I love being a teacher. It’s such a rewarding career, and it is such a privilege to get to be able to teach, inspire, and empower today’s youth. However, as wonderful as being a teacher is, it’s also a demanding profession. Throughout the year so many teachers feel overworked, overstressed, and underpaid. These three factors lead to teacher burnout, and alarming statistics show that the teaching profession loses many promising educators within their first five years on the job.

Take myself for example, I worked until 7:30 pm almost every weekday. I was exhausted and frustrated to the extent that I need to ingest extra nutrition or energy supplements to maintain my daily life routine. I could even walk to work the next day I worked until 10:30 pm in a row. After reflection, I suddenly realized that it was exactly called “BURN OUT”. This shocked me. Therefore, I started to consider the meaning of my life and how to keep a work-life balance.

As a teacher, it’s essential to maintain self-care. Here’s a list of 25 ways to help teachers avoid teacher burnout.

1. Keep positive notes from current and previous students in an easy-to-access folder or drawer. If you are ever feeling underappreciated or undervalued, look at these notes.

2. Make some favorable calls home. After a rough day, one of the last things you might want to do is stay after school to call parents. However, select a student who has shown improvement and make a positive call home. Not only will it make the parent’s day, but it might be enough to bring up your spirits.

3. Practice meditation.

4. Do yoga.

5. Take an art class. Some art classes even provide wine. For some people, this might be the best way to unwind after a long day of teaching.

6. Take a mental health day. Sometimes, you just need a day off. One important rule to follow when taking a mental health day is DO NOT THINK ABOUT WORK. Trust me, I know it’s hard. And as an English teacher, it’s tough not to take off a day to grade. However, that defeats the whole purpose of a mental health day.

7. Unplug! Choose a day and completely unplug. By doing so, you’ll escape the pressure from email and social media.

8. Do not add your work email to your cell phone. While it’s nice to have access 24/7 to what may seem like super pressing emails from students at 7 in the evening, those emails can wait. Either go into work twenty minutes earlier or stay twenty minutes later to handle email communications. By leading emails at school, you’ll remove some stress from your life.

9. Ask for help. Often we take on more than we can handle with blind optimism. Don’t wait until you feel so overwhelmed that it affects your job performance. Ask for help, and ask for help early on. Collaborate with your colleagues and plan together. Even if it means meeting during lunch or before school once a week, the extra support will help. 

10. Say no. It is okay to say no to people, especially at work. If you are feeling overworked and overwhelmed, the last thing you need is an extra duty or deadline.

11. Journal. I love these Erin Condren journals. The covers are so pretty, and the paper is high-quality so your pens won’t bleed through.

12. Read something for enjoyment.

13. Plan a spa day. You work hard, and sometimes you need to treat yourself!

14. Go for a walk, run, hike, or bike ride. Feeling the warm sun grace your skin will instantly set you at ease. Plus, the release of endorphins will help release some tension too!

15. Go on a picnic with your favorite people. Perhaps your favorite people include your family and children, or maybe it’s your besties. Whoever you picnic with, food, good company, and laughter will brighten your day.

16. Try a new recipe.

17. Play video games.

18. Binge-watch television.

19. Go to the movies. You will enjoy the night out and entertainment.

20. Leave your grading at school, especially over the weekend. The weekends are for you. Leave your grading at school so that you can truly relax and enjoy the two days off of school.

21. Go shopping. It isn’t called retail therapy for nothing. And while you’re at it, make sure to remember to ask if they offer teacher discounts!

22. Plant and nurture a garden.

23. Take a group exercise class. The excitement in group exercise classes is contagious. You’ll leave feeling thoroughly exhausted and refreshed at the same time.

24. Plan a weekend staycation. In doing so, you’ll get to have some quality time with the people you love while seeing your town in a new perspective.

25. If none of these help you, count all of the days you’ve been in school. Now tell yourself that for these many days you’ve been helping, teaching, and inspiring students. For these many days, you’ve been a constant in a student’s life. For these many days, you’ve made a positive impact.

Reference: https://www.thedaringenglishteacher.com/2018/07/25-ways-to-practice-self-care-and-avoid.html

1. Hand students a wet paper towel

2. A special delivery makes any and all students feel better

Distraction is a great way to shift a student’s focus from how they feel. Asking that student to make a special delivery for you is a fun way to distract them. Keep a large manila envelope on hand with the words “Special Delivery” or “Top Secret” on the outside. The envelope can be empty, or it can be filled with blank paper, funny memes, or uplifting quotes. When a student needs a distraction, they can deliver the envelope to the school office or to another classroom. Chances are when they return, they’ll feel a lot better.

3. Give students stuffed animal cuddle time

A quick cuddle is a guaranteed way to comfort a student, but teachers don’t always have time to offer a cuddle. That’s where stuffed animals can make all the difference in your classroom. A box of furry friends will allow your students to seek comfort whenever they need it. As a bonus, giving students the independence to find solace independently will help them be better prepared to comfort themselves in the future.

