Dear Stellar Teacher: Making Space for More Joy This Year

Sara
Hey there, teachers, and welcome back to the very first Dear Stellar Teacher episode of 2026. Of course, as always, we are so glad you are here.

As teachers, I think a new year can bring a mix of both excitement and maybe some trepidation. Of course, it’s a new year. There’s a fresh calendar. There are new goals to set. Maybe you’re one of those teachers who chooses a word of the year.

At the same time, you’re returning to an existing classroom. You might have some classroom management challenges, some personality conflicts, and you’ve got students—and a job—that are demanding your energy and pulling you in a hundred different directions.

So today, we want to talk about something that doesn’t get talked about nearly often enough in education, and that’s the idea of joy. How can we bring more joy into the classroom? How can we find more joy in the teaching profession?

In this episode, we want to talk about how you can bring more joy into the second semester in ways that feel more sustainable, meaningful, and doable. So take a deep breath, settle in, and let’s talk about how we can make space for more joy this year—for you and for your students.

And of course, I am joined by my wonderful co-host, Emily. Emily, welcome to the new year, and thanks so much for joining me today.

Emily
Can you believe that it’s 2026?

Sara
No. I’m, like, a little bit in disbelief. How did we get here so fast? I feel like I’m still in March of 2025.

Emily
For sure. For me, this year came with a big realization. I grew up in New Jersey, went to school in North Carolina, and I started college in 2013. So I just had this out-of-body experience realizing that I’ve been in North Carolina for 13 years.

Yeah. Insane. When did I grow up?

Sara
Well, when you said you graduated college in 2013, I was like, well, I graduated college in 2005. So I’m 21 years post-college, which does not feel accurate. I don’t feel like I should have been out of college for that long. I honestly don’t know where time has gone. Time is such a bizarre thing.

Emily
Hang on. I graduated high school in 2013.

Sara
Oh gosh. Okay. That makes me feel even older. We’re just going to move on.

Before we talk about joy, I always love to check in on what you’re reading. Have you read any good books lately? Or is there anything you’re kicking the year off with that you’re excited about?

Emily
Yes. I have read some good books. My reading definitely slowed down this year, mostly because life got busy—I had a baby—so that slowed things down a bit.

But one book I read recently that I absolutely loved was The Woman in the White Kimono.

Sara
Okay, I haven’t heard of that one.

Emily
It was fantastic. It took an unexpected twist, but it was very poignant in the end. I really liked it. What about you? Any books recently?

Sara
Yes. There are two books I’ve read recently. One of them was one of those books that I just loved. It wasn’t necessarily lighthearted—it had some heavy topics—but the way the author presented it made it feel like a really comforting, feel-good story overall.

It’s about family relationships, and it’s called The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. I can’t even really describe it because I don’t want to give anything away, but it was one of those books I just enjoyed from beginning to end. The characters weren’t all lovable, but they were all really interesting to read about. It’s probably one of my favorite books I’ve read recently.

I also read Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall. I saw it on so many lists that I felt like I had to read it. And honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking, I hate this book. This book is horrible. Nothing good happens. There’s just so much sadness.

I still don’t know how I feel about the main character, but I loved the ending. So I’m kind of stuck in this place where I hated the book, but I liked how it ended, and I don’t know what to do with that. I also haven’t found anyone else who’s read it, so I haven’t had a good discussion about it.

So if any listeners have read Broken Country, please message us on Instagram. I need to talk about this book, because I have very mixed emotions.

Emily
Do you ever get on Reddit and read threads about books?

Sara
Sometimes, but I try to avoid it. There are already enough parts of the internet that suck me in, and I don’t need Reddit added to that list.

Okay, let’s talk about this idea of joy. Before we dive into strategies and ideas, I’m curious—what was it like for you as a teacher coming back in January? Were you excited? Did you dread it?

I think January is such a strange time for teachers. The rest of the world feels like they’re starting fresh with the new year, but teachers are thinking, we’re halfway through the slog. We’re not done yet.

I think the new year can actually feel harder for teachers than it does for a lot of other people. So what was it like for you when you returned to the classroom after winter break?

