One Tired Teacher
One Tired Teacher
OTT 268: Bonus November: The We-Do-Not-Care List
The pre‑Thanksgiving stretch can feel like a sprint you didn’t sign up for, and we’re done pretending it’s fine. This candid bonus drop is for every tired teacher who needs permission to step off the hamster wheel, set healthier boundaries, and protect hard‑won peace. We name the pressure points—grading through the parade, last‑minute bulletin boards, “extra PD” masquerading as team building—and swap them for choices grounded in truth and sustainability.
We walk through a November “not‑doing” list that rejects toxic positivity without rejecting hope. That means saying no to performative joy and yes to real joy, the kind that fits into your day without stealing your energy. It looks like keeping the break a break, using emergency sub plans when you’re sick, and choosing light‑lift, purposeful activities that actually support learning. If you want something festive, we talk about gratitude prompts and a Molly’s Pilgrim reader response—both engaging, standards‑aligned, and kind to your bandwidth. Along the way, we remember what we still love about teaching, even if we don’t love the system, and we find solidarity in the beautiful, messy reality of the work.
You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. You get to choose less guilt, more truth, and only what truly matters. If you’re planning to not plan over Thanksgiving week, grab the free sub plan day mentioned, breathe, and let yourself rest. If this resonated, follow for more real‑talk teacher support, share it with a colleague who needs it, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your peace matters—and you’re not alone.
Links Mentioned in the Show:
🌿 You can’t pour from an empty cup — but with the Sub Survival System, you’ll never have to panic when you need a day.
Ready-to-go sub plans designed by a teacher who’s been there.
Because rest isn’t a luxury — it’s part of the job.
👉 [Explore the Sub Survival System on TpT]
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Welcome to One Tired Teacher episode 268. This is a bonus episode. It's we're talking about what we're not doing this month, a real talk episode. Hey there, my tired teacher friend. Today's episode is not polished. It's not filled with strategies or curated Pinterest perfect advice. It's just real. It's a bonus drop because honestly, some things just need to be said out loud. So welcome to the We Do Not Care Club teacher chapter. Let's talk about what we are not doing this month. Hope you stick around.
SPEAKER_01:Welcome to One Tired Teacher. And even though she may need a nap, this teacher is ready to wake up and speak her truth about the trials and treasures of teaching. Here she is, wide awake. Wait, she's not asleep right now, is she? She is awake, right? Okay. From Trina Debori Teaching and Learning, your host, Trina Debori.
SPEAKER_00:Hey, so this month, what we're not doing, just rapid fire. I'm just gonna read it out to you and you can take it or leave it. We're not writing lesson plans over the break. Nope. That's called a break, friend. Keep it a break. We're not grading long paper or papers during the Thanksgiving parade. If you want to shop, go for it because there's some really good deals. But we're not grading papers during the Thanksgiving parade. In fact, most of us will be cooking. Not me, because I don't cook. I usually go somewhere where someone else cooks, or I go to a restaurant because I don't cook Thanksgiving, but I do love watching the Thanksgiving parade and I like shopping for early Black Friday deals. We're not pretending extra PD the day before break is team building. We're not saying yes to last-minute bulletin boards, family feasts, or dress-up days unless we want to. We're not letting guilt creep in because we need to take a day or three. We're not hosting Thanksgiving in our classrooms. I mean, goodness gracious. We're not performing joy just to make someone else comfortable. We're not pushing through sickness. And if you are, grab those emergency subplans and go lay down. We're not pretending this job hasn't gotten heavier. We're just carrying it with more grace than anyone should have to. Those are just some of the things we're not gonna do this November. But here's what we are going to do. And we are going to use these as empowerment, and we're going to, we're not gonna, we're not doing positive toxicity. We are or positive, toxic positivity. Positive toxic, whatever. You know what I mean. Toxic positivity. We're just going to, we're just gonna keep this grounded in the truth. We're going to protect our peace. We're going to create moments of joy, real joy, not just glitter, glue, chaos. We're letting go of what doesn't matter and anchoring into what does. We're showing up imperfect and human. And that is more than enough. We're remembering what we love about teaching. That doesn't mean that we have to love the system. We're laughing because if we don't, we'll cry. And sometimes we do both in the same planning period. We're finding solidarity in this mess, in this beautiful, messy, exhausting thing we do. All right. Now, if you're planning to not plan during that Thanksgiving week, good. I've got you. You can grab my one free day of subplans and use it if you need to. Take a minute for yourself. And if you want to sneak in something fun and festive that doesn't require a second prep period, check out my gratitude craft or my or my Molly's Pilgrim reader in response. That is so such a fun thing to do in November. They're both purposeful and they won't drain you and leave you with no energy. So wherever you are, however you're showing up, even if you're just barely holding it together with a vinty coffee and a scratchy throat, you're not alone. You don't have to do it all. You don't have to do what everyone else is doing. You get to choose. And this month we're choosing less guilt, more truth, and only things that truly matter. I'm glad you're here. I'll see you next week. In the meantime, if you want to check out Will We Do Not Care Club teacher chapter on TikTok, come find me. All right. Have a great extra few days, and I'll see you soon. Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight.