I support a team of approximately 25 high school literacy teachers, some seasoned but the vast majority of them are bright-eyed, young, and new to the profession. Many of those newbies, despite never having studied education, have bravely taken on the fight in our cause for enlightening minds! With my team especially, combined with the changes that have forced their way into the world of education since Covid-19, teacher retention, mental health, and keeping a balance between work and home have become more critical than ever.
All of us, at some point or another, have experienced teacher burnout during the school year. So, whether you’re new to the profession or have been teaching for what seems like an eternity, there are some simple steps you can take to get you through the year with grace and success, not to mention keeping your sanity intact. Starting off the year with these few reminders can certainly help relieve a bit of that overwhelming feeling that rears its ugly head every now and then.
1. Manage your time
Unfortunately, to do it well, this job demands time after hours. But you can’t be a slave to it. Mental health is key, and you must find balance.
Dedicate a set amount of time each day for work off the clock. Consider 45 minutes to 1 hour before work at the job site. (nobody to distract you, time to pull up digital materials (ppts, etc.), get materials out and ready, fix boards, review lesson, check e-mail, and be at the door when the bell rings to greet your students.
After school, allow 30 minutes after the bell to tidy desks, clear boards, sort papers, check/send e-mails, touch base with admin or colleagues.
Although that’s an hour and a half off the clock, establishing a routine like this might help you save time in the end. Think of it as an exercise or workout routine. It’s never fun, but it is worth it in the end and the results show quickly.
2. Learn to work with lists
I am a huge fan of working with agendas and lists. Create an ongoing running list of things you need to get done. Listed items can include random tasks from sending for copies to calling a parent or creating charts for a gallery walk. List these things in no specific order but simply as they come to mind.
You’ll refer to this HUGE list of to-dos during planning or whenever you get a chance to get around to it. Cross off items as you go but DON’T get rid of the list. There is something really satisfying for the human psyche in seeing these items get crossed off one by one. It’s like reaching the top of that mountain when you get it all completed. It can even be a mind game determining how many tasks you can done as quickly as possible.
Eventually, you won’t need to use this strategy but it’s a great way to learn which tasks need priorities over others.
3. Use your planning periods effectively
This is a tough one because it is hard to maintain the self-discipline needed to focus for maximum effectiveness. Especially for those of you on block schedules when you may actually have two back-to-back planning periods. Can you imagine!
Consider managing your time like this:
- Reset student desks, clean your boards, sort/pile papers (everything you would do at the end of your regular workday.)
- AVOID interruptions from colleagues, phone calls, texts, visitors for the first 90 minutes. Dedicate that strictly to grading or lesson planning ONLY.
Lesson Planning Takes Priority Over Grading
- Force yourself to finish one task before getting distracted with more than one thing. (example scenario: grading papers and inputting grades when All of a sudden an email comes in compelling you to respond or get up and go meet… DON’T DO IT!)
- Use the last several minutes to continue your grading and planning. Switch up the task from what you were doing in the first half of your planning to break up the monotony while still staying focused.
4. Take your lunch
Leave your workspace and go have lunch with a trusted colleague or go outside for fresh air. Its critical that you REMOVE YOURSELF FROM YOUR WORKSPACE for that small period of time to regroup and refresh yourself away from the distractions of your room, even if it’s in someone else’s classroom.
5. Have a kick-ass lesson planned
There is no better feeling than standing in front of a group of people (kids or not) and having this well-orchestrated plan for a lecture, activity or lesson where everything just flows so naturally. Although you won’t get applause at the end, the gratitude comes at that moment when they ‘get it’ and you realize… ‘wow! I’m good!’. Regardless of content knowledge, that isn’t easy and CAN’T be winged.
