54. Absent Teachers: Talk About Taking Time Off episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 22, 2026 · 15 MIN

54. Absent Teachers: Talk About Taking Time Off

from Next Chapter for Teachers Podcast · host Erin Sponaugle

Have you ever felt a sick day coming on (ah-choo!), but powered through it because you felt you needed to cover material with your class? Ever felt guilty for taking a mental health day while your students are left with a substitute? Taking time off as a teacher can feel as stressful as just sticking it out and teaching through the sniffles, but you can't live your life just during the summer. In this quick episode, I'll unpack why teachers struggle to allow themselves to be absent from the classroom and what to do to make the process of leaving your class in someone else's care for a day (or two) easier. 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

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 22, 2026

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Have you ever felt a sick day coming on (ah-choo!), but powered through it because you felt you needed to cover material with your class? Ever felt guilty for taking a mental health day while your students are left with a substitute? Taking time off as a teacher can feel as stressful as just sticking it out and teaching through the sniffles, but you can't live your life just during the summer. In this quick episode, I'll unpack why teachers struggle to allow themselves to be absent from the c...

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54. Absent Teachers: Talk About Taking Time Off

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