I have been teaching for 28 years, 21 of them in an elementary classroom. Even I can’t believe that I have “lasted” this long. Avoiding burnout is key.
With all of the demands and the stress of teaching, I have often been asked exactly what I do to keep myself going and to stay in teaching for so long. Here are seven of my best tips.
1 – Amplify the positive — in your students, in your principal/leader’s strengths, in your colleagues, and in policies or practices. When you look for the good, you will find it. You will find plenty of negatives, often without even looking.
But if you stay focused on what is the good in this situation or in this person, you will learn and grow and find something positive from it.
2 – Be an encourager — this will follow from amplifying the positive. When you do find the good, share it with others who need some encouragement.
I find that what you “send out” to others tends to come back to you. Encouragement can be in the form of a verbal comment, a post-it note, an email, a hug, a cooked or baked treat — whatever is comfortable for you.
When I worked as an instructional coach, I would often leave a post-it note about something positive I saw in a teacher’s classroom (see #1 above).
I did this because I realize how “threatening” it can be to have someone you barely know (or someone in a perceived power role) come into your classroom, see what you are doing or what is happening, and then leave without saying anything or giving any feedback. So I just left a quick note and tried to follow up with more detailed feedback later.
When I returned to these classrooms, I would notice that every single teacher had the notes posted somewhere in their classroom where they would see them frequently.
It reminded me that we all need encouragement and positive feedback. If we don’t get it from those in “power”, we can still do that for each other. Try it and see how it affects you and other teachers around you.
3 – Keep learning more about your craft.
Read teacher books. Some of my favorites:
The Happy Teacher Habits by Michael Linsin
The Classroom Management Secret by Michael Linsin
I Wish My Teacher Knew by Kyle Schwartz
Your First Year – How to Survive & Thrive as a New Teacher by Todd Whitaker and others
Shifting the Balance by Jan Burkins & Kari Yates
The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo
The Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo
Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had by Tracy Johnston Zager
Teaching Essentials by Regie Routman
Literacy Essentials by Regie Routman
Follow educational blogs or websites such as:
Edutopia
Scholastic
Learning for Justice
Math4Love
Youcubed
We Are Teachers
Smart Classroom Management
Responsive Classroom
Listen to teacher podcasts.
Attend an education conference (Ask if your school or district will pay the attendance fee. In this era of less funding for schools, it may not be possible but it doesn’t hurt to ask anyway! Plus, your leaders will see you as someone who is trying to learn and improve, which will only have positive effects for you.)
Try to find ONE good thing about every single professional development you attend (and you will probably find more if are looking. See tip #1 above.)
4 – Have some kind of daily quiet time. You can spend the time in prayer, in meditation, just sitting and taking deep breaths, reading something from an inspirational or devotional book — or a combination of all four! The amount of time does not matter as much as having some consistently quiet time where you just stop and listen.
5 – Engage in some kind of physical activity daily.
Just like with the quiet time suggestion above, the amount of time does not matter so much as the consistency.
Find something that you enjoy enough to actually do it, then schedule a time and stick to it.
Some examples: walking, jogging, yoga (find good videos on YouTube), Pilates or barre fitness (my favorite is Physique 57, weights or resistance training, or the 7 Minute Workout .
Exercise will relieve stress, clear your mind, help you to see situations and people in a more positive light, and will help you feel better about yourself.
6 – Eat healthier than you did yesterday. This might mean eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, eating less sugar or processed food. Just do a little better than you did yesterday.
7 – Make a list of your favorite self-care activities and choose something from your list.
Here are 12 examples: take a warm bath, light a scented candle, take a walk in a favorite outdoor area, make a gratitude list, get (or give yourself) a manicure or pedicure, buy some fresh flowers, declutter some areas that is causing you stress, pet an animal, sit outside in a favorite space, listen to a favorite playlist, listen to a podcast that makes you laugh or inspires you, read something you enjoy.
I hope these tips will be helpful for you. I would love to hear your thoughts!