The Superintendent Call You Won't Make

Here's a quote, a resource, a book, and an affirmation to help power you through the rest of the week.

QUOTE

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." — Sydney J. Harris

RESOURCE

This past week, we had two cold days. School canceled. Not because of snow, but because the temperature hit -51° with wind chill. The kind of cold where you literally cannot be outside. Where the system says: Stop. Everyone stays home.

And every teacher I talked to felt the same way: relief. Gratitude. Permission to rest without question.

No guilt. No, "I should be catching up." Just pure, undefended rest.

Here's what I want you to notice about that: What made these cold days different from every other day?

The work didn't disappear. Your to-do list was exactly the same on Tuesday as it was on Monday. Your students still needed you. The grading still existed. The emails still piled up.

The only difference? Someone else made the decision for you.

The superintendent called it. The weather made it non-negotiable. You had no choice but to rest - and suddenly, rest felt completely acceptable.

But here's the question that matters: Why do you need -51° to give yourself permission to stop?

Snow days and cold days reveal something important about how you think about rest. You can accept it when it's forced on you. When someone in authority says, "You must stay home." When the decision is completely out of your hands.

But when the decision is YOURS to make? You can't give yourself that same permission.

Here's the practice: Make Your Own Cold Day Call

You can't build a sustainable teaching practice around waiting for extreme weather to shut everything down.

Try it this week:

Give yourself superintendent-level authority: Choose ONE thing this week you're calling off. Not postponing. Not rescheduling. Calling it. "This meeting is canceled." "I'm not grading tonight." "I'm leaving at 4 pm."

Practice making the call without justification: The superintendent didn't say, "School is canceled because I haven't been sleeping well and I really need a break." The call was: "School is canceled. Temperature is unsafe." Your call can be just as simple: "I'm not available." That's it.

The system will shut down school for -51°. It will not shut down school because you're exhausted. You have to be your own superintendent. You have to call your own cold day before you need one.

Sydney J. Harris was right: The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. Because if you wait until weather forces it, you're letting your recovery depend on things completely outside your control.

Read more: "Why Doing Nothing Intentionally Is Good for Us: The Rise of the Slow Living Movement" - BBC Culture

BOOK

Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee - Journalist Celeste Headlee makes the case that our obsession with productivity is killing us - and that doing nothing is actually a skill we need to relearn. She combines research, history, and practical strategies to help you reclaim rest without guilt. Perfect for teachers who needed a superintendent and a polar vortex to finally rest without question. 📚 Get it on Bookshop.org | Get it on Amazon | STRONG Teacher Books

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AFFIRMATION

I can give myself the same permission I accept from others.

P.S. Want to build the practices that make rest feel as legitimate as a cold day - without waiting for extreme weather? That's what we're doing in The STRONG Teacher's Lounge. Join teachers creating sustainable systems that protect both excellence and wellness.