TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

How to Beat Teacher Fatigue

Last Updated September 2023/ By Zineb DJOUB

How to beat teacher fatigue? Teaching is exhausting because we’ve got plenty of things to do. We prepare lessons, explain instructions, control students’ behaviours to keep them on task, communicate with parents, attend meetings, etc.

The kind of efforts we make in teaching are more mental than physical because teaching is all about decision-making. We interact with students, monitor and assess their progress, identify their weaknesses and strengths, and communicate our feedback. In certain circumstances where the unexpected arises, we have to make immediate decisions and act.

Also, our emotions are to be controlled. We need to self-regulate to build and maintain healthy relationships with students and other staff and avoid any burnout. Even when we get beyond exhausted after school every day, we keep on thinking about what went on that day and what we should do next.

TEACHER FATIGUE! This is what threatens our well-being as teachers and thus affects the quality of our teaching. Because it makes us bored, unable to make proper decisions and control what’s going on around us.

Teacher fatigue can also lead to burnout. So, how can we beat it to enjoy our lives and thrive in teaching?

To beat fatigue, we need to save our energy and do our best to avoid the things that drain it.

Today I’m going to share with you 3 practices that contribute to TEACHER FATIGUE along with some tips to avoid them.

1. Decision fatigue

We make different decisions every day, at home, at work, even when we go out shopping or eating we have to DECIDE.

Making such decisions uses our willpower. So, the more decisions we make a day the less willpower or energy we have. This means the more we decide, the less effective our decisions will be. This is called decision fatigue.

You’ve made plenty of decisions today regarding what to wear, what to cook for breakfast and buy from the grocery store when to pay for the bills, and where to eat your lunch….and you also made other decisions at work.

So, what do you expect after such a long session of decision-making the whole day? You’re TIRED! You can’t think properly after all that.

Do not get frustrated if you can’t resist lying on the couch, or eating a pizza in front of the TV after returning home. Stop blaming yourself because you cannot exercise, take a bath, and cook a healthy dinner instead.

Avoid making a lot of decisions. This is what you need to do!

Though I hate monotony, I find having a routine is worthwhile for daily or normal stuff since it can limit the number of decisions we make. We can break up that routine from time to time traveling, inviting friends, and doing new things.

So, a daily routine can organize your life and save you a lot of time and energy.

Your daily routine covers the things you do on a daily basis: where and what to eat, how to dress up, what to do after work, things to buy, etc.

Plan one week ahead for that. It’s preferable to make your plan during the weekends or when you’re free so that you can make time for it. Make your to-do list and put it into a calendar to commit yourself.

Review your calendar at the end of each week to see what has been fulfilled and what is still not achieved. Focus on your priorities to avoid decision fatigue.

In case you need to make other decisions along the weekdays, opt for the morning because you’re not yet worn out from the day’s activities.

Remember, limit and simplify your choices. Do your best to support students to learn but avoid overplanning and making decisions that deplete your energy and ruin your health.

Further tips :
• integrate self-care into your daily routine,
• avoid procrastinating, keep ahead of your plan.
• make time for the good stuff and eliminate all what consumes your energy. Learn to say no!
• be with like-minded people who support you to achieve your goals,
• Do not overload yourself. Seek others’ help and share roles with your partner, family members, or friends. At school, team up to make more relevant decisions, share ideas, and learn from each other.

2. High-intensity emotions

I know you’re passionate about teaching and you want to maximize more learning opportunities for your students, trying out new ideas and nudging them forward. So, being energetic may seem necessary to be effective.

But, don’t bring all your energy there. You still have much to do throughout the whole day. This was the same advice my mum used to give me when I got home completely exhausted and unable to say a word.

With the first class in the morning, I used to put all my energy into explaining my lessons. That energy was already drained at the stage of practice where I should have provided my students with constructive feedback instead of replying with yes or no.

For those unfortunate ones I had in the afternoon, I was barely taking them through my lesson plan and wished to get no questions from them.

I realized the need to self-control my excitement and enthusiasm to do well as well as my anger and stress when things seem to get out of hand.

Because I have learned that getting fired up by such excitement or dragged down by unexpected, high-intensity emotion is the reason behind my fatigue.

So, in the morning I have decided to remind myself that the day is still at the beginning and I’ll have other classes waiting for me. I also have to take care of myself and my family after school.

Our energy is a precious resource. We have to be more intentional about its use and consider it whenever we plan and make any decisions.

And because teaching is more about working smarter than harder, you need to think about how to employ your energy more effectively in your teaching to maintain your well-being and enhance your students’ learning.

So, think about :

• communicating constantly with students and learning about what they need and prefer to learn to focus on what is more relevant,
• making them more autonomous and engaging them in the learning process,
• reducing your TTT and providing more voice and choice opportunities, (read about how to do this here)
• enjoying students’ creativity beyond those learning standards and expectations,
• getting feedback and reflecting on your practices to know what should be done and avoided,
• collaborating with your colleagues and learning from them.

Besides, to have more energy throughout the whole day you need to develop more healthy habits such as drinking a lot of water, exercising, taking a break, getting more sleep, taking a walk, eating a good breakfast, scheduling your usage of electronics, etc.

3. Worrying

Another reason for teacher fatigue is worrying.

Are you worried? Worried about disrespectful students, parents’ attitudes, those struggling students who are not progressing, or worried about yourself you feel stuck and overwhelmed?

There are many reasons why teachers worry.

When I started teaching, I was worried all the time. I worried about how I would explain well so that every student could understand. I worried about what to do with students who kept asking me embarrassing questions which I had no answer to. I also worried about my principal because I felt under pressure.

Though I was not working six days a week (a part-time job), I felt so tired. Why?

Because I was always thinking about  “what might happen” and second-guessing every freaking move I made.

With those circling thoughts, it was difficult to get to sleep and so get out of bed in the morning. I felt stressed within the fight-or-flight pathway that could not turn off.

I spent so much time thinking about how to dig my way out of it and I learned that worrying does not make good teachers, but it destroys them. It drains their energy: the most precious thing they have.

Because when we worry, we’re “on high alert”. This creates intense cortisol levels rushing through our body which is exhausting as proven by Research.

Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Van Wilder.

Please, stop worrying and putting pressure on yourself. Instead, act, learn how to solve your problems and progress, seek others’ help, and never pull back.

You want to do things more effectively. That’s okay, but don’t seek perfectionism. You’ll end up weighing you down too many tasks to do in class. Focus on what is more relevant to your students’ needs.

What counts most is not how much information your students retain at the end of each lesson, but what they need to learn and how they can apply this learning in multiple contexts to achieve their aim.

It’s no big deal if you have made mistakes or failed. This will support you learn new things. So, stop those self-defeating thoughts and challenge yourself to do better.

To beat fatigue, limit the decisions you make every day, avoid excessive emotional responses that can drag you down, and stop worrying. Believe in your potential, you can make it because it is worth it.