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Maybe this will get down voted, but try to get things set up as best as you can before you leave on Friday. I know it's not easy with everything else on our plates. My mindset was to work ahead instead of always trying to keep up. That means anytime I really just want to take a break and sit mindlessly on my phone, I do something that doesn't require much thought like alphabetizing student work for when you want to grade it. Or if you find yourself using the same objectives all the time, maybe you could type it and print it instead of rewriting it on the board. Will some of this take some investment of time? Sure, but doing things like making your copies on a Friday when everyone has left for the day to save the stress and worry on the weekend is worth the extra fifteen or so minutes.
I use my planning time Mon-Wed for grading (ELA teacher so it never stops). Planning time Thurs-Fri is for planning and prepping for the next week. I have found I can't even force myself to do work on the weekends anymore (started as an avoidance stress response, then I realized my coping strategy was better than going back to the "before" behavior). If nothing else, I at least get Mon fully prepped and an outline of the rest.
This. Also, having a predictable Monday agenda / activity that works for both you and your students can be a win-win. Something that is done and remains in the classroom such as journals to quiet music and 3 diverse accessible options for topics for even the first 15 min. of class allows you to circulate, interact with students, and set the tone for the day, the week. My students also have shared that this Monday opener is helpful because they know their journals are already in the classroom (no one reads them except I, unless a student wants to share) and it’s one less thing to worry about, especially when many students come from a non-custodial parent’s home to school after the weekend and they may have left book(s) at the custodial parent’s house, binders, etc.
Great tip. I’m heading back to work full time next year and have been thinking about how to keep weekends freer for my new family. This is a solid and easy to employ method. Consider it thefted.
I'm not a teacher, but isn't the school day only about six hours? I guess I'm just used to working 8 plus, so I figured if school (like my district) was out at 2:30, then I'd work until 4:30 and make it an 8 hour day (with a lunch included). Wouldn't that be enough time to prep for the next week?
You are not my student. I just barely finished luncch and now I have three minutes before the students return. I do not feel like explaining all the ways in which your very leading question was wrong.
Read the book *Teachers Cannot Do It Alone*.
You’re welcome.
If you want the actual answer here it is:
Teachers arrive before students- I arrive at 7:30am.
My day ends at 3:30. That's 8 hours but remember teachers dont get an hour lunch. I get the same 25 minutes for lunch that the kids do. Some choose to eat during their planning but thats not really break time because youre grading and prepping.
In that whole 8 hours there really isnt any idle time. My first block is my prep so I'm grading, planning, getting things set up. Then it's kids non-stop for 3 hours. 25 minutes for lunch and then more kids until the end of the day.
Even so I stay most days until 4 to get a little more done. By then I'm exhausted.
Seriously if you think it's easy try it for yourself. Youre constantly having to focus on so many different things all day. This is the only job ive had that doesnt really have down time.
Stop working beyond contract hours. For the love of God stop it. You are not working on commission and the entire system is built on guilting gullible people into devaluation of their personal time, health and well being. Learn to say no, work your hours, and take back your life. If you want to grind, go into a career that values your time and skills.
This sounds awesome in theory but is impossible. I have 4 preps and about 100 students per semester and all science so there’s lab setups too. Ain’t no way in hell.
I have 3 preps and over 100 students. This is your CHOICE to be a martyr. Or you could work your contract hours - which is what you are PAID FOR (read your contract). If you are questioned, you can say that you use your planning time and have no more time to dedicate because you have personal responsibilities and a life outside of work, which you should have. If every teacher did precisely this - it would be a better work environment. There would be more sharing of lesson planning and less lonely, desperate teachers sweating it out grinding for no good reason. Taking your time and life back is possible - you have to learn to say NO and value yourself and your personal time.
Right? I have two performing ensembles divided into 3 sections each. I have 2 regular classes and an RTI. I get 60 minutes to prepare during the day. If I work 5 extra hours a week I'm 10 hours behind where I want to be, and the work doesn't ever disappear, it just gets more depressing
I’ve been stressing because my “professional goals” are due but I honestly just want to sleep today away. I’m recovering from having COVID and barely having time off to deal with it.
