122. Tough Teacher Truth: The First Week of School Isn't Supposed to Feel Good

Episode 122: The First Week of School Isn't Supposed to Feel GoodIf you're exhausted, overwhelmed, or already wondering whether you're doing something wrong during the first week of school, take a breath. The first week of school is supposed to be hard.In this episode of the Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna Nelson talks about the pressure teachers put on themselves at the beginning of a new school year—and how quickly a difficult classroom experience can turn into a story about what we think that experience means about us.Because there's a big difference between:“This is hard.”and“This shouldn't be this hard.”One acknowledges reality. The other adds another layer of stress, frustration, and self-doubt.The beginning of the school year comes with a huge amount of adjustment. You're learning new students, establishing classroom routines, figuring out relationships and boundaries, managing expectations, and trying to keep up with everything else that comes with being a teacher. You aren't supposed to have everything figured out in the first week.You're learning, too.And while you can't control everything that happens in your classroom, you can learn how to handle your own thoughts, emotions, and stress differently when things don't go according to plan.In this episode, you'll learn: ✔️ Why feeling exhausted or overwhelmed during the first week of school doesn't mean you're failing ✔️ The difference between “This is hard” and “This shouldn't be this hard” ✔️ How teachers add a second layer of stress to difficult classroom situations ✔️ Why a difficult class period doesn't have to become a difficult day ✔️ How thoughts like “I'm already failing” or “My students don't respect me” can make a challenging situation feel even worse ✔️ A simple thought shift you can use when you're feeling overwhelmed: “This is hard.” ✔️ Why you don't need to have your classroom, classroom management, or teaching figured out immediately ✔️ How to give yourself permission to be a beginner again—even if you've been teaching for years ✔️ Why emotional regulation and working with your own brain are skills you can learn ✔️ How becoming better at handling difficult teaching moments can change your experience of the entire school yearA simple exercise for this weekThe next time you catch yourself thinking:“This shouldn't be this hard.”Try replacing it with:“This is hard.”Then ask yourself:“What do I want to do next?”You don't have to convince yourself that everything is fine. You don't have to put a positive spin on a frustrating situation. You can acknowledge that something is hard and still choose what you want to do next.Want help feeling better while teaching is still hard?That's exactly what I teach inside Calm in the Classroom—how to understand your brain, regulate instead of automatically reacting, and handle the difficult parts of teaching without carrying all of it home with you.If you're ready for a different teaching experience, I'd love to help.Learn more about Calm in the Classroom → CLICK HERE!Or, if you're not sure where to start, send me a message on Instagram @next.level.teacher or email brennanelson@brennanelsoncoaching.com and let's talk about your options.Keywordsfirst week of school, first week of school tips for teachers, back to school stress, teacher stress, teacher overwhelm, teacher anxiety, teacher burnout, classroom stress, teacher mental health, teacher emotional regulation, classroom management stress, how to handle teacher stress, teacher self care, beginning of the school year, back to school for teachers, teacher mindset