The Minimalist Educator Podcast
A podcast about paring down to focus on the purpose and priorities in our roles.
The Minimalist Educator Podcast
Episode 091: January Resets For Teachers with Nicole
The first week back can feel chaotic, but it doesn’t have to. In this episode, we chat with returning guest, mentor teacher, and Plan Z coach, Nicole Dissinger to map out a calm, practical January reset that rebuilds classroom culture, clarifies expectations, and makes space for real learning to take root. Instead of sprinting into content, we focus on the moves that prevent weeks of chasing behaviors: reteaching core routines, reconnecting as a community, and designing short, high-success tasks that restore confidence.
Nicole brings 15 years of global experience as a teacher, coach, and curriculum developer, and she shares why students often return with surprising growth—sometimes academic, sometimes emotional—and how that shift should guide your next unit, groups, and supports. We talk about reflective practice for newer teachers, how to loosen the grip of the pacing guide without losing rigor, and why planning narrowly for the first few days can open the door to faster progress later. Snow days, indoor recess, and midwinter fatigue are real; a steady reset plan is your buffer.
We also get candid about behavior systems. Sticker charts and token economies can create short-term compliance but often escalate and distract from learning. We offer a minimalist alternative: simple, transparent expectations, consistent follow-through, and explicit modeling of what success looks like. For students who need more, we explore co-created goals, visual checklists, and short-interval supports that build ownership instead of dependence. The throughline is clarity—teach less, impact more by making the essentials unmistakable.
If you’re ready to start the year lighter and more focused, this conversation will help you plan the first week back, steady your routines, and re-energize your teaching. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs a reset, and leave a review to tell us what you’re reteaching on day one.
Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!
Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.
The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.
Welcome to the Minimalist Educator podcast, where the focus is on a less is more approach to education. Join your hosts, Christine Arnold and Tammy Musiowski, authors of The Minimalist Teacher and your school leadership edit, a minimalist approach to rethinking your school ecosystem, each week as they explore practical ways to simplify your work, sharpen your focus, and amplify what matters most so you can teach and lead with greater clarity, purpose, and joy.
SPEAKER_01:On this week's episode of the podcast, we are joined by returning guest and friend of the podcast, Nicole Dissinger. Nicole gets us ready to start a new year, New January, with a good talk about resetting. And her pendown pointer is about not over planning. Nicole Dissinger is a mentor teacher, professional learning facilitator, and curriculum developer. She has experienced teaching and leading globally for 15 years. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in psychology and a master's degree in early childhood education with an endorsement in bilingual multicultural education. She has experienced with a range of curriculums from multi-age, state standards, and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years program.
SPEAKER_02:Welcome everyone to this week's episode of the Minimalist Educator Podcast. This is our first episode with a guest for season six, and we're excited to have Nicole back. Welcome back, Nicole.
SPEAKER_04:Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_02:So we are starting something new in season six. So this will be our second video because our preview episode will have had video as well. So season six, we are sharing videos that you know, some guests were like, yes, let's do videos. And some are still like, we're just gonna we'll just stick with audio or whatever you decide. But we thought it'd be great to have you on because you've been on a couple of times and you're also a coach with Plan Z education. So it's just nice to for people to see your face and for people to know that you're going to be seen more often on the podcast this season. So we're excited for that. And Christine, how are you?
