If you are a parent reading this, you may always see your child's teacher with a big smile on his/her face when greeted. You may think of him/her as energetic, enthusiastic, and on the ball (hopefully).
However, what parents may not be all to aware of is that teachers get burned out. They may only teach for 9 months out of the year, but these are not 9-5 jobs. They are 5 am - ... all life consuming, all mind consuming, all time consuming careers; even in the summer teachers are planning for the next school year. (Make sure you send them an encouraging card once or twice throughout the year. They need it!)
Teachers teach because they feel they make a difference in the life of even one student. That is a powerful draw and the reality is that teachers often find it difficult to savor when the school year is polluted with pressures of being a miracle worker, balancing family and personal time with work and knowing what and when to let go on the long list of things they'd like to do for their students but simply don't have the time.
The school year beings with the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and sanitizing wipes, and teachers are under great pressure of assessing students' learning levels and making big decisions about how they can best serve them for the next 190 days. The year continues with papers and projects to grade, calendars to fill, myriads of faculty meetings about new professional development and often no time to study it or implement it effectively. There are new units to write, resources to gather, copies to make, behavior charts to create, parent notes to compose and phone calls to administer.
Students transfer, new students come and teachers are scrambling to make the child feel comfortable and catch them up. Paper work mounts on the desk (which IS an organized mess) and three somewhat weird smelling travel coffee mugs from the week are somewhere in the midst.
Teachers begin to find themselves mid year wondering, "did I forget my anxiety meds, my caffeine or my smile this morning"? Sometimes things just don't feel right. If this is you, you may be feeling the burn- burnout.
Wendi Pillar offers insight in her post Six Signs of -and Solutions for Teacher Burn-Out.
Give yourself a quiz for a change. If you find yourself checking the block on at least 3 of these below, you are most likely on your way to a burnout if not already there. Burnout is inevitable for everyone, but knowing what to do to learn from it is the key to staying in your teaching position successfully!
"Exhaustion. This is a fatigue so deep that there's no way to "turn it off," no matter how badly you want to. It's deep in your bones. The kind of tired where you just want to ooze into your bed and disconnect from life.
Extreme graveness. Realizing you go hours without smiling or laughing, or days without a belly laugh.
Anxiety. The constant, nagging feeling that you can and should do more, while simultaneously realizing you need to unplug and spend more time with your family. But there are so many things to do.
Being overwhelmed. Questioning how they can possibly add one more task, expectation, or mandate to your plate. Compromising your values of excellence just so you can check-off 15 more boxes to stay in compliance. All the while knowing it still won't be enough.
Seeking. Losing your creativity, imagination, patience, and enthusiasm for daily challenges. Craving reflection time and productive collaboration rather than group complaining.
Isolation. Wanting to head for the deepest, darkest cave where no one will see your vulnerability. A place where your limits are unseen and unquestioned and all is quiet."
(Pillar- May, 2014)
IF you have teacher burnout, don't worry! You are not alone and thanks to Wendi, you can actively take a role in reversing your burnout and allow it to make you stronger.
Wendi's suggestions are in my opinion, right on. I only wish I had read her post when I was in the classroom!
Wendi suggests:
1. Letting some things go
2. Appointing a supportive community who can encourage you
3. Make time for 'self' and your creative outlets or reflection time alone for restoration
4. Relationships with faith, family and friends and therefore, time away from work
5. Gratitude with purpose
6. Heal through perspective
Please take the time to read Wendi's well written and very encouraging post as she elaborates further.
Just because you have teacher burnout, and will from time to time, doesn't mean you should not be a teacher. It doesn't mean you must feel hopeless and trapped, frustrated or defeated, or like you wasted years in college preparing for a dead end. Take some time and apply these principles; see if you feel better. Do some soul searching and some prayer. If you are still feeling burned out, talk to your administrator about a different type of position. Perhaps you would better enjoy a different grade level, different school or different type of role in your school.
Remember, you really are making a difference in someone, but sometimes we first need to make a difference in ourselves!
-With much love and hope,
Shelley
Former 3rd Grade Teacher
K-2 ESOL Teacher
M.Ed. Reading Curriculum & Instruction
(I've been there!)
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Taking joy in encouraging others at home, at school and at play!