2 29:37

Okay.

Speaker 29:37

So I'm thinking take time for yourself. In June, teachers already are not sleeping enough. It's so, I know obvious. You're right. I am. Absolutely. Just like breathing when you're stressed and full of anxiety is obvious. But it's good to remind ourselves, like David Robertson did the other day when he was on our podcast and talked about how important breathing is to him and anxiety. Getting enough sleep is important. And this month more than ever.

Speaker 2 30:04

Honestly, just one easy thing to do. And I know it's easy because you have to let you have to get your mind to stop thinking. You have to be able to rest. But I mean if you could squeeze out one more or two more hours, then if you're if you're you you know like I know for myself, if I get eight hours of sleep, which sounds like a lot, uh that's that's my sweet spot. I am so good.

Speaker 30:30

The difference in me when I get the full eight hours, it's so true.

Speaker 2 30:33

And I could go to seven, so between seven and eight. Yeah. But if I go less than seven, I can feel it in my head, I can feel it in my body, the way I respond to things, the amount of caffeine I need to drink.

Speaker 30:44

And honestly, what are people doing for that hour, that hour that they could be sleeping? They're they're probably scrolling on their phones, they're watching some program that you could watch that tomorrow. You could watch that in the summer. Yeah. Stephen Colbert is not on anymore, so you don't have to worry about staying up for that, right? So get an extra hour of sleep, please. That's taking care of yourself. And that's our homework. Yes.

Detention Hall

Speaker 31:14

I love the sound. You know I do. Detention hall. Detention hall.

Speaker 2 31:19

That's because I think deep down inside you know that you've never been in in the detention hall. No. But do you know that? Just once. Once I was, yeah. I have been many times. You have. And so then you you y that gives you that little I was accused of stealing my own bike.

Speaker 31:35

So I shouldn't have been in. I was I was in grade six and I went home. My dad he worked on the tugboats, but he was home and I had lunch with him, right? And so I cycled back to Ridgway. I went to Ridgway, and this teacher at the school that was not my favorite anyway, driving a white van. Okay, kinda odd. He pulled up beside me. I guess he was out. I don't know what he was doing, it was lunchtime, and said, Hey, did you steal that bike? I go, No, it's my bike. Yep, you you're not supposed to be out. And put my bike into the back of the trunk and then took me back to the office. And I sat it was called the Sinbin. Yeah, I've I I've been angry about this ever since.

Speaker 2 32:11

Oh my gosh. I just sort of like pulled away.

Speaker 32:13

Yeah, it was incredible. And I was found to be I unleashed the kraken. You did. Yeah. And in those days, kids did go home for lunch, so it wasn't unusual. I don't think you signed out, actually. There was no pro so it's not like I didn't follow the process. Half the school, at least, still went home for lunch. Yeah. So I don't know what it was about. It was the one time I was at Ridgeway, they call it the Sin Bin. And uh I was my feathers were ruffled, my friend. Oh, I bet. Feathers were ruffled.

Speaker 2 32:40

I could feel your angst.

Speaker 32:42

So maybe that's why I like the detention hall. I don't put other things in.

Speaker 2 32:45

Put other people.

Speaker 32:47

So I'm putting in those people, and you've all heard it before. Teachers, they say, only work ten months a year, right? Must be nice. You got summers off, ten months you work nine to three, right? In the detention hall. You go in that cinnamon.

Speaker 2 33:04

Try saying that right now, about uh maybe maybe two more weeks into June to say that to a teacher. And uh if you do say that, I would uh recommend highly that you run.

Speaker 33:14

Yes. You add up those hours, those 10 months uh you know you where you're working at least 10 hours a day, you're putting at least five more in on the weekend. Yeah. You've worked twelve months of hours.

Speaker 2 33:29

You you've put twelve months of work into ten months. So you deserve two off.

Speaker 33:33

Yeah.

Speaker 2 33:33

Right. And uh and I know we get paid uh what pe people would say you get paid twelve months.

Speaker 33:41

Many people get paid 10 months.

Speaker 2 33:42

In 10 months.

Speaker 33:43

Yeah. Right? No, you get paid for 10 months, actually. You don't get paid. And even if some people in some districts in in North America, I know they have it uh paid out over 12 months, but that's just so people can manage their money better, right? But they're they're paid for 10 months. That's why some people get other jobs. They they do, they do other things.

Speaker 2 34:00

I know a lot of teachers who who have uh summer jobs because they have to have an income. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Speaker 34:06

You are paid for the 10 months that you work, even though you've put in the hours equal to 12 months. So you are not sitting there in July and August getting money coming in for work that you're not doing. So that that myth needs to end, and those people that think that need to go in the detention hall. In you go.

