Every August, it starts again. The Pinterest boards fill with classroom decor, Target sells out of Crayola, and educators brace for the beautiful chaos of a new school year. But behind the welcome banners and curriculum nights, there’s a quieter, heavier truth: teachers are walking back into buildings already running on empty.

Google searches for “teacher anxiety” and “back-to-school stress” spike each August for a reason. And this isn’t just a personal issue. It’s a leadership one.

When stress saturates a school, learning takes a back seat. So, what do we do when the school year has already started and we still feel like the wheels might come off?

We pause. We breathe. And then we lead differently.

1. Start With Presence, Not Performance

Before you launch into vision casting, test scores, and strategic goals, give your staff permission to land. Not just physically, but emotionally.

• Open staff meetings with honest check-ins or grounding exercises
• Begin each week with a two-question pulse survey: What’s fueling you right now? What’s draining you?
• Normalize naming stress aloud. When leaders model vulnerability, it gives staff permission to stop pretending everything is fine

Presence over perfection. Every time.

2. Protect Planning Time Like It's Sacred

Don’t let the tyranny of the urgent steal what your teachers need most: time to breathe and prepare.

• Push back unnecessary PD in the first 30 days and replace it with self-directed prep blocks
• If possible, freeze new initiative rollouts until October. One strong start beats five fractured priorities
• Reschedule non-critical staff meetings as asynchronous updates. A 3-minute video can buy back 30 minutes of sanity

Burnout doesn’t come from teaching. It comes from everything that gets in the way of it.

3. Treat August Like Onboarding

Too often, we slam into August like it’s a final exam. Instead, think of it as orientation.

• Create “Ease In” Weeks. Lighten administrative tasks, reduce grading expectations, and celebrate small wins
• Add float support. Schedule support staff to rotate through classrooms to assist with transitions or challenging moments
• Pair new teachers with emotional mentors, not just instructional coaches. They need someone who knows where the good coffee is and how to vent without judgment

This isn’t about coddling. It’s about retention.

4. Celebrate Human Wins, Not Just Academic Ones

The first kid who trusts you enough to cry. The first class that transitions smoothly. The first teacher who really laughs after weeks of white-knuckling. These are the moments that matter.

• Build a shared “Firsts Board” in the staff lounge
• Create a tradition where staff shout out each other for non-academic wins
• Send three handwritten notes of appreciation each week. They ripple

People stay where they feel seen.

5. End the Silence Around Stress

Stress doesn’t become toxic because it exists. It becomes toxic when it’s hidden. When teachers feel they have to carry it alone.

Your job isn’t to fix every problem. It’s to create the space where teachers can face them together.

• Host optional “coffee and connection” circles once a week before school
• Pair staff with wellness buddies for five-minute weekly check-ins
• Share your own coping strategies honestly and without shame

The bravest thing a leader can say right now is: “I see how hard this is. You’re not alone.”

Final Thoughts

Back-to-school season should be filled with hope, not dread. It should be about building, not bracing. Your staff doesn’t need a hero. They need a human. Someone who will lead with empathy, courage, and just enough rebellion to change the system from the inside out.

You can’t cancel stress. But you can build a culture where it doesn’t win.

Let’s make that the tradition we fight for.