Mid-November hits different.
The sparkle of September is long gone. The routines that once felt fresh now feel… crunchy. Student work is getting real. Behaviours are popping up in ways you didn’t quite expect (or hoped wouldn’t return). The days are darker. The energy dips. And you can feel yourself pushing a little harder just to keep the momentum going.
If this is you, you’re not doing anything wrong.
This season is heavy, and you are human after all.
So, here’s your soft reminder: You don’t have to power through November on grit alone.
You can slow down. You can reset. You can shift your energy so you can show up in a way that feels better, for you and for your students.
1. Start with a tiny exhale moment
If you have 30 seconds between classes, in the hallway, or sitting in your car, place your hand on your chest and take one intentional breath out. Just one slow, steady exhale.
Let your shoulders drop.
Let your jaw soften.
Let yourself arrive back in your body.
This simple reset is enough to interrupt the spiral of “go, go, go” and bring you back to yourself.
2. Name what’s actually draining you
Is it the marking pile?
Is it the constant low-level behaviour?
Is it the noise, the meetings, the emotions, or the never-ending requests?
Naming the real drain gives you your power back. When you know what’s pulling your energy, you can respond intentionally instead of reacting on autopilot.
3. Choose one thing to make lighter
Maybe you simplify an assignment. Maybe you build in more quiet, more stretch breaks, more creative outlets, or more boundaries around your time. Maybe you adjust expectations of your students and of yourself.
A small shift can make the next two weeks feel completely different.
4. Hold onto the truth: your presence matters more than your perfection
Your students need a calm, grounded adult more than they need flawless lessons.
They learn from how you model ease, boundaries, compassion, and recovery just as much as they learn from the curriculum.
Showing up gently is still showing up.
If you need ready-to-go supports… I’ve created tools to make this season feel lighter
This is exactly why I build mindfulness, yoga and creativity resources for middle and high school teachers: so you have practical, calming, student-ready activities that help the energy in your classroom shift without adding to your to-do list.
Whether you need:
- Quick mindfulness activities to recenter your class
- Yoga or movement breaks for reset moments
- Creative writing that keep students engaged
- AI-ethics lessons that calm behaviour by giving structure and purpose
- Or seasonal mindful holiday tools to ease the December sprint
…you’ll find resources that help you slow down while helping your students show up with more focus and care.
Browse everything here:
👉 Serene Teaching by Dawn Arseneau
A final reminder for this season
You are allowed to ease up.
You are allowed to care for yourself first.
You are allowed to choose practices that help you feel steady, supported, and grounded.
The work is real right now; but so is your capacity to meet it with calm and compassion.
You don’t have to do November alone. I’m right here with you.
Dawn Arseneau 
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