Teachers, there is only so much you can do in one day

March is a long stretch in schools.

The work doesn’t slow down — it adds on. And at some point, the day starts feeling smaller than everything that needs to get done.

In this episode, we talk about what happens when the list is longer than the day, and how that pressure can quietly shift into feeling like you have to prove you’re doing enough.

This conversation brings it back to something simple and true:

There’s only so much one teacher can do in a day.

And the goal isn’t to do everything.

It’s to focus on what actually matters in the day you’re in.

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

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

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Teachers. Let's just say this aloud. There are days in March where the work does not fit inside the day. You start the morning with a plan, and before you know it, something gets added. Then something else. Then something that wasn't even on your radar yesterday. And by the time the day is over, you've been moving the entire time. But it still feels like you didn't get to everything. That's not because you're behind. That's because there's more work than time. And if you don't say that part clearly, it's really easy to start turning that feeling back on yourself. And that's what we want to avoid. So today's focus is simple. There's only so much one teacher can do in a day. You're listening to Teaching Without Losing Yourself the podcast. And this is After the Bells Beyond the Box, a moment made just for teachers, even on the move. I'm Kim. After years in education and leadership, I have seen how often teachers start adjusting themselves to fit the work instead of recognizing when the work itself has expanded. And March is one of those times of year where that happens. This podcast isn't here to fix you, it's here to help you see what's happening clearly so you can move through it in a way that actually works for you. Guys, March is a long stretch, and we're in the middle of it towards the end, and it just feels like it's gone on forever. For a lot of teachers, there isn't a real break yet. It's just week after week of showing up and continuing the work. And somewhere in this part of the year, the rhythm changes. You're still doing everything you normally do in a school day, right? But more start showing up alongside it. You're preparing students for assessments while still teaching the curriculum. There are more conversations happening all over the place about progress. More communication, communication, communication, and then more expectations, expectations, expectations that all need your attention. Nothing gets taken away. Again, not because anything is wrong. This is March. Just because it's a lot to hold on to in one day. And this is where the thing for this month matters, okay? The thing, remember, for March is steady, not rushed. Because when the day feels full like this, your instinct is going to be to speed up. But speeding up doesn't actually fix anything, it just makes the day feel tighter. By the time you get to March, you really can feel it. There's less space in your day. Things run super close together. And guys, your planning time fills up faster and faster and faster. Conversations that normally didn't take that long now take up more of your time than they ever did before. You move from one responsibility straight into the next. And it's not because you're doing anything differently. You're not. That's where this starts to matter. Because if you don't recognize that your list has grown, you'll start thinking that the problem is you. And it's not. Now add this on top of that. It's not just that there's more to do, it's that people need different things from you at the same time. And this is normal. Crazy, but normal. Students need you in the moment. All day long, your students are needing you. Parents' communications that that increases. And they want to talk to you. They have questions, they have concerns. And it really is heightened during this time. Your administration, well, administration, we're looking for progress. Documentation. Did you do this? Where's your small group? Where's your documentation on that? How are we helping this kid with that? And then we have the district. Guys, the district still is piling on expectations on schools during this month. Okay, so those expectations are still moving forward that they had before, and they're still piling them on and test paletting them for the next year. And none of the groups that I just mentioned, students, parents, administration, district, none of the groups are sitting down together to map out your idea or your day. No one's saying, well, she has this going on. Let's do this at this time, then this time. They're not doing that. They're each focused on what they need. And that's normal. That's how that works. Which means you're the one shifting between all of it. You're teaching, then responding, then preparing, then helping, then adjusting, all in the same day. And that kind of constant switching takes energy. Not just your physical energy. Know this, guys, it's taking from you. Not just the physical, but the mental energy. You're keeping track of multiple things at once. And that's when the day starts to feel really heavy. And when that pressure builds, it doesn't just stay out there in the environment, guys. No, no, no. It starts showing up in how you move through the day. You start feeling like you need to show that you're keeping up. You need to prove that. So you respond faster. You try to clear things up super quick. You move from one task to the next without really pausing. Not because someone told you to do that, because it feels like you should. You just feel like that's what you should be doing. And if you're not careful, you start measuring your day by how much you go through. How many things you check off. Like a little checklist. I gotta get all these things done. And as long as I get them done, I'm golden. You start measuring by how quickly you responded. And that's where things shift in a way that isn't helpful for you. Because now you're not doing your job, you're trying to prove you're doing enough. And those are not the same thing. So here's where we slow this down. If the list is longer than the day, then the goal can't be to do everything. I know we're teachers, we do everything, but that can't be your goal, and this is really hard. Guys, that's not possible. The shift is deciding what actually matters in the day you're in. What's important, not everything that comes before you holds the same weight. Some things need your attention right now. You know that. But guys, some things can wait until tomorrow. The world can wait. Some things matter, but not in this exact moment. And part of staying steady is being able to make that decision without feeling like you're doing something wrong. Guys, you're not ignoring the work when you do that. You are prioritizing it. You're focusing on what actually moves your classroom forward that day. And guys, you're letting that be enough. I want you to think about your last world day at school. And at the end of that day, what actually mattered? Not everything you touched, not everything that showed up, but what actually made a difference in that day? Just notice that. So this week, when the day starts to feel full, pause for just a moment. I know it's hard. This is something you have to do intentionally. Ask yourself what actually matters right now, then start there. Let the rest wait. As March is a full month, the expectations are real. The work is real, but you were never meant to fit everything into one day. There's only so much one teacher can do in a day. And recognizing that doesn't mean you're lowering your standards. It means you're working in a way that can actually last so that this job is sustainable for you. We're not here to fix it. We're here to notice, guys. Awareness, awareness, awareness. Be aware that that's happening and make those tweaks. Once you notice what you're trying to carry, you can decide what actually belongs to you in that moment. As always, we're doing this slowly, one layer at a time together. Until next time, guys, give yourself the same care you give everyone else.