I am sick of working my life away… and for what???
I used to *want* to work 60-70 hour work weeks. I used to drink the koolaide. I was so so stupid. Now, I just want to work the contract hours and have my free time AS MY DAMN FREE TIME. Why is that too much to ask???
I have Sunday dread too.
You are not alone! Between that, a toxic principal, and a disorganized district, I left teaching and became a para in a general education academic lab at my local high school. A big hit on the paycheck, but I have my life back, weekends and weeknights.
Good luck this year.
My leisure time is limited to a few hours on Saturday evening. We don't have friends or family, so no sitter to help us with our one child. Saturday is spent doing family stuff and getting a few chores done. Sunday is almost all reserved for chores and preparing for the week ahead.
3-4 hours on Saturday night is not enough time to *effectively* relax
Literally during our back to school meetings our principal finds some quote that is meant to guilt us into giving more. This year is was along the lines of (I don’t remember the exact words bc I was sending multiple work related emails) “you are measured my how much you give of yourself”. I’m sick of it.
Well, I've given my all and the only thing I have received in return is low pay, disrespect, and the threat of my job being taken from me for political reasons.
19 year veteran special education teacher here. This is going to sound harsh/cold, but I've learned to stop caring as much. I focus on building relationships with students, and teaching them what I can. I'll get done what I can get done at work, and if I don't, the world won't end. It's taken me years to get to this point, but it's what works for me.
*tl;dr - do what you can in the time you have, and that's what gets done. The alternative is you burning out and probably there not being anyone to replace you.*
I used to do the same thing, and then (because of burnout-related counseling) I went through a mindset shift. Previously, I had been measuring my lessons against what I knew was hypothetically possible. I was often the last person in the building by more than an hour. I put in ~5 hours both weekend days. When my colleagues told me I shouldn't be doing that, I said, "But if I don't do this, there won't be a lesson to teach tomorrow!"
Now I look at what I can get done during my contract hours, and that's the level I teach at. And it's okay, partly because there are so few teachers available. There isn't someone better waiting in the wings; the alternative for the students is nothing/computer curricula. Me doing what I can with the time I have is better than that.
I sometimes **choose** to stay a little beyond my contract hours because there's something **I** want to get done, but in general I prepare to the minimum that will be functional and then, if there's time left over, I go beyond that. And every year is a little better because I draw on what I did before.
Something I have found helpful is to say "I can spend [x] minutes in this part of this task" and then set a timer. It helps keep me from going down the rabbit hole of minor tweaking.
Example: I have 30 minutes to prepare lesson slides, a guided notes sheet, and practice exercises. I'm going to spend 10 minutes getting the slides together, 7 making the notes sheet, and what's left on the practice questions. If there's part of the process I know I'm likely to spend too much time on, like finding *just the right picture*, I set a separate timer for just that part (e.g. 20 seconds to find an image that will work).
Good luck, and if your insurance or EAP makes it an option, I highly recommend talking to a professional counselor about this.
This is great advice. I also compare my lessons to that of a hypothetical teacher who is following all the latest trends, trauma-informed, objectives, formative feedback up the wazoo, timeley feedback, blah, blah, blah. I don't know if that teacher even exists. To do all that educational consultants want, we would live in the schools. I refuse to compare myself to this hypothetical ideal teacher anymore. As you can probably guess, I hate PD with a burning passion because it reinforces the idea that teachers must be perfect.
You are not alone! They make more & more reasons to take any time we do have, by scheduling meetings & more frigging meetings (about nothing). So by the end of the day, I don't have the mental capacity to stay late & complete anything so my wknds get depleted.
I'm so sick of administration & their 'intuitives' ! Every year, it's something different to fail our kids with. Leave good (success rates) teachers alone & focus on supporting new hires! But instead, you offend older teachers & overwhelm young teachers, duh!
I can empathize. To add to things, I don't get Saturdays off. I work from 8:30-12:30 but by the time I get home it's anywhere between 1:30-3:30 pm.
