"What if Burnout Isn't Your Fault?"

We sat down today with Jamie Johnson, a new friend and neighbor in the Upper Valley. She shared with us about how she came to leave the vocation that she loved, teaching. Suffering from overwhelm and demoralization, Jamie says she was no longer willing to be the face of success in an education system that was failing to give it’s students what they needed.

We talk about how systems set us up to fail. How burnout isn’t as much of a personal cause as a systemic one. What is the cost of staying in a system and culture that doesn’t align with your values or allow for you to care for your most basic needs like taking a bathroom break? Hence the title of her book, “Teach and Still have Time to Pee.”

We unpack the deeper threads of overwhelm, motivation and getting comfortable with allowing struggle, for ourselves and those we love and support. 

Her business, is called, Kickass Teacher and she has been involved with education in various ways for over 25 years. 

Bio in English: 

Jamie Johnson is an overwhelm support coach and former bilingual elementary school teacher who spent years working in one of the highest-pressure school districts in the country. After experiencing demoralization inside a system that conflicted with her values, she joined the Peace Corps and discovered that educator overwhelm is a systemic issue, not a personal failure. Jamie has since founded Kickass Teacher, written Teach and Still Have Time to Pee, and directed museum education programs. Today, she helps high-capacity professionals untangle burnout, reclaim agency, and align work with integrity. She believes overwhelm is a signal of misalignment—and that when we get curious instead of critical, we can focus on what truly matters, creating a life rooted in freedom and balance.

In Spanish: 

Jamie Johnson es coach en manejo del agotamiento y fue maestra bilingüe de primaria durante varios años en uno de los distritos escolares de mayor presión en Estados Unidos. Tras enfrentar la desmoralización dentro de un sistema que no estaba alineado con sus valores, se unió al Peace Corps, donde descubrió que el desgaste profesional en la educación es un problema sistémico, no un fracaso personal. A lo largo de los años, fundó Kickass Teacher, escribió Teach and Still Have Time to Pee y dirigió programas educativos en un museo. Hoy acompaña a profesionales comprometidos y de alto desempeño a desenredar el burnout, recuperar su agencia y alinear su trabajo con su integridad. Cree que el agotamiento es una señal de desalineación y que, cuando elegimos la curiosidad en lugar de la autocrítica, podemos enfocarnos en lo que realmente importa y construir una vida con mayor libertad y equilibrio.

Resources:

1. Jamie's Coaching Website: Coaching to overcome Overwork & Overwhelm

2. Kickass Teacher- her business

3. Teach and Still Have Time to Pee her book!

4. NCW Healing Arts -the new Collective where we met Jamie!

Books she recommends: A) "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less"

B) "Demoralized: Why Teachers Leave the Profession They Love and How they Can Stay"