Relaxing Is Hard Work

A smoke machine goes on, the fire alarm follows, and suddenly the last minutes of the school day turn into a full-blown evacuation. It turns out there's no better way to end term than standing on the school field wondering whether anyone actually knows what's going on.

From there, we celebrate the end of the year in the most teacherly way possible: Kong Strong Wild Power, generously donated along with a legendary haul of other snacks from a colleague who actually enjoyed Episode 11. It reminds us that high-calorie snacks remain the unofficial currency of education. Along the way, we end up talking about teacher stress, routines, and what "switching off" really means when you've spent the last ten months running on adrenaline.

We also tackle the strange contradiction at the heart of the summer holidays. Teachers spend weeks counting down to the break, only to discover that stopping is harder than expected. For many of us, the holidays aren't really a holiday at all—they're simply a different kind of busy, especially when family life and childcare take over.

We even wonder aloud whether we should stop satirising internet lists and try something different... before immediately turning to another list.

This week's victim is a "Ten Ways to Wind Down During the Summer" guide for teachers. On paper, it's full of perfectly sensible advice: unplug, find a hobby, spend time in nature, read for pleasure, travel, practise self-care. The problem is that almost none of it has anything to do with teachers—or the summer.

We ask whether generic wellbeing advice actually helps burnt-out teachers, or whether it's just another list that sounds reassuring without really understanding the problem.

If you've ever reached the summer holidays feeling too tired to enjoy them—or if you've got an unforgettable end-of-term disaster story—we'd love to hear from you.

Leave us a review, share the episode with a colleague, and get in touch.

Email: bandjcdb@gmail.com
Website: benandjamescoulddobetter.com

Transcript

Kong Strong And End-Of-Term Treats

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Well particularly appropriate that we're digging into a Kong Strong from a few episodes ago, but this is the Wild Power Edition. Is there multiple editions of Kongstrong? Well, apparently so. This is the Wild Power Edition, and considering it's the last day of term, there's no more appropriate drink. It's got a medicinal. If you if you just smell it, it it smells like some sort of tixilix or something like that that you was uh I can't imagine there's anything anything of nutritional value in there. No. I mean that is liquid synthesis, isn't it, or whatever. It's I don't know if that's a word, but I like it. I don't know, but I like it, yeah. It is it is an entirely synthetic liquid.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

I mean I think it's only appropriate at this point to give a little bit of a shout out to our um colleague and friend and friend of the show, Joe. Absolutely. Yeah who uh was so inspired by episode 11, I think it was, episode eleven. Well she's really gone to town, hasn't she? She's really got so she got us the Kong Strongs, which obviously mentioned we mentioned in that episode. She's also got us a bubbly mint. Yeah. And a bubbly orange, which wasn't mentioned in that episode, but she's she's sort of done that anyway, so that's good. But she's and uh She's really done herself proud there, hasn't she? The Henry Hippos. Yeah. The uh they're not Percy pigs, they're very much Henry Hippos, but they look very similar. And I'd wager they taste would you like one? Yeah, let's try one. Try Henry Hippo.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

I I don't know whether we have moved into a food Well, I don't think we were planning to, but I think Jo has kind of She's forced our hand there a little bit. Now straight away they've got the look right.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Yeah. But they haven't got the feel right. Although they have been sitting in the fridge for a while.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

But I think the ears, when you press in on those ears, tougher, yeah. It's a tougher ask, isn't it? It's not a bad sweep. Oh it's oh my goodness. It's not a bad sweep, but I'm bitten into it and I can't get my teeth apart. That's not Percy Pigland, is it? It's not great for a podcast, really. No, this is awful product for it. No, not an awful product. I don't want to say it's an awful product. It's delicious, but it just doesn't help with the wow. We're making some disgusting noises as well. Really don't think people want to hear that. You play some music over it or something. Move those to one side, we'll have those later. But Joe, as well as those, as if that wasn't enough, the Kong Strong, the Bubblies, and the Henry Hippo, which is which has really come up from us. We can't have this now.

unknown 2:54

No.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

But have a look at that. Well, you could you could drizzle it over something, I suppose, but it'd be a bit odd. And that is the cracked shell from MS. Yeah. Which is, I think, their version of ice magic.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Which again, that's the chocolate sauce for the ice cream that then turns into hard chocolate. Cracked shell. Now, if you don't mind, I think we'll we'll save ourselves having that now. Although I don't think there's anything suitable. I mean, you're not going to drizzle out on a bubbly, are you? I think I'll take that home for my children if that's uh if you don't mind. That's alright. Will you say hello to them for me? No, they don't know who you are.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

