Navigating Burnout; A teacher's Challenges and resilience

Before diving into the reason behind this write-up, let me take you down memory lane regarding my profession. Many years ago, teaching jobs served as correction centers for every child. Parents, Government, and Society were not involved in the discipline process. Teachers were left alone to manage their students in the best way they could, and the results are evident today. However, things took a turn for the worse with increased involvement from the government and parents, leading to students misbehaving and exhibiting bad behaviors.

When I came across this post, it reminded me of the last two years, when everything felt exhausting. My efforts seemed to yield little to no desired results. I began to feel that teaching was ineffective for various reasons: parents would react negatively to every slight punishment meted out to their children, and the students compounded the issue by performing poorly because they faced no real consequences. The growing nonchalance among them intensifies with each passing day. It is a burnout if you are in the system here in Nigeria.

Is it any wonder that workplace burnout arises when everything seems unproductive? The zeal among some teachers began to fade away, with many no longer valuing the profession as they once did. The annoying part is examination malpractice that has now become a thing of the day because every school is in competition for a 100% award that would be given by the state government.

Also, nearly every parent nowadays wants their child to take shortcuts. They want the idea of their children facing stress, yet in doing so, they are fostering an environment of futility. Students are not buying textbooks that can aid teaching and learning, completing assignments, or striving to perform well, leading to a relentless cycle of burnout for those of us who strive to achieve positive outcomes in each class and examination.

Recognizing Burnout in the Workplace:

• Feeling detached and disconnected from work obligations is a burnout
• Experiencing exhaustion and incompetence in job performance is also a burnout and many others.

How to Avoid Workplace Burnout:

• Practice mindfulness and take regular short breaks. Do things that please your heart, and take a stroll for some minutes.
• Seek support and ask for help from colleagues, friends, and family.
• Engage in self-care that promotes physical, social, emotional, and mental well-being. Engage in your personal activities such as hobbies, exercise, having fun, etc
• Avoid overdoing, or I can do it myself, and delegate tasks to your subordinates when necessary.

What Can We Do?
To avoid unnecessary burnout, I’ve decided to set my emotions aside and reconnect with the state and school’s mission, values, and goals of ensuring no student fails, in line with the no-cane policy and no-punishment policy. Although the pay is minimal, I recognize that being unemployed or idle is not the best option for me. I do it according to how my employer wants it👌

Acknowledging the signs of burnout and taking proactive measures toward it can be a way to reduce the risk of workplace burnout and maintain a healthy and fulfilling career. Do what's best for you!

The images used are mine.

My response to the #hivelearners community contest on the topic: WORKPLACE BURNOUT.

Thanks for reading through 😍