Real Talk
Let’s talk about burnout. Because teachers – with their passion, with their love for their students, with their desire to give and be everything – are burning out. We are setting ourselves on fire, ignoring the dangers of self-combustion in the hopes that others will benefit from our warmth. But here’s the thing: We don’t have that much warmth left to give. And before you know it, we’ll be nothing but a pile of ashes.
We can’t be held to normal standards right now because life is not normal.
Somehow, people seem to forget that we are still in a global crisis. Sure, we’ve adapted, we’ve persevered, we’ve come to accept that constant uncertainty is our new “normal.” But we’re in a state of dysregulation. We are not at our best, and our students are not at their best. We have to accept and expect imperfection instead of holding ourselves to (and being held to) impossibly high standards, especially when the world is on fire.
You do not need to give up your mental health to support the mental health of the people around you.
Teachers are empathetic, compassionate listeners and advice-givers, and as natural caretakers, we’re taking on a lot of other people’s emotions right now. Our students, of course, come to us when they need help, as do our friends, coworkers, and family members. But so many of us are starting to ask ourselves: How much can I give? How much warmth can I spread if I’m not being fueled?
You deserve a break.
Rest is not something that needs to be earned. You don’t need to finish grading those tests or planning your weekly lessons in order to “qualify” for a break. You deserve rest. Because everyone deserves rest. If you need a physical and mental break, TAKE IT. Take the personal day, don’t grade that assignment, be okay with a lesson plan from Google. Giving yourself the space and time to breathe will not prevent your students from learning and growing.
Your stress affects your students.
Are we good at hiding A LOT of the negative, overwhelming, anxiety-inducing emotions we feel on a daily basis? Of course. We all know that many aspects of teaching are a complete facade. But if you’re not at your mental and emotional best, your kids will feel it and be impacted by it. Students–no matter how old they are–are experiencing childhood in a way that we cannot fully comprehend, and we’re not doing them any favors by pushing ourselves to our breaking points.
Administrators cannot keep asking teachers for MORE.
We. Can’t. Do. It. I mean, we can, but for how long? How long can we keep this fire blazing to spread warmth to everyone and everything around us? And once we’re completely burned out, how many people will follow in our path?
We’ve been told to be the Giving Tree, to sacrifice everything we have to make others happy, to push through our own exhaustion to provide energy for other people, to ignore our own needs so that others’ needs can be met.
We all know that everything we do, we do it for the kids. And by all means, keep doing it for the kids. Because in some ways, that act is what fuels us to keep going – it ignites our passion as educators. So sure, maybe we’re all on fire right now, in one way or another. But we absolutely cannot continue to stoke our flames for the sole benefit of the people around us.
Because when you set yourself on fire for other people, there’s only so long you can keep them warm before you fizzle out, and everyone – including you – is cold.