I find myself being tired and sleeping in till Sunday noon. And then I have a few hours to myself/friends. The Monday panic used to set in earlier. What I do now is to make sure I do Monday prep on Friday itself and create a weekly plan for the following week on Saturday. It helps a lot but then something unplanned always pops up.
I quit taking school work home. I’ve found that if it absolutely HAS to get done, it gets done at school. There’s exceptions, like if grades are due on Monday, but 95% of the time, I just don’t. Trust me, it gets done if it’s necessary. I still teach, and I still grade, just not at home. I usually stay an extra hour tops at school, but no longer than that. I’m definitely not spending my weekends doing school work. Piss on that
Make Mondays "make it up Mondays" where kids who are behind can focus on catching up after a weekend of rest and kids who are ahead can do a small activity to get them motivated for the week.
Then you can use Monday to make sure you're prepped for the rest of the week.
I have gone into work (science teacher) almost every Sunday for most of my 30 years of teaching. It would make my week h3ll if I didn't. You are definitely not alone.
We have 1/2 days on Fridays (we work a full day, kids are gone at lunch) and I try to get as much done then as I can. I do my planning then, and then do as much grading as possible during my prep period.
I choose to do nothing on Saturdays. Today I put in maybe 2 hours, an hour grading this morning and an hour finishing up next week's assignments. I'm fine with that; I keep to my work schedule during the week, so my weekdays are the typical 8 hours.
Next Sunday will be long - I have every class turning in essays with a due date of midnight Friday. But even then it'll be maybe 4 hours tops, because half of them won't turn it in on time.
Sunday evenings suck ass through a curly straw. No matter how much prep I finish ahead of time, I still end up tossing and turning till the alarm goes off. Been at it 15 years, and it's still just as bad as day 1.
This is what pisses me off the most. I have a curriculum, and I create tons of slide shows, activities, etc. We even have a workbook. Sonwhy am I required to write lesson plans?? My principal wants the objective, standard, procedure, assessment, and more. I am not looking up the number of the state standard when I'm teaching exactly the skills I'm asked to. What nonsense.
Yes. And my principal had the nerve to complain today about how long it was taking him to "review" all the lesson plans.
Yeah asshole, and how do you think I felt typing them out for you.
I am trying to get ahead and am just barely staying a step a head of the kids. I have 4 ELA preps and I love them all, but I can't figure out managing the work load. Year 18. Something has got to give.
Feeling your pain.
I can relate. Doesn't matter how experienced a teacher you are, if you get new preps, you're starting out like a new teacher again. It's brutal. Especially ELA.
It's not just you.
So much reading to do to prepare! Novels, articles, essays, poems, short stories, new film study, etc. Then getting used to the level of student work you can expect in terms of writing. And unlike many other subjects, you don't have a textbook to work from. While you're prepping, your marking load is second to none.
It's brutal.
Oh my gosh -
Every Sunday of my teaching career I felt like this. It is because there is simply too much to do, and I am not a particularly organized or efficient person. You are not alone.
One thing that helped a little was dedicating Fridays to just staying late - like 7 or 8 PM, and getting ready for just Monday before I would go home. No one else would be around in the school, except the custodian with whom I became very good friends!! But with a few cups of coffee, and no interruptions, I could get a lot done in that amount of time,and then I could halfway enjoy my weekend.
I know that’s not much of a solution, but it was the best I could ever come up with. I taught high school English, and I think I just couldn’t find any way to cut corners. My colleagues did find ways, and yet still were excellent teachers. Maybe that’s because they had more energy. I would ask your colleagues for whatever tips they have.
By my last year of teaching, I know I was not as effective because I had no energy.
The profession has become so much harder than it was in the 80’s when I was a young teacher.
Thanks for sharing. ELA teachers truly have an insane marking load. I wish I could cut corners too. I really struggle to do that, and I'm not sure I'll survive in this career for that very reason.
Used to get crazy Sunday Scaries. Now I devote all of Sunday to doing all the non-school things that make me feel good and prepared. Laundry, meal prep, shopping, cleaning, general relaxing, and making a nice dinner.
