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I set clear boundaries between work and home. No checking work email when I’m at home! I may stay a little late sometimes to get things done, but I’d rather do that than take my work home with me. That way my home space doesn’t get “contaminated” with work duties. :)

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Crafting, journaling, making, creating, sharing. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

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Love learning to score new designs on my loafs :)

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"As a teacher, it’s easy to get bogged down in what you do poorly...[T]eaching often feels like the world is against you.
That’s why it’s so important to recognize what you do well throughout the year."

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Teacher burnout is one of the biggest problems facing the American education system today.

In its worst-case scenario, burnout means you lose the will to teach. Students wear you down instead of energizing you. Every Sunday is a slog where you dread the next morning.

When teachers get burnt out, everyone loses. The teacher, administrators, students, and even colleagues all feel the effects of one teacher losing their passion.
So how do you keep your passion alive in an age of strict standards, individualized education, and other teaching challenges?
These seven methods are all proven to help prevent teacher burnout:

1. Stay healthy

2. Indulge in personal time

3. Talk to your colleagues

4. Recognize what you do well

5. Prepare ahead of schedule

6. Leave schoolwork at school

7. Make yourself a priority

When you use them together, you can get through a school year (and even a single day) while staying happy.

Video: How to Avoid Teacher Burnout

1. Stay Healthy

Staying healthy is the single most important way to keep yourself happy and motivated throughout a school year.
Exercise is the best way to stay healthy.
Set up a schedule for every day (or every other day) to work out. That could mean lifting weights, jogging, or even yoga.

Regardless, you're working out your body, which alleviates depression, anxiety, stress, and even Parkinson's Disease.

It also makes you feel ready for bed every evening.
That's important because sleep is the next way that you can stay healthy.
A good sleep schedule keeps your mind sharp. It also lets your body rejuvenate so you can meet the day with energy instead of fatigue.

Aside from that, regular sleep schedules also help you deal with stress, anxiety, sadness, depression, heart issues, and way more.
Finally, you can keep yourself engaged in teaching by eating healthy.
That means getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay in tip-top shape throughout your life.

Fresh fruit, complex carbohydrates, leafy greens, and hardy proteins form a healthy diet. When you stick to it, your body will show immediate improvement compared to snacks, soda, and other junk food.

By exercising, sleeping, and eating well, you'll be physically and mentally prepared for the barrage of challenges throughout your school year.

But staying healthy is just the beginning!

2. Indulge in Personal Time

It's no secret that teachers have limited personal time.

You work 10 hours per day in school, but you also have to plan lessons, grade tests, and remediate students, among everything else going on in your life.

But your personal time is just as important as your professional time - maybe even more important, depending on your priorities.

Hobbies are proven to make people happier, especially when you can actually enjoy them.

That doesn't mean you have to start buying model trains or Civil War history books.

Hobbies can be as simple as bird watching. They can also be as complex as volunteering.

You can also just kick back, relax, and watch Netflix at the end of a long day.

Regardless of what engages your mind during your free time, it should make you happy to indulge in those hobbies.

The point is that your free time matters. If you spend it working, you're not actually away from work.

Instead, you wind up working 12-18 hours every day with a brief break to sleep.

Teachers quickly burn out with that kind of schedule.

You don't have to follow that example, though.

Instead, you can enjoy your time away from work!

3. Talk to Your Colleagues

No one understands your frustrations and challenges better than your colleagues.

Communicating with your peers is one of the best ways you can prevent burnout because they can offer you the best support.

After all, they perform a similar job in the same place. If anyone is going to understand your frustrations, it'll be your colleagues.

On top of that, it's important to establish relationships with your coworkers. Workplace friendships have a range of benefits in your life, including career satisfaction.

Besides, friends make their friends laugh. That means you can laugh off stress throughout your day instead of keeping it tensed up inside yourself.

You'll probably help your fellow teachers at the same time!

4. Recognize What You Do Well

As a teacher, it's easy to get bogged down in what you do poorly.

Whether a parent is upset with their child's grade or an administrator is giving you feedback, teaching often feels like the world is against you.

That's why it's so important to recognize what you do well throughout the year.

That pride can quickly make you happier when you see all of the great qualities you exhibit in the classroom.

Even if your best skills take place on off-hours - like grading or planning - you can see the positive results of that work every day.

The key is to look for it.

Once you open yourself up to the positive results you produce, you can pride yourself on your abilities as an educator.

5. Prepare ahead of Schedule

If you're going to successfully teach, you have to have a plan going into your classes.

Following a pre-made plan is much easier than playing a semester by ear.

If you're not the planning type, it's time to take a stab at laying out your lessons before the first day of class.

You don't have to outline an entire semester at a time, either. You can create and rework your class schedule at any point.

When you do, it's important to give yourself enough time to get all your ducks in a row.

You can do that before your weekend at any point. The most common time for teachers is on a Friday afternoon, usually right after school.

Teachers who wait until the last minute often plan lessons on Sunday night.

That creates an effect called the "Sunday Blues" where teachers can't enjoy their Sundays anymore.

After all, now they're workdays.

If you want to stay ahead of the Sunday Blues, you have to plan ahead.

6. Leave Schoolwork at School

When you want to keep yourself from burning out, the best idea is to create boundaries for yourself.

Keep work at work.

Keep home at home.

Segment the parts of your life that you think should be separate. This requires you to say no sometimes - to both personal and professional opportunities - but these boundaries will make you happier as a person.

You can start setting these boundaries for yourself by keeping your work at school.

Draw a line in the sand. If you have to do some work after hours, do it at school.

Keep home as the place where you can relax and enjoy time with loved ones.

