#teacher burnout
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I stopped enjoying my work as a teacher
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Teacher burn out is considering physically concussing yourself so you dont have to go to work the next day.
It's testing yourself for covid every morning and secretly hoping it comes back positive just so you can have a fee days off.
It's feeling horribly guilty because you really do love the kids and want the best for them
Its making another lesson plan and crying because you know it isnt enough material for the day.
Teacher burn out is heartbreak.
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Work
3.
So I broke. Again. Deeply. I couldn’t realise that I was too far. When I did, I thought ‘Why stop now, when I’ve made it this far?’. Everyone is at the end of the rope.
I am learning to say no. It’s hard. Because I never know when I can say it. Because I do not want to hurt other people’s feeling. Because I do not want to appear rude. Because I wouldn’t want my refusal to change the way others percieve me. But this has to change. I have to change. Set my boundaries. With boundaries, I am a different person that the one I was without them. And that’s the scary thing. It would make me less lovable. Less worthy of affection, or even attention.
The workplace is the only environment in which I feel confortable enough to refuse things. It’s hard, because I love my job, get super enthusastic especially when I can link it to my passion for cinema -or any other passion to be honest- and also because I can go through big length for my students growth.
I do manage to brace myself, once in a while. I still need excuses though. I still don’t feel confident enough to just refuse. No, I am not going to organise a trip to the UK... after Brexit and in the middle of a pandemics. No, I am not going to cover for a colleague two hours from now... because I have other plans (I actually did manage not to say that the plan was to rest in order to be fit for the following class and that I did not have anything ready for the class he wanted me to take because I was not supposed to see them before 6 days). No, I am not going to be the IT go-to person next year... because I cannot take all the extra-work (especially when it brings me no joy, only panic attacks and a feeling of constant failure). No, I will not attend a meeting on lunchbreak today (2 hours from now)... because I need to eat before my medical appointment in the afternoon.
I need to learn to say no unapologetically.
1. - 2.
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the thing is that my personality has always been as too much - i was too loud, too enthusiastic, too eager. and i had teachers who made me believe that i can fit in, because they fit in even if they, too, were loud, sarcastic, overly animated, cynical. i loved teachers who were like me, and i respected ones who were nothing like me
turns out that being Miss would take me creating a whole new, acceptable personality. i don't want to live a life in which me being myself is a weakness. i deserve better.
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Teacher Burnout btw, the natural result of capitalism, it's why no one wants to work
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There’s been so much over the years. That I’m not sure I want to teach anymore. Even on the best days, I still leave work thinking about how nice having a different job would be. 20 years is a long time to give up on a career though.
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It's been a long time...
I'm finally on summer vacation. In January of this year, I was nervous about summer vacation and what I was going to do with all of my time alone. I have two months and I was like oh shit... that's a lot of alone time. A lot of alone time with my thoughts. Thankfully by the middle of may and the end of year vibes were coming in, I was getting really excited about summer vacation because I knew it was time for me to focus on myself and my health.
One of the plans that I have this summer is doing activity everyday. Today was my day one and I jogged/walked a mile, 3 sets of Russian twists (w/kettle bell), 20 second plank, and 45 kettlebell squats. On my rest days, I will walk outside to get sun. Another activity I wanted to do was practice my soccer skills and understand the game. Ted Lasso inspired me (it's such a good show). I've always wanted to play growing up but society discouraged me because I wasn't in shape. That's why I'm working on my running and just have a good endurance. I need to wake up earlier so I can run longer and not die in the heat. I'm working out to feel better more than losing weight. Losing weight or building muscle is a plus. I really want to go back to the gym too so I have an excuse to leave the house.
A few things I want to work on this summer: Spanish skills, bringing in more different foods (update will be on a separate blog soon), educate myself more on things for work, driving anxiety ( i need to do little steps for that one), and maybe introduce CBD oil to help with my anxiety.
