SWATCA 2025 - South Western Alberta Teachers' Convention

Six years ago, as a large rural school division, we looked in the mirror and realized that we had created an environment in which digital communication (emails and texts) continued every evening and every weekend. As teachers, support staff, and leaders, we didn't have a stopping cue. It was a complex problem because smartphones and mobile devices were fairly new addictions that were pulling everyone into ongoing non-urgent, sometimes emotional communication 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our solution? Weekdays 'Til 6. It is a powerful and positive cultural norm that we've now enjoyed for six years. 'Weekdays at 6:00 p.m.' is our stopping cue. We don't email or text each other on evenings or weekends. Instead, we encourage our staff to rest, exercise, spend time with family/friends, and enjoy deep work time where necessary without distraction. Weekday's 'Til 6 is not a policy or procedure. It is a cultural norm that is good for our people, like kindness, laughter, sleep and nutrition. It is a simple solution that solves a complex problem for 2,000 really good people that work hard every day and deserve a break.