Teacher burnout is happening all over North America but one of the biggest reasons it’s occurring isn’t talked about. Learn what it is and how to make changes.
The Biggest Tip for New Teachers
There are so many good pieces of advice we can offer new teachers just entering the profession. (Check out my teacher advice series here). One of the biggest pieces of advice though is that teaching is going to be all about relationships.
Just like in life or school, relationships are the key to surviving. Shannon explains, new teachers are pulled in so many directions and they often think kids are just supposed to listen to me. But in middle school, high school, and upper grades students need a reason to want to listen to you. Students want to know their teacher and feel like you care.
It’s important as teachers that we take the time to build relationships not only with our students but with staff, with your peers, with colleagues, with parents - with everyone. If you’re busy building relationships, your job is going to go a lot smoother.
You want to be a safe space for the students you teach. You want them to come to school and learn but you have to keep that hard line. We have to make sure that line is clear with all students but especially as they get older.
When we are building relationships students just need to know you care. Shannon talks more about this in her chapter titled, “Kids Don’t Learn From Teachers They Don’t Like.”
The Low-Down on Change Fatigue
Change fatigue is the mental and emotional exhaustion that comes when there is constant change in an organization or there’s big change on top of previous change on top of other change. Things just keep changing. For example, in education you never get to have that moment where you know your curriculum, the students are the same in your class, and nothing is changing.
Instead you are always wondering, “What’s today going to bring?”
When you are constantly living in this state of wondering what is going to happen or you are faced with big and little changes throughout every week, you become exhausted.
This idea of everything is constantly changing is not good for teacher’s emotional, physical, and mental health and it’s not good for students either.
The 3 Phases of Change Fatigue and Burnout
Before we can figure out what we need to do to fix change fatigue, we need to recognize how it happens. There are three phases of burnout.
The first phase is exhaustion. During this phase you are feeling mentally, physically, emotionally exhausted because you’ve run out of emotional resources. This is when you feel you are done or depleted and have nothing left to give.
When this feeling of exhaustion doesn’t let up it leads to the next phase which is depersonalization. At this stage you begin to care less and develop apathy. Maybe you start to resent the people causing all these changes. A teacher in this phase of exhaustion might be doing the bare minimum for the job because they just can’t care as much as they used to. Why bother when things will be changing again?
The last phase is lack of accomplishment. During this phase you are at burnout and you have a feeling that no matter what you do the job is impossible and the level you want to be at is unattainable. Shannon describes this phase as the thought process of “If I spent all day every day, every waking hour working to try to be good at my job I still wouldn’t be able to feel like I”m doing a good job.”
What Can We Do As Teachers
At the very least we, as teachers, can recognize that our job is going to have constant change. You have to know this coming into the profession and be prepared for it. If you are not a person that…
- doesn’t like change
- find it hard to shift gears
- likes to get out of your box after getting all set up
Teaching is not for you.
As a teacher you need to roll with the punches and understand that change is going to keep happening. Change will be a part of your whole career. It’s never going to end.
Having a mindset of knowing change is coming will help. Also, understanding why this change is occurring can help. If we know the change will be what’s best for children it’s easier to get behind and support the changes.
Another thing we can do is to have the space to implement the change. It’s not often that it is mandatory to implement something overnight - although sometimes we might feel pressured to. It’s okay to take smaller steps rather than have it done immediately.
Look towards your team in support in implementing changes. The support of your fellow teachers will help to make it more manageable and more work for everyone. When you are being collaborative, you are also more likely to enjoy it than sitting at home working in isolation trying to figure it out.
In Shannon’s book she provides a list of 11 ways you can collaborate. A few of the ideas are photocopies, finding mentor texts, writing IEP goals, and copying a form that needs to be filled out and sharing it.
If you’re looking for a collaborative partner, you might just have to be the first to share. Even as a new teacher you have something to offer and can collaborate with other teachers. New teachers have a lot to offer and often different things to offer.
What Can Stakeholders Do
At the administration level, if principals could over communicate with staff it would go a long way to help understand why the decisions to make these changes are happening. Helping to make a plan for implementation that avoids the busiest times of the year can also help. Also making sure that training precedes any big changes.
Another beneficial thing that can be done is to take things off of a teacher’s plate. Are there any items that are now obsolete?
Parents as well can assume good intent and give teachers’ grace. If parents understood what was on a teacher’s plate they would be a teacher’s biggest supporter. Ask questions and listen to help support teachers. Most teachers are amazing humans that want the best for your child.
Get in touch with Shannon Hazel by clicking on any of the links below.
- Shannon's book, New Teacher Confidential
- Shannon's instagram - @teachereducommunity
- Shannon's website - teacherEDUcommunity
- Shannon's Twitter/X - New Teacher EDU
- Shannon's Facebook - New Teacher EDU
- Shannon's LinkedIn - Shannon Hazel Teacher EDU