by Terry Heick
My wife is a schoolteacher, and recently I listened to her meetings online.
And there have been many. Yesterday I was at a cafe sitting next to what appeared to be a group of teachers and they had lots of ideas.
And a lot of enthusiasm. Over the low but constant noise of most cafes, certain words and phrases were audible:
Data.
Aim.
Standards.
Vision.
Loyalty.
Unroll.
Learn more about data.
Activity.
Track.
Something about points and point walls and data walls.
They talked about goals.
I
Groups and grouping.
Follow up.
Programs.
Data, Again.
Loyalty, Again.
More follow up (based on grouping And data).
The gist of everything was clear and I could hear the eagerness and buzz Get up from the table. It’s July and school is starting soon and there are things to do and the teachers are clearly busy, busy, busy.
But it wasn’t just the buzz. It was more up to him. Something just beneath the surface.
Mentality
My wife has had 8-10 of these meetings since the end of last week – faculty trainings where she is trained on things she needs to know about, and then faculty meetings to discuss the schedule of upcoming trainings.
It is exhausting To hear but, with a few exceptions here and there, that’s all numbing. There’s a kind of forced energy, but the numb bit is both cause and effect: another year, another set of sprints.
Some thoughts –
Teaching is a lot of work. A plot.
This has always been true, but, for many educators, it has gone from exhausting to unsustainable.
All the planning and energy busts are followed by something close to a slog or drag, which is itself followed by an annoyed type of fatigue, then ended like completely sold out At the end of the school year.
Of course, this varies greatly from teacher to teacher. It depends on factors including building and climate, mindset, parent relationships, student engagement and classroom management, the function of various standards in your teaching and curriculum, the quality of PLCs – if they are used in your building – etc.
So much goes into teaching, and so describing the profession as an exhausting slog that is barely sustainable by the end of the year is a magnificent and probably disillusioning overgeneralization.
The point here is not necessarily to mark the general satisfaction of teachers during the school year, but rather to note the passion and enthusiasm of many teachers in July and how that unfortunately goes as the year progresses.
Policies vs. children
There is so much to do and plan and prepare and create spaces that there is very little left for human conversations about the teacher and about the student. That’s the larger lesson here, for me.
The energy of July is markedly different from the spring semester.
And it’s not just a matter of energy being higher and lower. Rather, as the school year continues, there is a shift from vision and creativity, and even some enthusiasm, to an increasingly clear sense of effort.
Take “July” as a metaphor – a bridge month from summer to the next school year. (The idea that teachers get summer is dated, but that’s another article entirely.)
Teacher energy levels in July are often, and understandably, much higher than they are in late November, never mind March or April of the following year.
July is a start.
Some Strategies to Support Your Enthusiasm for Teaching During the School Year
1. Pace yourself
Pacing, as the obvious solution here, requires the luxury of rhythm, which many teachers do not have.
The idea is that the levels of energy that are both tempting and often necessary before the school year begins can often set schools up for failure, as educators create these necessary plans to try to meet students’ needs and start with simply the best intentions.
2. Create moments
Or recognize them, but whatever you do appreciate. Just as it can be challenging in life, but also rewarding – being present for the individual moments of a lesson, for a small group activity, or a conversation with a student coming together to create a larger piece of work called education.
2. Set realistic goals
Setting achievable goals helps maintain motivation and reduce burnout. Break the school year into manageable segments with specific, achievable goals for each period.
Create a yearly plan with milestones and celebrate small victories along the way. This could include mastering a new teaching strategy, implementing a successful project, or simply staying on top of grading.
3 and 3 Prioritize self-care
It can be, just like it can be in your staff, but self-care is absolutely essential to sustaining energy and enthusiasm. Taking care of your physical, emotional and mental health helps you stay resilient and positive.
Plan regular exercise, maintain a balanced diet and make sure you get enough sleep. Incorporate relaxation techniques such as mindfulness or yoga into your daily routine. Make time for hobbies and activities that bring you joy outside of teaching.
4. Create a support network
A strong support network can encourage you, share ideas, and offer emotional support during difficult times.
Connect with colleagues, join professional learning communities, and participate in teacher groups or forums. Meet regularly with a mentor or coach to get advice and feedback. Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
5. Stay organized and efficient
Organized and efficient classroom planning and management can save time and reduce stress, allowing more energy for teaching.
Use tools like planners, apps, or digital calendars to track tasks and deadlines. Develop routines for common tasks such as filing, lesson planning, and classroom setup. Delegate responsibilities when possible and use time-based teaching strategies, such as flipped classrooms or project-based learning.
6. Reflect and adapt
Regular reflection helps identify what is working and what isn’t, allowing for adjustments that keep your teaching practice fresh and engaging.
Set aside time each week to reflect on your teaching. Keep a journal to document successes and challenges and think about ways to improve. Solicit feedback – formal or informal – from students and colleagues and be open to trying new approaches or techniques.
7. socio-emotional teaching
And as much as you can, try to create learning activities and lessons that lend themselves well to joy or fun or positive experiences for students and yourself. It is difficult for teaching to be good and lasting work.
8. Embrace everything
This doesn’t mean lowering your expectations, but realizing that in all professions there are difficult times or facets of the job they can feel drained.
Teaching is unique and that it is a kind of mixture of procedure and creativity, and this can make it a challenge and an opportunity to enjoy.
