Preventing Teacher Burnout

After experiencing the awesome EdCampHome I took some time to reflect about what I learned in my session "Preventing Teacher Burnout".  It's a topic near to my heart because I struggle to balance a husband, five children, and a career that I love. Much has changed in the five short years I've been teaching.  There is so much in the way of sharing information, education reform, and technological advances its easy to be overwhelmed. How do we as educators keep the fire within us burning bright without burning out?

We had some great discussion focused around the following areas; 

1. Time management

2. Filtering and curating information

3. Maintaining a positive focus

4. Getting and staying connected

Time Management

Time is finite.  We only have so much of it so its important that we spend it carefully. Try first documenting where your time currently goes. Then prioritize it, compartmentalize it and do what you can to save it.

• Google Chrome extension "Time Tasker" helps you monitor on which websites you spend your time online.  
• The Pomodoro Technique helps you learn how to manage your time by teaching you to develop appropriate time limits for tasks and setting them.  
• Prioritize your time! I recently made a priority list for my goals that includes; this summer, this year, next year, in 3 years, in 5 years, and pipe dreams. I limited myself to five things in each category and out everything I was trying to accomplish into a category. I quickly realized that my "this summer" and "this year" categories were filled. I made some tough decisions about what to put off until next year.  Those decisions have helped to reduce my stress load.
• Compartimentalize your time using something like Priority Matrix app.  This also helps with your prioritizing and keeping track of important tasks.  
• Consider using It This Then That website or www.ifttt.com. This website allows you to create "recipies" that put the internet to work for you by letting you identify a trigger that causes an action you specify.  For example, if i favorite something on Twitter also save it to Evernote.  
• Filter through blogs by using a service like Feedly or Zite.  This helps keep you from randomly perusing the internet during your blog reading time.

Filter & Curate Information

One of the problems I struggle with is having too many ideas for the time I have. So how do I filter it and keep track of it?  We talked about needing to filter out all the "crap" by using two filters; community and experts.  It's helpful to realize that good ideas will surface again and again. For example, I realize I spend more time than I should following Twitter feeds for fear I'll miss a good idea.  Well, if its a good idea it won't be mentioned only once.  The community you surround yourself with (in this case Twitter) will make sure that good ideas catch your attention. The other filter is created by finding experts in our particular field and following them, whether it be their websites, blogs or Twitter feeds.  Those experts are usually pretty good at curating information so it comes to you already filtered. 

Maintaining a Positive Focus
It's important to focus on the positive.  Negative things tend to grab onto our attention and drag us down. This exacerbates teacher burnout.  Work toward focusing on the positive by keeping a journal or sharing your positive happenings. Use #eduwin or #edugood to share those positive experiences on Twitter. Or go to http://www.whatisyoureduwin.com/ to share.  Negative things will always happen but we have to work at acknowledging them without dwelling on them if we are to prevent teacher burnout.

Getting and Staying Connected
We agreed that finding a network of positive people to share with and support us is invaluable.  Twitter has been and continues to be a great source for connecting with colleagues.  No more do you have to be isolated in your classroom, building, or district. The people you connect with can help keep you sane when it seems like your world is falling apart.  I have personally experienced needed reminders about giving myself a break and not taking on too much from people I never would have met otherwise (thanks Jon Bergmann!) Twitter has personally been a live saver for me.  We all agreed, getting and staying connected is important!