The Teacher Burnout Podcast

Episode #57: 7 Strategies to end the school year strong
[00:00:00] In today's episode, I'm going to give you seven strategies to help you end the school year strong. That's all coming up next right here on the Teacher Burnout Podcast. Stay tuned.
Welcome to the Teacher Burnout Podcast, where we explore the challenges of burnout for teachers and share practical strategies to support teacher well being. I'm your host Barb Flowers. If you're a teacher looking for ways to prevent burnout or an educational leader searching for strategies to support your team, this podcast is for you.
Let's dive in.
Welcome back to the podcast. Today we're going to be talking about strategies to help you end the school year strong.
I know that the end of the school year can be pretty crazy. There's lots of events, increase student behavior. Teachers are feeling tired. We're feeling done. I as a principal am tired. The end of the school year can be really difficult. Add in the fact that every educator is just ready for summer.
We're tired of the behaviors and [00:01:00] parents are off just like the kids are. So we have parents, teachers, kids ready for summer, and it can add in a lot of stress for the end of the year activities. Remember that we need to make sure to end the year positive.
We have to focus on what stories we're telling ourselves that are creating that negative space. So if you're constantly saying, I'm done, I need a summer break, I need to be done with work, I'm so tired of teaching, I just need a break. These kids are done, I'm done, parents are done.
The more you're telling yourself that story, even if it's true, the more you're talking about it, the more you're emphasizing that aspect, it's going to really make it harder for you to be there. It's going to make it more difficult when hard things come up because you're just going to have this story playing in your brain that we're all done.
It really is important that you have a positive phrase or a positive story that you're telling yourself. So I'm going to share seven strategies today, but I want you to go into these strategies with a positive [00:02:00] mindset.
Remember, you get to be there working with kids for however many days of school you have left. And You're a person who doesn't get upset when kids are not themselves, right? You have to remember, you're the adult. You set the tone in the classroom, even when it's hard and you can do this. We can all do hard things and the end of school year can be difficult, but we can tell ourselves positive stories about that.
And I want you to remember that, think about the things you love about school. I get to be at school and be with my colleagues. I get to be at school and do fun activities with kids and look at it in a positive way. So today I'm going to give you seven strategies to end the school year strong.
Number one, keep routines as much as possible.
You want to maintain that consistency in the classroom procedures and in expectations. And if you do have something that's different and the schedule is off, make sure you have that written on the board for kids, like a visual schedule that they can actually see, whether it's words or [00:03:00] pictures, what they're going to be doing that day.
And they're going to know what's different. I know when I taught first grade, I always had a schedule on the board. And when I taught third grade, kids loved having a schedule and we would cross off things as we went. So having that schedule so they know exactly what to expect if things are different, having clear transitions between activities and keeping students focused and engaged as much as possible.
You have to remember the more downtime that you give kids those unstructured times are usually when behaviors happen. So if you can keep as many routines as possible, keep kids busy, keep them focused, keep them engaged in learning. It's really going to help manage behaviors as we get to the end of the year.
My second strategy is keep teaching. When you quit teaching and quit that normalcy earlier in the year, kids know it, and it's, going to start earlier in the year that they're just ready for summer. So make sure you just keep teaching and [00:04:00] keep routines as much as possible.
Integrate hands on interactive lessons for kids. Have them learning in a fun way. Incorporate a lot of review games and activities to reinforce key concepts that they've been learning all year. Provide opportunities for students to dive deeper into topics, maybe that interest them or topics that they've studied or researched.
Because often what I see happening at the end of the year is teachers want to pre teach for the next grade level because testing's over and maybe they finished their standards. But you don't want to pre teach for the next grade level. You want to make sure you're going deeper into the standards.
Because one thing I noticed that happens in an elementary setting is we do so much pre teaching sometimes that we don't go deep enough into the standards that students really have a Foundational understanding of those skills. And so if we can just focus on our grade level standards, our skills that those students need to know by the end of the year and make sure they have a solid understanding of those [00:05:00] skills, it's really going to help them as they move forward.
So again, if you're done and reached all your. Content standards, go back and review. Go deeper into them. If not, finish teaching the standards you didn't get to teach or didn't get to cover as much as you'd like to cover. But make sure you're really going into depth with those grade level standards that you're currently in.
