Transcript

 Hey, Teachers! Welcome to the Teacher Support Network podcast, the place where we help busy teachers like yourself create collaborative, inclusive classrooms for students with disabilities while focusing on your own personal well being in the process. I'm your host Antoine McCoy, and today we're tackling something we all face as teachers and educators at some point during the school year, which I refer to as “Teacher Madness.” 

Let me say that again. “Teacher Madness.” 

You know that feeling when your to-do list never ends, students are extra antsy, and you're running on fumes? It's that feeling of overwhelming stress, exhaustion, or chaos that teachers experience, especially during certain high pressure times of the year.

It can stem from excessive workloads, student behavior challenges, administrative pressures, or even just personal burnout. 

Yep, you know, we've all been there. So maybe currently you're buried in grading, feeling drained from student behavior issues, like I mentioned before, doing lots of IEP paperwork and meetings, preparing for state testing that might be coming up, or just struggling to balance work and home life.

I remember a time when I was up extremely late trying to finish up lesson plans for the next day or finishing writing an IEP for a meeting I had the next morning, or sometimes both, only to walk into class the next day feeling exhausted and feeling like I wasn't doing enough. 

Does that sound familiar?  If so, you're not alone. 

So today I want to help you find motivation in the midst of all that chaos, because let's be real, this job is tough, but it's also incredibly meaningful and rewarding. 

So here are three tips to help bring back that spark into your teaching practice.  I'm going to refer to these tips as your “Motivational T.L.C.” 

So, let's look at Motivational Tip Number 1. It's the T in the Motivational T.L.C…Take care of yourself. It seems kind of obvious, but we often put ourselves last and also put our students and other people first. I know it's tempting to take work home every night, but hear me out.

You matter outside of the classroom too. Set time limits on your grading, take breaks, and don't be afraid to say no to extra responsibilities that drain you if you don't have the capacity for them. A burned out teacher isn't helpful to anyone, especially not your students that you care so much about.

Often in the education world, you know, I hear teachers say I need to take a mental health day. And the unspoken translation of this is I'm overwhelmed. I'm at the end of my rope. I need to take a break…Like now, right? So whatever the reason is, there comes a time when taking a sick day or a personal day is necessary and it's wise to help you refocus, refuel, and get motivated again.

Taking a day off at times can be just what you need to stop the madness, that teacher madness, and gain a fresh perspective on what is ahead for the remainder of the school year, or the remainder of that season that you're in. 

So here's some words of wisdom to help maximize your full day, or maybe half day, that you choose to take if you choose to take a day off.  First, you don't owe anyone any explanation on why you're taking a day off. You know what your body and mind needs, so just honor that. And don't let anyone talk you out of getting what you need. You have personal days, or sick days, or whatever they call it in your school system, in your contract for a reason.

Use them as needed, but please just don't abuse them. 

Second, be intentional about what you will do on that day off. So if the goal is to get refocused and motivated again, then don't bring home more work to do. That just brings the classroom into your own home. Separate from the work on your day off.  

Sleep in and rest.  Maybe take a walk, go to a bookstore, eat at a diner or a coffee shop, like the rest of the world does in the middle of the day.  Do something that you don't often get to do like take yourself to a movie in the middle of the day, watch the morning shows you always miss because you're always in the classroom.  Whatever it is, make it fun, make it motivational, and involve little to no stress because the whole point is to recharge. 

So now let's look at motivational tip number two. It's the L in our motivational T.L.C. and that is to listen to inspirational and motivational audio or video clips related to teaching. Sometimes we get in those unmotivated ruts.  

When we get there, you need to encourage yourself. You need to connect back to that greater vision of “why” you teach and why you got into teaching in the first place. Focus on  the impact that you're making every day, even when you don't feel like you are. Oftentimes this is hard because we're too wrapped up in it all to see our influence and what the real impact you're really having on your students.

So while there are many podcasts and videos that can pour out some life giving teacher motivation. I'm going to leave you with two popular ones that I will link to in the show notes. These are short inspirational video clips that can make a big difference for you. They have for me and many other educators that I have worked with over the years. So, after you finish listening to this episode, go to the show notes page and check out the links. 

This brings me to Motivational Tip Number 3. It's the C in our ‘motivational T.L.C.’ And that C is Change it up. Often during this season of teacher madness it can begin to feel like Groundhogs Day every day.

You know, get up, go to school, teach, grade papers, write, conduct or attend IEP meetings, go to staff meetings, leave exhausted, and you wake up and do it all again the next day. Sometimes to pull out of the cycle, making small shifts by changing up your daily routine is what you need. It’s what you need to do to help kind of slay that teacher madness that you may be feeling.

So how do you make that shift? How can you change it up? 

Well first, do something to get out of your comfort zone. There are many ways you can do this. Maybe switch up your lesson plans a little bit. Add a relevant age appropriate motivational clip or a quote to the beginning of each day that will help you and your students and discuss it with them. It can bring a positive spin to the day.  

You can also play educational games related to your subject matter. So you can change it up that way, maybe do more project based learning if you're not used to that. Start a project with your students. So whatever you're doing with your unit brings a little more engagement and that helps bring the teaching out a little bit more. Whatever it is, just switch it up a little bit.  Even that little switch can really help bring back that spark in your teaching. 

Another thing you can try to do is meet new people at work.  As teachers, we often stay and primarily engage with our grade level or subject matter colleagues throughout the day. So I dare you to step out of your relational comfort zone and visit another teacher during your prep period. Or actually go and observe another teacher in their classroom to see what they are doing with their students.  You may gain some new teaching perspectives, a new teaching strategy, or tip. 

How about those staff meetings after school that no one wants to attend? Consider sitting next to that colleague you never quite got to know, but is part of the school community.  The person you always wanted to talk to, but you never got a chance to. You will be surprised at what you can learn and what relationships can form from that one simple gesture. 

So in closing, understand and realize that all teachers in some form or fashion experience this “Teacher Madness” throughout the school year.

It's normal, and just like any season, this too shall pass. So when you find yourself in this season, give yourself a little “motivational T.L.C.” by taking care of yourself, listen to inspirational and motivational media related to teaching, and changing up the day a bit. This will help get you through these challenging seasons in the classroom.

So take a deep breath, give yourself some grace and keep going. You are doing enough. And more importantly, you are enough. 

If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a message in the comments section on the show notes page for this episode and let me know how you get through seasons of Teacher Madness.

Also share this with a fellow teacher you know needs to hear this message. I think we all do, but you might have a few people in your mind that might need it right now. Okay, that's it for now.  Until next time, take care!

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