4. Have them vent their emotions in a tattle book

A blank spiral notebook somewhere in the classroom gives students a chance to write down what’s bothering them. Many teachers spend too much time figuring out all the tattles after recess or specials, and a tattle book lets students air their concerns without the teacher having to give up instruction and learning time. Regular reading of the tattle book will also allow teachers to stay on top of genuine problems while also getting a good laugh about the things that don’t matter.

5. Use a timer for student breaks

Just like adults, sometimes all kids need is a few minutes to sit in a quiet place and take deep breaths. Keeping a few sand or digital timers handy in the classroom is an easy way to provide students with this time. When a student is upset about something, let them choose a timer and a quiet spot to breathe. After two or three minutes, they can quietly rejoin the rest of the class without causing a disruption. Chances are, they will return calm and ready to learn.

6. Pop a mint into their mouth

7. Give a compliment

8. Put a bit of music on

Kids love music, and tunes are a great way to bring a sense of calm into the classroom even if it’s just one child feeling poorly. There is nothing wrong with postponing your original lesson plan just to listen to some music for a couple minutes. It’s hard to feel sad when you’re dancing to an upbeat song and it’s hard to stay angry when listening to soothing instrumental music. Taking time to meet students where they are emotionally helps in the short term, but it also sends the message to the kids that you value their overall health and not just their education.

9. Pull out the stickers

It’s so exciting to see a sticker on a graded paper because kids love stickers. Be generous with your stickers and you’ll likely see a lot of smiles from your students. A sad or upset child can be instantly cheered by being allowed to choose a sticker to wear. A student complaining of a minor physical issue, such as itchy eyes or a scraped knee, might feel better at the distraction of selecting a sticker. For such a small amount of money, stickers are magical tools for all teachers.

10. Let students draw on the whiteboard

Most students love the chance to draw on the whiteboard and you can use that love to help kids deal with their emotions and feelings. Have students draw or write what’s bothering them and then erase it. The act of drawing or writing is calming and then erasing the problem is a good way to help students begin to move past what they are feeling. Small personal whiteboards are even better because students can keep their feelings private or can take the whiteboard to a quiet spot to work.

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/make-students-feel-better

After the hybrid hell of the pandemic, I had high hopes that the coming years would be better. Different. Back to normal. But somehow each of the following years has felt like the hardest year ever.

Frankly, things are not back to normal. They’re worse. Far worse. The pandemic further created a divide between teachers and their communities: People that need each other to succeed, people that need each other for children to succeed. But the differences in opinions and politics are too great for common ground, and our systems are burning.

If you are reading articles such as this everywhere, there is a reason. Things are not getting better, and our united voices are growing louder and harder to ignore and write off as whiny and weak. And the reasons it’s excruciatingly difficult are common among staff across the country. However, is anyone listening? 

Here are just six of the many reasons that this school year is the hardest year ever.

1. We can’t retain educational professionals. Any of them.

We are short bus drivers, substitutes, nurses, counselors, aides, custodians, and teachers.

There are ads on billboards inviting people to apply for all district jobs. My daughter who is a recent high school graduate received a letter encouraging her to be a substitute. 

Because of the shortages, kids are stuffed in classrooms like sardines in a can, regardless of the obvious learning and health deficits of large class sizes.

How bad do school shortages have to get before they implement emergency actions? Begin with simple actions like truly listening to employees and eliminating work that isn’t currently necessary. That’s a start.

2. We are being micromanaged to death.

I walk into staff meetings, and I expect to hear Montel Jordan’s “This is How We Do It” blaring from the loudspeaker. We are instructed what to teach, how to teach, and what program to use. Short observations from people who haven’t been in the classroom for years frequently point out our weaknesses. We are working our hardest this year, and yet this is still not enough.

3. The behavior of kids (and their parents) is deplorable.

Yes, there is trauma everywhere. But why are teachers subjected to abusive behavior and then blamed for not being able to control it? Some of the disrespect that we are enduring should be way beyond our pay grade and, quite frankly, illegal.

Administrators should be the ones handling consequences and mental support. And, respect for teachers should be modeled from the top-down. There is something to be said for “having our backs.”

4. The world has changed, but teaching has not.

Although much of the pandemic seems behind us, it left a major mark on students and educators. They may not wear masks any more, but kids still suffer from the social conditioning they lost in those years. In fact, most have not learned the necessary skills to get along with others. But parents think anytime someone looks at their child sideways it is a case of bullying.

Yet, we are back to business as usual. Schools have even more testing as administration deems it necessary to deal with the learning loss. We, the teachers, know the opposite to be true.

Let’s forget about the tests for a while and this will give us more time to – I don’t know – TEACH.