Emily
I think it was always this feeling—I don’t want to say impending doom—but knowing that the second semester was here and that testing was coming up. At the same time, I always felt this drive, like, okay, we have our feet underneath us now, and now we’re going to hit the ground running so we can make it to the end of the year.

And if you’re a teacher, you know January usually had a little break in there, so it wasn’t too bad. But then there was that long, long stretch of February and March.

Sara
It was the worst.

Emily
That part was always tough. But I do think I started the new year with that same fresh mindset, like, okay, new year, new me. So I can’t say I hated it, but I can’t say I loved it either. What about you?

Sara
I love goals. I love fresh starts. I’m also someone who leans toward being an optimistic person in general. I was one of those teachers who always worked over winter break, so I always went into the second semester thinking, this semester is going to be great. It’s going to be different. Everything’s going to be so much better.

I worked hard to fix things, and I had a plan for how beautiful it was all going to be. And then, inevitably, we’d get back, and a few days in it would be like, oh, we still have the same behaviors we had before. Things are more demanding. Schedules are still chaotic. It was like I had forgotten about the chaos that was my reality.

A few days in, I’d be like, well, screw it. Or, you know, let’s just survive the year. All of my intentions would kind of fall away. It’s like typical New Year’s resolutions—you set a goal, and then by January you’re already off of them and moving on. So I feel like that was kind of me.

Emily
Well, let me ask you this. When you left for Christmas break, did you clean up all your Christmas decorations?

Sara
Oh, no.

Emily
Or were you the type of person who came back in January and thought, wow, last year’s me left a mess?

Sara
Yeah, last year’s me definitely left a mess. I was like, let me get out of here as fast as I can in December. And then coming back in January, I was like, what have I done?

But I do think—especially now, being out of the classroom—that I’ve become a very reflective person. I look back and think, you know what, there are actually things I could have done differently that would have made the second semester a lot more enjoyable for me.

So we’re going to talk about some of those things. I’m going to let you start, though. What are some things you think teachers can do to bring more joy into their classroom, into the profession, and just into their lives in general this next semester?

Emily
Okay, so if you’ve been part of the Stellar Teacher world for any amount of time, you’re not going to be surprised by what I’m about to say.

My first small shift that teachers can make to capture more joy in the second semester is leaning into classroom routines. Mostly because classroom routines create calm. And for me, calm leads to joy.

When we’re consistent with routines, students know what to expect, teachers know what to expect, and everything just feels calmer. That calm creates space for being playful and happy with your students.

Sara
I love that. And I’m glad you mentioned it, because that wasn’t actually on my list—but it should have been.

When I think back to being in the classroom, we always started the year strong with routines. And then November and December would get hectic and chaotic, and we’d fall off of them. It’s like you forget that January really needs to be treated like the beginning of the year again. You need to go back and reteach routines.

This is kind of a side note, but I forgot how much this made me smile. One way I used to reintroduce routines was through our class plant. Usually in January, I’d bring in a new class plant. One year we named him Roger.

I’d tell my students, okay, Roger is a new student in our class, and he doesn’t know how to do this routine. Explain it to him. Rather than just telling the kids we need to practice, they got really invested in teaching Roger how things worked.

It was cheesy. It was silly. But they loved it. So if you need a fun way to reintroduce routines, bring in a plant and have your students teach the plant the routines.

Emily
That’s so awesome, because it’s silly—and silliness is where we find joy with our students. We have to remember these are kids. They’re kids.

Sara
Yes.

So the first thing I want to share is more of a big-picture idea. I think one of the hardest things for teachers is recognizing that teaching is a job. It’s a profession. And I think we often lose joy when we’re not getting professional satisfaction.

Unhappiness often comes from the gap between expectations and reality. If you have expectations for what you want your job or profession to look like, and that’s not your reality, that’s where unhappiness creeps in.

Maybe you’re not getting professional satisfaction because you’re being forced to use a curriculum that doesn’t align with research. Maybe there’s too much emphasis on testing. Maybe you’re being asked to do more than your job description, and you’re feeling spread thin.

So as you head into this semester, it’s worth thinking about where you get your job satisfaction from. Maybe it’s having more autonomy—closing your door and teaching. Maybe it’s creating better work-life balance. Maybe you get satisfaction from seeing student success, and you identify one area where you can really shine and help your students grow.

