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Lillian
Student
Lititz, Pennsylvania
1
Question
Asked
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Why do educators always seem to get burned out in their career?
I'm a high school senior, and I've always wanted to be a teacher, but I'm worried seeing so many educators talking about being burned out. How do I avoid this? #Spring25
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1 answer
Kim Karnatz
1
Answer
Draper, Utah
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hey Lillian,
I'm an educator who left in the summer of 2019 for tech. I wasn't burned out, but my husband's job moved us, and my teaching license wouldn't transfer. I plan to go back to teaching when we move back. The best way to avoid burnout (in my opinion!) is to set clear boundaries with your time. I taught middle school science for 2 years, 2nd grade for 3 years, and K-5 STEM for 3 years (I changed countries a lot). One strategy I employed was to only stay late one day a week and do all my planning/copying/prepping in bulk. Every Thursday, I'd stay after and prep for the next week. I'd have dinner delivered as a treat to motivate me, and I'd get the whole week done. Additionally, I'd update my yearly planner with what ACTUALLY happened that current week. Did I do everything I thought I'd do? Did I come up with something awesome on the fly? Did I have to take time to review something I didn't expect? Did another teacher share something with me that I used? That way, when it was the next year, I had all the clues I needed to plan and prep more effectively.
The first year is hard. You are building a lot from scratch, and getting to know yourself and your teaching style. The next year, if you've really kept track of what you've done, it's your chance to substantially improve upon your previous teaching. By year 3, that Thursday planning evening won't take nearly as much time.
Society pressures us teachers to contribute our time for free. "Do it for the kids" is often implied, if not directly said. At the same time, teachers are often in the middle of a culture war, politically, and parents are more and more concerned about "where their tax dollars are going". Avoid district facebook groups, make a group of teacher friends that you can depend on, set clear boundaries with your time, and enjoy those summers as much as you can...and always get your planning done on Thursdays ;)
I'm an educator who left in the summer of 2019 for tech. I wasn't burned out, but my husband's job moved us, and my teaching license wouldn't transfer. I plan to go back to teaching when we move back. The best way to avoid burnout (in my opinion!) is to set clear boundaries with your time. I taught middle school science for 2 years, 2nd grade for 3 years, and K-5 STEM for 3 years (I changed countries a lot). One strategy I employed was to only stay late one day a week and do all my planning/copying/prepping in bulk. Every Thursday, I'd stay after and prep for the next week. I'd have dinner delivered as a treat to motivate me, and I'd get the whole week done. Additionally, I'd update my yearly planner with what ACTUALLY happened that current week. Did I do everything I thought I'd do? Did I come up with something awesome on the fly? Did I have to take time to review something I didn't expect? Did another teacher share something with me that I used? That way, when it was the next year, I had all the clues I needed to plan and prep more effectively.
The first year is hard. You are building a lot from scratch, and getting to know yourself and your teaching style. The next year, if you've really kept track of what you've done, it's your chance to substantially improve upon your previous teaching. By year 3, that Thursday planning evening won't take nearly as much time.
Society pressures us teachers to contribute our time for free. "Do it for the kids" is often implied, if not directly said. At the same time, teachers are often in the middle of a culture war, politically, and parents are more and more concerned about "where their tax dollars are going". Avoid district facebook groups, make a group of teacher friends that you can depend on, set clear boundaries with your time, and enjoy those summers as much as you can...and always get your planning done on Thursdays ;)