The Warning Signs of Burnout - How to Deal with Them
Matthew De Andrade
1. Missing in Action
"Teachers dealing with Teacher Burnout will often stop attending social gatherings and lunches. They feel overwhelmed and have no desire to be around other people that seem to be doing great. These teachers will also start to take mental health days to try regrouping for the final few weeks of school. They will stop participating in meetings and will no longer join the email exchanges during the school day. Teachers dealing with burnout will cut themselves off from the rest of the world until the end of the school year"(Provenzano).
As responsible colleagues we should take notice when a co-worker is repeatedly absent of social gatherings. Communicate with them through an appropriate means - call/text/email depending on your relationship. Talk to them. See what's going on, but maintain a professional relationship. There may be other factors contributing to their absences. Reason that it's possible by making more appearances and that being around other colleagues could help reduce the feeling of burnout.
2. The End of Sharing
"Sharing is no longer a priority for a teacher dealing with burnout. The emails sharing lessons or ideas for units will stop as all focus turns to just making it through the day. The confidence level drops and the fear of sharing bad lessons is high. These teachers find it hard to talk about new ideas or plans for the next school year. They are mired in funk and can only think about the next 24 hours. Even that is tiring for them"(Provenzano).
Teachers may not be sharing when they are feeling less confident or their lessons are not going as well as they could. Recall that being a teacher means that not every lesson will go well and its okay to not feel confident at times. However, they should be reminded to be ever focusing on improving their lesson plans, and manage their expectations of themselves.
3. Complaint Department
"A teacher who is dealing with burnout will rarely talk with peers. However, when he or she does talk, it is nothing but complaints. These complaints will be about students, parents, staff and people in the room. Everything is wrong, and nothing is going to be fixed, so why bother? This attitude will persist for the rest of the meeting and the rest of the school year. Teacher Burnout is a dark place, and only complaints can live there"(Provenzano).
Nothing is ever perfect. There is a time and place for everything. Including complaints. Negativity is not an attitude that is comfortable to be around or for students to adopt. Teachers needed to be reminded that complaints should be constructive. We are all on the same side. Let's make it together and build our solutions rather than tear down.
4. The Spark is Gone
"This is one of those things that only educators can really see. When you have The Spark, you can see it in others -- and you can tell when it is gone. The Spark is something in a teacher's smile when he or she greets students. The Spark is there when a teacher high-fives a student who does well on a test. The Spark is in those tear-filled eyes when a graduate returns to thank that special teacher for caring. There is nothing worse than seeing a teacher who has lost The Spark. The Spark is the driving force in everything we do as teachers. It carries us through the bad times and the darkest times. When The Spark is gone, it's up to other teachers to reach out and help as soon as possible before it's too late"(Provenzano).
The spark is really the "teacher's desire" to change and improve the education of their students. Without this, most of us would not become teachers. To regain one's spark, some inspiration is usually required. Learn something new that has always interested you. If possible find a way to bring it to class in an appropriate manner. Or, simply teach it to a friend. Challenge yourself.
In closing,
"These are not the only symptoms of Teacher Burnout, but they are the most glaring warning signs that teachers can use to identify colleagues who might be dealing with burnout. In future posts, I will share with you the different ways that teachers and administrators can help combat burnout. The most important thing I want to leave you with is that you are not alone. Educators around the world are dealing with burnout -- and it can be overcome!"(Provenzano).
Works Cited
Provenzano, Nicholas. "Teacher Burnout: 4 Warning Signs." . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2014. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teacher-burnout-four-warning-signs-nicholas-provenzano>.
Matthew De Andrade
1. Missing in Action
"Teachers dealing with Teacher Burnout will often stop attending social gatherings and lunches. They feel overwhelmed and have no desire to be around other people that seem to be doing great. These teachers will also start to take mental health days to try regrouping for the final few weeks of school. They will stop participating in meetings and will no longer join the email exchanges during the school day. Teachers dealing with burnout will cut themselves off from the rest of the world until the end of the school year"(Provenzano).
As responsible colleagues we should take notice when a co-worker is repeatedly absent of social gatherings. Communicate with them through an appropriate means - call/text/email depending on your relationship. Talk to them. See what's going on, but maintain a professional relationship. There may be other factors contributing to their absences. Reason that it's possible by making more appearances and that being around other colleagues could help reduce the feeling of burnout.
2. The End of Sharing
"Sharing is no longer a priority for a teacher dealing with burnout. The emails sharing lessons or ideas for units will stop as all focus turns to just making it through the day. The confidence level drops and the fear of sharing bad lessons is high. These teachers find it hard to talk about new ideas or plans for the next school year. They are mired in funk and can only think about the next 24 hours. Even that is tiring for them"(Provenzano).
Teachers may not be sharing when they are feeling less confident or their lessons are not going as well as they could. Recall that being a teacher means that not every lesson will go well and its okay to not feel confident at times. However, they should be reminded to be ever focusing on improving their lesson plans, and manage their expectations of themselves.
3. Complaint Department
"A teacher who is dealing with burnout will rarely talk with peers. However, when he or she does talk, it is nothing but complaints. These complaints will be about students, parents, staff and people in the room. Everything is wrong, and nothing is going to be fixed, so why bother? This attitude will persist for the rest of the meeting and the rest of the school year. Teacher Burnout is a dark place, and only complaints can live there"(Provenzano).
Nothing is ever perfect. There is a time and place for everything. Including complaints. Negativity is not an attitude that is comfortable to be around or for students to adopt. Teachers needed to be reminded that complaints should be constructive. We are all on the same side. Let's make it together and build our solutions rather than tear down.
4. The Spark is Gone
"This is one of those things that only educators can really see. When you have The Spark, you can see it in others -- and you can tell when it is gone. The Spark is something in a teacher's smile when he or she greets students. The Spark is there when a teacher high-fives a student who does well on a test. The Spark is in those tear-filled eyes when a graduate returns to thank that special teacher for caring. There is nothing worse than seeing a teacher who has lost The Spark. The Spark is the driving force in everything we do as teachers. It carries us through the bad times and the darkest times. When The Spark is gone, it's up to other teachers to reach out and help as soon as possible before it's too late"(Provenzano).
The spark is really the "teacher's desire" to change and improve the education of their students. Without this, most of us would not become teachers. To regain one's spark, some inspiration is usually required. Learn something new that has always interested you. If possible find a way to bring it to class in an appropriate manner. Or, simply teach it to a friend. Challenge yourself.
In closing,
"These are not the only symptoms of Teacher Burnout, but they are the most glaring warning signs that teachers can use to identify colleagues who might be dealing with burnout. In future posts, I will share with you the different ways that teachers and administrators can help combat burnout. The most important thing I want to leave you with is that you are not alone. Educators around the world are dealing with burnout -- and it can be overcome!"(Provenzano).
Works Cited
Provenzano, Nicholas. "Teacher Burnout: 4 Warning Signs." . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2014. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teacher-burnout-four-warning-signs-nicholas-provenzano>.