It’s the time of year when Angela Watson opens the doors to her 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club. Have you seen it on social media, in blogs, or maybe even in your email?  Well, don’t ignore it when you do see it. Do me a quick favor and check it out.

I remember how I felt when I saw the ads for it last year.  I was reluctant and definitely skeptical.  (I tend to be reluctant and skeptical any time I consider spending money because I am CHEAP!) But, I did some research, and I really reflected on whether or not being more organized and having the resources I need to get my work/life balance back was worth the price.

Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and join the club.  And I have never regretted it for even a second.

Today, let me tell you what I have enjoyed and what I have gained from being in this club for six months.  I am not affiliated with Angela or anything, I just believe in the club and think you’ll appreciate it if you join! 🙂

What is the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club?

Good question.

The club is a collection of ideas and resources designed to help you organize your classroom and your life, straighten out your priorities, and make everything run smoothly. It is spread out over a year, with a new topic being introduced each week under the umbrella of the monthly theme.  At first I was like “why can’t I have access to everything now??” (say it in a whiny voice), but oh goodness, it’s a good thing she doesn’t give you access. There’s just TOO much to take in!

Let me just explain the different things you’ll have access to if you join:

• Monthly Topics: For example this month is “maximizing your summer” and July is “the self-running classroom”. Those two things alone make me excited!! 🙂
• Weekly “lessons”: Okay, they’re not really lessons, but I’m not sure how to define them. Each week you’ll have access to a PDF (and audio version) of notes on focus for the week.  There will be tips, tricks, and ideas about the topic.
• Resources: After reading or listening to the weekly info, you can access the resources.  Sometimes there are a couple, sometimes there are TONS.  The resources alone (many from TPT) are probably worth more than you pay for the class.  (I basically replaced all to-do lists with Angela’s system)
• Facebook Group: The club groups are divided in elementary and secondary groups, which is great, because then you don’t have to wade through and find what is relevant for you. I check in with the club on FB almost daily because there are a lot of great resources. It’s also a great place to post questions and get ideas from peers in the club.

The good thing is, as a club member, you have access to the club forever.  After a year, all of the months will be unlocked and if you lost a download or something, you can go back and get it.

What makes the club worth it?

Really all the things listed above are what makes it worth it, but I’ll go into more detail just in case.

• The resources:  Like I said, the to-do lists are my new go to favorite. I have a binder of them sitting next to me right now, each day filled in with flair pens color coded to my activities (nerd alert!).  For the end of the year there was a mega list of activities from TPT that we had FREE access to (I will say, elementary teachers have a slight advantage in this area, but that’s okay). There are just so many resources, I can’t even really begin to tell you about them. I haven’t finished catching up on all of the months yet, so there are more I haven’t even seen! There are also bonus materials that are not part of the monthly resources (like Angela’s self-care webinar and MUCH more).
• The support: I love the Facebook group (and I feel lame just saying that). The group is great for sharing resources related to the monthly topics, asking questions, getting feedback or advice.  Angela herself gets on and shares ideas and other resources as well.
• The fact that you have access to all of this stuff forever! This is what convinced me, I think. At first I thought, “how can I get through this in a year?” and honestly, you probably can’t.  It’s a LOT to take in. But since it’s there for you forever, you don’t have to feel rushed or overwhelmed by all of the content.

How I have worked the club into my life

In case you haven’t caught on, there is a LOT of info in this club (haha!), and you will feel overwhelmed sometimes.  Angela often reminds us that it is okay to “get behind” because there is really no such thing. This is an at your own pace situation, which is definitely my style.

When I am on the ball, here is how I work my way through the club:

• I download the notes (or listen to the recording, but I’m not a great listener so this isn’t my first choice). I open the notes in Kami so I can highlight and add info as I go.
• After I read the weekly notes, I open my Google Doc titled “Club Take Aways” and add all of the info that was most important to me there.  That way I can go look at the notes if I want, but really I’ve taken my highlights, put them in my own words, and curated them all in one place.  Easy to find and helps it stick in my brain.  I also add links to my favorite resources that are mentioned so I can remember they exist and access them quickly.
• I go back over the notes when I start the next week (which I may or may not be reading the next week).  This summer I’m catching up on about three months. I read the short version of the topics, but I just got behind and couldn’t set aside time to work on club stuff, but that’s okay, because this summer I’m getting a TON of ideas for next year.

I’m not sure how convincing I’ve been, but I really feel so passionate about this club that I just HAD to tell you about it.  Please feel free to drop me a question!

Find out more about Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club here (while you’re there, join!!).

**If you do happen to join, would you mind listing me as your referrer? You just need my name: Kristy Louden; and my club email: kristymkruse@hotmail.com.  Angela is offering a $25 Amazon gift card for every referral! But, just so you know, I wrote this post over the summer before this was even a thing! It’s just an added bonus!**