Balancing the demands of teaching and personal well-being is challenging. 

In any career, burnout is a likely occurrence. As educators, we have a big responsibility to the learning experience of our students. We might feel guilty if we are noticing a decrease in our performance. When you feel burnout, it isn’t something you should feel guilty about but something to manage. 

In this blog post, I will talk about some practical tips to navigate some of those challenges and avoid burnout. 

Energy 

Energy is a valuable and finite resource for teachers. Energy is the key for teachers to be able to properly engage and support their learners. Students feel low energy and showcase low energy in return. 

It’s crucial to recognize the challenges that come with managing it and establish a routine that will preserve it as you go from session to session. 

Teacher Talk 

Talking in class can be extremely tiring. If used carelessly, you may experience many instances of sore throats. Your voice is a resource that needs to be preserved so you can use it throughout the day and week.  

Try to keep your teacher talk minimal, let students practice (instruction < practice) and check in on them. Most learning takes place when your students get to interact with the material personally. Try to build your lesson around that.

Group work 

Group work is an excellent tool in the classroom. It is also a nice pace break for you and your students. 

You can let students work independently for the first few minutes after giving instructions and then make rounds. It’s an opportunity to take a break from your classroom voice (the voice you use to be heard by all students) and use a softer voice to talk with your students as you make rounds. 

Uninterested students 

In your classes, you will notice that some students are not necessarily interacting with the material, or worse they might be a disturbance. 

Don’t spend too much energy on students who don’t want to work. This might sound bad and goes against your aspirations as a teacher. We want to provide the best for all our students. 

I have tried to push students to participate over and over with not much progress and end up feeling discouraged and drained. Not only that, but it started clouding my view of the whole class. I started seeing them as opponents, and every day felt like I was just struggling to keep my class with the program. 

I felt much better once I came to accept that part of the students. It’s not about giving up on them, it’s about giving the support you can and accepting whatever result comes out of it. 

Besides, teachers have many classes during the day, so you should not exhaust yourself by going above and beyond during your first session by spending so much energy on inviting your unresponsive students. You will end up feeling drained by lunch break and not be able to deliver the rest of your classes with the same energy. 

Rather, if you want to engage with uninterested students, speak to them after class. They might have some issues you two can discuss in a more private setting. 

Planning 

Planning is a big help for teachers. It keeps things organized and smooth. You will appreciate it and so will your students. 

Still, it’s important to prevent feeling overwhelmed by all the planning you have to do. 

Lesson Planning

Lesson planning is a crucial part of teaching, but you should not spend too much time on it. Set realistic expectations you can meet. Lesson planning occurs outside of your work hours. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice too much of your leisure time or social life. 

In your first year of teaching, it’s normal that you’ll be spending more time on preparation, but as you gain experience, you will gather enough resources to reuse and develop. It’s an investment for your future self but not to the detriment of your present self. 

Assessment 

Along with lesson planning, you need to make sure you aren’t spending too much time correcting and grading your tests. Find ways to make your tests easier to grade. 

Making your tests easier to grade does not mean lowering the quality of your tests. You should make sure you are fairly assessing your students in a manner that can be graded within the amount of time you have. 

It’s normal to take into consideration your limitations and preserve your energy and sanity. 

Consistency 

Prepare your semester strategy and guidelines before you meet your classes. 

In your first session, introduce the classroom rules and the expectations you have for students and stick to them. Things will run smoother with students if you stay consistent. 

Of course, it’s okay to change whatever is counter-productive or harms your relationship with students. 

Confidence 

Confidence is important for a teacher. A confident teacher feels in control of the class; the pace is smooth, the tone of voice is assured, and the instructions are clear. 

There will be times when your confidence will be challenged by students. It’s necessary to realize which ones are valid. 

Disinterest 

Don’t take the disinterest of some students personally. As I mentioned before, students have circumstances that have nothing to do with you personally. It is emotionally tiring to take your students’ actions personally. 

Some sessions can take you through so many emotions that you feel empty after a day of teaching. You can always improve, but it’s good to remember you are already doing as best as you can with your own circumstances. You can’t always be at the top of your game. 

Criticism

Don’t take criticism as inadequacy. At the beginning of my teaching career, I got criticized by a student during a first session for having a lesson that was “too easy”. It might have been too easy for that student, but it wasn’t the case for the rest of the class. I had to acknowledge that I could not please everyone. 

You need time to get to know what your students need from you. Don’t be intimidated by some remarks. They also need to learn to work with you. 

There are also times when criticism is valid. It’s a great opportunity to make positive changes. With experience, you will learn which times are important to take into consideration and when not to. 

Community 

The best thing you can do when everything feels like too much is to reach out, talk to other teachers, and ask for help. 

It can be incredibly healing and empowering to hear how others in similar contexts are handling things. You can receive incredible advice or at least feel understood. You can also be a comfort to someone else through these exchanges. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, protecting your peace is very important. It’s not just about doing your job; it’s about taking care of yourself too.

In this blog post, I focused on three main factors: 

• Energy 
• Planning
• Confidence

Remember to set healthy boundaries and expectations, spend your energy wisely, take breaks, and ask for help when you need it. By looking out for yourself, you can be a better teacher and make a positive impact on your students.