This'll also help you plan, indulge, and stay healthy too - all at the same time!

7. Make Yourself a Priority

At the end of the day, you have to take care of you.

When you're happy, you're a better teacher.

When you enjoy your life, you're more likely to enjoy your career (and vice versa).

But when you burn out, everything becomes a chore.

Keep yourself in good spirits by making yourself a top priority.

That's not to say you should start being selfish - but it's important for you to look out for yourself.

So enjoy your time as a teacher.

You don't have to count the days to retirement when you love every minute.

Prevent Burnout with Digital Curriculum

Sometimes you need backup to keep yourself going.

That's why Applied Educational Systems makes digital curriculum solutions with a learning management system.

We help health science, business education, career readiness, and computer teachers enjoy their lives by streamlining their responsibilities in one simple tool.

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Click below to learn everything you need to know about digital curriculum!

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The 7 Best Ways to Avoid Teacher Burnout in 2020

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Teacher burnout is one of the biggest problems facing the American education system today. In its worst-case scenario, burnout means you lose the will to teach. Students wear you down instead of energizing you. Every Sunday is a slog where you dread the next morning. When teachers get burnt out, everyone loses.

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"Mentor another teacher, either formally or informally. We can all use as much help as we can get."

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"Why did I want to be a teacher?" We all face burnout, sometimes on a daily basis, and in my case, especially after fourth period. Most of the time, we can pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off, and go back to the drawing board to try another strategy to find success with student learning. I have to admit that it is getting more and more difficult to make that transition back to a willingness to try again. I can't help to think students are more difficult than they used to be a few years ago, and pressures from accountability are becoming more oppressive. And of course, the pay for teachers is inadequate. With all of this we may ask, is it worth it?

Rather than provide a list of things to avoid, I would like to take a more proactive stance by sharing things that will help diminish burnout feelings and help you answer, yep, it is worth it.

Step #1) Have Fun Daily with Your Students

Share jokes, brief stories, puzzles, brain teasers, etc. This keeps it interesting for you and for your students. It only takes a minute and they are easy to align to the topic of the day.

Step #2) Take Care of Your Health

The physical status of your body affects your emotional responses, so never feel guilty about taking care of yourself. Skipping lunch or breakfast are bad ideas. Make sure you get enough sleep each day. Take a rejuvenating micro-nap when you get home. Get some better shoes to put a spring in your step. I used to think that I was an active teacher and did not need exercise, but I realized that I need cardio-vascular and upper body exercise, too. Thirty minutes on a treadmill, two days a week will do wonders. Simple pushups strengthen your abdomen, back, and arms. You will be surprised at how much it helps you not be worn out at the end of the day.

Step #3) Learn Something New and Share It with Your Students

Read an interesting book -- education or non-education related. I have been reading, The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way from Amanda Ripley. It is interesting and education related, so I don't feel guilty about taking time away from lesson planning and grading. Read a classic that you have always wanted to read but never got around to reading. Watch a TED Talk or go to iUniversity and find something interesting about brain research (that's what I like to explore anyway).

Step #4) Help Another Teacher

Share your motivating experiences locally or online. Edutopia is always here for that. If you take the time to respond to a blog, you may be surprised at the response. Start your own uplifting blog to help beginning teachers or nearly burned out ones. Be active in your professional organization by volunteering to teach, facilitate, or prepare workshops. Mentor another teacher, either formally or informally. We can all use as much help as we can get.

Step #5) Make Someone's Day

Call a parent and tell them how good their student is. Find a student that is struggling and sincerely complement him or her on something they are doing well. Show gratitude for an administrator, or fellow teacher by sending them an appreciative note, giving them a hug, or presenting to them a small gift.

Step #6) Lighten Up

Smile (it's after Christmas and it's ok). Try looking in the mirror, putting on a smile and then try not smiling for real. It is nearly impossible. So try smiling when you do not feel like smiling. When you greet your students at the door, smile at them and a miracle happens: They will smile back.

Step #7) Be a Scientist

Experiment with new strategies and become an expert in them. Ask your students to help. Do a control group and an experimental group. Document your results and share them at a faculty meeting or a conference. Celebrate success.

Step #8) Look for the Positive

Be a voice for positive thinking, even in the staff lounge. It won't change the situations, but you will feel better and others might be uplifted too. While teaching is hard, it is not all bad. Half empty glasses are not nearly as exciting as half full ones.

Step #9) Redecorate

Switch out the bulletin boards, move the desks, and adjust the lighting. Add your favorite smells or be adventurous with new ones. I found interesting ones: rhubarb, teak wood, and Hawaiian breeze (usually spray, or solid.) Check with your schools policy about bringing plug-in oil or scented wax warmers.

Step #10) Trust Students More

Let the students know that you will be trusting them more and give them opportunities to earn your trust. Try some project-based learning. Develop strong rubrics, share them with students, and then let them learn as you facilitate and coach.

Turning Things Around

It seems it is easier to fall into the trap of pessimism and negativity because of all the (okay, I will say it) "garbage" teachers have to endure, but that does not have to be our choice. We can choose our attitude, and choosing to do proactive things like those I listed above will go a long way in helping us keep our sanity and avoiding burnout. What helps you keep plugging away? Please share in the comments section below.

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10 Steps for Avoiding Teacher Burnout | Edutopia

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We all face burnout, sometimes on a daily basis, and in my case, especially after fourth period. Most of the time, we can pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off, and go back to the drawing board to try another strategy to find success with student learning.

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Spending time outside helps me recharge

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Hiking and taking walks surrounded by nature recharges me!

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- "The 7 Best Ways to Avoid Teacher Burnout in 2020" by Chris Zook, let's be real 2021 has been just as crazy....!