Living in the Chasm: Why Teacher Burnout Isn't Your Fault

You've tried the self-care advice. You've set the boundaries. You've done everything right. And you're still exhausted. Here's what nobody is telling you: that's not a you problem. That's a system problem.In this episode of If Teachers Ruled the World, Leah Cleary talks about teacher burnout, why the wellness conversation we keep having with educators is fundamentally broken, and what it actually looks like to survive a long career in teaching without losing yourself. She introduces the concept of living in the chasm (that impossible gap between what the system demands and what any human being can actually deliver) and shares what 25 years in the classroom have taught her about the teachers who make it and the ones who don't.Spoiler: the ones who make it aren't better or stronger. They've just learned a skill you can practice too.Resources mentioned in this episode:"Teachers Aren't Burnt Out. They Are Being Set Up to Fail" by Alexandra Robbins: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-teachers-arent-burnt-out-they-are-being-set-up-to-fail/2023/05"Why This Author Wants to Ditch the Term 'Teacher Burnout'" via Education Week: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/why-this-author-wants-to-ditch-the-term-teacher-burnout/2023/05When Being an Adequate Teacher Feels Like Failure (But Isn't): https://leahcleary.com/when-being-an-adequate-teacher-feels-like-failure/ Teachers, We Need to Scrap Perfection and Go for Good: https://leahcleary.com/teachers-we-need-to-scrap-perfection-and-go-for-good/