4 ways K-12 educators can recharge this summer
K-12 educators are more likely to feel burnt out than workers in any other industry1 — and the gap is widening. While summer is typically seen as a break from school, the reality is that most educators spend their summers retraining and planning for the year ahead, which leaves little time for recharging.
With teacher retention predicted to be one of the biggest challenges in K-12 in 2023,2 here’s how you can recognize the warning signs of burnout and find ways to battle burnout to prepare for a successful new school year.
Burnout Fuels Turnover
Job satisfaction/dissatisfaction is directly linked to employee retention/resignation. With job satisfaction among educators at its lowest level in years3 — in part, driven by rising burnout — it’s vital that schools and districts act now to counteract a mass exodus of educators. Efforts can include offering resources that help educators streamline tasks and free up their time and energy for other priorities.
On the individual educator level, a deeper understanding of what causes burnout can help you better manage stress and stay in the classroom.
Recognizing Burnout and Its Causes
Teaching has always been challenging, even in the best of times. The pandemic and the complex political landscape surrounding K-12 education have only intensified those challenges. Both factors have likely left you with an increased workload, decreased community support and feeling like you have less control over what you teach — all of which can cause extreme work-related stress, which can lead to burnout.
Burnout is defined by exhaustion, increased mental distance or cynicism from one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy.4 Acknowledging these signals and implementing the strategies below can help you recover and reconnect with what you most enjoy about teaching. Here are four ways you can overcome feeling overwhelmed by professional pressures so you’re refreshed when you return to your classroom for the new school year.
1. Put yourself first.
Educators selflessly help and give to others. While that’s an excellent trait to have in this profession, it can make prioritizing your own well-being difficult. Because you can’t help others without first taking care of yourself, it’s important to set aside time for self-care in your schedule.
Adding an appointment to your calendar can help remind you to incorporate activities that add joy to your routine. It could be as simple as spending five minutes walking or journaling or as serious as committing to a class or activity related to a hobby.
2. Establish your ideal schedule.
Are you most energized in the morning, in the afternoon or at night?
While school is out for the summer, pay attention to your energy levels throughout the day. Use that to set your ideal daily schedule. Plan to tackle the hardest to-dos when you’re feeling the most motivated and save the simpler tasks, like responding to emails or completing paperwork, for when you’re the least motivated.
3. Build a support network.
Connecting with other educators is one way to alleviate stress. Sharing struggles can help you feel less isolated and create opportunities to hear what strategies have worked in similar situations. While finding opportunities to commiserate is helpful, it is important to keep conversations from always focusing on the negative. Excessive venting may compound what you’re already feeling.
There are numerous ways to connect with educators outside of your school and district. For example, you could start a summer book club, schedule occasional coffee dates, and participate in education-related associations and conferences with other educators.
4. Ask for and offer help.
By nature, educators willingly give their time and energy when someone else asks for help. While it can be challenging to speak up and request assistance from others, know that everyone can use a helping hand at times.
By letting your colleagues or department head know when you need assistance, you can collaborate on finding workable solutions. And the next time someone offers to pitch in on a task, consider accepting rather than shouldering it alone.
Supporting other educators is another way to rejuvenate your enthusiasm for teaching. Sharing your expertise by serving as a mentor, writing a blog or participating in workshops allows you to focus on what you love most about the profession. Of course, making time for others should not mean sacrificing time for yourself if you’re already feeling overburdened.
As a thank you note to educators from everyone at Pearson: we want to express our gratitude and admiration for your dedication to your students throughout the year. We hope this summer provides you with the time you need to relax and recharge, and when you’re ready to start prepping for fall, we’ve got you covered. Check out our other blog posts for information on a range of professional development topics.
1K-12 Workers Have Highest Burnout Rate in U.S. https://news.gallup.com/poll/393500/workers-highest-burnout-rate.aspx. Accessed June 7, 2023.
2FETC 2023: Expert Strategies on Combatting Burnout and Improving Teacher Retention. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2023/01/fetc-2023-expert-strategies-combatting-burnout-and-improving-teacher-retention. Accessed June 7, 2023.
3Under Siege: The Outlook of AFT Members. https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/2022/de-14326_aft_member_survey.pdf. Accessed June 7, 2023.
4Burnout is an official medical diagnosis, World Health Organization says. https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/27/health/who-burnout-disease-trnd/index.html. Accessed June 7, 2023.