Between school shows, field trips, elf drama, and mile-a-day runs… we’re surviving December one checklist at a time.

December hits and suddenly everything is happening at once. Becky’s kindergarten world is pure holiday mayhem—gingerbread houses (hot glue and all), Holidays Around the World lessons on repeat, Grinch/Reindeer/Pajama days, and a surprise circus field trip in the middle of it all. Allyson’s juggling snow days, remote learning curveballs, school improvement-plan expectations, and the nonstop family chaos that comes with elf season, gift planning, and keeping holiday “magic” alive. Meanwhile Katie’s work calendar slows down while her running schedule ramps up, and she’s here for the Texas-sized holiday energy—parades, Christmas towns, and all the festive extras. From classroom celebrations to family traditions to the reality of doing all the things (even when June-You thought it was a great idea), this episode is a real-talk snapshot of the holiday hustle.

This week, the catch-up is equal parts cozy and chaotic. Katie recaps a birthday week full of office decorations, nonstop “people-ing,” and filming in classrooms where the flu and strep have officially been rebranded as the “pioneer plague.” She also meets a first grade teacher who gives full-on Miss Honey vibes. Meanwhile, Allyson updates everyone on life after reshuffling reading and math groups with no official curriculum—just bins, data, AI experiments, and a whole lot of flying-by-the-seat-of-her-pants teaching victories.

Then the crew dives into all things reading: the thrillers that keep them hooked (hello, Freida McFadden and brain-bending twists), the emotional gut-punch of Colleen Hoover, Holocaust and historical fiction that linger long after the last page, memoirs that move them, and the very real appeal of “smut” and escape reads after a long school day. They also get honest about professional development books—like The Growth Mindset Coach, Grit, Teach Like a Pirate, The Writing Revolution, and The Complete EdTech Coach—what actually inspires them, what feels like “one more thing,” and how much teaching has changed since they left college.

If your bookshelf is a confusing mix of murder, memoir, education, and romance, this episode is your reminder that reading can be both an escape and a tool—and that your TBR list is absolutely a form of self-care.

This week, the holidays come in hot. Allyson, Becky, and Katie kick things off with a classroom confessional: Becky’s “Feet Up Friday” turns into five kindergartners giving themselves haircuts while she’s out, plus a rhyming lesson that goes very sideways with the word “ick.” Meanwhile, Allyson is gearing up to switch groups for reading and math with zero official curriculum, and Katie is bouncing between campuses with a camera, catching kids saying the wildest things on mic.From there, the conversation laces up and heads into full Thanksgiving mode—Turkey Trots in snow, heat, and everything in between. The trio swaps race traditions, carb-loading wins and fails, age-group competitiveness, and why some turkey trots are starting to feel more like pricey speed workouts than hometown fun runs.Then it’s onto Black Friday now vs. back in the “camp out at midnight and fight for a TV” era, and Katie introduces everyone to Houston’s legendary Nutcracker Market—10 convention halls of Christmas chaos, mimosas, and maxed-out wallets. They wrap with the softer side of the season: kid traditions, Christmas tees, decorating classrooms, and how to stay grateful (and somewhat sane) in the middle of data meetings, germs, and holiday overload.