SPEAKER_01:I'm very well, thank you. Yeah, no, I'm glad that we will be seeing more of Nicole on the podcast, a friend of the podcast for sure.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, most definitely. So because we're airing this episode in January, we sought that it would be good to talk about something that sometimes gets overlooked at multiple points in the year, but we really want to focus in on January as a time for resetting expectations, routines, all of those things. And we've been talking to teachers a lot about expectations and routines this year, it seems a lot like, just for a number of different reasons and in a number of different places. So, Nicole, do you want to just kind of kick us off with maybe the importance of using January as a reset time?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I think it's such an important topic. And I feel like teachers, when they're coming through their education program, are not, it's not talked about enough. They aren't given enough examples, they aren't shown how to do it. I mean, I think about even myself, I did my student teaching in the spring. And so by January, you walk into a classroom that's already established, right? So you don't see what goes into it. But actually, January is such a big, like crucial point in the year because they've come back from a break, they've had so much time of not being in your classroom, especially if you have really little ones. It's like they've never been at school before. It's so funny every time you're like, wait, wait, we've spent four months together. Like you should know these things, but they don't, and that's okay. It's just part of it. Even older kids, even high school kids, you have to take that time to just relay that foundation and kind of like cement it in. It's still there, right? It's just kind of been like push back because they've had so much other things they've been doing or focusing on. And so just getting back into the routine and making sure you take the time to really focus on that before you just jump into teaching, because then things just get crazy and you the ball's rolling and you're chasing after the entire rest of the school year. Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's uh you can imagine it would be such a different environment for them over the winter break. You know, they might be the only kid in the house or one of just a few, and then all of a sudden it's like, oh wait, yeah, that's right. I'm back with 20, 30 other kids. Now I've got to figure out what this is all about. I'm always really struck as well, coming back this time of year, of how much the kids have grown. So when you have your little kids, you're like, oh, you're not such babies anymore, or if it's in the you know, upper end of primary school, like they come back and you're like, oh wow, yeah, okay, you're ready to go off to secondary school now. Like this is this is getting real. So can you talk a little bit about that that change in phase of the year and and you know, really growing up and developing?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's always fun, especially at the beginning of the year. I feel like you're putting in so much work, right? To try and, okay, this is what we're doing here, or this is how we do this, or you know, you're getting them to feel confident asking questions or taking risks with their learning, and then they come back in January, and no matter what grade, there's this huge leap. And it's not always obvious, right? With every kid. Some kids it's like emotional leaps that they have, some kids it's academic leaps. It just depends, you know, because each kid is so different. But it's really fun to see. But there is some sort of like, I wonder if maybe it's just the time away gives their brain time to just like process and really, you know, digest everything that they've been doing and learning for the past few months, and then they're able to like internalize it and then like, okay, now we're ready for more. Yeah, it's really interesting, but that also affects how they, you know, are within your classroom community because some have it changed emotionally, which sometimes is great, and because you needed them to kind of make that little, you know, like leap up. Some of them you're like, wow, you're done with second grade, like you're ready to move on to third grade, like you are okay. We have got a couple more months. Like, let me see what else I can get in you before you, you know, jump off to the next one. But it's really it's a fun stage, but it also is super important and can be a little tricky if you're not being proactive in this time of year. I think a lot of people think it's we've been with them, they are you know progressing academically, of course, they're progressing emotionally and mentally, but then making sure that you're really focusing on bringing you back together as a community, right? Taking that time to re-establish those relationships because they're still there. But like you talked about, like they might have been the only child at home. So, you know, those rules don't apply, and that's okay. School's different from home, but some kids might have had four weeks off, some might have only had two weeks off. Like there's a big, big gap. So it's really just it's also nice to take the time to do that with your students, too, I think, because it kind of gets you guys all on the same page and like remind them and remind yourself like what you're there to do as a whole, not just individually.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah, that is for certain. It'll be interesting to go back into classrooms in this month, January, to see the growth and change and to hear what teachers are saying about what they notice in their students. So, like you said, the break is a good time where maybe those things are kind of cementing in, and a couple of weeks off is a good time to do that, which might be different from summer, right? The two months might be too long, but anyway. But the couple of weeks for them to just have those routines and expectations sitting in the back of their minds, and then teachers are gonna notice a difference when they come back. And so the teachers that you have been working with this year, and we both are working with lots of new teachers. What do you anticipate? Just kind of thinking about your group of teachers, and I know everyone's different, but do you think that some of your teachers are gonna be like, wow, they were really learning, like they know what to do now? Like, go me, yay. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:I do think that's a big revelation that especially newer teachers have, you know, coming back second semester of like, oh, I was doing things well, or oh, this was working, or oh, they did hear me, you know, on that. I think that break is also so good for teachers because especially in your first couple of years, like you are just exhausted by that point and you are spinning your wheels trying to figure out okay, this isn't working, but I don't know how to change it, and we only have three weeks left. So is it even worth you know, don't change it. Just let it just ride it out. You can change it after the break. That's my advice. Like, just stick with what you know for now, change it later. But yeah, I think like you're saying, Tammy, just that I feel like the teachers I've been working with are actually quite reflective of their own practice and they're quite able to see what their students are actually capable of and who they are as little people rather than just you know, just going through the motions and just assuming they know like they actually know them, which is really amazing, I think, because I don't think all new teachers are like that. So I think it will be really fun to see how they're able to adapt and change, you know, their teaching practices, or even just maybe feel a little more comfortable about you know, making those little tweaks in the curriculum that are best for their students rather than just following the pacing guide, which I've found a lot of them do, especially first semester, which is totally understandable because it's their first time. But I think they'll be able to see where their students are at because they already can kind of do that last semester, but then with this big, you know, jump and coming back, it's fresh eyes, kind of in a sense. So I think that will be really that's what I'm anticipating is gonna be happening, which will be cool to see.