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The Silent Epidemic: Understanding the Reasons Why Teachers are Quitting and How to Keep Them in the Classroom
Teaching is one of the most challenging yet rewarding professions in America. However, recent data reveals that teachers are leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers. The exodus of teachers is a complex issue with numerous underlying causes, and it has far-reaching implications for students, schools, and communities across the country. In this article, we will examine the top 12 reasons…
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#teacher appreciation#teacher autonomy#teacher benefits#teacher burnout#teacher career growth#teacher collaboration#teacher communication#teacher community#teacher contract#teacher culture#teacher development#teacher empowerment#teacher engagement#teacher evaluation#teacher feedback#teacher job satisfaction#teacher job security#teacher job stability#teacher leadership#teacher mental health#teacher morale#teacher motivation#teacher pay#teacher performance#teacher recognition#teacher recruitment#teacher resilience#teacher retention#teacher retention policies#teacher retention programs
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2 Quick Tips for Teachers with Imposter Syndrome
Author: Self Worth Sam, Imposter Syndrome Expert
Are you a school teacher with imposter syndrome? What’s that you ask? Imposter syndrome is a psychological condition of self-doubt regarding an individual’s intelligence and achievements, accompanied by a fear of being exposed as a fraud, or imposter. Do you want to know how to dissolve it so you can shine in the classroom instead of shrinking? This article is for you. It’s written by a former school teacher who had imposter syndrome and is now an Imposter Syndrome Expert, Professional Speaker, Author and Trained Demartini Method Facilitator.
Help other teachers going through imposter syndrome and share this article.
Teaching is often a challenge and if you doubt yourself in the classroom as well, it certainly makes teaching frustrating and debilitating. Frustrating because your peers remind you often that you’re a great teacher, but you can’t see it. Debilitating because you feel you’ve deceived your peers, yours students, and their parents, and they are going to call you out as a fake. The secret to feeling like an authentic teacher lies within your highest values. In this article Self Worth Sam will share with you 2 Quick Tips for Teachers with Imposter Syndrome.
When you plan your life around someone else’s values, you’re an imposter. When you try to live up to an ideal version of the perfect teacher, you’re an imposter. When you compare yourself to other teachers, you’re an imposter. But when you plan your life around your highest values, you’re authentic. When you live up to your own values and vision of yourself as a teacher, you’re authentic.
Remember studying teaching at university, and how part of the coursework was to do work experience in a school for a few weeks? Remember that? I was so nervous I bought myself a gallon of cheap red wine and chugged back a glass at 7:30am and went off to “practice teaching.” I needed that glass to calm my nerves. I recall feeling so self-conscious and stupid in front of those teenager students and my supervising teacher. It got worse when the university sent the official observer mentor to assess me. I’m not religious, but I remember thinking, “Dear God, one of you, I don’t care which one, but give me strength now.” No gods aided me that day, but the red wine certainly did. And the next day. And the next day.
Eventually, and fortunately, I didn’t need the glass of wine ever again (well, not at the beginning of the day). Realistically, I only needed liquid courage for about a week until I found my feet and started having fun. Teaching is fun once you get your head around the fact that with a clear aim of the lesson, a plan sketched out on a scrap of paper and an essential question (and Kahoot or Quizlet) you’re good to go.
However, months into my first teaching placement, imposter syndrome was felt once again. I thought to myself, “c’mon, I can do this, what’s this over-thinking tendency all about? What or who am I comparing myself to?” And that’s when I caught the first glimpse of the ‘error of my ways.’
Again, a couple of years later, when I was teaching grade 1 & 2 in a Waldorf / Steiner elementary school, I was having conversation with a peer. She said, how’s things going, Sam? To which I replied, ‘oh, you know, trying to be the perfect teacher.’ And I got it on a whole new level. Stop trying to be the perfect teacher and start being yourself — it makes teaching far more easier and enjoyable.
Photo below: me dressing for the job I want (age 18 months I think)
It has taken me a decade of teaching across K-12 and Adult education to clarify my values and truly feel authentic. Looking back, I can see that I was addicted to a fantasy of trying to be someone I’m not, and that I judged myself for not being that ideal of a teacher. Consequently, I felt like an imposter — even though I was not.
Perhaps, you can relate to my story? And if you are going through imposter syndrome as a teacher, here’s my two tips (because it’s mid-August and teachers are back in school — at least in the USA — where I did teach for a few years — shout out to my LAUSD and Burbank Unified peeps).