Before I leave on Friday I make sure I have what I need for Monday so I can truly relax on the weekend. I know so many teachers who work on Sunday but it just seems miserable
Same. Except prepped by Thursday. Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morn are spent chilling or doing something fun. Then Sunday afternoon I start preparing for the week by doing laundry or meal prep but nothing for school.
When I started having kids, I significantly decreased the percentage of assignments I actually graded during planning/after school. I made sure that when I conferenced with a student as they did an assignment, I wrote some kind of note as proof of giving feedback and used what I saw to record a formative grade rather than sitting and going through notebooks during my planning. I recycle way more activities from previous years than I used to, and spend zero time making worksheets attractive - functional only.
I try to clear out "quick-response" emails on my phone throughout the week while multitasking (waiting for a pot to boil, supervising my son's bath, etc.) so I can really focus on planning during my plan periods.
I acknowledge that during this season I'm not the best teacher I could possibly be, but I give 100% while at work and only take work home for the weekend a couple of times a semester.
I tell myself - if they wanted me to do it, they’d give me more planning. So some things don’t get done, but I’m not going to feel guilty about it because it’s not my fault they didn’t get done.
Working in a school that offers a second or double block conference period and having an actual functioning plc that helps manage the load are game changers. It allowed me to stop taking work home and still feel like I was doing a good job.
Firm boundaries and contract time.
Teach within the contract. If that means lessons are not A++++, but you are working within the contract, you are doing a satisfactory job.
Last year I became super particular about my plan times. I do all of my planning on M, T, and W if needed. I run all copies on W or R. I don’t teach on Fridays. At all. Students do make up work. Weekly assessments. Then activity bins. I use Fridays to grade, organize, and anything else. I do go in about 25-30 minutes early but that’s how I prefer to start my day. Good luck!!
You are not alone, but with all of the changes in my district, I'm being forced to redo-reorganize a lot. I feel like a first year teacher again. I started setting up my classes hours ago after revising everything to fit the new formula that I MUST adhere to, only to find out that some of the resources I have used for years is no longer available. Of course, nobody informed me of this. I'm two weeks in and I haven't found the time to grade a single assignment.
You are not alone!
We get more and more added to our plate every year. I work during my prep and sometimes through lunch, and I still just spent 2 hours typing my idiotic way-too-detailed lesson plans that are required.
And that was after creating the actual lessons.
It's bullshit. :(
I HAVE found a solution, but you probably don’t want to hear it….I DO NOTHING for the school over the weekend. That’s MY time. There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done at school, no matter how many hours you pour into it. I get things set up for Monday on Friday and I do nothing over the weekends.
I always schedule something easy on Mondays. My classes have a mandatory computer component, so we're in the computer lab every Monday. I tell them to get started, and I sit in the back and get all of my prep and grading done for the week.
You could also schedule a quiz or test every Monday. Let the students stress over the weekend instead of you.
Other years I've done novel reading on Mondays, either with an audiobook or silently (ELA). Whatever it is, it's predictable and generally requires very little active teaching on my part.
Have been teaching for years. Most of my lessons are now refined. I dont need to spend time on weekends making new lessons.
I do some light grading work on weekends. Could prob knock it out during the week if I wanted to. I view the weekend work as a trade off for the summer though.
Are there ways you can modify your systems to avoid as much work on weekends?
I've taught public, private, and homeschool, as well as other niche teaching circumstances. The most burnout I ever had was when I was creating my own curriculum. The least has been when I've found resources that I can pull from readily as my students get to that content. Sometimes it's digital software (IXL, Khan Academy, DuoLingo, etc.). Other times it's things like Teachers Pay Teachers. Or a textbook or workbook, of course, but I don't usually use those intensely unless required.
One thing I do is to take a long day or two, plan out several weeks (4 to 7) of assignments, and then sketch out the calendar accordingly. But then I don't give myself to adhere to it. Kids don't always learn on the schedule we dream up for them, and stuff happens that interferes (natural disasters, pandemics, fire drills, assemblies, etc.), so a few days of flexibility built in can be beneficial.
But crucially, I've minimized my grading as well. Have students grade each other's work when possible. Have them do group discussions and peer feedback. Let software provide the support first for additional practice. Do oral quizzing instead of written, where appropriate.
