The new school year is quickly approaching, and like most educators, I have a growing list of things that need to get done before students walk through the doors.

Usually, as teacher return days get closer, I can feel the anxiety building right alongside my to-do list. There are units to plan, professional development sessions to prepare, projects to finish, classrooms to get ready, and a hundred little things that suddenly feel urgent.

But this year feels different.

I feel more settled. More organized. And, perhaps most importantly, more rested.

For the first time since I started teaching, I actually took some time off during the summer. Two whole weeks.

That may not sound like much, but for someone who has spent nearly every summer finding something to work on, those two weeks mattered. I gave myself permission to disconnect from work and use that time to rest, spend time with family, focus on some personal goals, and get back into a rhythm with my diet and exercise.

It was time well spent.

And as I return to work, I am realizing that rest didn't make me less productive. It made me more prepared to be productive.

Returning With a Different Kind of Energy

I've already been back in the school building for a couple of weeks, working on school projects and getting some unit planning done for our ELA department.

My role also looks different than it did when I first entered the classroom. As I continue working toward moving into school administration, I have more opportunities (and expectations) to support the larger work of opening the school year. That includes helping with professional development, supporting new teacher orientation, assisting teachers with planning, and helping make sure we are ready to serve students from day one.

I've had opportunities to do much of this work over the past three years, so I feel more confident stepping into these spaces now. I'm no longer trying to figure out whether I belong in the room. Instead, I'm thinking about how I can contribute more intentionally and continue growing as a leader.

At the center of that work are two things that remain incredibly important to me: student success and teacher readiness.

I want students to walk into classrooms where teachers feel prepared to teach them well. I want teachers to feel supported, equipped, and confident in the work they are being asked to do. And I want to continue becoming the kind of leader who helps create the conditions for both.

At the same time, I'm also building something of my own through The Reflective Teacher Leader.

There is a lot that I want to accomplish this year.

Which means there is also a very real possibility that I could fall right back into an old habit:

Doing too much while taking care of myself too little.

I Don't Want to Wait for Burnout This Year

I know what my unhealthy work habits look like.

I can easily work nine- or ten-hour days without realizing how much time has passed. When I'm focused on a project, supporting teachers, sitting in meetings, solving problems, or trying to finish one more thing before I leave, eating becomes something I'll “get to later.”

Sometimes later doesn't come.

Then I go home exhausted, only to wake up the next morning and do it again.

And as the school year progresses, those choices add up.

This year, I don't want wellness to be something I think about only after I'm exhausted.

I don't want to wait until my body is demanding rest before I decide rest matters.

I don't want to spend the first few months of the school year giving everything I have to my work and then wonder why I have nothing left for myself, my family, my goals, or the things I enjoy outside of education.

So one of my goals for this school year is deceptively simple:

Take care of myself while I am doing the work—not just recover from the work afterward.

That means approaching my health and wellness proactively instead of repeating the same patterns and hoping this year somehow feels different.

My Plan for a Healthier, More Balanced School Year

I'm not interested in creating an elaborate wellness routine that becomes another thing on my to-do list. I need habits that can survive busy weeks, unexpected meetings, deadlines, testing season, and all of the other realities of working in education.

Here are the commitments I'm making to myself this year:

1. Eat during the workday.

This sounds ridiculously simple, but for me, it needs to be intentional.

Being busy is not a substitute for eating. I'm planning ahead so that I have meals and easy snacks available at work, especially on days when my schedule is packed.

Lunch does not need to be earned by finishing my work.

There will always be more work.

2. Put boundaries around the workday.

There will be days when staying late is necessary. But nine- and ten-hour days cannot become my default simply because there is always something else I could do.

This year, I'm going to be more intentional about deciding what actually needs to happen today, what can wait until tomorrow, and what perhaps doesn't need to be done at all.

Everything that feels urgent isn't necessarily important.

3. Keep moving.

Walking, running, hiking, and going to the gym are things that make me feel good physically and mentally. The challenge is maintaining those habits once the school year becomes busy.

Instead of waiting for the “perfect” workout, I want consistency.

A walk counts.

Thirty minutes at the gym counts.

Movement doesn't have to be impressive to be worthwhile.

4. Pay attention to what my body is telling me.

Educators become very good at pushing through.

We're tired, but there are students waiting.

We're hungry, but a meeting starts in ten minutes.

We need a break, but someone needs help.

That ability to keep going can feel like a strength—until constantly overriding our own needs becomes the norm.

This year, I want to notice sooner when I need food, water, movement, rest, or simply a few minutes away from my computer.

5. Protect something that has nothing to do with school.

I love education. I love learning. I love the work I'm doing as a teacher leader, and I'm excited about where my career is headed.

But education cannot be my entire identity.

I want time for my family. I want to write. I want to build my business. I want to exercise, travel, read, create, and sometimes do absolutely nothing productive.

A full life should have room for the work that matters to me and the person doing that work.

6. Remember that rest is part of the plan.

Those two weeks this summer reminded me of something I already knew but haven't always practiced:

Rest is productive in its own way.

I came back with more energy. I had space to think. I was excited about ideas again. And instead of feeling like I was dragging myself toward another school year, I felt ready for it.

I don't want to wait until next summer to experience that feeling again.

Rest needs to exist throughout the year—in evenings, weekends, quiet moments, boundaries, and days when I choose not to open the laptop.

Leading Differently Requires Living Differently

As I think about the kind of leader I want to become, I'm realizing that leadership isn't only reflected in what I accomplish.

It's also reflected in what I model.

I can't encourage teachers to create sustainable practices while celebrating my own exhaustion. I can't talk about supporting the whole child while ignoring myself as a whole person. And I don't want success to require sacrificing my health, relationships, or joy.

There will absolutely be busy days this year. There will be late nights, stressful weeks, unexpected problems, and moments when balance feels completely out of reach.

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is to notice when I'm drifting back into old patterns and make a different choice sooner.

This school year, I still want to accomplish big things. I want to grow as a leader. I want to support teachers. I want to help students succeed. I want to continue building The Reflective Teacher Leader and see where this new journey takes me.

I just don't want to lose myself while doing it.

So as another school year begins, I'm entering it with a different definition of readiness.

Yes, I want the plans finished.

Yes, I want the professional development prepared.

Yes, I want the projects completed and the boxes checked.

But I also want me to be ready.

Rested. Nourished. Moving. Growing. Present.

Because maybe preparing for a successful school year isn't only about getting our classrooms, lessons, and calendars ready.

Maybe we need to prepare ourselves, too.

Reflect. Grow. Lead. Impact.

What are you doing differently this school year to protect your health, energy, and joy? Share your tips for staying healthy and balanced below.