When you read the title of this blog post, did your heart
kind of sigh a little bit? Could you relate to even just the words? Yeah, I
thought so. It’s that time of year again! No, I don’t mean Christmas. No, I
don’t mean flu season. I’m talking about that time of year when all teachers
across the country start to feel a little something called burnout. We’ve all
been there! The fresh, young faces that once brought us joy and excitement back
in August are now haunting us in our dreams; the Pinterest-worthy lesson plans
that we once lauded ourselves over are now stuck somewhere in our “Try That
Next Year” file; and we’re having secret competitions as to which teacher gets
to leave the parking lot the quickest when that last dismissal bell rings.
Sound familiar? Keep reading for a few tips that will help reignite those
faithful flames of teaching fabulosity!
1.
Be a rookie again.
When we first started out, we felt scared, alone, and helpless. We were
terrified, intimidated, and felt as if we may not survive the next day. So you
know what we did? We had to start at square one, research our field, get to
know our students, network with other teachers, swap ideas, and do whatever it
took to survive. And guess what? We THRIVED! We had exciting lessons, cool
ideas, and teaching became a little easier as we found our groove. As the
weeks/months/years went on, we became comfortable; and while comfort isn’t
necessarily a bad thing, complacency is. It’s when we got so stuck in routine
that our passion began to drift. If your classroom has become so lifeless that
you feel like a Walking Dead extra, maybe it’s time to transport yourself back
to the beginning and think outside your worn-out box. Challenge yourself! Find
new tricks! Swap ideas with colleagues! Sometimes a little refresher course is
all that’s needed to recharge.
2.
Find new friends.
Sound harsh? But for real—how many of us spend our lunches, planning
periods, and even after-hours time with that one person who just has to be the
Negative Nancy? Maybe it’s even YOU? Don’t dump your friend group altogether,
but if you find yourself relating to this bullet point, perhaps you should
consider making a change. When constantly surrounded by negativity, it WILL
begin to affect you and your own outlook. Don’t isolate yourself into your
classroom cave altogether, but maybe try cutting back and spending just one day
on your own or with a different group of positively-minded individuals. Trust
me, attitudes are infectious, so make sure you’re catching the right stuff!
{Was that lame? Probably. You get my point!}
3.
Back away slowly.
It may sound counterproductive, but sometimes all you need to find your
joy again is to take a step back and channel your energy somewhere else for a
little while. Leave that pile of papers to grade on your desk for the weekend.
They can wait! Vow to have at least one evening where your dinner conversation
doesn’t include talk of your students, test scores, and ever-changing state
standards. Enjoy your significant other, your children, your furbabies, your
hobbies, and just be YOU when you get home—not the “teacher” you. When you
return on Monday, hopefully you will feel refreshed and refocused!
4.
Remember your WHY.
Why
did you start teaching to begin with? Because of the fame, fortune, and light
workload that comes along with it? Ha! Okay, so since none of those are it, why
DID you get into this esteemed profession? Think back to the first time you
decided to become an educator. Something about it made you crave more. What
about in college when you were so passionate about teaching that you could hardly
contain your enthusiasm, or your first year teaching when you had a student who
finally “got it” and all you wanted to do was jump for joy and give them a hug?
Remembering back to when teaching was a calling and not simply a career can
help remind you of why you’re in this.
Perhaps after reading this article you have gathered a few
remedies to help with the dreaded teacher burnout. If you have any other
helpful tips, please feel free to email me and share. If nothing else, at least
remember that Winter Break is just around the corner and we CAN make it! Here’s
to a great ending to the first half of the school year, Happy Holidays, and a
fabulous year in 2016!
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