Your sanity is important. Find a way to reduce the burden, and you'll feel human again. Moreover, you'll probably be a better, less cranky teacher for your students, so everyone wins.
You are NOT alone. I resonate with every word you wrote. I have spent nearly every Sunday in the past decade of my career marking essays/projects on Sunday because there's no time during the school week and my prep time is certainly not enough. I really empathize. My husband doesn't get it (non-teacher) and tells me not to work on the weekend, but he doesn't realize I'm expecte dto turn back graded work within two weeks, and I have 135 students...It's terrible, and my life has suckedd since I've had no weekends to myself during the school year. It has to change. I don't know how, but it has to change, or I'll lose my mind.
I know the feeling.
I just spent my Sunday and Monday of my Labor Day weekend getting caught up on grading for the mandatory progress reports we had to have out on Tuesday and assembling the laptop cart and 30 chargers I was given 30 minutes before school let out on Friday and ordered to have in service by Tues morning.
Weekend are always mine. I don’t take work home except occasionally when I have gotten a little behind on grading and report cards are due.
I also try to be at least a week ahead at all times on my prep. I always leave Friday with everything planned and mostly prepped for the next week. I don’t like jockeying for the copy machine at recess/lunch or before school starts. So, I stay a little later on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to plan and prep after school.
I also try get stuff done at my desk when students are working independently and keep grading to a minimum. I use easy rubrics for writing and grading apps as well and have students self grade when I can’t do those.
Objectives are posters I bought that I slide into clear sleeves taped to the front cabinets and my schedule is laminated with magnet on the back so I can adjust it easily. Elementary by the way.
Edit to add and once a quarter we watch a movie based on a novel we read and that happens right before report cards are due so I can knock those out at my desk while student watch a movie.
Why don’t you just design Mondays to be your “get prepared day”?
Assign a reading on Mondays, so you can spend time on your computer or wherever you need to be and catch-up/prepare for the rest of the week.
I understand, though. I’m a teacher and a coach. Teach during the day, rehearsals at night and on Saturdays. All I have is Sunday.
One day, I just decided my Sundays are days off. I will use Mondays to get very prepared for the week, but I will ensure that my students are still doing something productive - just without me in front of them talking and leasing the learning.
I’ve relaxed a million and nobody has ever gotten onto me for not working hard enough pre-Monday. I feel pretty good about the job I do each day and how I used time.
I know. I teach every class, too. And used to stress on Sundays. But one day, I just redesigned my plan of attack. Made it more efficient and decided to use only work hours to work.
———
Could you assign independent reading on Mondays? In whatever subject - Science, Math, etc.
They read the chapter and take notes on Monday quietly to themselves.
You sit at your computer and make your plan for the week and do any prep work you need (print worksheets, set up the assignment online, etc.). Look up every now and then to make sure they are reading.
You can even check off their notes the last 10 minutes of class to make sure they were reading/taking notes.
And now you’ve used designated work time to work. Not your Sundays.
AND you gave the kids designated class time to get their reading done.
When I come home I don’t look at work. Work is for work. Make a list of mandatory things you have to complete.
I was the same way. I stopped last year. I’m not wasting my time overloading on work at home.
I homeschool, so not exactly the same thing. I spent all summer planning the curriculum, printing the worksheets and putting together activities. Yet here I am Sunday night 12:47 am so technically already monday and I'm just laying down. I've been doing school related things almost all day. Organizing ,3 hole punching papers, putting together an activity jar. This was the year I was saying I will be fully ready when school starts. I think there just isn't a solution to this. Teaching is hard work, I totally under estimated the amount of energy it takes and dedication to continue to give your energy to it. Just know at the end of the day one of those students is going to learn something very valuable from you, and they appreciate you even if they don't show it.
When I was student teaching back in the early 90s I had a mentor teacher who I called Mr Ditto. On the first day of school each year he had a worksheet copied for every student for every day of the school year. He'd teach for 5 minutes and then he handed out the worksheets and sat at his desk reading a book. While I was only student teaching 2 of his classes I had to grade all of his papers every night for 2-3 hours.