Rearview Mirror

Speaker 34:26

And there's the rear view mirror. That's when we look into the past. Because we have to look in the past and know where we came from before we go forward.

Speaker 2 34:35

Oh, okay. That's our line anyway. It's sounded good at the time. I don't know.

Speaker 34:41

But we have to think about that, I think. And also think about okay, our own Junes. You and I, 70 years together in the classroom.

Speaker 2 34:48

Yep.

Speaker 34:49

Let's try to think about are there ones that like we share, the stunt brothers, Stubel and Hunt. Yep. That's just you know, if you're new to the podcast. Yes. Stubel and hunt. That's why we're a stunt.

Speaker 2 35:00

Well, this whole thing is a stunt.

Speaker 35:04

Let's do a a worst? Yeah.

Speaker 2 35:06

I was gonna say the worst one. And the best. Uh the worst June uh I've had, and I know we've shared it, and many North Vancouver and BC teachers shared it with us. And that was back in 2014.

Speaker 35:21

Awful June.

Speaker 2 35:22

And an awful June. Uh we were doing work to rule, I believe, and uh for the beginning of June and before that.

Speaker 35:32

Before that, there were some rotating strikes at that point.

Speaker 2 35:36

And so the thing was that we um were we're doing fulfilling our our uh day contract things. We were you know do working with our students, doing everything, but we weren't communicating with our administration.

Speaker 35:49

No, no. Right? So we got docked 10 percent.

Speaker 2 35:52

And we got docked 10 percent for that.

Speaker 35:54

And we were putting our hours in still.

Speaker 2 35:56

And still working away and still weren't achieving a contract.

Speaker 36:00

So, yeah.

Speaker 2 36:02

Which was uh a province wide strike.

Speaker 36:05

Yeah. Started in June.

Speaker 2 36:08

Started in June. And I don't know why some people thought, oh well, we'll just we'll get them to change things before but it didn't happen.

Speaker 36:17

No. Right? So we entered the summer, not sure what was happening. Right. Not getting paid, of course. Yeah.

Speaker 2 36:25

And prior to that we had 10 percent of our paid dog.

Speaker 36:28

Yeah.

Speaker 2 36:29

Then we had the summer.

Speaker 36:30

Yeah. Not sure what's gonna happen where we're going.

Speaker 2 36:34

And so I mean everyone thought, oh, for sure we'll be back to work in September. Yeah. And we weren't. No. And we had the entire month of September. Another month on strike.

Speaker 36:45

I know.

Speaker 2 36:46

And uh no money uh coming in. That was tough for a lot of people.

Speaker 36:52

And listeners know that this actually wasn't at all over salary. We we were fighting to get our language back that had been ripped up in 2002 or so. And we won. We got it. We got it restored. We got it restored. I mean, we eventually won. We didn't win it then there yet. But the government wanted to put in something that said that if because at that point this was uh gonna go before the Supreme Court of Canada. And they went in a clause in there that said even if the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a language would go back in, it actually would come out again. So we were fighting for that clause because they were being very, very sneaky. So that clause did not go in. We got that in our collective agreement, and then within two years, by 2016, the Supreme Court reinstated the language. And that's why, you know, our class sizes should be less. But when I hear other parts of Canada that don't have class size in their collective agreement, I'm grateful for our class size language that most districts have. Now, some districts, of course, in BC do not have, except for the primary numbers, do not have decent class size because they didn't we had local bargaining in those days. But that's that's a whole other episode. But that was horrible. So I think I've tried to forget that, Roy. I was it was my first year in the office, too, right? I was in the MBT office night. Oh my gosh, that was a that was a horrifying start. Yes. So let's let's have a good memory. What's something we did together that we could do that was a good June memory?

Speaker 2 38:15

So the best June memory I have is when we took our grade sevens uh on a field trip, the final field field trip of the year, and we went to Eucoolit.

Speaker 38:26

Oh yeah, yeah. Dorothy Lyne, as we were there together.

Speaker 2 38:28

And we went whale watching.

Speaker 38:30

Whale watching trip. Wasn't that amazing? The west coast of the Vancouver Island. Listeners, if you're not from BC, go to the west coast of Vancouver Island. It's probably one of the most beautiful spots in the world.

Speaker 2 38:40

And you have two two uh the at the most um northern?

Speaker 38:46

Yeah.

Speaker 2 38:46

Yeah.

Speaker 38:47

What's the west coast?

