“Teacher Burnout” is a state of chronic stress that can lead to emotional and physical exhaustion, detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. The signs of teacher burnout include fatigue and sleep issues, repeated periods of forgetfulness, appetite and weight issues, and depression and anxiety. Teaching can clearly be stressful, so here are a few ways to avoid teacher burnout.
Build Balance
This summer write out a “work boundaries” contract for yourself for the next school year. This may mean that you don’t check emails after a certain time, only grade papers at specific times or don’t work on Sundays. Whatever schedule you choose, stick to it so that you can build a healthy work-life balance.
Sketch Out Your Classroom
Take some time to plan out how you’d like to organize your classroom next year. Finding new ways to optimize your classroom space can save you immense stress over the school year. Using Pinterest is a great way to gain insight on the best ways to organize your classroom for optimal learning and efficiency.
Make Class Binders
This is a simple yet effective way to lower your stress levels during the year. Simply start a binder for every class you teach with your lesson plans, handouts, assessments, etc. Start inserting your plans during the summer, so you’re ahead of the game when the school year starts.
Scan the Internet for Lesson Plans
Many teachers spend hours writing instructional material. Using resources like TeachersPayTeachers can save you hours as the site features lesson plans and handouts that have been created and tested by other teachers.
Teacher burnout is a real problem facing todays teachers. Too many teachers leave the profession because they can’t fight burnout. We hope you find some of these tips useful this summer. For additional ways to deal with classroom stress check out our Classroom Management courses: Classroom Behavior Management Strategies that Work or Stopping Disruptive Behavior.
CE Credits Online has been providing online professional development courses to teachers in NYC, LAUSD, and across the country for almost 20 years.