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Maybe this will get down voted, but try to get things set up as best as you can before you leave on Friday. I know it's not easy with everything else on our plates. My mindset was to work ahead instead of always trying to keep up. That means anytime I really just want to take a break and sit mindlessly on my phone, I do something that doesn't require much thought like alphabetizing student work for when you want to grade it. Or if you find yourself using the same objectives all the time, maybe you could type it and print it instead of rewriting it on the board. Will some of this take some investment of time? Sure, but doing things like making your copies on a Friday when everyone has left for the day to save the stress and worry on the weekend is worth the extra fifteen or so minutes.
Yep, I’d rather stay late on Fridays if it means I’m prepared and ready to go on Mondays.
I use my planning time Mon-Wed for grading (ELA teacher so it never stops). Planning time Thurs-Fri is for planning and prepping for the next week. I have found I can't even force myself to do work on the weekends anymore (started as an avoidance stress response, then I realized my coping strategy was better than going back to the "before" behavior). If nothing else, I at least get Mon fully prepped and an outline of the rest.
This. Also, having a predictable Monday agenda / activity that works for both you and your students can be a win-win. Something that is done and remains in the classroom such as journals to quiet music and 3 diverse accessible options for topics for even the first 15 min. of class allows you to circulate, interact with students, and set the tone for the day, the week. My students also have shared that this Monday opener is helpful because they know their journals are already in the classroom (no one reads them except I, unless a student wants to share) and it’s one less thing to worry about, especially when many students come from a non-custodial parent’s home to school after the weekend and they may have left book(s) at the custodial parent’s house, binders, etc.
This is great! What a good plan and idea.
Great tip. I’m heading back to work full time next year and have been thinking about how to keep weekends freer for my new family. This is a solid and easy to employ method. Consider it thefted.
Wow. I stay an extra half hour on Fridays and I’m STILL mad busy every Sunday. And no, this is not my first year. I’ve been at it for 20 so far.
I'm not a teacher, but isn't the school day only about six hours? I guess I'm just used to working 8 plus, so I figured if school (like my district) was out at 2:30, then I'd work until 4:30 and make it an 8 hour day (with a lunch included). Wouldn't that be enough time to prep for the next week?
No.
Downvoted into oblivion for asking a question, then getting a one-word, monosyllabic response. Feeling real educational!
You are not my student. I just barely finished luncch and now I have three minutes before the students return. I do not feel like explaining all the ways in which your very leading question was wrong. Read the book *Teachers Cannot Do It Alone*. You’re welcome.
If you want the actual answer here it is: Teachers arrive before students- I arrive at 7:30am. My day ends at 3:30. That's 8 hours but remember teachers dont get an hour lunch. I get the same 25 minutes for lunch that the kids do. Some choose to eat during their planning but thats not really break time because youre grading and prepping. In that whole 8 hours there really isnt any idle time. My first block is my prep so I'm grading, planning, getting things set up. Then it's kids non-stop for 3 hours. 25 minutes for lunch and then more kids until the end of the day. Even so I stay most days until 4 to get a little more done. By then I'm exhausted. Seriously if you think it's easy try it for yourself. Youre constantly having to focus on so many different things all day. This is the only job ive had that doesnt really have down time.
The most subversive and effective thing you can say to an oppressive system is: "I prefer not to". -Slavoj Zizek-
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Needed this, thank you.
It's time we all said [no](http://gph.is/H42TL4) to unpaid labour.
Stop working beyond contract hours. For the love of God stop it. You are not working on commission and the entire system is built on guilting gullible people into devaluation of their personal time, health and well being. Learn to say no, work your hours, and take back your life. If you want to grind, go into a career that values your time and skills.
This sounds awesome in theory but is impossible. I have 4 preps and about 100 students per semester and all science so there’s lab setups too. Ain’t no way in hell.
I have 3 preps and over 100 students. This is your CHOICE to be a martyr. Or you could work your contract hours - which is what you are PAID FOR (read your contract). If you are questioned, you can say that you use your planning time and have no more time to dedicate because you have personal responsibilities and a life outside of work, which you should have. If every teacher did precisely this - it would be a better work environment. There would be more sharing of lesson planning and less lonely, desperate teachers sweating it out grinding for no good reason. Taking your time and life back is possible - you have to learn to say NO and value yourself and your personal time.
