6 Ways to Become a Burnout Proof Teacher
You don’t have to be a statistic; I promise.
“I want to quit today.”
In my first year of teaching, I wanted to quit. Every. Single. Day. Year two, it was every other day. Year three, I felt like walking out about once or twice a week. I knew I couldn’t sustain it. I just felt hopeless. I told myself, “Teaching just isn’t for me. Why am I putting myself through this?”
If you’re anything like me then you’ve probably said these same exact words in your first, second, or third year of teaching. Maybe even after your seventh year in the classroom.
I wrote this down after the first day of school on August 18, 2016.
“God, I don’t think teaching is for me. I don’t think I’m very good at connecting with kids. I don’t think that I am qualified for such a task. I would rather have a job with no pressure so that I can be with my friends and family more. A 9 to 5 gig where I can cut off my work from my home life. Today I am exhausted and overwhelmed. I just want to sleep.”
The kids were running the classroom. I was using an unfamiliar curriculum, I didn’t understand the nuances of black culture, I was constantly disciplining and giving negative feedback without ever building into the relationship. After a…