SPEAKER_01:It's great to hear that you've you've got a group of newish teachers that are so reflective like that. I think that's arms you so well for this career, doesn't it? Because it's it's really just this unending process of like, okay, where are we? Where do we need to go? How are we gonna get there? Right. Just when I thought I had it, right? Where are we? How are we gonna get there? You know, so it's it's really helpful if you've from the get-go already got that reflective practice happening for sure.
SPEAKER_04:And I think it's definitely something you can learn for sure if you don't have it already. And I think it's something that even if you already have it, it's something you get better at over time. You know, I think about myself as a teacher, as a beginning teacher, and I felt like I had a pretty good handle on that. But now, if I were, you know, to be in a classroom with kids, it's my skill, it's you know, it's a tool, it's a strategy, it's a skill. And it's just like the more you use it, the more you practice it, the more strategies that people, you know, share with you of how to do it, or the more you go observe people and see how they're doing it, it really just helps it get better. So I think it's it's really it's been really fun to see that they already have a good grasp on that, at least a you know, a beginning like foundation of it, which has been cool.
SPEAKER_01:So if we think about the teachers themselves and working collaboratively with their teams and and just within within their own practice, what sort of resetting of expectations or resetting in general do you think we need to do as adults with each other and in our own practice?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that's a great question.
SPEAKER_04:I think it really is just your mindset, like resetting your mindset, like you're saying, resetting your expectations. Like coming in with, and this isn't to sound negative, but kind of coming in thinking like they're going to know nothing and I have to reteach everything. And that's not because they know nothing, and that's not because you don't think they're capable of it. It's just setting yourself up for success of saying, I'm gonna come in and I'm gonna have to reteach how to line up in the classroom. I'm gonna have to reteach how we get our pencils, I'm gonna have to reteach how we sit at our tables or desks. Like, and again, it's not because they can't, it's not a negative way to think, in my opinion. It's just setting yourself up so that they're successful because you know that even by doing these basic things, they'll be able to accomplish them, which helps them feel successful and confident and also helps you feel like, okay, great, we're connecting, we're making this progress together. And I think the same thing for yourself and your team. You know, like if you work with other teachers or you're collaborating, just coming in saying, like, okay, I know we've done it this way, but let's just go over this is how we're gonna plan our math lesson, right? Okay, great. So then you're just coming in, making sure that like everyone's on the same page. You're not expecting too much from any one person, which ultimately then just lets yourself down, right? Because it's not on them. They don't know what you're expecting in your brain, right? That's all your own thing. And I think then also for yourself, just coming in, setting everything up very slowly, coming in, like, okay, this is what we're gonna practice on this day. And then on the next day, if everything goes well, this is what we're gonna practice, and almost like over planning in a sense. Like, I know that we're gonna practice walking down the hall five days this week. And then when they do it in three, fantastic, right? You feel like, okay, great. We're I don't need to go overboard with this. I made sure I spent the time to do it, so you're not feeling rushed yourself, you're not trying to squeeze too many things in. You can always, you know, move stuff up from the next week, you know. But if you just like, okay, we're gonna do this on one day and then this and this and this and this, and then you get behind and then you're already frazzled, and it's only the second week of school. And I feel like that's what then sets you up for failure.