Tip #1
Get a pencil and a piece of paper (I know you probably can’t spare them, so use google docs or something) and write down about 7 things you value. THAT YOOOOOOO VALUE. Not the values you think you should value. Not the values of your school, your parents, or the exaggerated and unrealistic ideal values you think a teacher must have. Clear your mind for a moment and ask your heart, what do I truly value? List about 7 things you believe to be meaningful, important and inspiring to YOU. Now order them from most to least important. This is your hierarchy of values. The more you reflect and refine them over the years to come, the more authentic you’ll be.
Tip #2
Define personal and professional goals that help you fulfill those values. Do not negotiate on this. A goal connected to your highest values gets done. Notice how you always have time and energy for the things you really want, but can’t seem to complete things you don’t value? Surprise, surprise, right? Stop beating yourself up for trying to accomplish goals that you don’t care about and start inspiring yourself about goals that you do.
Extra tip.
Do this activity with your students and with teachers at the next PD (don’t include the admin, they often don’t know a good thing when it slaps them in the face — I’m kidding, only a little bit). Start a conversation about values in your class and at your school. Not the school’s values, the values of each human being. No teacher or student goes to school to fulfill the values of the school, they go to school to fulfill their own. Facilitate the discovery of their values. End the BS of “we all value this” and start a culture of true authenticity.
You know what goes well in a conversation about values? Purpose. In his book, “The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life,” author William Damon (Professor, Stanford University) nails it down to 3 things parents can do (and teachers too for that matter) to foster purpose in their kids.
Start a conversation with your kids or students about your own values and why you do the things you do (work, raising a family, recreation, etc)
Introduce young people to adults who are living a life with a clear purpose — give young people examples of adults outside the family who love life as a result.
Talk to young people about the financial responsibilities of their chosen path in life.
I like the last one the most. I observed that teachers didn’t like talking about money with students, except on a surface level way in careers and enterprise classes. What I found missing in school was a realistic conversation about what we all did with our money. Because what we spend our moola on shines a big light on what we truly value. Anyway, that’s for another blog. In short, I am convinced that young people and teachers would benefit enormously from conversations about the realities and the psychology of saving and investing, particularly how it relates to self-worth or the lack of it. Again, that’s for another blog.
To summarize. The fact that you experience imposter syndrome is, in light of what we’ve now discussed, a great teacher in disguise. Appreciate that part of yourself. It will transform and grow you as a teacher. Have an authentic year, teachers! You’re doing important work and you are appreciated. Now start appreciating yourself too.
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#imposter syndrome#i feel like an imposter#teacher#teaching#teachers#new teacher#teacher stress#teacher burnout
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Parents who ask daycare teachers to babysit on the weekend. Why?
#like do i do it sometimes?#yes#when im asked un advance and have time to adjust my plans as needed#when i have the emotional energy for it#and to the parents that i offer it to bc i know they will respect my boundaries#why#why why why#do yall think you can just. ask us. 15 minutes before you need us.#at 4:00 on a sunday night#'hey you wanna watch my two chaos gremlins for 4 hours tonight?'#no no i do not. good luck tho.#i pull 40+ hours a week and do not want overtime unless youre paying me time and a half here#teaher problems#teacher burnout
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Work
2.
Ever since my first work-related burn out - I had an other one years later that led to a car accident -, I only managed to implement 2 tools to try and keep me from losing it again.
6 years.
And I only found two tiny tools not to get overpowered by my job.
I don’t work after 8:00pm anymore. I try to avoid it from 6:30 but it’s not always possible. The later I work, the harder it gets for me to sleep. First because I need all that time for my brain to cut off. So it can slow down and feel sleepy. But also because the longer I spend on an activity in a day, the bigger space it takes in my brain. It’s here. Whenever I close my eyes. When I sleep. Until it suffocates me. And that when work goes well and on a normal schedule. The extra hours, projects and meetings don’t only mess up with that, but they also bring anxiety of their own.
My other tool is writing down in my planner all the hours I work. I’m a teacher, I’m not on the clock. But I need clarity. I need to see I’ve worked more than my share and deserve the break that I need. Or don’t realise that I need.
The thing with teaching is that you usually get the same grades. You can reuse the stuff you have experimented and know work. 4 years I’ve been in the same middle school. 4 years with the same 4 grades (that’s actually a lot, most of my colleagues in other middle-schools only have 2 or 3). Many things I do reuse. But most need improvements. Or I get bored with them, so I switch to something completely different. 4 years I’ve waited for that moment I’ll rely on all of my previous hard work to get some free time. To engage in my hobbies. I’m still not there. I don’t think I will ever be.