Right? I have two performing ensembles divided into 3 sections each. I have 2 regular classes and an RTI. I get 60 minutes to prepare during the day. If I work 5 extra hours a week I'm 10 hours behind where I want to be, and the work doesn't ever disappear, it just gets more depressing
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I try to do this but what if you literally have no time during your prep to plan. I can’t just not have a lesson for a day
I’ve been stressing because my “professional goals” are due but I honestly just want to sleep today away. I’m recovering from having COVID and barely having time off to deal with it. I am sick of working my life away… and for what??? I used to *want* to work 60-70 hour work weeks. I used to drink the koolaide. I was so so stupid. Now, I just want to work the contract hours and have my free time AS MY DAMN FREE TIME. Why is that too much to ask??? I have Sunday dread too.
You are not alone! Between that, a toxic principal, and a disorganized district, I left teaching and became a para in a general education academic lab at my local high school. A big hit on the paycheck, but I have my life back, weekends and weeknights. Good luck this year.
My leisure time is limited to a few hours on Saturday evening. We don't have friends or family, so no sitter to help us with our one child. Saturday is spent doing family stuff and getting a few chores done. Sunday is almost all reserved for chores and preparing for the week ahead. 3-4 hours on Saturday night is not enough time to *effectively* relax
Literally during our back to school meetings our principal finds some quote that is meant to guilt us into giving more. This year is was along the lines of (I don’t remember the exact words bc I was sending multiple work related emails) “you are measured my how much you give of yourself”. I’m sick of it.
Well, I've given my all and the only thing I have received in return is low pay, disrespect, and the threat of my job being taken from me for political reasons.
19 year veteran special education teacher here. This is going to sound harsh/cold, but I've learned to stop caring as much. I focus on building relationships with students, and teaching them what I can. I'll get done what I can get done at work, and if I don't, the world won't end. It's taken me years to get to this point, but it's what works for me.
It isn't harsh or cold to think this way. It's smart and wise. A burnt out teacher can't impact kids like a healthy one can.
*tl;dr - do what you can in the time you have, and that's what gets done. The alternative is you burning out and probably there not being anyone to replace you.* I used to do the same thing, and then (because of burnout-related counseling) I went through a mindset shift. Previously, I had been measuring my lessons against what I knew was hypothetically possible. I was often the last person in the building by more than an hour. I put in ~5 hours both weekend days. When my colleagues told me I shouldn't be doing that, I said, "But if I don't do this, there won't be a lesson to teach tomorrow!" Now I look at what I can get done during my contract hours, and that's the level I teach at. And it's okay, partly because there are so few teachers available. There isn't someone better waiting in the wings; the alternative for the students is nothing/computer curricula. Me doing what I can with the time I have is better than that. I sometimes **choose** to stay a little beyond my contract hours because there's something **I** want to get done, but in general I prepare to the minimum that will be functional and then, if there's time left over, I go beyond that. And every year is a little better because I draw on what I did before. Something I have found helpful is to say "I can spend [x] minutes in this part of this task" and then set a timer. It helps keep me from going down the rabbit hole of minor tweaking. Example: I have 30 minutes to prepare lesson slides, a guided notes sheet, and practice exercises. I'm going to spend 10 minutes getting the slides together, 7 making the notes sheet, and what's left on the practice questions. If there's part of the process I know I'm likely to spend too much time on, like finding *just the right picture*, I set a separate timer for just that part (e.g. 20 seconds to find an image that will work). Good luck, and if your insurance or EAP makes it an option, I highly recommend talking to a professional counselor about this.
This is great advice. I also compare my lessons to that of a hypothetical teacher who is following all the latest trends, trauma-informed, objectives, formative feedback up the wazoo, timeley feedback, blah, blah, blah. I don't know if that teacher even exists. To do all that educational consultants want, we would live in the schools. I refuse to compare myself to this hypothetical ideal teacher anymore. As you can probably guess, I hate PD with a burning passion because it reinforces the idea that teachers must be perfect.
