10 Tips to Avoid Teacher Burnout

It’s that time of year when teacher burnout is in full force. Some days it’s hard to keep it together, but you know you must be there for your students in mind, body, soul! It’s hard. So hard. As teachers we usually put our student’s well being before our own. Think of the airplane mask analogy. In order to be of service, we must put on our mask first before assisting those around us. This is so true in the classroom as well. In order to be a great teacher day in and day out, we MUST take care of ourselves. Here are some tips on how to avoid teacher burnout.

1. Exercise

Even if you don’t have a gym membership, just get outside and take a walk. Getting your heart rate up releases those endorphins and makes you feel good. It’s hard to find the right time to exercise when you live a busy life, but try to find some time in your day. Even if it’s for 30 min because 30 > 0!

2. Get a massage

Now, I can’t think of a better way to relax and take care of yourself than a massage. Just feel the teacher burnout melt away one tired teacher knot at a time! You can always find some great deals on Groupon too. This is something I need to do, and it’s hard to find time for yourself in this area, but one can dream, right?!

3. Leave at the bell

Stop staying late after school! If you can find a way to get to school 30 min early and prep for the next day or the week, do it! Nothing feels more amazing than leaving after that bell rings. As long as you know you are prepped and ready for the next day, you deserve it. This would be a great opportunity as well to get that exercising in or make that massage appointment. 😉

4. Bring back past activities

You don’t have to always reinvent the wheel. Bring back some of your student’s favorite centers/activities into the mix. Everyone wins because it’s some of their favorites activities, they already know how to do it, and you don’t have to spend time prepping new centers.

I love using the year long Math & Literacy centers from my TpT store to bring back into rotation. So what if they’re a little out of season. Sometimes it’s fun to mix it up and have a Christmas in April center 😉

5. Pass the torch to your students

Your classroom is now running like a well oiled machine. I’m not saying to loosen up the reigns. Student’s still need the same routines and procedures, but I am saying students can start to take over some of your little jobs. These are some of the jobs my students have done around this time of the school year. Feel free to add whatever works for you!

• Distribute/collect the morning work on the tables
• Place the math and literacy centers out at center time
• Sharpen pencils
• Clean the tables
• Assign a teacher helper to run things to the office, etc
• Call on capable student’s to “help” teach lessons: For example, in my Kindergarten Math Warm Up, student’s can explain math concepts and solve the problem in front of the class because they have been doing this since the first week of school.

6. Plan a vacation

If you can swing a spring break vacation, it’s just what a teacher needs to recharge those batteries. Even if you just do a staycation, that is also an amazing feeling.

7. Teacher friend time

Some of my favorite memories have been going out after school with my co-workers. We have time to vent to one another over good food and drinks. We did this almost every Friday, and it was a great thing to look forward to each week! Let’s face it, no one else can relate and bond with you like your teacher friends can.

8. Visit your favorite store

One of my favorite and easy things to do when I’m feeling that teacher burnout is to walk all the isles at Target ALONE. Sometimes a little retail therapy can be just the trick to bring you back to your zen!

9. Bring the comforts from home to the classroom

I don’t know about you, but looking at the same 4 walls for the entire year can get a bit mundane. Bring in something that ‘sparks joy’ and place it in your classroom. It could be a potted plant, some essential oils, a throw pillow on your teacher chair, a wall hanging to place on your shelf, or a picture of your family, or teaching in your slippers! Whatever it is, just adding some extra flair from your home can make you feel more at ease.

10. Give yourself some grace

Most importantly, give yourself some credit where credit is due. You are an amazing teacher. You have done some amazing things this year. Think about how far your students have come and how you have become a better teacher because of them. Make a list of some of your most proudest moments as a teacher and focus on that. Think of past lessons that went really well, and maybe reintroduce those lessons again, and put a new twist on them.

With all that being said, here is a little FREEBIE to soften your workload just a little and help you with that teacher burnout!

What are some of your favorite ways to avoid teacher burnout? Comment below or message me on social media to send me your favorites! And hang in there my amazing teachers, the school year is almost DONE!