They do, because they keep calling me Ben Slate.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

They do know who you are, yes. They're very big, they're big fans of the idea of the podcast, if not the actual podcast itself. Yeah. They like that it

Why The Holidays Feel Strange

SPEAKER_01 3:35

exists.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

So, end of term it's something that all teachers look forward to with a sort of unhealthy zeal, I would say, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Well, um yeah, it's it's a strange one, isn't it? Because I mean I as much as anyone enjoys the uh the five and a half weeks we're gonna have off um this summer. But it's a strange feeling in August when you've got to come back.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

And it's not that healthy, is it, to have five and a half weeks of just not doing your job. And we're back first of September, aren't we? Uh yeah, first of September.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

I'm not expecting people to feel sorry for us.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

No, no, and it's it's uh it's a weird one because no one would feel sorry for someone who has five and a half weeks off, but then it is it's almost it's not healthy, it's not good for you. No. Because you you sort of relax into a state of believing that you don't actually have to work ever again.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

But it's different for you, obviously, with a kid, so you just move into a completely different zone of freneticism, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Well, yeah, no, looking after the kids, and uh, and I will be doing the lion share of that because uh Jen will still be doing a PhD and probably leaning more into it now I'm at home. But uh I enjoy looking after the kids, but yeah, you you end up it becomes quite a full-time job, and then you wonder how on earth you ever had a j time for a job. Which is sort of you know it's it's but of course they're in school as well. When when when I go back to school, they'll go back to school, so that's how you manage, obviously. There's not someone else looking after them, and I've not I've not abandoned them. There's there's somewhere for them to be and they'll be there. And even Jemima, the youngest, is starting uh primary school proper this year, so uh exciting times to be a parent.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

It is, but but again, from my uh point of view, when I say again from my point of view, I haven't given my point of view yet, but let's just say again from my point of view. Um the end of term, when I think it's fair to say some teachers across the country will be winding down. I've unfortunately been having to wind it up because we've had a talent share, which we'll no doubt talk about at some other point.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Yeah, yeah. That was good though, I enjoyed that, but yeah, not enough time last time. You were a celebrity judge, weren't you? I enjoyed being the judge as well. Alongside the boss? Alongside the boss, yeah. You and the boss? Yeah, because you notionally said I was head judge, but I was not head judge, she was head judge. That was absolutely clear from the the get-go. You were there, you were both smiling for me to wear, weren't you? It it was genuinely great.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

And I with our Joe, another uh fan of the show. Our Joe was there. Yeah. Alongside you. Another Joe? Different Joe to the show.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Not the Joe that went and bought the Henry Peppos. Yeah. So another Joe who's another friend who's another friend of the show. We we seem to know and like and be liked by a lot of Joes.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Only sometimes by Joe, who's my sister. Right, I don't know her. No. Well I I like her. Right. And I think you'd like her. Right. But that doesn't mean she always likes me. Well, that's just siblings, isn't it? That's fine. But but I hope she likes me today. And Joe, if you're listening, I really like you. Does she listen?

SPEAKER_01 6:28

I don't know. Okay, right.

New Feature: Ask Ben

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Okay, so I'm not enough. Um most of my family do listen, and actually we've we've I recorded them because I just want to acknowledge this because we're not doing that today, but I did record them a few weeks back asking, we're gonna have a new feature. We're gonna save it till September because what we've realized is that over the summer holidays, essentially there's no point us recording this because no no no one is gonna listen to this. But um we're endeavouring to do something anyway, uh, just for just for the uh algorithm, if nothing else. But we recorded my family, or I recorded my family, went to visit them a few weeks back. So there's a whole section we're gonna call, well, what we are calling Ask Ben, where they will ask you questions. They have asked you questions, they just I haven't played them together. They will in podcast terms, future, they will in future in podcast terms. In in in their past, but in the actual future of this podcast, yeah, they will ask you questions. And then obviously we'd like to ext if that goes well, and I imagine it will, we'd like to extend that to any other listener who might wish to send in a question for well, I mean, we're calling the feature Ask Ben at the moment, but it could be asked Ben and James, that would be fine. If they've got a question for me, that'll be fine too. But my family didn't have questions for me, so they they know they felt they'd have some already and had generally unsatisfactory answers to them, probably. For the most part, yeah, I don't answer questions well, no. Uh so they'd uh yeah, they they they send me I'm on I'm on the family WhatsApp group and routinely just don't contribute. Yeah, um I mean it's a job getting an answer out of you, but I do feel strangely elated when you do. It's uh that's it. When when I do sort of deign to reply in a in a WhatsApp chat, I think it's more satisfying because of the fact that I very rarely do it.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