Socrates would have most probably needed a lesson plan in this day and age, so despite how knowledgeable you are about a topic, teaching it to someone else is a whole other ball game. Dedicate at least 2 hours by yourself (at one time if possible) to developing a REALLY strong lesson for a full week at a time. Planning day by day will make you feel like you are always behind the 8-ball, exhausted and never really prepared. It’s probably one of the worst mistakes teachers make; not dedicating enough time to the plan will be your downfall.
Plan for more than what you think you can actually cover. Over-planned is by far your best friend. You can always use those additions to lessons later on.
6. Train your students
As crazy as it sounds, kids LOVE rules and consistency. Knowing where to get their work each day, expecting the same pattern of a lesson, following the same rules, and turning their work in the same location each and every single day provides a safe space where they know what to expect without any surprises.
Provide a location where the day’s work is always found, start the lesson with a bell ringer every time, and have students submit work in the same place each and every day.
Your workload is lessened when you make them responsible for their actions. Behaviors will improve when they know what to expect and they feel it is a safe and consistent environment. You may be the only consistency in their life. You are creating a home for them for the time they are with you.
7. Make the most of common planning
Don’t’ expect to walk out of common planning with a full lesson plan. What you should expect is to have a sketch of what the plan should look like. CP will help you determine each day’s learning target, standard, pace for the lesson, and daily end product. You and every other teacher in your grade level should share the same end products and learning targets but how you deliver your lesson is totally yours. That is where you get to shine!
8. Learn from your mistakes
Not every day is going to be great, not every lesson will be wonderful, and not every student will make you happy. One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Nor are you expected to be. We are always our own worst critics so forgive yourself for what you did but demand from yourself better each time. The only thing you can control is your reaction to things around you.
Reflect on those mistakes. Did I plan fully? Could I have done this differently? Did I engage with the student needlessly? Was I distracted? More times than not the answer will point back to ourselves. Own it and improve upon it.
Every child in that room is someone’s little boy or little girl. Did you do everything you could for that little one? If it was your little boy or girl, would you be ok with the instruction they are receiving? The interactions? The situations? If not, fix it and move on.
Forgive yourself and then be better.
9. It’s always about the kids
Any issue you have can be remedied when you see past what it is that is affecting you personally. “I hate my schedule. I have two kids who ruin the whole class. My class is too big for me to handle.” It is NEVER about you and ALWAYS about what is in the best interest of the kids.
Any issue you want to present to your higher-ups… if you really want to get them to respond, find out how it can benefit the kids in the end. I can almost guarantee the administration will listen intently when you point out how the kids will benefit instead of how wronged you are feeling.
10. Surround yourself with the right people
Be careful who you associate with. Administration is watching, as are your co-workers. Unfortunately, we are judged by whom we hang with: birds of a feather flock together. The most precarious part of navigating the politics of the school falls here. Take time to sit back and observe where you fall into the big picture. Watch the dynamics of your co-workers… the hermits, over-achievers, gossips, lazy lizards, troublemakers, etc. Find your niche and be good with it. Sometimes it’s good to fit into the ‘none-of-the-above category. It is always ok to align yourself with the vision of the principal. That will usually lead you in the right direction.
11. Put it in writing
Although I hate to say there is a need to ‘dot your i’s and cross your t’s, putting everything in writing helps hold everyone accountable. When you have a concern, idea, or question, have that one-on-one conversation and follow it up with an e-mail.
Follow the chain of command with e-mails and move up the chain of command if not resolved at first. 9 times out of 10, issues will be addressed once it’s in writing.
12. Unless it comes from the boss’ mouth,don’t do it
All veteran teachers, myself included, will give you advice and tell you what to do. The ONLY person who you must ultimately listen to is the boss. Suggestions are always welcomed from others and most advice is well-intended. If in doubt, ask your administration. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Trust your gut and ask for direction from the right people… specifically the boss!
Sticking to these 12 simple steps throughout the year will, no doubt, make for a bit less stress, a tad more peace of mind and a lot more effectiveness in your work day. And you know what that means in the end? More time for you and all that you love to do outside of teaching.
Wishing you a fabulous school year!