Teacher Burnout: Enjoy that Summer Break!
As we are hitting the end of the school year and getting closer and closer to summer break, there is one thing that many teachers have in common: burnout.
Breaks look different for everyone in the working world, but teachers are given that 2- to 3-month summer vacation every year. This is certainly well-deserved time off! Teachers do an abundance of work to make sure they are taking care of and properly educating each of their students throughout the school year.
Planning lessons, adapting to new curriculum, working with different learning styles, and more can take a toll on educators. It doesn’t help that education is not always funded or supported appropriately, leaving many teachers to use their personal time and money to successfully lead a classroom.
Job burnout is a specific type of mental, physical, or emotional stress derived from exhaustion in the workplace. I think we have all experienced this, whether we want to admit it or not. Working 40+ hours a week without truly unplugging when you are home is something most people are guilty of doing, and this is a huge cause of burnout. You’re not letting your body or brain have a break!
For many teachers, as well as other non-essential workers, the line between work and home has become blurry in the past year. Working from home has allowed individuals to stay safe and healthy, but it has also contributed to burnout for employees.
It can be hard to keep an eye on the clock and remember when the work day is done when you are already home all day. Teachers can end their Zoom calls and meetings, but some might stay online to grade or get a head start on next week’s lesson plans.
It became even more difficult to keep up when schools were back and forth about having in-person classes again, having some days at home and some days in the actual classroom. Inconsistency never made work any easier for anyone!
Teachers with children have had even more work this past year as well, having to tend to their students as well as manage their student-aged children doing their schoolwork at home during the day as well. I’ve even seen many parents post on their social media about how they have a new appreciation for teachers after seeing only a glimpse into their online classrooms.
Imagine how these teachers are feeling as summer approaches!
“As I submit my grades, complete my end of year checklist, and turn my lights off, I look around and remember my WHY.“ said Becky King, a high school teacher and mother of third graders.
“I’m consistent when kids need it. I’m a caregiver when they could not care less. I’m a cheerleader when they feel low, and I’m equally strict when they need to know what’s what. While this school year has tried to create the worst burnout possible, my focus has been on remembering that this life - this profession that called me - is the best opportunity to nurture the future I can ever imagine,” said King.
These educators absolutely love what they do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get tired. They are up early every day and stay past that afternoon bell. They push their classes to be the best they can be. Some students love learning and strive to do great work, while some don’t even appreciate their teachers or what they do for them.
This stress, exhaustion, and pressure continues to return every year, but these strong and passionate leaders come back with full force in August every year because they wouldn’t trade it for the world.
To all of the educators in our Leaped community - we see you, we hear you, and we are here for you! What does burnout look like for you? How do you bounce back from it?
Let us know in the comments!