Speaker 2 38:48

No, it's the most west. Yeah. I I was going like uh wherever it was. I'm thinking where I am. No, but the the the the most western points of uh uh Vancouver Island, then and then when you go uh south uh you you go to Yukula on the island. And then when you go north you you go to Toshino. And those are two uh amazingly beautiful places.

Speaker 39:12

They are uh Long Beach, beautiful Long Beach is uh you know great camping area, um just wild, I mean because it's the open ocean to Japan, basically in Asia. So it's that it's that full wild wild ocean that you don't always get in more secluded areas. So fantastic. So we took our classes to go see the gray whales off Euclulet. Yes. Right. And kids had a good time. It was an amazing trip. We stayed on a boat there. It was like a hotel turned into a boat.

Speaker 2 39:40

It was a hotel turned into a boat. But the boat wasn't on it was in a kind of a lagoon. Yes, yes, it wasn't on the opening. It wasn't. It was kind of stabilized so that when you walked on onto the boat, it was big enough to accommodate everybody. Yeah.

Speaker 39:56

It didn't rock or I like my accommodation, remember? Uh because I organized it. Yes. What did I get?

Speaker 2 40:04

You remember? Uh Captain's Quarter. Captain's Quarter. Captain Stubal. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 40:08

Captain Stubing from the Love Boat.

Speaker 2 40:10

Yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 40:12

There was a kid in high school, I remember he used to call me that every day. Hey, Captain Stubing. Okay. Great. Okay. That was funny ten times ago. That was a good trip though. You know, and we we had parents come with us.

Speaker 2 40:25

Yes. And and you know it's interesting because uh as teachers we were always uh take care of our students and always keeping an eye on students. Because we had, I think, three classes, three different classes with us. And uh we had parent chaperones and they were supposed to be uh supportive and they were very relaxed. It was like a vacation for them.

Speaker 40:48

I think they were all the dads too, right? I think all the dads came on this trip. It's funny. And they they could be found in the bar quite a bit.

Speaker 2 40:56

Yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 40:58

But it was still a highlight of my June, when I think back to my June's highlight that stands out, certainly compared to the one we just mentioned. Yeah. But other trips too. And I you know, June can be a great month, and it's fun when you do something that works out like this. And even though it was a lot of work, it felt good, it was exciting, and it

Wrap Up With Roy and Martin

Speaker 41:17

was it was not something that felt like a burden.

Speaker 2 41:19

It was a celebration.

Speaker 41:20

Yes.

Speaker 2 41:20

Uh it was a connection that you had with the students where you were able to go together and have a common experience uh and enjoy that time and and uh think about the school year and the the great things that you have done. I think at that year, I I think we had both you know launched rockets. Yes, we had done that. We did did a lot of things with the class. And it was just it was a highlight reel going on when we were talking with the students about that and and you know the whale watching, the rocket, yeah and uh there was just yeah.

Speaker 41:53

And it was the it was the perfect final chapter of of the highlights that we showed. The you know, I think uh it was Dave Burgess was on last week and he talked about, you know, when he talks about his class, it's like a trailer, right? Like a high well, this was like a trailer in terms of you s showed all the things that year that we did, it would be a packed highlight reel. Yeah. Right. It really would be. And I was just happy to end it and happy to have a June like that.

Speaker 2 42:16

Yes.

Speaker 42:17

And listeners, we hope your June is okay. We want it to be great. We want you to have a great June. But we don't want it to be terrible, right? We know because we know how hard it is. And we want you to get sleep and have fun with your kids, and hopefully you'll find something to find joy in and get yourself to the end, because we know how hard you have worked. And uh that's our episode for you. We've got more guests coming on for the rest of June. We've got a packed June of guests for the rest of the year. We will have somebody to talk to and someone to share, and usually there's someone that's in a different part of the country, or even someone from Colorado is coming on, a teacher who was in the Atlantic recently, an article, and I'm excited about talking to him. No, no. The uh the the news is the news publication, The Atlantic. So great article about him, and uh he is a teacher that has removed technology from his classroom. Oh so he's gonna come on and talk to us. So that's after the bell, and we hope everyone stays healthy, stay happy, stay fit, and we'll talk to you again next time. All right, bye-bye. This podcast is organic, taking shape with each episode, building resiliency for teachers everywhere.

Speaker 2 43:25

That sounds great.

Speaker 43:26

And our website is stuntbrothers at dot ca.

Speaker 2 43:29

That's stuntbrothers at dot ca.

Speaker 43:31

We will chat again after the bell.