I asked our team this recently—you probably remember this, Emily—but I asked, what did your best days of 2025 have in common? And how can you create more of that in 2026?

That same question is really powerful for teachers. Think about your best days of teaching—not just last semester, but across your entire career. What did those days have in common? And how can you intentionally create more of that?

It really comes down to recognizing that this is your job. What do you need for professional satisfaction? And how can you be intentional about creating more of that in your teaching life?

Emily
Sara, that is awesome advice. It really is. I think back to my time in the classroom, and I realize that a lot of times I had trouble separating who I was as a teacher from who I was as a person.

Sara
Yes. Yes.

Emily
So sometimes finding joy is about setting that boundary—recognizing that I am more than who I am every day in the classroom. I am a person outside of work, too.

And I know this is way easier said than done, but something as simple as leaving at four o’clock, shutting your door, going home, and not thinking about school can really reset you and help bring joy back into your job.

Sara
Yeah, absolutely. All right, what else do you have?

Emily
Okay, so I do think you’re right that we were thinking about this from slightly different directions.

Sara
Which I’m happy about. It’s a different perspective.

Emily
It is. So my second small, applicable thing that teachers can do to find more joy is to assign a book talk to your students.

Sara
I love that.

Emily
I know this might feel a little out of left field based on what you just said, but when I think back on my time in the classroom, one of the moments I felt most proud was when I assigned this.

And I know you’re probably thinking, you want me to give my students an assignment to find joy? But hear me out. We did book talks during our morning meeting block. I had students pick a book they had finished or were currently reading, and they prepared a one- to two-minute presentation to share with their classmates.

This still stands out as one of my happiest teaching moments because of how proud I felt listening to students talk about literacy in that way. I got to see them come out of their shells, get excited about reading, and take pride in their preparation. That continues to be one of my most joyful memories from the classroom.

Sara
I love that. And I think that really aligns with my next suggestion, which is to identify where you get joy in your day and make that non-negotiable.

Book talks are a great example of that. And if teachers haven’t done book talks, they absolutely should because they are so fun. But for some teachers, that joyful moment might be morning meeting, when you get to connect with students. Maybe it’s small group time. Maybe it’s your read aloud. Maybe it’s the five minutes you get to talk with your co-teachers in the hallway before the day starts. Maybe it’s having all of your copies ready to go for the next day.

Whatever that thing is for you, make it your non-negotiable. Don’t let that be the thing you cut when your schedule gets discombobulated or you’re running out of time. Nobody is going to protect the things you love most—that’s your responsibility.

And I think sometimes we don’t give ourselves permission to do things just for the sake of doing them. Not everything needs an academic purpose. You can read a picture book just because it’s fun. It doesn’t have to connect to a standard. It doesn’t have to improve fluency or vocabulary. It can simply be something you want to share with your students.

So allow yourself a few minutes each day to do something that brings you joy, and make sure it happens no matter what.

Emily
So what was it for you? What was that thing that brought you joy?

Sara
It was always the read aloud. I loved reading aloud to my students. And I know I’ve shared this before, but my college professor talked about how she started every day with a stack of books on her desk, and if they got through the whole stack, she knew it had been a good day.

I did that for years. We would use read alouds to reset—after a hectic transition, a disagreement at recess, running late, going over time, or even if I had just lost my patience and yelled. We’d come to the carpet and reset with a read aloud.

Any time I was in a bad mood, I would read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as a way to let my students know, I’m crabby today, but I’m also human. It lightened the mood every time.

So for me, it was always reading aloud as much as possible. Coming to the carpet, sharing picture books—it brought me joy, and it brought them joy, too.

Emily
I love that idea of using something as a reset. Whenever you’re totally frazzled, finding that one thing that grounds you.

I actually use that same idea with my toddler. When she’s out of control or whining, I know what she really needs is connection. So that’s when we sit and play together. I once heard that it only takes about seven minutes to reconnect.

Sara
That’s really not that much time. And maybe for your classroom it’s not a read aloud. Maybe it’s playing a certain song, having a quick dance party, doing a brain break, or trying a short meditation. Whatever it is, recognize what your class needs to reset.

