I've been thinking a lot over the past year about the idea of teacher burn out. My inner early childhood education advocate appreciates it as a systemic danger. Our field has an extremely high rate of occupational turnover; meaning that ECE teachers aren't just changing classrooms or schools, but leaving the field entirely. The National Association for the Education of Young Children estimates that annual ECE turnover rates are between 25-40%. This high rate of turnover has negative implications for the families and children we serve, as well as for the profession as a whole.
From an objective standpoint, it's alarming. Burn out is real, and it's a threat to our livelihood.
But let's be honest. I'm not just speaking objectively. I'm an early childhood teacher who feels with certainty that my job is inextricably a part of my purpose. I want to teach young children for many years to come. This is a marathon, not a sprint. And I know that, if I want to enjoy a lasting career in ECE, I need to face the idea of burn out honestly. I need to anticipate it, acknowledge it, and be ready to combat it. It's tempting to pretend that I have bottomless energy and patience, with endless good days; but I'm human. I don't. So I'm working to accept my own limits in the hopes that it keeps me teaching - and doing my best work - for a good, long time.
I used the calm of summer break to brainstorm a little about burn out for me, personally. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, it's often hard for me to pinpoint where the stress is coming from. I thought carefully about the main sources of my stress throughout the day, and I wrote them down in detail. After I felt that I'd listed them all, I asked myself, "Can I take some action to help alleviate this stress? If so, what is it?" For those things that I found I can address, I felt empowered to make positive changes (and have already started to do so!). And I was able to find some peace with those few things that I really can't influence. No use stressing about something that can't be changed!
On the other side of the paper, I listed the rewards of my job. And you guessed it - that side was much longer than the side with the stresses. The rewards are so rich, so lasting, so gratifying, so meaningful. The rewards are why I do it. Seeing the rewards and the stresses laid out that way was so helpful. I walked away with some ideas for how to proactively manage stress and avoid burn out, as well as reminders that I hope I can draw on during tough moments.
Take good care of yourselves, teachers. We need you.
From an objective standpoint, it's alarming. Burn out is real, and it's a threat to our livelihood.
But let's be honest. I'm not just speaking objectively. I'm an early childhood teacher who feels with certainty that my job is inextricably a part of my purpose. I want to teach young children for many years to come. This is a marathon, not a sprint. And I know that, if I want to enjoy a lasting career in ECE, I need to face the idea of burn out honestly. I need to anticipate it, acknowledge it, and be ready to combat it. It's tempting to pretend that I have bottomless energy and patience, with endless good days; but I'm human. I don't. So I'm working to accept my own limits in the hopes that it keeps me teaching - and doing my best work - for a good, long time.
I used the calm of summer break to brainstorm a little about burn out for me, personally. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, it's often hard for me to pinpoint where the stress is coming from. I thought carefully about the main sources of my stress throughout the day, and I wrote them down in detail. After I felt that I'd listed them all, I asked myself, "Can I take some action to help alleviate this stress? If so, what is it?" For those things that I found I can address, I felt empowered to make positive changes (and have already started to do so!). And I was able to find some peace with those few things that I really can't influence. No use stressing about something that can't be changed!
On the other side of the paper, I listed the rewards of my job. And you guessed it - that side was much longer than the side with the stresses. The rewards are so rich, so lasting, so gratifying, so meaningful. The rewards are why I do it. Seeing the rewards and the stresses laid out that way was so helpful. I walked away with some ideas for how to proactively manage stress and avoid burn out, as well as reminders that I hope I can draw on during tough moments.
Take good care of yourselves, teachers. We need you.
