Burnout Self-AssessmentThis burnout self-assessment is short and a useful starting place for people concerned about the possibility of being burned out. This can be the jumping off point for a conversation about what burnout means, and what other resources are available if a teacher scores high.
The Water Bottle TestAlthough this test came later in the course, I see it as a way to help make people aware of their thought patterns. It's important for us to understand how our minds work so we can understand that we are all different, and have different communication needs. If we score wildly differently (which I imagine we would), that could help us talk about how our teaching styles also differ. Teaching style preferences can lead to some conflict because our district wants us to align in some ways that we sometimes find challenging. This could help make that conversation more objective.
|
Full-Length Burnout AssessmentThough I wasn't able to take the full assessment myself, this might be a useful resource to share with a group of teachers at school, whether the department, or an Innovation Team -- a group of teachers who meet throughout the year to work on a school-wide goal. One of our Teams is about Student and Staff Wellness; this feels like a useful resource to share with them.
The Self Compassion TestThis assessment is also an important one for teachers to take. Since we are in a helping profession, the likelihood that we don't offer ourselves enough self-compassion is high; I know this is true for me. I see this as another conversation starter for teachers who are feeling run down and defeated. Although some of these statements are easily identifiable, having them formatted in this self-assessment makes it feel more objective; we can see clearly how much or how often we do beat ourselves up. Self-compassion is an incredibly important part of fighting burnout, so talking about it starting with this makes a lot of sense.
|
Definition of BurnoutThis resource is a comprehensive review of burnout's history, definition, risk factors, and symptoms. Though many teachers may feel too busy to read the whole thing carefully, it serves as a great overview that passages can be pulled from. It also provides some useful data for presentation purposes to help people understand the scope.
Types of BurnoutThis is a great starting point in terms of types of burnout. I think most teachers are generally familiar with the concept, and this kind of resource helps distinguish between types, which allows teachers experiencing it to self-diagnose a little more accurately.
|
Burnout vs. DemoralizationDistinguishing between these 2 concepts can help teachers understand and identify what is within their locus of control, which can help with feelings of powerlessness. Burnout and demoralization require different strategies and coping mechanisms; the first step to addressing either is identifying it.
|
Mentorship |
Individual Strategies |
One of the best ways for new teachers to pre-empt and cope with burnout is through mentorship. More experienced teachers with time and resources to do this work can help new teachers identify areas of stress, brainstorm strategies to address them, evaluate on their progress, and adjust their course. This video provides a great overview of one such of program; although we have a new teacher support program, this kind of work helps support various innovations and changes that could be made to it.
Structural ChangesDr. Puleo's great TEDx talk addresses the idea that burnout is quite physically and psychologically similar to PTSD. She proposes that if we viewed burnout in a similar light, we would also be able to treat it in some of the same ways, rather than thinking it's just something to "shake off." If we had a greater understanding of the serious challenges burned out people face, we could provide appropriate resources and support, from counseling, to work accommodations and legal protections.
|
This great, brief resources provides strategies that will help teachers reduce sources of stress, as well as reduce feelings about stress for tasks that can't be avoided or minimized. It also provides a great framework for cognitive restructuring, a research-supported practice in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that helps people change their thought patterns around negative emotions and events by identifying cognitive distortions and reframing them. I would share this resource with individual teachers, or have someone like the Wellness Innovation Team coordinator send it out to the school staff as a whole.
|