So of course, with it

Residential Exhaustion And Talent Show

SPEAKER_00 8:05

being the end of term, not only did we have the shows and the trips over the weekend, but uh the residential. Oh, you went on a residential, yeah, of course you did, yeah. With the year eight. And I mean, yes, they were lovely, and so were the staff who went on it. So, you know, no horror stories, but it is absolutely knackering. Yeah. There's no doubt about that. So then just what we wanted today when we're winding down to the end of turn barbecue was uh would you like to play a few numbers? I I I enjoyed your few numbers. They were they were good. Yeah. But you can imagine, can't you? So I will spend all of tomorrow in bed. Yeah. I probably won't get up until four o'clock.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

I would do that, but I will be taking my daughter swimming. So it's already in the calendar. That's happening.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

And I I can only apologise. Not for your daughter. There is the school. As if we And talking of which, uh, we heard that sound yesterday, didn't we? We did. It was a slightly louder, shriller version of that sound. Yeah, and for those of you who couldn't hear it on the podcast, I'd be I'd be very surprised if you didn't just hear that. But that was a real school bell indicating what would have been the end of the day. No, no, that would have been the end of lunch. That would have been the end of lunch, but actually everyone's gone home.

SPEAKER_01 9:15

Yes, it's an early finish today, which again probably doesn't uh sit well with the non-teachers listening. No. We just, you know, you get enough holidays as it is. Well, you finishing early on the last day for moaning, moaning devils. We didn't ask for it, but we're not gonna say no to it. And anyway, anyway, we're still here. That's the point. Admittedly, we're recording a podcast, not actually doing our jobs, but um But uh yeah, again, we've managed we never finish early. No.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

And on um Yeah, so on on that, yeah. So we've just finished then after that. Uh your thanks and praise for playing at the end of term when everybody's absolutely got nothing left to give, us included, is you can pack it all away.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Yes, yeah. As everybody else has gone off to the airport. Yeah, they've they've all left the side. Not everyone. I've seen there's a few people sitting in offices still uh beavering away, but uh the vast majority of people have have left. Um but yeah, that bell, that bell yesterday. Um what was that all about, Ben?

SPEAKER_00 10:10

I can't uh uh well I think you do know what I do know, I do know, I do know. And that was um so you can imagine the last full day of work, everybody absolutely on their knees, just minutes before the end of the school day, literally a couple of minutes, when everybody the kids were just about, you know, couldn't wait to leave

Smoke Machine Fire Alarm Chaos

SPEAKER_00 10:30

the building, uh, along with most of their teachers. I I we were doing a scene in drama and somebody helpfully popped the smoke machine on. We've had years of the smoke machine, no issue. Today, because we've moved classrooms, on went the smoke machine, fire alarm goes off. I didn't think it was anything to do with me, but a student started packing away. I said, Hang on a minute, hang on a minute, you know, bell's a sign for me, not for you, all those usual cliches. And anyway, I glanced down at my watch and it it wasn't the end of the day, but it was nearly the end of the day. So I thought it's just a very odd time for them to do a test of the fire alarm. So I glanced out of the door to see one of the assistant site managers around the alarm panel. And I said, What's going on, Mike? Like this, what's going on, Mike? And he turned around, he said, It's you, you idiot. I said, What, what? He said, You, it's you, it's in your room. So I then thought, Oh no, it's smoke, it's a smoke machine, it's a blinking smoke machine. So the whole school empties out, every single person, every office, the nursery next door, fire brigade en route, the whole nine yards, everyone donning their fluorescent jackets, which is really what they wanted to be wearing at this time of the year, yeah, for the last few minutes, all there to line up, and they did so brilliantly, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Considering everyone out, everybody out of there. And then it quickly became known what the source of the fire alarm was, and uh, I'm afraid I haven't lifted down ever since. Every single member of staff, every si Sir, was it you, sir? I've had I don't know how many times from practice you made me late. I had all sorts of things like that.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

