Burn out when the year is ending : how to spark up again for teachers and students

Professional development of English teachers. The topic of burnout is one of the most discussed in the teaching community. Did you know that burnout does not bypass children? At a time when stress and depression are becoming a pandemic, educators need to pay special attention to their own health and the condition of students. Burn out when the year is ending.

Are you familiar with the main symptoms of burnout?

It would seem that this has been said more than once. However, thousands of teachers each year continue to ignore the first alarm bells, and recover only when burnout or depression becomes chronic. That is why it is worth remembering once again the main manifestations and stages of burnout.

Because exhaustion affects all aspects of life, it can be seen in a combination of symptoms: malaise, apathy, decreased productivity, depression, irritability, loneliness, frustration, anxiety and fear.

The main stages of burnout:

1. The person feels great and ready for heavy loads. In fact, this is not so much the stage of burnout, as the attitude to things, which leads to the second stage.
2. The beginning of stress. You still like the job, but you feel obviously tired. At this stage, you should "hold the horses" and prevent the transition to the next.
3. Chronic stress. If in the second stage you decide not to rest, but to continue working at the same pace, then know - burnout is very close. Now your fatigue is noticed even by colleagues. Be careful, because this is the last stage when a person can cope on their own.
4. You don't just experience sadness or a drop in productivity. The work itself ceases to be interesting. Instead, I want to stay home, eat something all the time, and stare at the wall. Unfortunately, only at this stage do most people realize that they should seek help.
5. At this stage, a person needs the help of a specialist, because burnout turns into depression and becomes devastating.

Must Read: 6 learning strategies of progressive educators

How can we help students?

Deadlines, tests, tests and external evaluation. Add to that a bunch of subjects and you will understand that children's lives are also difficult. The positive news is that teachers' awareness of adolescent stress and burnout is growing year by year, so we have the opportunity to see the problems in the early stages.

Of course, teachers are not psychologists or parents. However, if you see signs of burnout, try one of the following approaches.

1. The approach of the three "R".

This method got its name due to three stages: recognize, reverse, resilience.

• The first stage requires asking the right questions to help see the problem.
• On the second, start looking for a way out. For example, give up some tasks and responsibilities.
• On the third, create a schedule and develop habits that will prevent the problem from recurring. For example, stop completing the case at any cost. Learn to put off work when you feel tired. Change your approach to lessons by adding more game moments.

2. Essay approach.

Some advice "writing out" in a diary, but there is another great way to express emotions through art. So ask students to write an essay or draw a picture. This technique will help to overcome the psychological block (continuous, automatic writing) or visualize the fear that there is no need to keep.

3. Do not be intimidated by "noise".

The noise in this case is all the work and work that you continue to do even when you feel very tired. Are you going to undertake an additional project? Think about what he will give you and what he will take away? After all, then, in the 2nd and 3rd stages of burnout, you will lose interest in responsibilities. After all, the best medicine and at the same time a burnout precaution is to understand exactly how much you can take.