4. How to Survive the Disillusionment Phase of Teaching

The disillusionment phase of teaching is when reality sets in and the stress, fatigue, and expectations threaten to throw you off course. We cycle through it every year as teachers, especially in your first years of teaching. It usually hits right around the holiday season, when the newness of the school year is long gone, student attention is diverted to the excitement and festivities of the season, and nothing seems to be as you thought it would be back at the beginning of the school year. It’s a recipe for despair, especially with the added turmoil of a pandemic along with fewer hours of daylight going into the winter months. I fear that teacher’s mental well being is at higher risk than ever before with all the added uncertainty and stress brought on this school year. The amount of time you spend in the disillusionment phase depends on  your ability to climb out to the other phases that await you: rejuvenation and reflection.  Use the 5S Strategy to get to the other side: Simplify your tasks and teaching, Stop the behaviors that keep you from setting boundaries (you can hear more about boundaries in Episode 2 and Episode 3 on social media), Soften your self talk, Speak up about your feelings and solutions, and Strategize for what you need to do in order make the second half of the school year better. Use this experience being at “rock bottom” in a year that has turned everything upside down to develop routines and practices that work for you - so you can be the teacher and person you want to be.To get your free copy of my ebook The Thrive Guide: Beginning a Teaching Career in Uncertain Times, visit my website www.erinsponaugle.com!Have a question or idea for a future episode on teacher burnout or classroom management? Want to be a guest interview? Send me a text - I'd love to hear from you!Support the showWatch my TEDx talk on teacher resilience and burnout here. Get your copy of Teachaholic: The 7-Day MindSET Shift to Conquer Burnout, Build Life-Changing Boundaries, and Reignite Your Love for Teaching at www.erinsponaugle.com/book. Download the Teachaholic Action Guide to begin your journey back from burnout!  SUBSCRIBE to Next Chapter for Teachers on YouTube!Download The Great 88: Rules, Routines, and Expectations to Go Over and Over! For more resources on classroom management, time management, and  teacher burnout, visit www.erinsponaugle.com.Find more upper elementary classroom resources by visiting Next Chapter Press on Teachers Pay Teachers. InstagramFacebookPinterest