Well, yes, and unbeknownst to you as that was happening. Um, obviously you would have you'd have seen me going to the lineup where my uh hive is. But you were very good. Just prior to that, I'd actually had to help, well, essentially take the lead in uh cajoling uh one of the children with one of the more neurodivergent children who uh had sort of run away from the line and hadn't wanted to go. And that's that's like even you know, in a school like this, that's quite unusual. Most most of the children understand what they're supposed to do. And we were trying to get to the bottom, why you know, just go and line up like everyone, just call we'll even we've even got a special area where they don't have to line up, they can just be as long as we know they're safe. And we were trying to get to the what's the problem? And uh he said, Well, I just want to go to the toilet. I just need to go to the toilet. And he couldn't, he could not, you know, he goes, it was the end of the school day, and he would go to the toilet and then he goes home.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

So it's part of the routine.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

And you'd you'd completely messed up his routine because he wanted to go to the toilet. Well, we can't stand and recover dairy.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

We can't name him, but I apologize to him through you.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

I don't think you'll take your apology.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

No. I know he's gone on holiday, but yeah, he might hold a grudge. So I suppose you better get on with the show, eh?

SPEAKER_01 13:19

Yeah,

Register Gags And September Plans

SPEAKER_01 13:20

let's do that. Do you wanna do you wanna quickly do the register?

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Well, I mean today I can do the register, but obviously all the class has gone. Apart from you. We'll just have a check, see if there's anyone still here. Okay, well well, I'm here. Um I shouldn't be here, but I am here because I'm clearing the gear away, but I'll just call the register and just see uh is uh James?

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Si, estoy aquí. Right. And that's not that exciting. It's not you know I've done some more uh uh uh sort of exotic uh languages. That's just Spanish. Oh right. Now the reason for that is um It's a popular holiday destination. Well, not so much that. So Spain just won the World Cup. Of course. So Spain won the World Cup. So in honour of Spain winning the World Cup, I said it in Spanish, but obviously also in honour of Argentina losing the final, because they they also speak Spanish. So it was both in in honor of the winners and in commiseration to the losers. I'm sure they'll both be satisfied by that. I agree, and we we've made a decision not to be sort of uh political or particularly Well, we're both Welsh. I mean to be honest, we weren't even there. Absolutely, so you know it's not really a problem. I did support England for what it's worth, but uh you know, if Wales had been there, I would have supported them. Right. Uh this is quite a random postcard I've picked up, but uh it does actually seem appropriate. I'm gonna hand that to you. Thank you. Not a long commentary, there's no need for that.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

But uh Oh, yeah. Well, you've got the we've got I need to describe it to the obviously it's available um on the website.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Could you give the details of that whilst I So you you'll be able to see this postcard, you'll be able to see this postcard at uh www.ben and james.com And it's yeah, I mean sorry, no, you won't. That's www.ben and jamescoulddo better.com. Just put Ben and James.com, you won't get anything. No, but when you might have nothing to do with us. Something completely different. A future episode of this, but not this episode.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

I have actually got a list of uh other Ben and James's that are available, but that's not for now, that's for another No, but this this is a stack of I suppose we'd call them certainly antique um suitcases and storage boxes stacked on top of each other, and there's a sort of a little bunch of Wilt in daffodils on the top there.

SPEAKER_01 15:33

So I think the suitcases are the main thing, aren't they? Because at the end of term, people go on holiday. Yeah, but also there's a sort of Hogwarts sort of vibe, isn't it? The end of term at a private school, Hogwarts comes to mind. Obviously, that's a made-up school in the in in the in a whistling world for JK Rowling.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

But uh Yeah, and those GWR monikers, I think that was obviously a link to the fact that I once uh was a train driver and a great Western Railway there.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

Not intentionally, but we can we can link that in you uh you've been a lot of things though.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

So yeah, but uh yeah, thank you for that. That's really sort of quite poignant. I don't really want to make any comments.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Well, you know, it's just done. That's buttons.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

Could have been evacuation time.