Because you have all the other stuff. All the extra work you are more or less pressured to take upon. There has to be an IT go-to person. You’re the only one who know how to handle computers and tablets, can you do it? Otherwise there’s no-one else. We don’t have enough class teachers, you must step in. We need teachers among the administrators. You are single, don’t have any children and live right next to the school, it’s not a big deal for you to enrol. We need teachers to sit at the student meetings. You enjoy organising festive stuff, can you please come? I found half an hour lacking in your yearly timetable. You are going to give some kids you were not supposed to teach at all this year some methodology workshops according to their needs. Even though you suck at methodology and have to press your colleagues to consult them about what to do with who. You are going to step out of your class in the middle of a lesson tomorrow to attend a meeting with a mum and plenty other important people and then go straight back to teach an other class without any transition (I’m autistic, I simply cannot do that). You really love cinema, you should build up a project about animation film (I did, because it’s thrilling, but also it’s way too much right now, but I just can’t let the chance go).
One of the things in education is that it’s a public service. My employer is the state and work regulations don’t apply to the state as an employer. I never signed a contract. There is no job description. We are constantly ‘invited’ to meetings and training, whether they are mandatory or not. Of course no one lets us know which ones are mandatory. We have nothing to refer to clear that out. For a many months, my headmaster mastered the art of making us assume things are mandatory so we all attended everything and he could brag about how diligent his team was. Everyone around me is tired about it. Some are, like me, getting annoyed. But I seem to be the only one to get insomnia from not being able to figure out what is expected and to what extent.
Not to mention that most of us teachers (not all obviously, but at least 70% of the people I have worked with, to different extents, since some actually know how to set boundaries - or just don’t give a shit) are meticulous, assertive swots who only aim to be the best we can. That haze is the best way to keep pressing us like lemons. And we’re aware of it. But our sense of duty is so exaggerated, we keep playing the game. Until we break.
1. - 3.
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So weary…
So my school district pays extremely well considering it’s in a town with a significantly low income population. One year seven of the teachers in my building asked for letters of recommendation. They all came back.
For shits and giggles ever 4-5 months I scope out other districts.
For my 21 years of experience, if I left, I would take on average a $30,0000 pay cut. Never mind fucking up my retirement benefits.
So no matter how toxic the job is or burnt out I get I’m stuck. I make it work and do my job as well as I can and drink a lot.
So when of the younger teachers that was working in my building decided to quit after nine years cause she was burnt out she was like I’ll just go into consulting or corporate training.
2 1/2 months later she’s still unemployed and went on a rant on Facebook about the job market. Gurl… like did you even put out resumes before you officially quit?
Never mind the time you told a bunch of people that once you paid off your school loans you’d do accounting….or that you are chronically “sick”.
Employers need to list salary. That’s the lesson. I shouldn’t have to go on fishbowl or look up your teacher contract to find out what I would make or do the mental gymnastics to figure out what I’d make with experience.
Also school districts need to account for ALL years of experience. None of this up to 10-15 years shit.
I know I’m privileged. But with retirement looming in the next 15 years or so, I’m getting supper salty. The reason, the breast cancer diagnosis of last year. I will need health insurance for as long as possible, cause of the USA healthcare being fucked. So as much as I’d like to follow my bro if he moves out of state I can’t.
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Still figuring out how this blog thingie works
This account will remain anonymous for obvious reasons. I need somewhere to vent without being so personal. At this moment a student just messaged me for a class tomorrow and it's freaking half past ten PM. Just get a new teacher, dude.
I just want to rest. I'm already busy with exam preparation as it is. Guess I can write here like in a diary but easier...
