Strategies for New Teachers: Prioritizing Your Well-Being

The following is adapted from The New Teacher Handbook: 110 Strategies to Problem Solve the Hard Parts of Teaching by Berit Gordon.

Prioritizing your time, energy, and mental health as a new teacher is not selfish. It will not get in the way of helping students; it is a prerequisite to being able to help them! If you are depleted, you won’t be able to grow and teach well. Set the tone immediately to avoid the martyr syndrome of exhausting yourself to be a good teacher. You are already a good teacher. You’re here, reading, growing, and caring. You don’t need to prove that to the world further by putting your needs on the back burner. You deserve to be rested, content, and healthy. This will allow you to keep showing up, which is the number one way to be a rock-solid teacher. Your students deserve a teacher who shows up daily and means it when they say, “I’m so happy to see you.”

Here are three practical strategies that address common problems new teachers face.

How do I set boundaries if students’ challenges emotionally weigh me down? 

See students as complex people, defined by much more than hardships. 

It’s normal to feel sympathy for our students and want to help, but be careful of a savior mentality where you feel responsible for rescuing them. This mindset is not sustainable; it leads to burnout, and, ultimately, it isn’t fair to dwell on the hardships our students face, even those with trauma. When we feel sorry for students, we can inadvertently ask less of them academically and keep them from achieving and problem-solving. When we step in too much, it also prevents a larger system from ensuring long-term support. A bigger team, not individual teachers, must ensure each child stays fed, safe, and nurtured. 

This is not to say you’ll be an emotional robot and never feel empathy or concern. You have a heart, and that’s one of the reasons you are a teacher! 

Here are more ways to put your big heart to use when you know students face substantial challenges: 

• See students as whole people who are goofy or shy, into anime, rocks, or guinea pigs. Yes, they have struggles and hardships, but that is one piece of who they are. Get to know the other parts so they are not defined by trauma. Ask questions about their game, their favorite show, or their pet. Let them be seen for these positive parts of their lives.
• Talk to their advisor or guidance counselor. Be clear that you’re not looking for specific details but reassurance that this student is getting help. Confirming that people are helping may help you focus on your role as a teacher.
• Base your concern on documented trauma and challenges, not what you assume or possibly misinterpret as a hardship. Depending on the family’s culture and traditions, the parents’ love and care will differ from your experience. Be cautious of judging them on how they raise their child (unless you fear neglect or abuse, in which case, you should go immediately to guidance and administration). Every parent loves their child. Do not assume we know how care and love are shown simply by observing the students in our classroom.
• Find out whom the student may want to go to in guidance or administration or direct them to the appropriate people. Trust that teaching well is what this child needs from you. Your most important job is being a regulated, dependable, and positive presence in this student’s life.

How do I avoid decision fatigue? 

Embrace predictability in meals, outfits, lessons, and more. 

Maybe you go home to a magical person who says, “Just relax; I’ve got it from here.” If so, clone them for the rest of us. Most of us are exhausted from decision fatigue. 

With the countless decisions you need to make in a day, you’ll only have the energy to make smart choices on some. Protect your energy for inevitable, unexpected, and important decisions like what to do when the wireless connection stops working, how to help a student who’s been absent, whether you have time to run to the bathroom during your prep, or if you should laugh at a fart joke. Do this by removing other decisions and minimizing the low-stakes ones when possible.

• Maybe you can create a work uniform. Find a replicable look that is comfortable, can go in the washer and dryer, and has pockets. Maybe it’s flowy pants with a tucked-in T, a cotton blazer with stretchy denim, or a collared shirt and cargo pants. Get a few versions of that one look to rotate throughout the week.
  • Ask what is considered professional and appropriate in your school. Comfort is key, but no one wants to be called into the office about their outfit.
  • Hang up all your outfits for the week in advance. Morning stress can lead to outfit indecision and you’ll avoid coming home to a pile of rejected outfits.
• If food shopping and meal-prep decisions are tiring you out, choose an easy dinner for each night and repeat weekly. Tuesday is taco night, Wednesday is pasta, and so on, every weeknight. If it works for your household, include one for takeout, leftovers, sandwiches, or a YOYO (you’re on your own) dinner. Create a corresponding grocery list on repeat, including lunch prep. Pack what you’ll eat, not what you think you should eat (a sandwich versus my untouched salad). A hungry teacher is an unhappy teacher.
• Your default answer to any requests on your time might be “Thanks. Let me think about it and get back to you.”
• Use checklist templates (find free printables online) for planning, grocery lists, household tasks, and more.
• Use a planning template with similar components that repeat daily, allowing you to have highly predictable routines. Those planning routines benefit your students, and they streamline your decision-making. You’ll have more energy if you make some elements of your day (and students’ days) predictable.

What if I’m at a breaking point? 

Assess the situation, get help in and out of school, and cut out nonessential items. 

Oh, love. You’re in a rough spot. It’s hard to care about teaching and wanting a solid first year when life doesn’t go as planned. Now, it’s time to make some moves so you can feel better and your students don’t suffer. 

1. First, determine if this is an isolated rough stretch in an otherwise OK year or if you’ve been steadily struggling (in life or school) and are unsure if you can continue. If it’s been over a couple of weeks and things are unlikely to change, go to steps 4–6. If you’ve been generally OK until this dip, have support systems in place, and there’s an end point (like the end of a semester), start with steps 2–4.
2. Comply, but be a C student for any tasks that are not in the service of students. Look for ways to protect your energy and make life easier in the short term. This isn’t forever—just to get you to the other side of this tough time.
3. Take a hard look at your calendar and cut any nonessential items for the next week or two. Have a coach or trusted friend help you ruthlessly eliminate tasks and events so you can prioritize rest.
4. Go to at least two people you trust and ask for specific help—a meal or two, laundry, dog walking, whatever gives you a much-needed break. Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to those of us in a helping profession, but it strengthens bonds with others.
5. Find a therapist who takes your insurance. They’ll help you with problem-solving, developing coping skills, and determining the next steps.
6. Go to an administrator you trust and let them know you are struggling. It is often not apparent to them in their busy (and overwhelming) day. Any decent administrator wants to help you. If this doesn’t work, see the next step.
7. It is rare, but if you are in a school with a punitive culture toward teachers and students, a laser focus on test scores, and multiple new curricula or initiatives pushed through with little to no support, focus on getting through while being kind to yourself and your students in the process. If you have a union rep, find them. They may have advice, and you’ll feel less alone. When you have the energy to consider your next steps, look at other schools before leaving the profession. Healthy school environments are out there.

Discover more practical tips for new teachers in The New Teacher Handbook: 110 Strategies to Problem Solve the Hard Parts of Teaching.