Supporting Each Other You Can Do

I'm writing this in the quiet morning of snow day #2. It's also brutally cold outside. There is a LOT going on right now, both in my little world and the bigger world beyond. And I'm not just talking about the weather. Politics, education, family life, social media, health, aging, etc. I was inspired today to write from a more personal perspective. We are ALL struggling in one way or another. You may not see it in others and you may not want to admit it about yourself. But we are. I am.

I read quite a bit. Not always books, but articles, emails, and blogs. I tend to be focused on educational resources. I enjoy them. I also try to share out when I find good articles and resources. This morning, as I was snuggled on my couch, I read "The #1 Reason My First Years of Teaching Were So Hard" from the We Are Teachers daily email I receive. The author, Kelly Treleaven, wrote this about 2 years ago, but what she shares is true today. It's a hard truth. And an ugly truth. Really ugly.

Reading this article where Kelly shares how hard her first several years of teaching were, has reminded me of how I felt my first years and also how I felt each time I stepped into a new teaching position over the last 20+ years. Overwhelmed. Scared. Nervous. Unsure. And the ultimate realization that I was reinventing myself. I was becoming a newer version of myself. Something so super scary at the beginning, but now looking back, necessary for me to be who I am today. I wasn't told or taught anything like this. I also didn't have all of the pressures that exist in 2026. Technology was vastly different. Support was wildly different, both inside and outside of school. Rules and requirements looked different. I could never have dreamed of being a district Technology Integration Specialist when I began teaching 5th grade at a little Catholic school in August, 2021. 

Reading Kelly's article, I feel my passion to support our newest teachers being reignited. I've already jotted down ideas I will take to my integration colleague in the hopes of building out a support structure for our district's new teachers ... not just our 1st years, but all new-to-us teachers. I want to delete the "assumptions" that "someone" is helping them. I am guilty of that quite often. Are you? 

Here are a few of my thoughts right now:

• assign every new-to-us teacher to either myself or my colleague
• identify a couple of staff in their building who've agreed to support them
• set up regular in-person meetings with them to help acclimate & ask questions
• prepare a notebook or collection of specific "helps" for the newbie in their position
• what programs are provided
• who is who in their building & district
• login information for our "stuff"
• links to our already built Staff Help Hub, highlighting key pieces of info
• an FAQ section
• place to write down questions or needs
• identify things we can do to help welcome them (work with building principals & Sunshine committee)
• reach out right now to our new teachers from this year to identify pain points they experienced & how we can help next years' newbie

Can you help me? What other things might YOU have wanted as a new teacher? What areas do we need to focus on specifically for our newbies - insurance? retirement? class management? Please help!

Teaching isn't easy. It never was. It still isn't. It's tougher than ever before. We can't keep losing those brave enough to choose teaching because they lack the support. We are teachers. At our core, we care. Not just for our students. We care for each other. Let's make it visible. Reach out to the newbies in your building. Check on them. I didn't make it this far on my own ... I have had so many wonderful people help me along the way. Let's return the favor. We will all be better for it.

P.S. I share out a lot of resources. Ones I create, ones others create, how to's, people I follow, etc. PLEASE share these. Time is a HUGE problem. Let's cut down the time we spend searching and instead spend out time supporting.

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

3 Things You Can Do

During my long run today, it dawned on me that it has been a minute since I've shared. I know I have explained that I journal everyday. It's how I start everyday. Journaling grounds me, it provides quiet time where I can gather my thoughts and start my day with a clear head. 

One piece of my daily journal is my "Today" list. I used to have such a wildly long to do list for each day that most of the time, I'd end up feeling defeated because I never accomplished it all. It was impossible. Have you ever felt like your to do list had become a "never to be done" list? Overwhelming and frustrating. I've been there!

I changed things up in the last year and I feel so much more productive! I feel like I am accomplishing my tasks rather than failing and never getting things done. Here's what I changed ... I identify 3 things that are my top priority. Three. I aim to check those off. If I do - yay! If I don't, I don't kick myself, I will carry them over to tomorrow, or I might decide it's ok that I didn't do them and skip them altogether.

These 3 things always are personal tasks. The first is generally my workout goal for the day (running, strength, etc) but the second and third vary. It could be a bill I need to take care of or a task around the house that needs to get done or something I need to pick up. I really feel far more productive. Here's the kicker ... I have so much more on my to do list - activities for my girls, low priority tasks, family/friends birthday reminders, etc, but because they aren't my top 3, if I don't accomplish them, I don't kick myself.

That's all for my personal life - my home life. Professionally? I have attacked it the same way. This year, I am back in my beloved role and I am beyond thrilled! I am surrounded by people I love and doing the things I love. I have stepped back into doing so many of the same responsibilities from before and adding on new ones. So many new ones! Talk about an insurmountable to do list!

My to do list at the beginning of the year was quite unbelievable ... I didn't think I could ever dig my way out. But then I pulled my "top 3" idea in ... and yep. You guessed it. I identify 3 top priorities for the day and work really hard to check those off. I list all the rest below and as the week continues, I keep working to check them off. On Fridays, I set aside time to go back through the week and carry forward anything to Monday that wasn't done previously. 

