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The current social distancing regulations have caused conventional classroom teaching to have a 360-degree change. Physical classrooms have now evolved into virtual classes, whilst what used to be pen-and-paper homework is now done via emails, Word documents, or Powerpoint presentations.
This paradigm shift may pose a challenge for students, but teachers also have their own set of difficulties to adapt to this new norm. The need to be proficient in digital tools, the ability to make virtual classes engaging for students, and the necessity to adapt to various new guidelines to measure students’ performance may result in burnout for educators. If not addressed correctly, these factors may result in teachers retiring or losing the passion for teaching.
To be honest, teachers wear many hats every day. The roles they play every day include counselors, nurses, lesson planners, role models, disciplinarians, just to name a few.
Moreover, with the attention being on how many A’s a student can score in the main examinations, teachers are constantly under high pressure to “deliver”, in terms of ensuring that students are able to perform well and achieve good results.
Just like any other career, having a healthy work-life balance is an important aspect to ensure that teachers avoid burnout. Having a robust personal life can help teachers to become more passionate, which in turn will benefit their students as well.
Despite this, most teachers will still place their students at the top of their minds, dedicating after-class hours and weekends to prep teaching materials - apart from writing reports and checking students’ homework. This also means that teachers tend to sacrifice their precious personal and family time, which can be detrimental to one’s physical, mental, and emotional health in the long term.
Despite this, most teachers will still place their students at the top of their minds, dedicating after-class hours and weekends to prep teaching materials - apart from writing reports and checking students’ homework. This also means that teachers tend to sacrifice their precious personal and family time, which can be detrimental to one’s physical, mental, and emotional health in the long term.
One way to circumvent this is to set cut-off times for work-related matters. Give yourself a breather by allocating airplane mode for your work life, such as “No more work after dinner” or “Sundays are me-time”. No matter how much you love your students, you should have time off daily where you are not thinking about preparing homework and teaching materials! Other work-life balance tips can be found here.
As mentioned above, many teachers wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice personal and family time for the sake of their students. However, this should not be at the expense of your health and well-being. Living a healthy lifestyle and practising self-love helps you handle stress better, while ensuring that you keep a positive mindset for both you and your students.
Regardless of how much “homework” you have, make sure you have ample sleep. This helps to keep your mind fresh, preventing you from feeling lethargic after conducting your virtual lessons. Also, a fresh mind improves your cognitive ability, which in turn enables you to think of new and creative ways to engage students, making your teaching sessions more engaging.
Don’t forget to stay active and exercise whenever you can. You don’t need a full-fledged exercise routine; just follow these simple workout tips and you’re good to go! Lastly, don’t forget to give yourself time every day to enjoy your hobbies or just to simply unwind.
Oftentimes, teachers are expected to do more than just teaching in class. You are also likely to be assigned to other tasks that are outside of the classroom setting such as training the school’s debate club, planning social events, teaching remedial class, etc.
In fact, activities outside of regular school hours have become a norm amongst teachers today. This also means that there will be less personal time and more work for teachers, which can take a toll in the long run. Moreover, the strong sense of duty that most teachers have usually means that you’ll just take everything into stride and accept these assignments without second thought.
Our advice is to choose one or two of these duties that you are passionate about and decline the rest. Learn to say no and be assertive about it, it’s not as difficult as you might think.
Voice your opinions and to the school’s management or person-in-charge if needed. They are teachers too, so they will be able to walk in your shoes and understand where you’re coming from.
Most teachers have high expectations of themselves. Also, the constant pressure from higher-ups, parents, and the society to produce elite students can also pile up the stress levels faced by teachers.
Setting realistic goals can be an uphill task, especially for new teachers. However, it’s also important to ensure that you are realistic of what you can accomplish. A student’s academic performance is not your sole responsibility - the students and their parents also have a role to play as well. A student’s success can only be accomplished when all these parties work together cohesively.
Also, like everyone else, you only have 24 hours, which you’ll need to divide between professional duty and personal responsibility. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to exceed expectations or to deliver results. Chances are, you are already doing more than the call of duty.
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