A hot topic around education is how to avoid teacher burnout. I know this sounds scary, but it is avoidable which is why we want to talk about it! It makes us sad to see teachers leave the field of education, so we want to provide you with some helpful tips to avoid teacher burnout.
What is teacher burnout? Well, for those of you who don't know teacher burnout is as described by Psychology Today as "a state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and accomplishment." This is more than just temporary exhaustion and it can be a serious life altering event. This is why we want to help you!
After a lot of research and hearing advice from teachers and professors of education, here are just 5 ways that you can avoid burnout as an educator!
1. Don't take things personally
There may be days that are hard. Students, coworkers, and parents are all humans too and they will get upset and make mistakes. However, this doesn't mean that you are a bad teacher! Do your best not to take things personally because if you are truly trying your best, that is all you can do.
2. Be a lifelong learner/ go to professional development training
It will be easier to burnout if you get bored of the same old routine. Teaching the same lessons year after year will start to lose the excitement. This can be prevented by committing yourself to being a lifelong learner. Continually learning things through published articles, colleagues, and professional development will help you change up what you are doing in the classroom and provide continual excitement!
3. Self-care/Mindfulness
Take time for you! You need to take care of you. You can do this by keeping up on your hobbies, practicing mindfulness, and other ways to work on self-care. Being a teacher is hard so take some time to take a break and reward yourself for all of your amazing efforts!
4. Leave schoolwork at work
Many teachers recommend having a set time that they stop grading papers and return home. However, what you need to do is then leave those papers at school! Don't take them home with you. Be present when you are home.
5. Expand your horizons
If you don't want to stop at just being a teacher, then don't! That doesn't mean that you need to go into administration, but you can advance to being a team leader with experience. Also, there are additional educational certifications you can get to expand your horizons as you also follow step 2 of being a lifelong learner.
If you're running on empty, it is going to be hard to find joy and satisfaction in your teaching! Take care of yourself and enjoy your career because if you "find a job you enjoy doing... you will never have to work a day in your life." (Mark Twain).
Here are some sites that talk more about ways you can avoid burnout!