5. Emotional stress is out of control.

The number one reason why teachers leave is that stress affects our emotional and physical health. Although some administrators are now putting actions behind their calls for self-care, the majority are not doing anything to help eliminate our stress.

In fact, they are piling more meaningless paperwork in order to increase achievement. I know I speak for all teachers when I say, “This doesn’t HELP ANYONE!”

6. Emergency actions need to be implemented NOW!

Teachers new to the profession this year are having the hardest time – and they aren’t sticking around to see if things get better. There are countless TikToks detailing teachers’ reasons for leaving. The retirement investment isn’t cutting it any longer.

It’s sad because people that would have gone on to change countless students’ lives won’t have the opportunity because they are quitting. It is becoming a national emergency. 

Teachers need to be listened to and heard now before they are all gone.

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/hardest-year-ever

1. Teacher friends understand teacher guilt.

2. We know when to come to the rescue.

3.They make you laugh when you shouldn’t at staff meetings.

4. Teacher friends have secret text codes.

We are always on high alert to warn our fellow teachers of impending danger.

• HYE- Hold Your Ears as there will be a fire drill in 10.
• PWL- Principal With Laptop making the daily rounds of teacher observations. Bribe the students now.
• UQA- Same teacher is asking an Unnecessary Question Again at the end of a staff meeting

5. A teacher always has exactly what you need.

6. We believe each other.

7. We also believe IN each other.

8. Teacher friends make each other feel special.

9. We’re always up for a themed party.

10. Teacher friends are up for adventure. 

11. Teacher friends are Yin and Yang.

12. We know when to hide.

13. We have insomnia on the same nights.

14. We protect our pals’ feelings.

15. We go with the flow.

16. Teacher friends share the same appreciation for school gossip.

17. We give the best hugs.

We can’t wait until it’s safe to hug again! There are hugs, and there are Teacher Hugs. These are the types when you walk away a better person than before, and the daily stress of testing and lesson plans just melts away. 

18. Teacher friends share great deals.

19. Teacher friends know the same dance moves. 

20. Teacher friends talk us out of quitting………..Every, Single Day!!!

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/teacher-friend

As a teacher, when I read through this article, I feel touched!!!

I know you think nobody sees you at the store on a Saturday slipping something special into your cart for your kids at school, but I do.

I know you think nobody sees you show up early to school and leave when it’s dark out that same day, but I do.

I know you think nobody knows you cry real tears over those kids, but there’s not an ounce of doubt in my mind that you worry about them.

Though I may not physically witness these things with my eyes, I see you.

And I appreciate you.

You don’t hear that much, do you? I can only imagine that it’s hard being the lone adult in a classroom of 25. That’s 25 unique personalities and identities. That’s 25 family situations and 25 sets of parents to please. There’s one of you and 25 of everything.

To my child’s teacher—

I want you to know I’m here to cheer you on; I’m not here to pick apart every move you make. I’m not here to whisper about you behind your back or post about your shortcomings on Facebook. I’m here to hype you up for the value that you add to my child’s life, and I’m here to help when it becomes too much.

Are you short on time? Let me know when I can come read a book to the class. Do you need some new classroom décor? Tell me what you need and I’ll make it. Are your supplies running out? Please don’t spend any more of your money, I will go get it. You deserve so much more than a pack of pencils or paper towels though. Is there something you WANT? A gift card? Coffee? Wine? I would too in your shoes; we can make it happen.

To my child’s teacher–

I will never understand how someone could criticize you so harshly, or not want the best for you. You have our children. You’re doing so much EVERY SINGLE DAY with them. Sometimes, it feels like they’re with you even more than us. How can so many in our society fail to see the weight of your responsibilities?

When a new education law is passed, it’s you that catches the blame. Bad grades? That falls on you, too. Failing test scores? It’s your fault again, right?

On behalf of all of society, I’m sorry. They’ll probably never give you the apology you deserve but at the very least, you can hear it from me. I’m sorry for the pressure you feel. I’m sorry that what you’re doing is most definitely NOT what you signed up for (yet you handle it with such grace anyways). I’m sorry on behalf of anyone who’s made an ill remark about you without knowing the whole story.

If my child is misbehaving, I promise to believe you. Sure, I will speak with them, too; but my child is capable of error and I will never dismiss his actions without investigating. If he’s in the wrong—he will not be without consequence. I don’t tolerate disrespect and he won’t ever hear me say a negative thing about you. If we do experience an issue—because life happens—it will stay between us because it’s no one’s business but ours.

Don’t even get me started on the extra crazy that this year brings. You wouldn’t know it watching you, though. You’re the daily “calm” for our kids in 2020. In the middle of hybrid learning, health scares, and a whole lot of “new”, you are the glue that’s holding these schools together.

Today, I want you to know that you’re not alone. I may not be able to understand what you go through, and I may not be able to force people to treat you like you deserve—but if nothing else, I want you to know that I will always see and appreciate the work you do.

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/to-my-childs-teacher-i-see-you