How to Avoid Burnout at the End of the Year

Teacher burnout is a real risk these days, and never more so than as we make our way toward the end of the school year. The excitement of the new year has worn off and we’re making our way into a stretch of time where there are few scheduled breaks.

So how do we make it through this time frame without becoming a burned out mess by the end? I have some ideas.

1. Collaborate with Colleagues

We do not have to do hard things ALONE. We have community all around us – let’s use it! Now is the perfect time to tap into this resource.

In almost every position we hold, we have the ability to collaborate and lean on the support of our colleagues. If this structure hasn’t been created yet in your work environment, then now might be the perfect chance to build it. You don’t have to start big either. Even finding one person to collaborate with can give you the support that will buoy you through the end of the year.

Some great examples of collaboration can be found within grade-level teams, content-area teams, and even administration/teacher relationships. Connect with your people. Take a look at the challenges you have upcoming and brainstorm how to share the load.

Whether its a divide and conquer approach towards planning curriculum or maybe a classroom trade for a day to give the teachers and students a break from each other ;), there are plenty of opportunities for creativity and collaboration here. Another option would be to simply connect with each other at some point in the day for a ten minute chat or mental health check-in.

Do some focused breathing together. Sit and journal next to one another. Put on headphones and simply body double while you work. It’s like having an accountability partner but with a softer, more mental-health centered focus.

If there truly is no one you can turn to for support, don’t forget about Teachers Pay Teachers and social media. TPT has SO MANY resources that can ease some of the stress while adding interest to your daily classroom routines. I am slightly wary of social media because it can turn into a freeze and disconnect tactic, but there are a lot of teacher creators out there who know what you’re going through. Again, there is power in community and that community can be found virtually too.

2. Capitalize on Your Time

We may not have all the time we need, but we can make good use of the time we have! Its so easy to let the overwhelm leave you sitting numb or mindlessly chatting with a colleague. Unfortunately this generally adds to the stress instead of helping to reduce it.

This is where organizing your time and tasks is really important. At the end of each day, make a To Do list. Highlight three things on the list that hold the most urgency. The list and identifying what takes urgency will not only help reduce the scattered feeling, it will also give you a starting point for when you do have time.

In addition to using time well, now is NOT the time to over extend yourself. Don’t start pulling really long hours. Leave ON TIME! Set alarms for yourself. Create a routine that you can follow for shutting down at the end of the day and getting your behind OUT THE DOOR!

Some of our burnout is self-inflicted. We are the boundary setters for ourselves. Ultimately WE have the say over how we use our time and how much of our time and energy is given to our career. I get that this isn’t always black and white, but we have MUCH MORE POWER in this capacity than we often think we do.

3. Take care of YOURSELF

Don’t skip out on your self care! When things start to get crazy, oftentimes our self care is the first thing that goes out the window. All that is on our plates often sucks up our precious “me” time or we become so overwhelmed and overloaded that the “me” time becomes simply another To Do on our list. We simply do not have the ENERGY to care for ourselves.

Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword. This is the time when we need this time THE MOST! We MUST make this time NON-NEGOTIABLE. I know I’m using a lot of uppercase letters here, but I want this point to HIT HOME. Personally it is by far the most difficult strategy for me to follow.

If you already have a routine in place, stick to it OR make it slightly easier. For example, incorporate easier forms of movement. Instead of long, heavy lifting workouts, incorporate more flow with things like yoga, mobility, stretching or simply walking. Switching out a workout here or there with meditation & journaling would be another highly impactful way to ease stress on your body while increasing restorative time.

If you don’t have any self-care practices in place, now is as good a time as any to start. My advice is to start small. Even just finding twenty minutes a day will make a difference. Choose easy movement like I described above or add in meditation and journaling. Another beneficial option is grounding in nature. Take your shoes off and let your bare feet touch the soil. Again, even a short 10-15 of this connection with nature will have an accumulative restorative impact over time.

4. Utilize Student Projects

Student projects are a perfect way to shake things up in your room, create interest, reduce some of the daily prep, AND provide students an opportunity for self-led learning.

Think about it. By this time of year, students are getting restless and chatter starts to increase. Why not harness this energy? Use it to your advantage!

Whether its a book report, research project, science experiments, sports study, or community outreach, any type of project-based learning will put this energy to good use.

Additionally, the end of the year is the perfect time for students to showcase their own learning! You could even extend this into family connection and community building by hosting a classroom open house for people to view the work your students have completed.

Work SMARTER, not Harder

This is not the time to reinvent the wheel. This is not the time to give it MORE than you’ve got. This is not the time to push through at the expense of your own mental and physical well-being.

While throwing in the towel and giving up is clearly not an option, finding ways to ease stress and find joy is. It IS IN FACT the time to work SMARTER instead of harder by taking these steps:

Collaborate with Colleagues
Capitalize on your time
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Utilize Student Projects

You’ll note that #3 is in ALL CAPS. That is because it is THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. YOU MATTER. You and your own well-being are the most CRUCIAL element in all of this.

Take care of yourselves loves,

Talk soon.