Why did I pick 3 you might be wondering? I'm not sure - I didn't research it or anything - 3 just feels good for me. A different number might feel good for you. If you are looking to manage your to do list, really consider what is necessary. Don't overreach ... your to do list can always be more than your top priorities.

One last thing - where do I keep this? A notebook. A simple, regular, my girls didn't use all the pages in a notebook from school one year, notebook. I put the date at the top and use one page each day. I use the pens my husband got me for Christmas last year (a 32 pack!) and I write it down. This way, I get to see the collection over time, which is also a really satisfying feeling. 

And yes, at one point, one of my top 3 to do's is to get another notebook out of the hall closet upstairs and prepare it to be my next journal where I can continue to write my top 3's. It's an easy - but important! - one for me to check off. 

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Reflection: My year limiting my phone & watch

This one is going to feel a little different. It has literally taken me months to write this blog, not because it's difficult. It's because it almost feels silly. And it all starts with a law the state of Ohio passed last year. Thanks to House Bill 250, by July 2025, all Ohio school districts had to "establish an official policy governing cellphone usage during school hours and seeks to minimize student use of cell phones in K-12 schools." (link to article)

Each district needed to have a policy. A policy. Something showing how they were going to limit cellphones during the school day. My district chose to go with a no phone & no smartwatch during the school day policy. I was overjoyed! Phones and watches are a huge distraction. I knew that. I lived that the year prior when I was back in the classroom after 8 years. I read "The Anxious Generation" (Jonathan Haidt) and I agree with the research he has collected ... phones are harming our kids. Yes - I was pumped to see how this policy impacted our kids. I was worried not all of the teachers would follow it.

Then I started thinking ... I was in a unique position. I was the technology teacher, for peke's sake! I was newly back in the classroom and it was only in my 2nd year at this district. I did my best to balance offline and online activities in my room. I brought in the local police department to talk with the kids about being safe online. Everything I did had some kind of technology component to it. My whole job was about using tech better/safer/well.

I also saw my colleagues, friends, family, and myself. I saw how we all interact with our devices. As adults, WE can't help ourselves. Not allowing phones & smartwatches in the classroom was exciting! But then I thought about MY phone and MY watch. 

Sure - I'm an adult.

Sure - I "think" I'm good about managing my time on my phone.

Uhhh, well - I put a time limit on social media for myself.

... and - I'm still drawn to notifications ... so much so I didn't turn them back on after my last summer vacation so I DIDN'T feel that "need" to look at that red bubble. (It HELPS!)

Sure - I'm a good example.

AM I a good example? I thought long and hard about this. 

Does being an adult give me a "pass"? 

Right?

I thought about it for a looooooong time and I decided I was going to follow the policy, too. By choice. I decided I would live the same ban as the kids. I also thought it would be a great conversation piece with them and my colleagues. 

With each group of students, I started with the same statement. "You have to leave your phone & watch in your locker by district policy, per the state of Ohio. I am choosing to follow this same policy." I did clarify I would be putting them in my desk drawer because I don't have a locker, and I would check it at lunch and my plan period.

There was very little pushback and questioning. The #1 question they had for me was, "Mrs. Kiefer, what if your family needs to get ahold of you?" Easy, I responded, I gave them all the office phone number to call. The office can get ahold of me. (Plus, my 2 youngest daughters also had a phone ban at their school.)

It was shocking. Shockingly GOOD! Yes, it was hard at first. I had all the thoughts I'm sure the kids did. "What if someone texts me?" "What if I miss a phone call?" "My wrist feels naked." "Will I still close my exercise rings?" "What if there is an emergency?"

Guess how many phone calls I missed from my family? A couple. 

Guess how many were urgent. None. 

Did I miss text messages? Yep! I would check it at lunch and sometimes there were a shocking amount. 

How many of them meant I missed out on something? Not a single one. 

I survived. And I loved it!!! I had a new appreciation of being able TO TEACH. I didn't have buzzing on dinging on my wrist or in my pocket. I taught. I interacted with the kids. It was great! I believe my students were far less distracted. I did have to take a few phones and watches, but it wasn't anything like the year before. 

After a full school year of this, I find that it's a lot easier for me to put my phone down while I'm at home and walk away. I don't feel like I have to be glued to it. I have very few notifications on my watch. It has gone back being more of a watch than anything. (Ok, I'm a runner, so it tracks that for me and it's pretty awesome at setting timers when I need to remember something in 5 or 10 minutes.)

I share this because I know I'm not alone in feeling the same addiction to devices as our kids. I share this because being mindful of how we used devices is the greatest example our kids see. I share this because I'm 46 and I survived a year in the classroom without my phone in my pocket or my watch on my wrist. I share this because YOU CAN DO THIS, TOO! And I hope you see and feel the impact on YOU, so that you can work towards the same positive impact with our kids.

I hope you read this and try it. Give it a week. I promise you'll notice a difference. And then I hope you share a message here. How'd it go? How did you feel? Let me know below, or reach out on social media. I'd love to hear from you.

And if you are interested, I've written more on this topic. You can find it here: Phones + School ... What Do We Do?

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***