5 Tips to Avoid Teacher Burnout

I think this article is pretty interesting because I have seen many "burnt out" teachers lately. Talking with teachers at lunch is often entertaining because the teachers have so many things to say (mainly negative as of late) about their students, lessons plans, assessments, and more. I thought this article had some good suggestions to help teachers from crashing. The first tip is to create lessons that allow the students to take more control of their learning. Instead of the teaching creating new lessons or PowerPoint presentations, Andrew Miller suggests using a myriad of teaching strategies to transform from lecturer to facilitator. The next suggestion Miller offers is to "Go Home!" (2012). Many teacher spend so much time after school planning lessons, grading, and much more. While these things are important to complete, teachers need time for themselves too. Miller states, "There is always something more to do, I know it. But you know what? It can wait!" (2012). It is just as important to take care of yourself as it is your students. The third suggestion is to plan time for yourself and establish boundaries. I know far too many teachers who have been working through their lunches instead of taking a short break. In an effort to stay energized towards the end of the year it is important to make sure you not only plan time for parents, staff, and students, but for yourself too. The fourth suggestion is to connect with other educators. How many times have we heard, 'you don't have to recreate the wheel'? Well, it's true! Teachers can often become burnt out because of the amount of time spent creating new projects and lessons. The last suggestion is to keep a clear mind about what you're assessing. Yes, there are a ton of assessments that need to be given, but trying to do them all at once will drive you crazy! Focusing only on a few things at a time so you don't become overwhelmed. 

As a long term substitute I get to skipped a lot of things, such as professional development and observations, but these are definitely suggestions to keep in mind to make sure your students are getting the most out of their education!