Slow Down to Show Up: A Thanksgiving Reminder for Teachers

Hey there, stellar teachers. Welcome back to another episode of The Stellar Teacher Podcast—and happy almost Thanksgiving!

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you usually hear Sara’s voice at the start of each episode. But this week, it’s me, Veronica, here! I’m normally behind the scenes editing and producing the podcast, but today I get to host this special Thanksgiving week episode, and I’m so excited to spend some time with you.

So, if you’re tuning in on the Monday before Thanksgiving and you’re lucky enough to have the whole week off, go ahead and close this episode and go do something for yourself. Go bake a pie, go for a walk, or sit down and read for a while—whatever it is you want, you deserve it.

But if you’re still teaching this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, keep listening—because this episode is for you.

We all know the days leading up to Thanksgiving break can feel a little chaotic—short schedules, assemblies, missing students, and lots of distractions. So today, we’re talking all about what it can look like to slow down, let go of the pressure to push through, and bring a little calm and connection into your classroom this week.

It’s a short week, which probably means your schedule is disjointed. You’re probably missing a handful of students. Your students might be checked out, and you might be trying to plan for holiday travel or prep a big meal if you’re hosting. Needless to say, you have a lot on your plate.

And yet—even with a crazy week—the pressure doesn’t go away. We feel like we need to make every moment count. We often tell ourselves, “If I don’t squeeze this in now, we’ll fall behind.”

I think this is especially true this time of year. The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is always frenzied, and we feel this pressure to maximize every moment we can.

But today, I want to offer a little reminder that might be exactly what you need to hear: it is okay to pause. It is okay to slow down. And it is okay to not be productive—especially this week.

So if you’re trying to do all the things this week, let me invite you to reconsider. Because if you’re feeling the stress and pressure from school, chances are your students are too.

Maybe, instead of trying to make this a really productive academic week, you can make it about creating a calm, connected space that feels fun and lighthearted for you and your students.

Now, to be clear, I’m not saying cancel everything and show movies all day—although if that’s what you need, there’s no judgment here. But what I am saying is to let go of the pressure to push. You can still teach this week—but maybe do it in a way that feels lighter, slower, and more human.

Try a few of these options:

Read a picture book just for fun and talk about it as a class, or let your students do a fun art project as a response.

Have your students free write in their journals about something surprising or joyful from this year.

Play a vocabulary review game that gets kids moving.

Do a classroom reset together—organize materials, clean out desks, wipe the whiteboard.

None of those activities are fluff. They’re just a different kind of productive. They prioritize connection, well-being, and making space for your students—and yourself—to breathe.

Here’s the mindset shift I want you to hold on to this week: doing less does not mean you are falling behind. It means you’re being strategic with your energy. It means you’re giving yourself and your students space to rest, so that when you come back after break, you’re ready to dive in again with intention and focus.

Teaching is a long game, and pacing yourself is part of staying in it for the long haul.

So here’s your permission slip, if you need one this week: it is more than okay to slow down, to choose easy over hustle, to shift from doing to simply being.

And if no one has told you this lately, let me say it clearly: you are already doing enough. You’re showing up. You’re caring. You’re creating a classroom where students feel safe and seen—and that is the work that matters most.

And if you’re still looking for simple, low-prep resources to use this week or after break, you know we’ve got your back inside The Stellar Literacy Collective. But honestly, this week, just be present. That’s enough.

Thank you for tuning in and for being the kind of teacher who cares so deeply about your students. Wishing you a restful, restorative Thanksgiving break. You deserve it.