❤️ Your Tuesday Email: Protect Your Boundaries

Hello Reader!

By February, something subtle starts to happen in schools.

January’s clarity begins to blur. The routines you reset start to bend. The “just this once” yeses creep back in. Meetings multiply. Emails pile up. And before you realize it, the very things you committed to protecting at the start of the year: your time, your energy, and your focus, are slowly being negotiated away.

This isn’t a failure of discipline or willpower.
It’s the reality of working in a profession built on care, responsiveness, and constant demand.

That’s why February isn’t about pushing harder.
It’s about protecting what matters most.

Boundaries Are Not Walls

One of the biggest misconceptions we might hold is that boundaries can feel selfish. What we need to understand is that boundaries aren’t walls designed to keep people out.

They’re guardrails, or structures that keep you aligned to your values when the road gets crowded.

When boundaries erode, it’s rarely because we don’t care. It’s because we care deeply about students, families, colleagues, and doing a good job. But without clear guardrails, care turns into overextension, and overextension turns into burnout.

Protecting your boundaries is not about doing less for students. It’s about ensuring your energy is spent where it matters most.

Why February Matters

This time of year is when educators most need reinforcement, not guilt.

You don’t need another productivity hack or inspirational quote. You need permission to pause and ask:

Is this aligned with my purpose?
Is this the best use of my limited time and energy right now?
What am I saying yes to by default, and what is it costing me?

That’s where boundaries become a professional responsibility, not a personal indulgence.

A Simple Tool: The Boundary Decision Guide

One tool I return to often, both in my own work and in coaching conversations, is what we would consider a “boundary decision guide”. It’s a simple filter for deciding:

What deserves a clear yes
What needs a not right now
What should be renegotiated
What needs to be released

This isn’t about shutting people down. It’s about making decisions that honor your role, your capacity, and your values, especially when everything feels urgent.

Podcast:

This week: Framework for high-quality learning with Sharyn Skrtic. What happens when a school stops juggling initiatives and starts pursuing impact with clarity and intent? We chat with international accreditation leader Sharyn Skrtic to unpack a simple but transformative shift: define the learner you want to grow, agree on shared pedagogy, and let student voice shape both the journey and the evidence of success. This episode is also on YouTube!
Next week: When You Realize Your Students ARE Your Work and Other Moments of Realizations in Mental Overload with Christine and Tammy
Last week: Reaching Kids Beyond The Box With Pete Hall.

Listen to the pod on all the platforms like Apple, Spotify, iHeart Radio and YouTube. Now you can follow us on Instagram.

Resources:

Edutopia: How New Teachers Can Set Healthy Emotional Boundaries With Students
Greater Good: How to Set Boundaries as an Overworked Educator
Podcast: The Art of Saying No: Setting Boundaries as a Special Educator

Reflection

As you move into February, I invite you to reflect on just one question:

What boundary, if protected, would help me stay aligned to why I do this work?

You don’t need to fix everything. One guardrail is enough to begin holding the line.

If you’re interested in going deeper, this is the work we support educators and leaders with through coaching, workshops, and school-based partnerships, helping teams clarify priorities and build boundaries that actually stick.

Holding the line isn’t about being less committed.
It’s about being sustainably committed.

Would you like our Monthly Edit, Premium Companion? This is an extended resource with more language, questions, scripts, videos, and tools that can help you feel calmer in your role, and life.