For teachers, burnout is entirely too common, especially if they do not practice self-care and prepare themselves for possible stressors throughout the year. In teaching, burnout not only affects you, but it also affects your students, since you’ll have to take time off to recover. There’s been a shortage of substitutes available for many districts as well, which means your students may not get consistent coverage while you’re gone, causing you to be even more stressed when you come back. Start the year off on the right foot and take care of yourself to avoid burnout.
Create a strong support system
The first step you should take as an educator to avoid burnout is creating a strong support system. Having people who are there for you and being there for others helps you in all aspects of teaching; find fellow teachers you can talk to about the profession and get their input for solutions to stress or other problems in the classroom. It’s also important to cultivate strong friendships and relationships outside of work for when you just need to get away from the world of teaching.
Stay organized
Most teachers are incredibly organized individuals, but even if you slip up on organization for a week or two, it can throw your entire year off track. Plan out each week at the beginning of it and create plenty of lists and schedules so you never forget what you need to get done. Manage your time like a champion and you’ll avoid lots of stress.
Remember the great moments
For teachers, there are going to be times when you find the job incredibly rewarding. You’ll see a former student achieve their dreams or you’ll witness a difficult concept click for someone. Whatever the great moments you experience are, remember them. Write them down so you can refer to them and give yourself a boost during the tough times.
Take care of yourself
Self-care is vitally important no matter what your job is. Remember to take days off for your mental health and find a little time in each day to relax. Whether you spend time exercising, participating in a hobby you love, or getting adequate sleep, you need to take proper care of yourself if you want to be effective and avoid burnout.
Enforce your rules
All too often, small classroom issues can escalate and cause more stress than they need to. By enforcing your classroom rules, you keep your students under control and can actually teach and meet goals. Letting your students know what’s expected of them makes your job easier and more fun.
Craft interesting lessons
Continue to make your job fun by creating interesting lessons for your students. They’ll be engaged learners and you get to do something unique in your class. Regularly change up your lesson plans so teaching doesn’t become boring and tedious.
Dr. Floyd Williams 