Video Experiments And Teacher Life

SPEAKER_01 16:10

So I have got a list. If you'd like to. Oh great. Yeah, I do like a list. Um we we're gonna probably move away from the lists. Possibly. Well, I I think the way we're thinking in terms of this podcast is that we're gonna power on through the summer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

Uh with some punishing short editions.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Knowing that no one's really listening. Um, but we're gonna power on through. And then we're gonna say in September, that's that's season two, if you like. This is season one, and that'll be season two. And we might make some changes to the format or even abandon the format. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

We we we we've uh well, you've already really sort of shocked our listenership with the idea of Ask Ben, a new feature. So I mean people have to take things slowly, they don't like change.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Um, and there's there's a few other ideas we're playing with, but we know I suppose if they don't work, we don't want to talk about those just yet.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

But I think we are going to I think it's fair to say we're going to try, we're gonna dabble with a bit of video over the summer.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Yeah, we no, we are going to try, and if it works, then that's that'll happen.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

I mean, the thinking behind that is you know, some of what we do would be quite visual, and of course, a lot of people don't like just clicking on uh an icon and listening.

SPEAKER_01 17:15

I think if if people could see us actually drinking the Kong Strong rather than hearing it.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

But I am worrying that that might reduce the interest in us if they see us. I don't know. But we we've just got to play it, play it by ear, haven't we?

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Well, we've got six weeks to get in shape, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

And these chocolates are melting. So um I also noticed one of these blankets that you've put down has a sort of I could wear it.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

It's a hooded blanket, yeah. And that character is Stitch. Now, I don't know if you're familiar with the work of Stitch.

SPEAKER_00 17:46

So this is your youngest daughter's not youngest, no, the other one. Oh, the other one. Um right, yes. So just waving goodbye to a colleague through the door there.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

If people wondered why I uh blew a kiss. They wouldn't they wouldn't necessarily, but then when it's a visual medium, perhaps that will be right anyway. So yes, Stitch uh is a Disney character from the 2002 film Yeah Lilo and Stitch. Now that wasn't a huge commercial success, it was fairly successful. I've heard of it, but yeah, it like people it was successful enough that people had heard of it, but it's not it sort of wasn't a beloved Disney classic. But over time, it's sort of become more beloved, and it's sort of it's kind of picked up a bit of a cult following. So now you can buy lots of Stitch merchandise, and my my eldest daughter, Matilda, really likes the merchandise, has no interest in the actual film whatsoever.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

How does she feel about us using this?

SPEAKER_01 18:37

Well, she's I mean, to be honest, I say she likes the merchandise, she's lost interest in that blanket age a long time ago.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

Right, so I yeah, I don't want to be tough.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

I'll probably take it home from because it's been in school for ages, but I'll probably take it home uh today because when we when we do go on our short family holiday, um obviously, you know, to protect you and your family because there's a big security issue around you and your family.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Yeah, we are, yeah, we are. I mean you're a big you're you're a big noise as far as I'm concerned.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Only as far as you're concerned, but thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

But we're not gonna say where you're going, but roughly what part of the country. I don't want you to be mobbed, you say.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Oh, you'll be going west. Oh right. Going quite quite quite further west than we are right now.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

As long as you make sure when you're there, yeah. Avail yourself of the local hospitality, which might involve some cheese. I should imagine it will. Might even involve some scrumpy.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

Anyway, anyway, um further ado. Uh so we'll probably take the blankets back because they're quite useful to have in the car if we end up travelling. Right, anyway, but people, teachers, this show is for teachers.

Ten Ways To Relax Debate

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Absolutely. And I know sometimes we perhaps forget ourselves. And there was one episode where we didn't see Well, I want to be clear.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

If you're not a teacher and you're listening to this and you're enjoying it, you're welcome. That's fine. We're not we're not trying to exclude you. But the original premise of this show is it was for teachers. And it occurs to me that teachers, well, it's hard, isn't it? Because you've you've you've just finished work for you've got five and a half, some some people more than that. As if you're private schools, they've probably already finished. So poor devils don't get enough time off, do we? So, but also what do you do with that time off? I mean, how do you fill that time? I mean, no one cares about the plight of the teacher having to fill out.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

There's nobody who is not a teacher listening to this, going, poor guys, how on earth do they manage to fill five and a half weeks of holiday? But I'm worried about my colleagues.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

I'm worried they won't be able to relax. Yeah. Well, I'm worried about that as well. Unfortunately, I found ten ways for teachers to wind down and relax during summer break.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

Oh, good, good.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

And this is from the Global School Alliance. GSA. So if you are listening to this in another country, and we have had a couple of listens from other country.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

We have had a couple abroad, haven't we?

