Teachers were stressed even before the COVID-19 pandemic upended schools and sent teachers and students home to learn virtually, but the pandemic certainly added to growing teacher burnout.
The truth is that teachers manage much more than instruction. Teachers offer support and encouragement and are an integral part of students’ lives. In some cases, they’ve privy to information students don’t want to share with their parents or caregivers, putting teachers in the important position of stepping in to keep students safe from abuse, bullying, or self-harm.
It’s no wonder, then, that with all teachers juggle, their burnout rate is high. Here are some essential reads to help manage and conquer teacher burnout–and put educators in a fresh frame of mind as they close the door on the 2020-2021 school year and take the summer to refresh, refocus, and de-stress.
1. Teachers need emotional support, too. The saying goes that you can’t fill from an empty bucket. It’s not just students who are feeling stressed out during the pandemic–K-12 leaders should consider how to meet the social and emotional needs of their staff as well.
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