When school started in August, teachers returned to the building as always with big plans for all the amazing things they were going to do with their students. They were refreshed and eager to go. But within the first couple of days before the students arrived, their strong plans and optimistic attitudes were overshadowed by the questions blowing in from every direction.
There was a new English curriculum and a new math curriculum for all grade levels, each with extensive online materials, but we did not yet have online access or training. We had adopted a new 9–12 screening assessment that involved every teacher in the school, which came with its own mix of online and in-person training. All of this new information landed at the exact time that teachers were trying to get access to new classrooms after almost every teacher in the school had been moved to a new room over the summer and was hoping to spend extended time in that classroom.
In spite of everyone’s positive ideas and best intentions, it was hard not to start the year feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.
Your story may not be the same as this one, but teaching is always full of the changes and challenges inherent in meeting the needs of many different students. When these moments come, we need tools to manage all the choices so that our students can continue learning without absorbing the stress and we can keep our focus where we want it: on the students.
Tool #1: Team up.
Teaching can be isolating, and that isolation can magnify the overwhelm. Join forces with others in your building to pool ideas. You may have ready-made teams in your PLC or grade-level partners, but don’t forget your interventionists, curriculum specialists, and teachers outside your regular classroom interactions. They may have already found answers to your questions or have resources to help you navigate new systems.
You can also think beyond your school and join social media communities that help you connect to teachers to share ideas and encourage each other. In the busyness and constant innovation of each new year, these connections can be invaluable reminders that our experiences are shared, and they can bring fresh insight and ideas for how to handle all the change well. Every load gets lighter when shared. No one needs to try to go it alone.
Tool #2: Start small.
It can be tempting when we are overwhelmed to go faster and bigger, trying to make our way to the other side as quickly as possible. We think the hurry will make us feel productive and help us conquer the situations that seem impossible. The sheer number of tasks to be accomplished makes the idea of getting anything done more daunting than it really is. Teachers are often experts at multitasking, but multitasking is not necessarily our best friend here.
Choose only one important thing to complete that you could accomplish now, and put your focus there. You can master the new screener now, and get to progress monitoring later. You can look at your first unit and figure out one or two ways to incorporate pieces of the new curriculum. When you’re juggling too many things, you’re going to drop some of them. This lets you divide the giant list of tasks into manageable pieces. It helps you carry only what’s really necessary for today and figure out what you can let go until tomorrow.
Tool #3: Focus on your students.
Overwork and aggravation will crowd out better motivations. When I’m overwhelmed, it’s easy to let my focus be on checking things off a list, on learning the new technology, or on not falling behind. My actual motivations for stepping inside this building every day are hidden behind all my fears and frustrations.
When I’m overwhelmed, the very best thing I can do is remember why I care about unraveling all the tangled threads that are tripping me. I picture the students who pass through our halls. I imagine them sitting in class, sharing their lives with me and with their classmates. I think about how I can help them figure out the answers they need.
Remembering the students clarifies my focus and simplifies what feels chaotic. My job is to help students get what they need, and many of the new resources and systems will help me do that. But the students are not depending on programs; they are depending on their teachers, and it is my joy to sort through the resources to find new ways to help them.