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Yeah, there's all over the world as well.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Uh, not not always. The surprising spike for episode one in Doha, but I mean it wasn't that surprising, was it?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

But no idea why that is. Anyway, so uh so here's ten ways for teachers to wind down and relax during the summer break wherever in the world you are. Okay? Uh so number one, unplug and disconnect.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

Oh, absolutely. I think that's it.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

That's a good one, yeah. Now, this is of no use if you're not a teacher. So, you know, again, I just want to just twig, sorry. So this is specifically for teachers. Yes, I just want to caution non-teachers. Stay plugged in. This might be quite dangerous for you. So some of this advice, this is just for teachers, okay?

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Right. So unplug. Okay, so so teachers unplug everybody else. Continue as you want.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Teachers, get off the emails, get off the notifications. Because we're we are the only people who get them, aren't we? Absolutely. Just get away from those screens and that that can be incredibly refreshing and rejuvenating, it says.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

Yeah, I no, I'm with you now. Yeah, sorry, I hadn't realised.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

Yeah, because otherwise it's not funny. It's just a list of good advice again.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Yeah, it's got something in common with all of it.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is basically episode five. Again, we're on um episode 17 now, and I'm just basically redoing episode five. Just hit me with it again. So unplug and disconnect was number one. And does it have anything else under it? I've just said it all. You just weren't listening. Please just try it. I'm on the whole thing. Number one, unplug and disconnect. So one of the best ways to wind that is by disconnecting from work-related emails, lesson plans, and notifications. Give yourself permission to unplug from technology and take a break from the constant demands of the classroom. Engaging in activities that don't involve screens can be incredibly rewarding and refreshing. Rejuvenating, sorry. There you go. So that's number one.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

Yeah, it is it is good advice, but I'd say for everybody. And you're going to have a little bit more of that to come.

SPEAKER_01 22:32

There's ten of these though. So number two, engage in hobbies and passion projects.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

That was that was for those who could hear that in the background, that was the site team moaning about what are we doing in here at this time. Yeah, it's not even that late. I know.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

Um right, so number two, I'll try that again.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Yeah, try it again.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Number two, engage in hobbies and passion projects. Just teachers again. Just teachers, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

Uh spend time doing activities that bring you joy, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Whether it's painting, hiking, gardening, or vacation. I like the fact they're now going to tell us what some of the things we might enjoy might be. Engaging in hobbies can provide a much needed break from work and allow you to tap into your creative side. So uh title of the list again, please. Ten ways for teachers to wind down and relax during summer break. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Do you think possibly this is a global schools alliance? Do you think there could be a global office workers alliance that sends out exactly the same list? Potentially. Let's we I might look that up. Right, number three, Global Bus Drivers Alliance.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

It's look, just calm down. It's gonna, it's gonna we're gonna, you know.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

They've got to switch off all the way all day anyway. Number three. Yes, because what if you're in a job where you can't? This is an important point. Yeah, you cut me off there, but I'm it's not as though I don't do it to you, but you know, you might be in a job, but you're not like you can't as a train driver look at your phone or a bus driver or anything like that. So they'll go without it all day. They want to plug in when they finish work. That's true.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

Okay, that's fair, that's fair, okay. Right, number three then, obviously, this this also only applies to teachers. Yeah. Connect with loved ones. Number four, perhaps more pertinent for you, prioritize self-care.

SPEAKER_00 24:15

Oh, oh yeah. Yeah. I do they they must have just got this list. Applicable to anybody, absolutely anybody. Number five. Yeah. Read for pleasure. Well, I tell you what, I'm gonna be doing that. The first thing I'm gonna be getting myself stuck into is one of Tom Hanks's um bitingly um gripping. I think gripping.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

Because I've um since we last recorded, although it's only a week in in sort of listener terms since our last episode, it's actually been several weeks since we ra we last recorded. But you must have read it. I haven't, but I has it has been bought for me, and I have the book, I have Tom Hanks' short story collection, which does include Ghostie Costa's.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

And I hope by the next time we record, I'll have uh read something.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

One of my two tees has very kindly got me a Costa voucher. Right. So that's the closest I'm going to be.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

So I will be going to Costa's. You might go to see Costa's and then go into Costa's.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

Yeah, but I won't be going to see him.

SPEAKER_01 25:19

If you won't be seeing him, you'll be seeing it. Yeah. Yeah. But uh you might, while you're in Costa coffee, read go see Costa's.

