Burnout is a state of fatigue or frustration caused by long-term involvement in demanding situations – especially when the situation is difficult both intellectually and emotionally. Burnout can occur in any profession, and teachers are especially susceptible. Our profession requires responding to multiple masters, while shouldering the burden of educating and inspiring the future of our country.
Burnout is most common in people who are highly committed to their work. As teachers, we need that commitment. We can’t afford to become cynical or disillusioned – for the sake of our students.
8 Tips for Avoiding Teacher Burnout
#1 – Identify the cause
Step back and analyze how you’re feeling. Try to identify what triggered your current state of mind. Was it one particularly negative event? Or a series of little situations, building on each other? Analyze those situations. Are they still important? If so, can you think of any solutions? If you have no control over the situation, can you just let it go?
If a too-rigorous schedule is to blame, is there some way to rearrange it, to make it more manageable?
#2 – Rediscover your purpose
Teaching is a noble profession – a fact we can’t let ourselves forget. We chose this role for a reason. Reexamining your purpose for being here can go a long way toward helping you regain your energy. Consider the impact of what you do every day. Yes, the job carries a lot of pressure and responsibility, but isn’t it worth it? You’re truly making a contribution to society! If you don’t do it, who will?
#3 – Prioritize
When you hit the “TOO MUCH” point, fall back on prioritization. Be realistic – you can’t do it all. Your personal life is important, too. So is your health. Don’t sacrifice the things that really matter in your life. Take a look at what you really have to do, and find a schedule with balance. Put the big priorities at the top of the list and take pride in accomplishing them. If some of the smaller stuff doesn’t get done, so be it.
#4 – Allow yourself downtime
Downtime is a priority. Period. Neither the brain nor the body can continue to function effectively without a break. Schedule some downtime every day.
Downtime means different things to different people. It could mean taking a walk, or a nap. It could be reading a book or calling your favorite friend. It may not need to last more than 10-15 minutes. But it could be just what you need to rejuvenate your brain and your attitude.
Take some downtime from your problems, too. Set them aside for a while – focus on something else. A brainstorm, or a greater sense of optimism, may slip in when you’re not expecting it.
#5 – Take care of yourself
Sleep is an excellent form of downtime – but so is exercise! These two activities often get downgraded when you prioritize and schedule your day, but it’s time to rethink their ranking. In order to excel at your job, and shoulder the responsibilities, you need to be your best self. Consistently sacrificing your health, your relationships, and your peace of mind actually does more harm than good. Create a routine that includes your own health and well-being.
#6 – Give yourself a break
What are your expectations for yourself? Are they realistic? It’s important to strive for excellence, but perfectionism will only hurt you. Trying to squeeze every drop of productivity out of your day is a recipe for burnout. Reevaluate your priorities and your expectations.
It’s also important to believe in yourself. Think of all you’ve accomplished so far. Think of the skills and positive traits that took you this far. When you accomplish a goal, give yourself a gold star.
#7 – Focus on something positive
If you’re burned out, you’ll find your thoughts seldom drift toward the rosy side of life. How can you turn that frown upside down?
One trick is to do something for someone else. Make their day. Call a parent and tell them how well their child is doing. Compliment someone. Give a friend a gift or a card, for no reason. There’s a whole lot of positive in simply being nice.
Another trick is to simply pretend to be happy. Pretend you’re an actor in a play, in the role of the happy-go-lucky, ray-of-sunshine character. Beam that positive attitude out to the people around you – your students and co-workers – and you’ll get more sunshine back than you expected. Sometimes just acting happy can actually make you feel a lot better.
#8 – Get to know your students better
Those young faces looking at you expectantly, or sullenly… or not looking at you at all because they’re looking at their phones… those kids are the reason you’re here. If you take a little while to get to know them as their unique self, it will be easier to remember why you took this job. Schedule brief one-on-ones, or ask them to write a 3-paragraph essay on their biggest priorities in life. Find out what makes them tick, and show them that you care.
The steps listed above will help equip you for rejuvenating your attitude and rekindling your passion for teaching. Now let’s focus on your students’ attitudes. If they’re being difficult, perhaps they’re burned out, too? Here are 5 brief tips for helping them, which will give you a great boost, too.
5 Tips for Avoiding Student Burnout
#1 –Move around
Kids just can’t sit still for too long. Everyone needs a change of pace sometimes. Incorporate movement into your classroom. Build it into your lesson plan when you can. When all else fails, simply ask your students to stand up and switch chairs. It won’t take longer than 5 minutes, and it will give everyone a fresh perspective.
#2 – Get hands-on
It’s always more exciting to actually do something than to hear about it. Hands-on, experiential learning is also the best way to keep your students engaged and help them both apply and retain the knowledge they’ve gained. Create assignments in which students experiment, build, and create.
#3 – Get creative
Creative outlets are important burnout fighters. Challenge your own creativity as you devise ways to make your lessons more interesting, more engaging, more creative, and more fun. Challenge your students to create and innovate, too. Everyone will be proud of the results.
One simple way to engage creativity: get everyone involved in a redecorate-the-classroom project.
#4 – Schedule a Student Accomplishment session each week
Focusing on accomplishments is a good way to stay positive. Schedule time each week to announce your students’ most interesting accomplishments. Ask them to contribute as well, sharing their own accomplishments, or those of their classmates.
#5 – Have fun with them
You’ll become an admired teacher if you can invent ways to bring fun into your lesson plans. Incorporate puzzles and brain teasers. Instead of giving a pop quiz, ask your students to spontaneously quiz each other, out loud. It will help them share their own knowledge, while giving them a chance to interact and reflect on what they’ve learned. Another idea is to play a form of charades, having your students act out some element from their recent lesson.
A new school year is about to start. We hope these tips help you and your students carry that refreshed, positive, summertime energy throughout the whole year!
Wondering if you’re burned out? Take this quiz from MindTool.
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