No matter how the day is going, if you do that one thing, it can bring everyone back to a place of calm and joy.

Emily
That leads perfectly into my last applicable tip, which is to play with your students at recess.

Sara
Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Emily
So fun. I think when you’re feeling frazzled, it’s usually because you’re missing that connection piece. Just like with my toddler, connection matters.

Going out and playing kickball, getting on the swings—I remember one time I went on the swings and my students were so excited. They were like, Miss Caudill is on the swings! They loved seeing me out of my element.

Playing Uno at recess was another favorite. You get to see a different side of your students. It strengthens relationships, and discipline issues tend to decrease when that connection is strong.

We all know these things, but it’s a good reminder. We all went into teaching because we love kids.

Sara
Yeah, kids for sure. And I think when you do things like that, it’s a reminder that teaching is hard. Every day you’re bombarded with grades being due, testing coming up, IEP meetings—it’s like your brain is constantly filled with all of these things.

And nobody is really telling you, go build those relationships with your students. Go play with them at recess. Go do those things. So you have to remember that those moments are just as important—probably more important—than our to-do lists.

I’m so glad you mentioned recess, because I was not an athletic person at all. The idea of playing kickball with my students was a hard pass for me. But during recess, I would always walk around. We had a walking trail that looped around the playground, and I tried to be visible instead of staying in one spot.

I would walk around the playground, and inevitably, I’d end up with a group of seven or eight students—sometimes from my class, sometimes from other classes—who just wanted to walk with me and talk. Students want that connection with their teacher.

So even if you’re not playing, go outside. Be present with your students. Talk about things that aren’t related to school. That relationship piece goes such a long way.

Okay, so my last suggestion isn’t about what happens during the school day at all. It’s this: pick one thing outside of work that really brings you joy, and make sure you don’t go two or three days without doing it.

Whether that’s walking outside, reading a book, baking, or talking with a friend on the phone—whatever it is. I mentioned earlier the question I asked our team about what their best days had in common, and so many people talked about going for a walk or being outside.

We all had this realization that we know the things that make us happy and bring us joy, yet we’re willing to go long stretches without doing them. Why do we do that?

In the fitness world, there’s this saying, never miss a Monday, because it’s a great way to start the week. And I think there’s a similar idea here. It’s unrealistic to say, I’m going to read for 20 minutes every single day, or I’m going to go on an hour-long walk every day. Daily just isn’t realistic.

But saying, I know this thing brings me joy, and I’m not going to let myself go three days in a row without doing it—that feels much more flexible and doable. It allows you to be intentional about doing things outside of work that bring you joy.

Because if you want to be more joyful in the classroom, you have to make time for joy outside of work. We’re not robots. We can’t be all-consumed with teaching. Prioritizing things outside of work that bring you joy is what allows you to show up with more joy for your students.

Emily
I love that. That rule of thumb feels so manageable. Don’t go three days without doing something for yourself. I love that.

Sara
And maybe even that feels like too much. Maybe it’s once a week. Maybe you decide, once a week I’m going to do this thing—whatever it is—that brings you joy and helps you relax and recharge.

Give yourself a timeframe that works for you. Like you said, it’s doable. So that’s my challenge to teachers.

Emily
And I’ve already told the team this, but I am officially in my granny hobby era. I’m knitting, doing watercolors, and of course, reading.

Sara
Yes, yes. I did a cross-stitch over Christmas and absolutely loved it. I was like, wow, my grandma used to do this.

And honestly, part of this matters because we all get sucked into our phones. It’s so easy to spend all of our time outside of school scrolling on Instagram. But let’s be honest—scrolling doesn’t really bring us joy.

Unless you’re looking at the Stellar Teacher feed, of course. But truly, find time for hobbies that fill you up. Hopefully those things bring you joy and give you the mental energy to bring more joy into your classroom, too.

Emily
I love that.

Sara
Well, thank you so much for joining us. Hopefully from today’s episode you’re walking away with one new idea or one small mindset shift that helps you bring more joy into your classroom this year.

Here at the Stellar Teacher team, we are cheering for you, rooting for you, and excited to support you in all the ways we can this year. Be sure to tune back in next week for another episode, and until then, have a stellar week, friends.