Let’s be real – teaching in 2025 is harder than ever before. Between ongoing pandemic impacts, increased student needs, and the ever-growing demands of the profession, many of us are running on empty. Some days, just making it to the final bell feels like climbing Mount Everest. If you’re nodding your head right now, know that you’re not alone, and more importantly, there is a way forward.
Here’s the thing about teacher burnout – it’s not just about being tired. What we’re experiencing is a systematic depletion of our energy across three critical areas: physical, mental, and emotional. Understanding these three energy domains is the first step toward reclaiming our vitality and effectiveness in the classroom.
As I often share in my workshops, energy isn’t something we simply have or don’t have – it’s something we generate. Just like a power plant doesn’t have energy, it generates energy. The same principle applies to us as educators. We need to be intentional about generating and maintaining our energy across all three domains.
Let’s break down three simple but powerful solutions that can help you rebuild your energy reserves and rediscover your teaching groove:
Solution #1: The Power of Energy Scheduling
Most of us are masters at scheduling our teaching duties, but how many of us actually schedule our energy replenishment? I’m not talking about finding time – I’m talking about making time. This means literally putting recovery periods in your calendar and treating them with the same importance as you would a faculty meeting.
Try this: Schedule three 5-minute “energy breaks” throughout your day. These aren’t bathroom breaks or coffee runs – they’re intentional pauses where you can:
- Take deep, centering breaths
- Stretch your body
- Reset your mental state
- Ground yourself emotionally
When we weaponize our calendar for energy management, we take back control of our vitality.
Solution #2: The Three-to-One Energy Rule
Just as we use the “three-to-one rule” of positive interactions with our students, we need to apply the same principle to our energy management. For every energy-draining activity in your day, schedule three energy-generating activities.
Energy-generating activities might include:
- A morning walk before school
- Lunch with a positive colleague
- Ten minutes of reading something inspiring
- A quick journaling session
- A moment of gratitude practice
The key is being intentional about balancing the energy equation in your favor.
Solution #3: Creating Energy Boundaries
This might be the most challenging solution, but it’s arguably the most important. We need to get clear on our energy boundaries – what depletes us and what energizes us – and then honor those boundaries consistently.
This means:
- Learning to say “no” to energy-draining commitments
- Setting clear start and end times to your workday
- Protecting your sleep schedule as if it were a doctor’s appointment
- Being selective about which extracurricular activities you take on
- Guarding your planning time jealously
Remember, setting boundaries isn’t selfish – it’s essential. You can’t serve from an empty vessel.
Here’s the truth: defeating burnout isn’t about working less – it’s about working smarter with your energy. It’s about understanding that your effectiveness as a teacher isn’t measured by how exhausted you are at the end of the day, but by how present and energized you can be for your students.
I learned this lesson the hard way early in my career. I was saying yes to everything, staying late every day, and wearing my exhaustion like a badge of honor. Then one day, in the middle of what should have been an exciting lesson about ancient civilizations, I realized I had nothing left to give. My students weren’t getting my best because I hadn’t given myself what I needed to be my best.
That was my wake-up call, and it led me to develop these energy management strategies that have transformed not just my teaching, but my life.
As we wrap up, I want to leave you with this thought: you deserve to feel energized and alive in your teaching. Your students deserve a teacher who has the energy to be fully present and engaged. By taking control of your energy management, you’re not just helping yourself – you’re creating a better learning environment for everyone.
Remember, what you do matters. How you show up for your students makes a difference. And together, we’re transforming education – one energized teacher at a time.
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