Here's how you can prevent teacher burnout: effective strategies for administrators.

An honest and trusting administrator, who treats their teaching staff as a team versus micromanaging everything they do is the first step towards avoiding teacher burnout. The trust shines through when you need to leave 15 minutes early to take a child to an appointment and your administrator tells you she knows you’ve put in well beyond your contracted time- so don’t worry about leaving early. It motivates me to continue to give my all to my job when I know that my administrator understands and values that my family always will and always has to come first. These are a few ways to make a teacher feel appreciated and feeling appreciated is huge in preventing teacher burnout.

One way my school has embedded this into our school year is by doing a monthly recognition where students and teachers are nominated by staff members and are recognized during class with a note and a small treat. This public recognition has become one of my favorite traditions in our building.

Undoubtedly, Acknowledgement is the key! one way that my leader appreciated was with a beautiful personal text, a chocolate, and appreciation in front of everyone. they made it a point to appreciate on the same day so that it is acknowledged by everyone. Once a lot of parents stood in front on a PTM, our leader, appreciated the entire team in front of the parent group. The morale was boosted and we were nominated as THE BEST PLACE TO WORK

My favorite strategy is to be a “mirror.” What I mean is to reflect back the good things you see and hear to the teacher. Hey, I heard a positive parent comment - the students love how you do X. Educators got into this profession to make an impact, these statements are very motivating and it also says - hey I am paying attention. I also try and pick how I deliver a positive with intention. I avoid good job, nice work, etc as they generally have little meaning. Instead, hey I notice your putting in a lot of tim, I really liked how you broke down that learning concept, or similar statements. These point out specific BEHAVIORS. This lets the teacher know what exactly is having an impact. Many don’t see the unique things they do.

Prior to everything, create contact with each employee when possible and learn what motivates them and makes them tick. Find out where their emotion center lies. This will help you understand how they need to be acknowledged. I’ve found some people enjoy public shout outs and it makes others cringe. Does your employee prefer personalized recognition, acknowledging expertise or acts of service, or just quiet appreciation? The possibilities are endless. As long as they originate in the head AND the heart, burnout can become a thing of the past. However, if it begins to appear, you now better know how to help them through it.

Administrators often advocate for manageable workloads while putting more and more tasks on teachers' plates. We all know it comes down to resources; more money means more people to help take over those tasks for teachers. Professional development has never helped me find balance. Give me the gift of time! I need time to get it all done! Less micromanaging, treat me like the professional I am, and trust I know what I am doing.

Educators, myself included, are notorious for adopting a martyr or Superman/woman mindset. This causes many, myself included, to say yes to everything and work long hours. This will catch up to them/you eventually. When that happens your work begins to suffer and you make mistakes. Sometimes a person burns out to the point they leave education altogether because their mental health just cannot take it anymore. Pointing this out when you see it is important. It shows you care but also that you are paying attention. The person cannot see it themselves as well many times. Staying in this state also stunts creativity and stagnates people. They can’t stop and ask themselves, is this the best way to do this because they can’t

I feel like systems and environment are the best way to accomplish community. You need to make time for people to connect and to collaborate. Having a committee on doing fun events like a Christmas party can be one thing or having early outs so that staff can meet and talk about teaching. Having an inviting workroom that everyone can get to - so that there is a chance to mingle can have a bigger impact than you’d think. Encouraging people to talk to each other and mediating conflict when necessary is also important. You need to have people comfortable sharing concerns and frustrations. If not, all the snacks in the staff lounge will never make a positive culture. Teach these skills and great options use them (like during PD days)

This can be a double-edged sword. Community is vital to educator survival. You need others you can bounce ideas off, collaborate with, and commiserate with. However, this can also be a form of trauma bonding. I have found myself in various schools bonding with my colleagues out of pure survival and shared negative factors we are all facing. While there is comfort in the idea we are all going through it, that's where it ends. There is no progress in terms of correcting or mitigating the stress we are feeling. This is where admin needs to step in. Admin needs to see their PLC's as more than just a group of educators, but as a team bonded through emotion who need help processing collective stress

If teachers are engaging students in the learning process and connecting each lesson's learning target's, within the bounty of the school's standards that enable teachers to adjust their teaching methods. Teachers are diligently teaching and utilizing a way that the learning is engaging their students.

If administrators can plan for a special high-quality professional development, focus on training teachers on how to identify and modify different students with mental conditions and behavior glitches. In addition, praise and reward other students with positive behaviors and older students who are positive role models for younger students. Furthermore, administrators need to supervise and provide support for teachers to work together in study groups to engage in modeling, and to team up to solve problems, all in a combined, persistent personal and educational obligations. Then they see teachers communicate enthusiasm as a team in their schools.