Avoid first term burnout

The best teacher is a fresh teacher, says Denis Hayes. So if you’re an NQT eager to impress, heed his advice and conserve your energy...

New teachers are often encouraged to be enthusiastic and convey to pupils their love for the subject or topic, lesson after lesson, day after day. While such commitment is commendable, it carries a risk of overexertion and strain. Every teacher is faced with the notinconsiderable challenge of giving of their best without becoming exhausted and thereby losing their sharpness. The onset of ill health only adds to the problem, leading to distress and less effective teaching.

Teachers work hard before, during and after school, such that conscientious ones can be more tired than the pupils by the end of the day. Over time, extreme weariness sets in; teachers find it difficult to keep going at the same pace and struggle to maintain a high standard of teaching. As a way to cope, teachers tend to utilise more of a direct teaching approach and ‘paper and pencil’ exercises, which allows them to dominate the class and exert stricter discipline. However, such an approach is itself both physically and mentally tiring and does not provide the conditions for high motivation and effective learning. Children initially enjoy the formality and the straightforward tasks, but gradually become restless and seek greater autonomy through requesting permission to employ alternative approaches, chatting to classmates about ideas and hurrying to finish in the hope of moving on to more creative types of activity. The teacher then employs stronger discipline to keep the situation under control, which absorbs even more energy and adds to the overall sense of fatigue. In addition, the regular responsibilities of planning, completing paperwork, marking, liaising with colleagues, responding to parents, evaluating practice by means of a diary or log and meeting deadlines combine to create conditions under which the job never ends. Teachers work later in the evenings and use time that should have been reserved for recreation and relaxation to keep pace with what can feel like a series of unremitting demands.

Why am I so tired?

Less experienced teachers tend to consume more energy in their teaching than their experienced colleagues for five principal reasons:

• New teachers fear being labelled as uncommitted
• They have not yet learned how to channel their energies into efficient ways of working
• They take time to grasp the fact that pupil learning involves more than just good teaching
• They expect too much of themselves and too little of the pupils
• They expend a lot of emotional energy because of the need to satisfy their mentors/induction tutor/headteacher as they learn ‘on the job’

Having high, but realistic, expectations of children must be used in conjunction with the fact that pupils should not only make an effort to do what a teacher says is needed, but also try hard to achieve good results as a means of satisfying their own learning ambitions. Of course, every pupil has an ‘off day’ when poor health, boredom, anxiety or distractions create the circumstances for underachievement, but most of the time it is reasonable for you to anticipate that children will work consistently well. Naturally, even hard-working pupils are still dependent on adults for guidance, clear instructions and suitable resources to complete tasks. They also rely on a positive learning climate in which discipline is maintained, explanations are offered without rancour or disdain and mistakes are accepted as part of the learning process. By setting a high standard yourself through diligence, quiet enthusiasm, determination to see the job through, a questioning attitude and thoughtful reflection, you will gradually instil in children awareness that hard work brings its own reward without the need to be frantic in aiming to complete tasks. Although reaching this happy position takes a great deal of effort initially, it results in a more relaxed and affable climate that makes fewer demands of you to maintain. Balancing your role Your teaching approach is a key factor in combating exhaustion. It will vary according to the age of pupils, subject content and desirable learning outcomes, but in every lesson or session it is helpful to have a spread of teacher-led talk and explanation, children’s responses, and activities that require a high level of pupil initiative. One useful strategy is to monitor the amount of time that you spend in undertaking one of the following four roles during the lesson:

• 1. ORGANISER providing information, explanation and instruction prior to an activity
• 2. DIRECTOR unsolicited intervention during activities by demonstrating and advising
• 3. EXPERT solicited responses to pupils’ questions and queries
• 4. FACILITATOR providing necessary resources such that pupils can largely work unaided and with minimal intervention during activities (i.e. teacher ‘standing back’).

As a rule, the greater your role as facilitator, the less strain you place on yourself, though it is worth noting that the concept of ‘facilitating’ has been less favoured by external policy makers than the other three roles, being seen (unfairly) as a soft option for lazy teachers. Nevertheless, it is in your interest to stand back occasionally and take stock of the roles you undertake. Inexperienced teachers tend to talk too much during lessons and fail to drink adequate amounts of liquid; as a result, they can become dehydrated, with the inevitable damage to their vocal chords. An additional problem for trainee teachers is that they usually exercise weaker discipline than the regular teacher and compensate by using louder speech and raised voices to maintain control. The general rule is to speak less and listen more and to sharpen your explanations prior to allocating tasks so that pupils have less need to ask you questions of clarification.

It is not being idle to seek a work-life balance that provides you with a degree of freedom from the many duties that slowly exhaust teachers, with the inevitable impact on health and reduced effectiveness that result. On the contrary, you have a legal entitlement to regular periods of rest and opportunities to draw back occasionally during lessons to conserve energy and stay alert. Extreme weariness is a condition that affects all teachers on occasions, but learning to relax and keep lessons running smoothly by being well organised and thinking ahead minimises the effects. It goes without saying that the best remedy for tiredness is to enjoy your teaching and to know that the children are enjoying their learning. The best teacher is a fresh teacher – not a physical and mental wreck.

HOW TO PACE YOURSELF

• Be proficient, rather than sacrificial, in preparing lessons, teaching and assessing pupils’ work, and communicating with adults.
• Organise and manage classroom life in an orderly yet productive way that places increasing amounts of responsibility on pupils for their behaviour and achievement.
• Teach enthusiastically without expending an excessive amount of energy in a single session.
• Ensure pupils work conscientiously and systematically without losing their creativity and power of imagination in the process.