Strategy number three, reteach and reward points. positive behaviors. So you want to make sure that you're always refreshing those behavior expectations. In the building I'm in, we do PBIS, positive behavior interventions and supports. And part of that is always reteaching expectations and having positive reinforcement.
And some people I know think by the end of the year, kids should know expectations, they shouldn't have to be retaught. But you need to remember that kids, when they're excited, they need to be reminded over and over of those expectations. So make sure even though you feel like they should know the expectations, you shouldn't have to review them, that you [00:06:00] do go in depth and review them as much as possible.
Also, I've been encouraging teachers, to implement a reward system. So for example, we have a grade level that can be really difficult. There's a lot of behaviors in that grade level. And so The teachers and I talked about having an extra recess every Friday through the end of the year that is an incentive for kids to get their work done and to follow expectations because they need that immediate reward from the week that they've been following expectations.
They've been getting their work done so they get that extra recess. So trying to have maybe some different reward systems if you feel like maybe the ones that you've been using aren't as effective or You just need something different. Utilize something else. Try something new. We're in Ohio. So right now the weather is nice.
It's not nice all year here. So an extra recess or a time that kids can get outside makes them excited because they don't get to do that all the time. Having that , extra recess, we even talked about having kids help kindergartners and just [00:07:00] finding different ways that kids can earn a reward of some sort for following expectations.
And make sure you're recognizing and celebrating students who are making good decisions, who are following expectations and always doing the right thing. I am guilty of this, but we focus so much on those negative behaviors and what we need to fix and giving the positive reinforcement to Students who are not always doing the right thing, right?
Because they need that positive reinforcement. But don't forget about the kids that always do the right thing. You don't even have to reinforce it because they're always doing the right thing. Think about them as well and see how you can reward those positive behaviors.
The fourth strategy is check your own stress. This can be a stressful time of year. So make sure you're taking care of yourself and you're practicing self care techniques. Practice things like mindfulness, exercise, get outside and walk. You could walk on your lunch break. You could walk after school.
There's lots of research that talks about how walking reduces stress. And so this time of year, you really need [00:08:00] that. So take the time to walk, even take a walk break. If you need a break from students at any point in the day, take a break, have a colleague help you and just walk.
Also find a hobby to manage stress, whether it's reading, whether it's going out with a friend, any kind of outdoor sport, whatever that is, just find a hobby, something you enjoy and use that to help manage your stress. And then seek support from your colleagues or a counselor if you're feeling overwhelmed.
So your colleagues are going through the same things you're going through. So use them, support each other, create this collaborative environment where you can go to each other and talk and share ideas.
Also having a counselor is really beneficial. You know, as teachers, most teachers have good health insurance, so find a counselor that you can talk to if you're feeling overwhelmed, if you feel like you need to talk to somebody else, or possibly a counselor in the district. I know our school counselors in my school are clinical counselors, and sometimes teachers talk to them, so find those counselors or colleagues that you can talk to [00:09:00] when you are stressed.
Also make sure you're modeling resilience and a positive attitude for your students. Acknowledge the challenges that you see happening at the end of the year and focus on solutions. So talk to kids about the behaviors that you're seeing. Talk to them about the challenges that they might be facing with wanting to be on summer break.
But we're in school and we need to be focusing on our learning. Have those conversations, problem solve with kids and model that resilience that we can do hard things. I know it's hard to stay in and to be focused on school when we're so close to the end, but we can do hard things and model for them what that should look like.
Strategy number five is stay organized. Make sure during this time. time. There's so many events happening, a lot of things that are not routine. So make sure you're organized. You know what deadlines are coming up, what events, what tasks need done, and break down those larger tasks into smaller tasks. The more manageable steps you have to do, you'll avoid feeling overwhelmed.
And that's what we want to [00:10:00] avoid this time of year. We really want to avoid that feeling of being overwhelmed. And that's why we're here. And then make sure you prioritize your tasks based on urgency and importance. So you're focused on what you need to be doing now so you are the most productive that you can be.
And also stay present. We get caught up in planning for next school year instead of focusing on now. I am so guilty of this. And there are certain things you do need to do to progress. plan for next school year, but we also need to make sure that we're staying in the present now. We're focusing on the kids that we're with now and being the best that we can be for them.