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Not surprised
#education#washington DC#teachers#teacher shortage#isolation#pandemic#youth mental health#plandemic#lockdowns#masking#school violence#teacher burnout#teacher stress#teachers quitting
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Hello! Very random and no worries if that's not your intention for the blog, but I love reading about your teacher experience and insights! Take this ask more so as encouragement to write more about it if you feel like it, because I'm going to start teaching soon (and yes, many people I've met have warned me about both its miracles and horrors lol) and it's really helpful to hear others' experiences :)
Thanks for the ask! Honestly I'm just a first year, so I don't have a tonnnn of advice to give. But here's a few general first year tips from one to a future another:
1 — No matter what, having a good department team is ESSENTIAL. You're going to be relying on them a lot your first year for help, advice, curriculum stuff, behavioral management stuff, etc. Talk to them, get to know them, have lunch with them, share issues/seek advice from them. You're going to encounter situations that your degree did not prepare you for (likely, in the first week lol. For me, it was Day 1) and having people around to help you judgement free is going to be crucial. I was super lucky that my department team and all the teachers from other departments that I work closely with are really amazing, easy to work with, etc.
2 — You're also going to want a good relationship with the "other" departments. The library staff, tech staff, sped department, guidance, janitors, etc. They're all lovely people, so don't be afraid to pop in to introduce yourself on the first week!
3 — Crazy things are going to happen. Like....all the time. Don't bring them home with you. As soon as you exit the doors, shake it off. All your students made it on the bus to their parents alive, so it's fine. Your job is done for the day. I've been going to the gym a lot right from school, and it's been really helpful to prevent myself from taking anything home with me so to speak.
4 — Document, document, document. Did something happen? Document it, email a copy to whoever's applicable: admin, guidance, sped, BCBA, etc. "Hello, just emailing a summary of what happened today" is not an uncommon email for me to send out. If an IEP isn't working, well at the next IEP meeting it shows they have 10 emails in the last month from you about little Timmy's hourly verbal threats and attempted physical violence to his classmates, so maybe the BCBA needs to do some data collection to adjust his BIP, or they need to give him a 1-1, or give him more resource intervention, etc.
5 — This isn't so much of advice, more like reassurance. The small moments when it clicks for a student and they get something, and then the confidence and excitement shows, it's really the best. That's probably why I've fallen so in love with working where I did. The other day, after weeks of struggling to help this student with Downs with his math, I tried a totally different approach based off a few example problems I saw in a math intervention workbook and hOLY HELL IT WORKED. It totally clicked for him, and the kid was so excited to do a problem out on the board for the class. It was amazing. Another student with an LD who I've been helping heavily school aced a quiz in one of her classes and legit ran into the room to show me. Cue me literally jumping out of my chair to high-five her, and her calling her parents to deliver the good news. Like, little things like that are really really special, and they're going to mean so much to you. And I hope you get to experience LOTS of them too!
#ask#not dp related#teaching#it's a great career but it can be stressful if you don't have other outlets#having lots of hobbies outside of school has helped prevent burnout significantly#i also do gig work in my other career outside of school#which has been another great outlet!#i have ppl i work with who i can see are reaching burnout now#and being in a place where you dread going to work every day is both not good for your mental health#and also isn't good for the kids you're working with#so preventing that is honestly key#i'd like to think that it's because i haven't been afraid to rely on those around me for help when i need it has been a huge factor#if something happened i have a few veteran teachers who have kinda taken the mentor role on me that i can go to#and when they need a judgement-free listening ear im open to be that person for them as well#i've also gotten to know some ppl in other departments pretty well#which is helpful when i'm struggling with a specific student#i can go to one of their other teachers and see how it's going in their classes#compare notes and whatnot
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Heres some of my favorite sorrows of yukio okumura
#People are missing out on burnout at his desk yukio#Also there's some sillies with the rest of the exwires like there's a chapter for bon's birthday#ALSO I like that salaryman exorcist shows Yukio hanging out with the exwires on his off time#Usually it's through rin but still I'm glad to know they're actually friends#I've seen some fanfic authors say Yukio wouldn't hang out with them cuz he's the teacher but he's their friend and peer#Also like in my other post if u want more Yukio silly content the light novels specifically the 2 Yukio oriented ones in spy game are great#Quite a lot of the light novels have been translated on tumblr#If someone needs a link to them let me know#Yukio in wonderland has been a fave of mine since I read it and I think it's a crime that it wasn't the chapter adapted for the OVA#They're keeping the full body models of boy shiemi and Izumo RELEASE THEM#Isn't it funny that the exorcist cast technically has 2 different canon gender bent designs#Yukio okumura#blue exorcist#ao no exorcist
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