Giving It Your Best 30%
- Catherine Addor
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
There are moments in the school year when teachers are expected to be everywhere and everything: joyful, creative, generous, festive, responsive, and engaged, at work and at home. This stretch of the calendar often coincides with winter, family obligations, financial pressure, and emotional fatigue.
Here’s the truth we rarely name: you cannot give 110% to everything without paying for it later.
This week’s reminder is permission-based and protective:
Some things only need your best 30%.
Below are 10 places where 30% effort is enough (and more than enough) to still be a good colleague, a good community member, and a good human.
1. Bulletin Boards & Door Decorating: Your teaching is not measured in border choices or fonts.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Who is this really for?
What would “done” look like instead of “impressive”?
Actionable Steps
Leave the board up one more month.
Let student work be the decoration.
2. Potlucks, Staff Parties, & Food Expectations: You are not required to be a caterer.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Would store-bought meet the same purpose?
Would my presence matter more than my contribution?
Actionable Steps
Bring napkins. Or drinks. Or nothing.
Release the pressure to “keep up.”
3. Spirit Days & Theme Weeks: Participation is not a measure of school spirit or professionalism.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do I want to participate or do I feel obligated?
What would partial participation look like?
Actionable Steps
Wear one small item, not the full costume.
Skip a day without apology.
4. Holiday Cards, Gifts, & Extras: Kindness does not require crafting.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Is this meaningful or performative?
Would a spoken thank-you suffice?
Actionable Steps
Send one collective message instead of many.
Opt out quietly and confidently.
5. Staff Socializing & “Mandatory Fun”: Connection shouldn’t come at the cost of exhaustion.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Am I attending out of joy or guilt?
What does my energy need right now?
Actionable Steps
Show up briefly, then leave.
Choose rest over social expectation.
6. Classroom Extras & Seasonal Add-Ons: Pinterest is not a professional standard.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Will students remember this or my presence?
Is this an enhancement or pressure?
Actionable Steps
Keep routines simple.
Skip the extras without explanation.
7. Personal Appearance & “Looking Put Together”: You do not need to look festive to be effective.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Who benefits from this expectation?
What feels comfortable and authentic today?
Actionable Steps
Choose comfort without guilt.
Repeat outfits unapologetically.
8. Constant Positivity: You are allowed to be neutral.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Am I performing cheer or practicing professionalism?
What would honesty sound like today?
Actionable Steps
Aim for calm, not cheerful.
Let quiet be okay.
9. Responding to Every Request Immediately; Urgency is often inherited, not real.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Does this truly require a response today?
What happens if I pause?
Actionable Steps
Delay replies that can wait.
Protect non-contract time.
10. Being “Everything” for Everyone: You are part of a system, not the system itself.
Questions to Ask Yourself
What is mine to carry and what is not?
Where can I conserve energy?
Actionable Steps
Let others lead when possible.
Release responsibility that isn’t yours.
Giving your best 30% in the right places isn’t disengagement, it’s discernment. It’s choosing sustainability over spectacle, presence over performance, and humanity over hustle.
This season doesn’t need more from you.
It requires you to remain standing when January arrives.
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