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Well, and this is just making me think a lot of things too, because January is a very long month. And if you're in winter, it can feel like forever because you might have snow days, yeah, indoor recess. And so, you know, we come in with good intentions and we're like, okay, I'm just, you know, gonna focus on these few things. And I think it's a really good point that you made that we're kind of slowing down the process again. Like, yes, we have to get back into things, but we have to be realistic and just say this is what we're gonna do in this amount of time. If we can do more, great. But you know, we don't want to set ourselves up for failure and defeat in January because that's rough. It can be very rough. Something that you were talking about too made me think about, and sorry, I can't remember the exact point, but thinking about we talked a lot this year, the two of us together, and with the teachers that we've worked with, and I'd be interested to hear what you've been saying, Christine. Teachers using reward systems as motivators, right? And so, like I'm hoping that in January, with this kind of like mental reset, refresh, some teachers will let go of some of the kind of complicated systems that have been set up that are hard to track and don't necessarily work that well. And so I'm hoping that that's what I'm seeing when I go back into classrooms in January, because there were there were some things that were just like, you know, we got to rethink what the purpose is here. And if that's not working, is it really just an expectation reset that you need versus your sticker chart? You know, that kind of thing. So yeah, let's let's have some conversation about that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, this is always such a big topic for you and I, I feel.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I don't know. I'm curious to see how that goes because I have a couple of teachers that by the end of the last semester, they're like, this doesn't work and this doesn't work, and I've tried this and this doesn't work, and I've also tried like they've tried all the systems, right, in the first semester and they weren't working. So of course I've just continued to support them because I kind of feel like it's a little bit of like a process you have to go through as a beginning teacher. You have to figure out what works for you. And I think some teachers, you can just say, like, these don't work, and they'll just be like, oh, okay, and they won't use them. But then I think a lot of teachers are just like, but it I've seen it work and it does work, but it doesn't work long term, right? It doesn't have longevity, it doesn't work for every child, it doesn't work for every scenario. It it just usually can work in like small bursts, and by that point, then it like loses its value, right? Because we have talked about this like over time, one sticker isn't enough of a value, so then you have to raise it to two stickers, and then they want three stickers, and then like and so it doesn't really work, right? The system you put in place doesn't work because you're having to change it constantly. So yeah, I'm just really interested to see how it goes because I think coming back and taking that time, which I know for especially beginning teachers, it feels stressful because they do have things to teach, and I get it. I really do. But you also if you don't have a classroom environment that's conducive to learning, there's no learning that's going to happen anyway. So it doesn't really matter if you're carrying on with the pacing guide or not. So I think taking that time to reestablish that classroom culture, those expectations, the routines. And I don't know. I just think like I've said this to you before, like I feel like kids like they can be in on it. Right? Like things don't have to be a secret to them. They can like be in on the on the plan. They can be in on knowing what standard they're learning. They can be in on knowing why they're doing such and such things. Like I just feel like including them makes it their responsibility and their learning in their classroom and their routines expectations though.
