BURNOUT in Education: How Teachers Can Protect Their Energy
Let’s cut to the chase:
Teacher burnout is real.
Not “Oh no, I has a long day” tired, burnout. As in: “I just explained what a fraction is seven times in a row, got an email asking why I haven’t laminated the new hallway behavior chart, and then had a parent accuse me of ruining their child’s future because I gave them a B+” kind of tired.
Burnout isn’t just about the workload (though, yes, the workload is bananas). It’s also about:
Parents emailing at 11pm demanding a meeting because their child’s wasn’t picked as line leader
Administrators who smile politely and say, “Just make them feel hears,” instead of having your back
Using your own unpaid evenings and weekends to grade, plan, email, clean, prep, and re-plan because there’s absolutely no time to do it all during the actual school day.
Whether you’re a teacher trying to remember when you last drank water that wasn’t coffee, or an administrator wondering why your staff looks like they’ve collectively aged ten years since October, this one’s for you.
Burnout isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a real threat to teacher retention, school culture, and honestly, everyone’s sanity. So let’s talk about how to protect your energy without quitting, faking your own disappearance, or running off to open a coffee shop in the mountains (tempting, I know.)
What Burnout Actually Looks Like In Schools
Burnout in education isn’t always loud. It’s not someone flipping a desk and yelling “I QUIT” (though we’ve all daydreamed about it).
It’s quieter. Sneakier.
That feeling of waking up and already counting down to bedtime
The email that makes your eye twitch
The stack of ungraded papers that becomes a permanent desk accessory
The moment you find yourself emotionally invested in a copier jam
Burnout isn’t about being weak, it’s about being human in a system that often demands superhuman levels of patience, energy, and unpaid overtime.
What Teachers Can Do (That Doesn’t Require a Personality Overhaul)
You don’t need to become a yoga master or drink green smoothies at dawn to protect your energy, you don’t even need to start collecting crystals. (But if that’s your thing, namaste.)Here are a few real-world ways to set boundaries and reclaim your time:
You Are Not Your Inbox
Emails will always be there. You do not need to answer them at 9:37om on a Tuesday. Set an “Email curfew”. Log off. Close the tab. The world (and your students) will survive until morning.
Stop Taking Work Home Every Night
Yes, there will be times you need to bring home grading. But every night? Every weekend? That’s a no. Choose a couple of days per week to bring work home, and let the rest be YOURS.
Say No (Nicely, but Firmly)
You don’t have to be on every committee. You don’t have to supervise every fundraiser, or after-school program. Practice “I’d love to help, but I’m at capacity right now.” If Beyoncé can say no to things, so can you.
Build in Mini Joys
Bring snacks you actually enjoy. Play music while you grade. Save the good pens for yourself. Little things make a big difference when the day gets chaotic (which it will).
Find Your People
Teacher besties = Survival Strategy. Laugh, vent, share memes, celebrate the wins…especially the small ones like “no one cried during math today” or “the copier worked on the first try”.
What Administrators Can Do (Besides Buying Pizza That One Time)
You Got This
hey leadership team, burnout isn’t just a teacher problem. It’s an organizational problem. And while teachers can do a lot to protect their own energy, they shouldn’t have to fight burnout alone.
Here’s how you can actually help:
Respect Teacher Time
Planning periods? Let them plan. Don’t fill every spare moment with surprise meetings, last-minute observations, or “quick check-ins” that aren’t actually quick. Protect their time like it’s your job, because it is.
Stop Adding New Initiatives Every 5 Minutes
Do we really need another program, bulletin board requirement, or color-coded data wall? If something’s added, consider what can be removed. Otherwise, you’re just adding weight to a full backpack.
Ask What They Need…And Actually Listen
The best way to support teachers? Talk to them. Ask:
What’s draining your energy right now?
What’s one thing I could do to help this week?
And then, here comes a radical concept: FOLLOW THROUGH.
Celebrate the Right Stuff
Not just test scored and perfect attendance. Celebrate creativity, celebrate growth, celebrate that one student who finally turned in something. Recognition and appreciation go a long way.
Model Boundaries Yourself
If you send 10pm emails, your staff feels pressure to respond at 10:01. If you skip lunch everyday, your team thinks they should, too. Lead by example. Boundaries trickle down.
Final Thoughts: Let’s Be Real, The System Needs to Change Too
Yes, there are things we can all do to survive and even thrive, but let’s not pretend burnout is a personal problem with a Pinterest solution.
The reality is, teachers are asked to do too much with too little.
Until the system is redesigned to value teacher wellness, respect boundaries, and provide real support, burnout will keep happening, no matter how many candles you light or how many deep breaths you take.
So yes, set boundaries. Yes, take care of yourself. But also:
Advocate for better. Support each other. Speak up.
And remember: If no one’s told you lately, you’re doing enough. Actually, you’re doing amazing. Even if you haven’t answered that email, even if your desk looks like a paper explosion, and even if today was a lot.
You matter more than any rubric or meeting agenda. So protect your energy like it’s your last Expo marker, because it just might be.
