We Are Quickly Approaching Burnout Phase Of Distance Learning

April 23, 2020

And there is no end in sight. Except for the end of the school year. I see why teachers need a three month break in the summer. Luckily, I’m not creating any of the lesson plans my kids are doing, but the break is a necessity.

Teachers sure do work hard, but the one thing they get to do is recharge their batteries. Whether it is at the end of the day, spending time with their family or with a 12 week summer break, along with Winter and Spring break interspersed.

Don’t get me wrong, they totally deserve the break and I’ve only been doing this for almost 7 weeks but here’s where the burnout is going to happen.

My “students” never leave. We don’t get a break from each other. There is no where to go and while we do take alone time within the four walls of our house, there is no physical separation. They are there when I wake up and when I go to sleep at night.

I love my kids, but some days I think about how in the heck are we going to make it through the summer. My hope is that the pools will be open. I understand if they don’t but it would really be a reprieve for my family to be able to have a different perspective than in our house.

At the beginning of this online distance learning, I was all gung ho about our schedule and still am. But towards the end of the week, I’m beat and worn out. The “end” of our school day can’t come soon enough. My creative ideas are spent at the beginning of the week and by the end, I’m okay with suggesting movie time earlier in the day.

Awareness is step one in curtailing this burnout and then knowing when to take a break. In hindsight, I’m sure we will all look back and think about how this “stay at home” order allowed us to strengthen our bond, but in the moment, it’s all about getting through week by week.

How are you avoiding burnout?