Strategy number six is to reflect on the school year. Make sure you reflect on your own goals, review initial goals that you've set at the beginning of the year, and Assess your progress. How did you do towards achieving those goals?
Celebrate where you made growth and made improvement as an educator. We have to find those wins and really celebrate them. Celebrate the successes you've had with students. Celebrate the milestones that you've made. No matter how small, you want to maintain [00:11:00] motivation and your own morale by just celebrating, keeping things positive, and making sure you're finding Those positive things and do this with your students reflect on student goals and accomplishments with them have students come back and do individual conferences with them to discuss their progress and their achievements if you use a certain universal screener like Map testing or star testing or I ready, make sure that you do conferences with them and look at those scores throughout the year and have conversations so that they feel part of their academic achievement and they set goals based on that and encourage students to reflect on their growth,
set goals for the future and celebrate, just like I'm telling you to make sure you celebrate, model that for kids, celebrate with them and have them see the good things that are happening. And then give specific feedback to students and really reinforce those positive behaviors that have helped with their academic progress.
So maybe you point out to them, I noticed that you've [00:12:00] studied your math facts. And so your math scores went up. That's amazing. I noticed you've been reading every night. And your reading scores went up. That's so incredible. So having those conversations, focusing on what they've been doing, actions they've been taking, and giving them that feedback.
And then I also just want to point out in my membership group, the Resilient Educator Academy, I have a course called the Summer Reset, and you actually reflect on your year and reset for summer. So if you're not part of that membership, it would be a great time to join so that you can really reflect on your school year and.
Make plans for the future to make it better so that you're taking action to not only celebrate those wins, but decide what you want to change moving forward. And the seventh strategy is to enjoy yourself. So incorporate fun and engaging activities in the lessons to keep energy levels high, and then take advantage of those moments to bond with your kids.
I remember we did a really fun picnic in third grade and we would do fun activities, same with field [00:13:00] day, and it was just fun to culminate the year with those bonding activities. You know, I got to just enjoy my students. I think sometimes we get so caught up in education and all the things that we have to do and all the academic pieces that sometimes we forget about how fun kids can be and to just enjoy the fun.
Fun, enjoy being a teacher. Enjoy the fact that you get to pay. Be paid to go play games with them and enjoy the day. And I know you're managing behaviors and all of that. I'm not saying it's easy, but just look at the positives in it. You get to go enjoy the day with your kids. Also, make time to appreciate the relationships you've built and the memories you made throughout the school year
think about all the experiences you had with them. In what moments they're going to remember moving forward. But be present, be in the moment, and just enjoy your students. So I just want to recap and go over these strategies again. So number one was keep routines as much as [00:14:00] possible. Two, keep teaching as long as possible.
Three, reteach and reward positive behaviors. Four, check your own stress.
So I hope that you try these strategies. I hope you find them helpful. I hope you use them with your students, but just remember that it is normal for our brain to want to default to the negative. So it's up to you to choose. to stay positive and stay present as an educator. I have to remind myself of this all the time.
It's not something I magically can do. I have to be intentional. I have to tell myself I do this work of coaching all the time, and I still have to tell myself that your brain wants to be negative. So focus on the positive.
And teachers, if you're ready to get rid of overwhelm and lose the stress of teaching and learn to balance your personal life and professional life, you need to join me in the Resilient Educator Academy. This academy is going to help you beat burnout for [00:15:00] good. Or if you're not feeling burnout yet, that's okay.
It's going to help you prevent burnout because you have to put systems in place to help you prevent burnout so that you don't get to the place where you eventually quit teaching. As a member of the Academy, you'll benefit from two live coaching calls each month that will provide you with personalized support. We'll do Q and A sessions and I'll cover topics that you specifically need. Also, there's a supportive community through our private Facebook group and you get access to all of my courses that were designed to enhance teacher skills and wellbeing. And every month I'll be adding a new workshop or course to the membership.
Also, you'll get a Monday motivation message . To kickstart your week on a positive note. So don't miss the opportunity to join, to invest in your own wellbeing and professional growth. Click the link, click the link in the show notes to get access. Click the link in the show notes to join the resilient educator Academy today. And if you love the show, if you're listening on Apple, scroll down in your app and leave a review. [00:16:00] Keep in mind, you have the power to shape your life according to the mindset you choose. I hope you have a great week and I'll see you back here next time.
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