NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR THE BURNT-OUT TEACHER

As we celebrate the new year, there are several things that educators should strive for to make their lives less stressful, more productive, and overall enjoyable. These resolutions should be adopted by new and seasoned teachers alike. Many of these resolutions can be also be used in other professions so share the knowledge.

1. Pick up a hobby or interest outside of work. It’s important to take time for yourself. As teachers, many times we are so consumed with work and, for those who it applies to, families. We work during the school day, pick up the kids after school, complete household duties, plan lessons and grade papers, and then go to sleep. This causes us to feel like the days are running together with no break. When we do take time to treat ourselves, the occasions are few and far between. By dedicating an hour or two each weekend or an entire weekend each month to doing a hobby or interest, it will help relieve some of the tension and stress from work. When I say treat yourself, I want you to think beyond a mani/pedi, the gym, or Netflix. Instead, take a painting or jewelry making class, join a meetup group, go on nature walks, get massages, dabble in photography, plan date night or girls’ night out activities, check for Groupon specials, etc. There’s so much to do. You just have to set aside the time to do it.

2. Limit the amount of time that you work from home. Unfortunately, teaching is a career where the work required of you is rarely completed during the hours that you clock in. With all of the expectations placed on us, we inevitably work well past the school day. To prevent feelings of being overwhelmed, you must limit the amount of work that you do at home. This can be done by staying after school for an extra hour or two once or twice a week when possible. Another option is to get to work an hour before the school day begins. Finally, you can limit the amount of time that you work at home to no more than an hour. Unless you run a business from your home, home should feel like home. You should be able to relax and know that it is a place of solace when you’ve had a rough day.

3. Listen to music during your preps. Music can be extremely therapeutic. This can be the last few songs that you’ve downloaded on your phone and play constantly on repeat. It can be calming spa music that you play on YouTube or Pandora. It can be inspirational tunes. If podcasts or guided meditation are your thing, listen to them. Anything that helps you center yourself and calm down while still being productive in your class during your preparation periods will work. Take back that small window of time to yourself.

4. Build a teacher stash. Many teachers put a lot of effort into decorating their classrooms so that they feel all homey, but outside of that we realize that it is still work. There are little steps that can be taken to make your time at work less stressful. You can start by purchasing a hot pot for tea or a mini Keurig for coffee. If you believe in its affects, try a salt lamp. Use plug-ins to keep your classroom fragrant. Bring in a table lamp to create a transition from teaching to teacher time. Create a playlist of music. Stock up on your favorite snacks. Keep your favorite hand creams and other toiletries on hand. You know what makes you feel good. As long as it is work appropriate, go for it.

5. Speak up. Many times teachers keep a lot of things bottled up because we don’t want to appear as if we can’t handle things. This is understandable. However, when you don’t speak up and reach out for help, it can begin to seem as if the walls are closing in on you. That is why it is important to speak up. You can talk to an administrator, another teacher at your school, a teacher at another school, a therapist, a spiritual counselor, your spouse, a friend, or in online forums. There are so many resources out there to help, and you will discover that you are not alone. There are so many people who are experiencing the very same situations that you are. Even though the goal is to gain solutions to your problems, sometimes just venting and knowing that someone understands, cares, or has your back helps tremendously. Now this doesn’t mean be a Debbie downer to anyone who will listen. Speaking up is just a means to seek help and relieve the stress of the situation.

6. Stop micromanaging. Use the students. They enjoy helping. Why are you cleaning up after class? Why are you filing away student work? Why are you cutting out all of the shapes and letters? Let students do that. Also, when it comes to grading papers, grade with an objective in mind. If you are focused on one key skill, only assess that skill when grading student work. The misspellings and minor grammatical errors that you edit are time consuming. Have the students peer edit to catch those errors.

7. Stop allowing others to drain you. We all know that one teacher who always complains and never has anything positive to say about the school, administrators, students, politics, life, or pretty much anything.  Avoid them at all costs. When in an already stressful situation, these individuals drop their loads on you leaving you to carry the burden of negativity. You can avoid them by simply stating that you are busy and can’t talk or politely bring to their attention that they are being negative. Make sure that you are not that person yourself. See resolution five.  

8. Always be prepared. There are occasions when we are the cause of our own stress due to lack of planning or preparation. This can be easily resolved. Stop putting off making copies until the morning of the lesson that you need them for. Stop reading passages for the first time with the students or just before the students walk in. Stop typing up activity sheets during your prep right before the students switch to your class. While these methods prove effective at times of emergency, they should not be relied on because oftentimes if something can go wrong, it will. This can be numerous typos on a handout, students asking questions that you haven’t anticipated and prepared answers for, or having no handouts due to the copy machine jamming, running out of toner, or having no paper. There are so many unpredictables that you don’t want to risk and should try your best to avoid by just being prepared. This also goes for documentation. Always be prepared with your lesson plans, call logs, methods of interventions, and data. These are just a few of the documents that administrators may ask for without notice.