Teacher Burn Out

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Teacher Burn Out

by Burnt Out

Nov 9, 2013

This is my 13th year of teaching. I actually do enjoy what I do, when it comes to working with the students and the subject area I teach. Unfortunately, I am beginning to hate/am stressed with everything else that we have to do.

What I hate the most is being observed by my boss and questioned as to why I'm doing what I'm doing, when it is a skill that is clearly in the curriculum OR he/she telling me I should do something differently. I almost feel that they try to find something/or question something and want me to do what I do in my room like they would. So basically, I don't like being told what to do! LOL! :o) I get pretty offended when asked or suggestions are made. I worry sometimes that when I have to speak about the observation with my boss that I am going to come off as being too assertive or defensive, if you know what I mean. Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do? What has helped you with this? What had helped you get more excited about teaching and le...See More

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SM On 11/09/13, Burnt Out wrote:

I love trying out new things - I get ideas - they pop into my head or I see something or read something and think 'the kids would love that' or 'I can make a great lesson out of that'!

I like a good class - I like putting a good lesson together and get a lot of satisfaction from the look in their eye...See MoreOn 11/09/13, Burnt Out wrote:

I love trying out new things - I get ideas - they pop into my head or I see something or read something and think 'the kids would love that' or 'I can make a great lesson out of that'!

I like a good class - I like putting a good lesson together and get a lot of satisfaction from the look in their eyes, their laughter, they're saying "Wow, I never thought of that before!"And I love interacting with kids - I see kids as often pretty discouraged, searching for self and not finding it, mean parents, mean teachers... kids pretty much having to put up with things over which they have no control. I know my class means a lot - I don't want it to be boring (though that's much easier to accomplish in my subject matter) I want it to be exciting - I think my subject is exciting and I think there's enough in their day that's dulling. I get tremendous positive reinforcement from the kids, their parents and from most of my colleagues and my administration. It's good for the ego but it's even better for the soul if you're a person who wants to be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem so to speak.

But yes some things I dislike intensely. Faculty meetings - they're long and pointless and rather demeaning. We're supposed to sit there, be quiet and listen to drivvel that's intended to use up the meeting so no one would have any chance to say something questioning of the system in any way.

A lot of teachers don't like being told what to do - I think that's why we go into teaching in part. We're the kings and queens of tiny little kingdoms that are our classrooms. I did find a good suggestion now and then come my way and I had a lot of need to talk things through with mentor teachers in the beginning of my career. But now? Let me be. If I'm not right for your school, that's fine - no teacher is the right teacher for every school.

What kind of person is your boss? I can take direction from the person who does it in the right way. The day they told me i had to use a textbook I said ' give me a good one and I'll use it but all I see is dry drivvel out there.' Sometimes I nod, say thanks and go back to my classroom and do whatever I want. And I find they forget what they've said a day or two later. Some bosses think their job is to always say something instructive - they don't think they're supposed to say "Great- keep up the good work!" Or it's in their personality- there aren't many good bosses out there really.

I'm rambling - sorry - in the end I don't share your problem of being offended. Why be offended? I get exasperated, not offended. Don't tell me to use a bad textbook please - that exasperates me. Don't tell me to assign a weekly writing assignment when half the kids don't have decent homes to do homework in. Don't spend hours planning a thematic day and then more hours patting yourself on the back saying what a success it was and judging that by how much the kids hated it insisting they hate everything that's good for them.

That exasperates me and sometimes it saddens me. Do you get offended in your personal life if something makes a suggestion? Are you married or in a committed relationship? It's hard to be married or in a relationship without something saying "Uh, those pants are beat. Do you really want to wear them to every family party?"

Does something like that offend you? In any job, you're likely to have to hear suggestions or even commands from above. Would it offend you to be a bank manager and have the regional manager tell you you need to keep the branch looking spiffier?

Sometimes we just need some practice in learning how to speak up for ourselves without coming off as defensive or assertive but if underneath you really do feel offended, then it makes sense that you're defensive - defensive and asserted are the response to being offended.

Is your boss's manner just to overbearing to take? Or is it that you can't stand having a boss? Or both? > > > What I hate the most is being observed by my boss and > questioned as to why I'm doing what I'm doing, when it is a > skill that is clearly in the curriculum OR he/she telling > me I should do something differently. I almost feel that > they try to find something/or question something and want > me to do what I do in my room like they would. So > basically, I don't like being told what to do! LOL! :o) I > get pretty offended when asked or suggestions are made. I > worry sometimes that when I have to speak about the > observation with my boss that I am going to come off as > being too assertive or defensive, if you know what I mean. > Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do? What > has helped you with this? What had helped you get more > excited about teaching and less burnt out on the system?

Nov 10, 2013

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diann On 11/09/13, Burnt Out wrote: > This is my 13th year of teaching. I actually do enjoy what > I do, when it comes to working with the students and the > subject area I teach. Unfortunately, I am beginning to > hate/am stressed with everything else that we have to do. > > What I hate the most is being observed by my boss and > qu...See More

Nov 10, 2013

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safia khatri This is my 1st year of teaching. I was long term substitute teaching last year. I actually do enjoy working and the subject area I teach. However, I don't like when students don,t respect and show attitude despite we are spending extra time for them. Second thing that I don't hate but bothers me a lot is being observed by my boss and questioned as ...See More

Dec 13, 2014

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hello First, welcome to teaching. This is all you will ever deal with. You have described the situation perfectly. These aspects of teaching will never get better under the current system.

Second, your written English appears very non-native. Aside from the fact that you are teacher and should be able to model proper English, you might also be h...See More

Dec 23, 2014

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Jose Micro supervision (micro management is an oxymoron--i.e., a brain running without oxygen) is a sign of incompetence. A good teacher should simply ignore a bad manager. There are always better jobs for those of us who are better teachers.

Aug 17, 2018

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