SPEAKER_00 25:26

Do you think as you're driving down towards, you know, wherever you're going? Because again, we need to be very, very general about it. It could be anywhere in the West Country. So don't please, please don't bother him. You might pass a service station, and in there, you might pass a WH Smith, which links us to another episode, and you might, whilst you're in there, just feel like, you know, because it's not just about reading anything. No. Really, it should start with Ghosty Costus, but if it's not about just reading anything, but you could pick up anything, you know, sort of airport fiction sort of stuff. They'll be they'll be in the services. Something by Dan Brown, maybe. Yeah, could be something by Dan Brown, yeah, or Judy Finnegan.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

Do you know what we never made the link where we were talking about Ghosty Costas by Tom Hanks and the Dan Brown novels? Of course, Tom Hanks is in the adaptations of the Dan Brown novels. Yeah, he's got got the market really. See, he is Robert Langdon. Tom Hanks is Robert Langdon.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

So he's really cornered the market, isn't he? First reads uh for for everybody. Just boys, though. Just boys, just boys who are lucky to see. There's no girls out there that need to read more. No. There's no girls' literacy issue. I just want you to know that.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

But they can still read for pleasure if they need to relax, if they're teachers. Well, absolutely. Who need to relax. Absolutely. Now I've got a slight issue with uh point six.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Right. Insofar as Because so far we've just had a general list of general good advice.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

Well no, this is probably the same. What's happened is I print this, I often print these out rather than just reading them off an electronic device, which I have. I have an electronic device, so I don't know why I've done that. And it's not printed out six. So I'm now gonna have to look that up. So uh, you know, just uh just bear with me. Just bear with. I could move straight on to uh point seven, but I think.

SPEAKER_00 27:03

No, no, no, I want you to I want you to do it in order, and at the end of the day. I mean it gives me time to sort of if you don't mind, I mean it doesn't sound right, but I'm just gonna sort of slide my hand into into the the hooded aspect of this blanket and just sort of feel the quality. It's a bit polyester, isn't it? I think I might have got it from uh from Tesco's actually. Softish.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

Do you like do you like is it his his I presume it's his, yeah, it stitches uh Stitch is a Stitch is blue and Stitch is a boy. There is a a girl version of Stitch called Angel, but Angel doesn't actually feature in the film. She's in uh uh an episode of the uh But they must do a blanket for her, do they? I'd have thought so, but there's more Stitch merchandise than there is. Tell me she's not pink, is she?

SPEAKER_00 27:46

Pink, yeah, she's pink. I mean, in so many ways we've moved on, haven't we?

SPEAKER_01 27:50

Um but not in that this is the same list, so it's absolutely fine. So I could have just done this in the first uh number six explore nature.

unknown 28:01

Dear, dear, dear.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

This this exploring of nature seems to be advice given by everybody almost as an antidote to anything and everything. Yeah. You know, oh I I seem to have too many uh emails and go and stand in the forest. Tell you what's not an antidote to though. What? Hay fever. No, it's that's no, it's uh I could have predicted that one, but yeah, it it's you know, oh I'm I'm doing James. I I'm I'm I'm finding myself drinking too many Kong Strong wild powers. Well, what you need to do is take yourself into a forest.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

You're really enjoying that West Country accent, aren't you? I am, I don't know why. Going to town on it. I really am going to town.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

But I've got an uncle, uncle, if you're listening, I doubt it. Yeah. Uncle Chris lives in um in Charad. Something's that. Oh, it might be quite close to Charred on my holiday. Well, don't give it away because on some point, I mean it's apparently it's close to Taunton. You might end up in Taunton. There's no plans to go to Taunton.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

Right, um number seven. Learn something new. Oh my word. Five and a half weeks off, you can learn something new. While it's important to relax during summer break, so while it's important to relax, summer break can also be an opportunity, an opportunity for personal growth and development. I don't want to learn something new in the holidays, do you? Well, yeah, well, I specifically want to learn how to edit video podcasts.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Well, okay okay, but that's a necessity, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 29:34

You don't want to necessarily It's a necessity for the development of our brand.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

Let's be honest about it. But it's it's not something you want to do, is it?

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Well no, I mean I I I don't want to do it and I won't find it relaxing or um in any way for the.

SPEAKER_00 29:50

You know, you you gave me all that baloney about you wanted to to to get better at DIY and I I believe you that you did want to get DIY. You did the courses, and then when I said to you the other day, well are we getting on? You said, Well, I've forgotten some of the DIY.

