The Missing Piece in the Teacher Burnout Crisis: Radical Self-Care

My book focuses on preventing teacher burnout. I want to help educators give themselves permission to practice self-care. Lowering teacher stress allows them to thrive, which helps students grow.

Today’s qualified teacher shortage is a national crisis. Think about it. I am sure there are positions in your school that are not being filled with qualified teachers or not being filled at all. So, the question is why? Why are teachers leaving the profession? Why are young people not entering the field of teaching? Why have you thought of leaving the job you once loved?

The graphic below provides some answers. (The article “What is Causing Teacher Burnout?” form NEA Today is also well worth your time.)

As you look at the bar chart, think about your answer to the question, “What are the top three sources of stress in your job right now?” Are your answers up there? Does it help to know that you are not alone?

As the article suggests, self-care alone won’t fix systemic education issues—but it will help you have a better day tomorrow. Taking care of yourself gives you the strength to face burnout head-on. While systemic school reforms are desperately needed, our immediate focus must be on individual recovery. How are you going to deal with these stresses?

Take low pay as an example. This financial reality keeps highly qualified people out of our classrooms. But since you are here, you have to protect your teaching from that frustration. Your students didn’t set the budget. Inside your room, your salary shouldn’t change who you are as an educator. It is a hard pill to swallow, but leaving financial stress at the door protects the kids—and your passion.

So, how can you protect your energy against these heavy workspace stressors today?

I am not asking you to fight the good fight right now. I am not demanding you push for better pay or force administration to fix behavior management. I am just asking you to prioritize yourself.

Beyond that, look out for your peers. When you support your colleagues, you build a circle of trust. We all need someone to have our back when stress peaks. Thanks for reading! kim