.jpg)
The article "Get to Summer Break Without Burning Out" and the image on signs of burnout are closely related as they both address the emotional and physical exhaustion teachers experience, especially toward the end of the school year.
- The image highlights key symptoms of burnout, such as headaches, trouble sleeping, frustration, and feelings of depletion are all common among educators managing heavy workloads and student needs.
- The article although is outdated for 2017-18 school year it still provides great strategies to combat burnout, including refreshing the classroom environment, adjusting teaching approaches, and fostering collaboration with colleagues.
By recognizing burnout signs early (as shown in the image) and applying proactive strategies (as suggested in the article),you can maintain your well-being and finish the school year with energy and motivation.
Choose two of the four questions in response to the article.
- The article suggests refreshing the classroom environment to maintain motivation. What small changes could you make in your classroom to keep both yourself and your students engaged?
- How do you currently manage your workload to prevent burnout? What strategies from the article do you think could help you improve your work-life balance?
- The article emphasizes the importance of teamwork and leaning on colleagues for support. How do you collaborate with other teachers to reduce stress and share responsibilities?
- What role does self-care play in your ability to be an effective teacher? How can you prioritize self-care during the busy end-of-year period?
**What small changes could you make in your classroom to keep both yourself and your students engaged?**
ReplyDeleteKeeping students engaged throughout the school year can be a challenge, but sometimes, a small change in the classroom environment makes all the difference. A refreshed space can boost motivation—not just for students, but for me, too!
One simple way to keep things fresh is by rotating learning materials. Swapping out books in the reading center, introducing new math manipulatives, or adding fresh writing prompts keeps students curious and engaged. Even small tweaks to flexible seating, like rearranging cozy chairs or letting students choose new workspaces, can make the classroom feel new and exciting.
Another great strategy I use is to update classroom displays. Showcasing student work or creating seasonal bulletin boards gives students a sense of ownership and pride in their learning environment. Adding interactive elements, like a class challenge or a student spotlight board, can also make the space feel more dynamic. Refreshing the classroom doesn’t have to mean a complete makeover. Small, thoughtful adjustments can make a big impact on student motivation and enthusiasm for learning.
How do you currently manage your workload to prevent burnout? What strategies from the article do you think could help you improve your work-life balance?
ReplyDeletePreventing Teacher Burnout: Finding Balance in the Classroom and Beyond
Managing workload as a teacher is no easy task, but finding ways to prevent burnout is essential—not just for ourselves, but for our students too. I currently manage my workload by staying organized, using small-group instruction effectively, and setting realistic goals. Tools like IXL and Readworks help streamline instruction, while the CHAMPS program ensures that my classroom runs smoothly, reducing stress and disruptions.
That said, there’s always room for improvement. One strategy from the article that stands out to me is opening curtains and unblocking windows to let in natural light. Last year, I had no windows, but now I have a whole wall of them—and I often forget to open the curtains. I want to be more mindful about letting in natural light, as it can improve mood, energy, and focus for both my students and me.
Ultimately, preventing burnout is about balance—ensuring that teaching remains a joy while also making time for personal life. As we move closer to summer break, I’ll continue to find ways to manage stress, refresh my classroom, and prioritize self-care.
ReplyDelete1. I think that the suggestion of refreshing the classroom to maintain motivation is an interesting one. Once my class starts out next unit (government) I will definitely be changing the posters out for ones that better fit the unit. I have also been considering changing the formation of the desks to mix things up.
2. I currently manage my workload to prevent burnout by using my time effectively. Last year, I would often wait to do all my planning on the weekends. This year, I have started planning earlier in the week that way by the time Friday comes around everything is done and I can enjoy the weekend. This has really helped me to avoid burnout. Looking at the strategies from the article, I think creating more rubrics for assignments would help me to better manage my time. This would make assignments easier to grade and expectations would be very clear to my students.
I like to decorate my room according to my theme or for holidays. I also change desks around. I feel this helps to refresh the atmosphere by adding some pops of color to brighten it and the new desk arrangement helps create a new traffic flow and overlook of the class.
ReplyDeleteTwo major ways I've helped prevent burnout this year are not taking any papers home and leaving shortly after dismissal. With two little ones waiting for me, I want to be able to give them my attention and give myself time to breathe before the next school day.
I believe in routine for the students, but I like to change things constantly. I enjoy the idea of free thinking and teachable moments that I can tailor to any lesson. It helps make the day run more smoothly and allows the students to understand that I've been in their shoes before. Burnout is real, but I am a person who will allow myself to feel all emotions and then afterward come up with a game plan to help ease the problem. Do not dwell on anything too long. Don't take yourself too seriously.
ReplyDeleteI feel like as a teacher we have a job to do however, we still have to have a plan for self and the students because they need routines and to have a foundation of what our goals look like per student as well as having a firm schedules . This should help us not to be burnt out however things are so very different working in the SPED department. This can be more than overwhelming do to the things that we have to do . I feel that getting burnt out is mainly because it is not enough time in the day for all of the information that piles up with short time frame or if you are new to different platforms or areas. I am very strong however I push myself harder to make sure my students get what is needed. so we will not be burnt out as a whole. In the start of my year I felt being burnt out and I am glad that I have found a little more of a understanding since the start of the year. I am growing with a positive mind set to make sure I am not burnt out throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteThe article suggests refreshing the classroom environment to motivate. What small changes could you make in your classroom to keep both yourself and your students engaged?
ReplyDeleteTo maintain a refreshing classroom environment, I changed the instructional material we are reading. The novel we are reading now is a little more entertaining to them. I can tell the students look forward to reading their novel because they are eagerly waiting for a turn to read to the class. I also changed the seating arrangement now that I know the students a little better. I know who works best with who and who does not. Another thing I do is I change my classroom decor any time there is a holiday. I love to see beautiful radiant colors so I figured it would bring them some joy as well keep them involved in decorating.
How do you currently manage your workload to prevent burnout? What strategies from the article do you think could help you improve your work-life balance?
I currently only work during certain times throughout the day so that I am not spending everyday all day focused on work. Also, I allow the students as well as myself to have a brain break throughout the day so that we decompress and start over with a new set of eyes. Some strategies from the article I could use to help me improve my work life balance is collaborating with my coworkers to cut our work in half.
The article suggests refreshing the classroom environment to maintain motivation. What small changes could you make in your classroom to keep both yourself and your students engaged?
ReplyDeleteThe small changes that I can make to the classroom to keep both me and the students engaged, I think is keeping a calendar up that changes with the months and the seasons. He can list major events and holidays coming up so that we can stay in the present but also always have something to look forward too.
How do you currently manage your workload to prevent burnout? What strategies from the article do you think could help you improve your work-life balance?
ReplyDeleteI currently try to manage my workload by getting the most important things done first that's on my agenda. I also have a note pad in my phone that can serve as a reminder. Things that I can do to improve my work life balance would be using the time that is granted to me to get work done more effienctly.