SPEAKER_01:This is a tricky one for me, I have to say it's a tricky one. I personally am not a fan uh you know because I feel like it very quickly turns into they're doing things just for the the marble or the the ding or the whatever you know whatever it is that you've set up and I you can feel when that shifts and they're like just looking to see if you'll if you'll give them the th and I I don't like that vibe in the classroom. So it's personally not my favorite thing. But at the same time I have seen in the last few years like a real shift with with our kiddos and behavior and you know how parents respond to behavior things as well. It has been a real shift in the last few years. And I don't think it's just my school I hope it's not just my school but I think you know talking to people around the world it's it's you know prevalent in a lot of places. And I am seeing a lot of very experienced, very knowledgeable skilled teachers kind of like just at a loss of what to do. Just completely like you know we've we've done the class agreements and we've spent time building community and like I praise them and you know I've spent time talking to their families and still nothing is where I can't reach them you know so I I completely understand if people want to give those sorts of things a go just literally I'll try anything at that sort of point. So you know I don't want to I don't want to make anyone you know question what they're trying to do. But you know it it's personally not my favorite thing. But at the same time I think you do come across some groups of kiddos that you it's not just like I need to be clear with the expectations I think it it it's bigger and more more tricky for people to tackle than just a clear set of expectations unfortunately. So yeah it's it's a tricky one for me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:It is it is I agree the it's sometimes just student specific too right so you don't necessarily have to do a whole class system. You can just you know if there's a a couple of kids who you know for whatever reason could be like tricky home life they didn't have like whatever whatever the thing is that's making it hard for them to want to follow the expectations there's some there's some there's a lot of value in that co-creation process with them, right? Like, okay, we're going to make a little chart for your desk so that we can have like little goals for you know just this block of time which seems to be the hardest for you. And I think that I've had a couple of teachers in the fall try that with some students and has worked really well because then the student is giving some input like you were talking about Nicole it's like that co-creation of the classroom culture. It's that you can let them in on our teaching secret, right? Like this is what you're learning. But when we give them some of the decision in the process that can shift things for a lot of kids but there are those outliers too where you're like okay really nothing is working. And thankfully that doesn't happen in every classroom and some teachers will not ever experience that but many of us have and and do. And so we have to be flexible in our thinking with like okay did all the resets did tried this tried that okay now I really have to get into like the nitty gritty of like digging into like why this isn't working and that goes to like your reflective practice that you were talking about Nicole you were going to add something there's probably another podcast conversation because it's just it made me think about what Christine was saying and like how this generation of kids is just different and parenting is different now.
SPEAKER_04:And so that is clearly taking a toll not a toll in a negative thing that's maybe not the word to use but it's having an effect on teachers and teaching in the classroom and what that all looks like and how the home school dynamic is and whatnot. So yeah probably another time but for sure popped in my brain we might have to figure out some answers before we tackle that podcast first.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my goodness yeah that's I mean we're already getting to the end of our podcast and just thinking about the conversation that we had can lead into lots of different conversations to you know talk about later and potentially with other guests as well that we're gonna have but just thinking about our original you know like resetting expectations it's January let's look at student growth where they're at what would be one pear down pointer that you would give our listeners Nicole yeah I think my just my one thing would just be don't overplan right just keep it simple to start like doesn't mean you have to do it for weeks on end but at least the first few days I would say just keep it really simple and just focus on your relationships and resetting your classroom expectations and resetting your classroom culture and then go from there.
SPEAKER_04:Like don't over plan too like don't plan like three weeks out in advance like just do the first couple days and see how things go. Just try to keep like your workload minimum so that you can enjoy your students too coming back. And you're also then ready for whatever might come because you don't have like an agenda of like everything that needs to be accomplished.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you so much Nicole that was a good conversation and I'm looking forward to many more that's fun.
SPEAKER_04:It's nice to talk to you love I love hearing your takes on things and your opinions and even though we have a lot of opinions that I think are similar we also have some that are different and I think that's really great because it makes for good conversation and it helps you think about things in a different way which is nice.
SPEAKER_01:This episode is sponsored by Plan Z Education Services supporting educators with forward thinking professional learning that puts both student impact and teacher wellness at the center. Driven by a vision to teach less, impact more, they help educators find purpose, prioritize what matters and simplify their practice. Learn more at planzeducation.com Thank you for listening to the Minimalist Educator podcast.
SPEAKER_00:Join Christine and Tammy and guests again next time for more conversations about how to simplify and clarify the responsibilities and tasks in your role. If today's episode helped you rethink reimagine reduce or realign something in your practice share it in a comment or with a colleague. For resources and updates visit planzed com and subscribe to receive weekly emails. Until next time keep it simple and stay intentional