SPEAKER_01 30:05

Well, no, I haven't I mean I mean in my defence, what I actually think I said was because I did the courses, I never actually had time to do any of the DIY because the time the time I would have done the DIY was last summer holidays. So you're qualified, but no, not experience. Well, I spent most of last summer holidays doing courses on how to do DIY, yeah, but then run out of time to do the DIY. You've got to get some experience under your belt. This summer, the plan is to do a bit of DIY, and I actually do plan to do some. And if I do some, I will be uh crowing about it on this podcast. Oh, don't you you rest assured.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

Well, I think this might be the first time I get to to really sort of meet the family because I think if you start any moderate to major projects, you might need some assistance. I know this is gonna kill you, but you you might need some assistance. And I'm I'm there for you. I'm useless at DIY, but I can hold things. Excellent. Well, I do need someone to hold things, so thank you. Well, that's it, let's see how it goes. I'll uh I'll uh I mean, yeah, I don't want to frighten people, but I mean you frequently do. It could happen.

SPEAKER_01 31:05

Right, okay, we we uh top time is money, but it's a punishing list. This has promised to be a shorter episode, but so far uh it's running into the yeah, uh there's the genuine danger it won't be. Right. Right, so where were we? Uh so seven, learn something new. Eight, reflect and plan for the future. I find nothing relaxing about that actually. Absolutely nothing, but there's nothing relaxing about learning something new either. No, I can understand learning something new is fulfilling and you have time to do it, but it's not relaxing or something.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

Yeah, but I'll do that when I'm retired. Not not in a holiday.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

Reflecting and planning for the future sounds torturous. Um dreadful. Right, so let's just move on to nine, shall we? Yeah. You ready? Yeah. Embrace slow living. Embrace slow living. I think this merits reading the whole thing out, don't you? Please do, yeah. Summer break offers a chance to slow down and savour the present moment. Embrace the concept of slow living by practising mindfulness and being fully present in whatever you do. Enjoy the simple pleasures of life, such as a leisurely breakfast, a sunset stroll, or a lazy afternoon with a favourite book.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

Lazy afternoon with a favourite book. Which in your case, surely will be of course.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

It needs no introduction. And just to be clear, the book itself is not called goate costas, that's just a short story in the book. The book itself is called something else. I can't remember what it's called.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

I did read, and I this perhaps this is unfair on Tom Hanks, but I did read a review of this the other day that said, uh, one and a half hours I'm never gonna get back in my life. Yeah, I think that's uh That's what somebody wrote.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

I've not we can hear the vacuum cleaner now as well. The cleaners are going full pelt now. They don't want us to be here. They want an early finish as well. Well, hopefully, number ten will help help us then because number ten uh of this list, which is again entitled Ten Ways for Teachers to Wind Down and Relax During Summer Break, travel and explore.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Look, as I I think I've said this before and I apologise, but no, I don't apologise. I've said it before and I'm gonna say it again. This list has nothing to do with teachers. The list contains some fairly reasonable advice, but it's nevertheless advice you don't need. If anyone needs to read this in a list and go, oh yes, what a good idea. I'll take it a bit slower now. I'm not in work. What a good idea. I I'm read a book. That's quite persistent, isn't it, that Hoover? She's looked in as she passed then and given us a wave, which uh I think if she only knew what we were doing.

SPEAKER_01 33:51

There is a conclusion to this. Sorry, I didn't I didn't read the uh conclusion to the list. So remember, summer break is a time for teachers to relax, rejuvenate, and prioritize their well-being by engaging in activities that bring joy, discovering new hobbies, and focusing on self-care. So that's the entire list repeated. Teachers can ensure they return to the classroom refreshed, energized, and ready to inspire their students once again. So make the most of this summer break and create memories that will keep you going throughout the upcoming academic year.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

Happy winding down Yeah, oh goodness me. I like the whole holiday is about planning for the next but I I don't know what to say about that list other than it is utterly useless.

We Will Still Be Here

SPEAKER_01 34:34

But I would like to reassure any teachers that find it difficult to wind down during the summer break that we'll still be here every week with a new episode of Ben and James Could Do Better. Absolutely. We are your constant companion. So uh if you are at a loss, why not listen to us next week where we'll probably have another atrocious list uh to go through.

SPEAKER_00 35:00

Uh you can call us your constant companion, your persistent best friend, whatever it might happen to be, or a sort of annoying earworm. But whatever it is, we're here for you. We care about you, we love you, and we'll see you next week. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

unknown 35:16

Um