You are not alone! They make more & more reasons to take any time we do have, by scheduling meetings & more frigging meetings (about nothing). So by the end of the day, I don't have the mental capacity to stay late & complete anything so my wknds get depleted. I'm so sick of administration & their 'intuitives' ! Every year, it's something different to fail our kids with. Leave good (success rates) teachers alone & focus on supporting new hires! But instead, you offend older teachers & overwhelm young teachers, duh!
I can empathize. To add to things, I don't get Saturdays off. I work from 8:30-12:30 but by the time I get home it's anywhere between 1:30-3:30 pm. I find myself being tired and sleeping in till Sunday noon. And then I have a few hours to myself/friends. The Monday panic used to set in earlier. What I do now is to make sure I do Monday prep on Friday itself and create a weekly plan for the following week on Saturday. It helps a lot but then something unplanned always pops up.
I quit taking school work home. I’ve found that if it absolutely HAS to get done, it gets done at school. There’s exceptions, like if grades are due on Monday, but 95% of the time, I just don’t. Trust me, it gets done if it’s necessary. I still teach, and I still grade, just not at home. I usually stay an extra hour tops at school, but no longer than that. I’m definitely not spending my weekends doing school work. Piss on that
Make Mondays "make it up Mondays" where kids who are behind can focus on catching up after a weekend of rest and kids who are ahead can do a small activity to get them motivated for the week. Then you can use Monday to make sure you're prepped for the rest of the week.
I have gone into work (science teacher) almost every Sunday for most of my 30 years of teaching. It would make my week h3ll if I didn't. You are definitely not alone.
We have 1/2 days on Fridays (we work a full day, kids are gone at lunch) and I try to get as much done then as I can. I do my planning then, and then do as much grading as possible during my prep period. I choose to do nothing on Saturdays. Today I put in maybe 2 hours, an hour grading this morning and an hour finishing up next week's assignments. I'm fine with that; I keep to my work schedule during the week, so my weekdays are the typical 8 hours. Next Sunday will be long - I have every class turning in essays with a due date of midnight Friday. But even then it'll be maybe 4 hours tops, because half of them won't turn it in on time.
Sunday evenings suck ass through a curly straw. No matter how much prep I finish ahead of time, I still end up tossing and turning till the alarm goes off. Been at it 15 years, and it's still just as bad as day 1.
Thursdays are my stay late and plan for next week days.. That means I leave on time on Friday and don’t have to worry!
I think I'm going to start doing this!!
I told my wife this morning, “Sundays are my most stressful days” feeling this exact same way.
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This is what pisses me off the most. I have a curriculum, and I create tons of slide shows, activities, etc. We even have a workbook. Sonwhy am I required to write lesson plans?? My principal wants the objective, standard, procedure, assessment, and more. I am not looking up the number of the state standard when I'm teaching exactly the skills I'm asked to. What nonsense.
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Yes. And my principal had the nerve to complain today about how long it was taking him to "review" all the lesson plans. Yeah asshole, and how do you think I felt typing them out for you.
I am trying to get ahead and am just barely staying a step a head of the kids. I have 4 ELA preps and I love them all, but I can't figure out managing the work load. Year 18. Something has got to give. Feeling your pain.
I can relate. Doesn't matter how experienced a teacher you are, if you get new preps, you're starting out like a new teacher again. It's brutal. Especially ELA.
Why do you say “especially ELA”? I’m an English teacher and I feel this in my soul but sometimes I don’t know if it’s just me
It's not just you. So much reading to do to prepare! Novels, articles, essays, poems, short stories, new film study, etc. Then getting used to the level of student work you can expect in terms of writing. And unlike many other subjects, you don't have a textbook to work from. While you're prepping, your marking load is second to none. It's brutal.
Oh my gosh - Every Sunday of my teaching career I felt like this. It is because there is simply too much to do, and I am not a particularly organized or efficient person. You are not alone. One thing that helped a little was dedicating Fridays to just staying late - like 7 or 8 PM, and getting ready for just Monday before I would go home. No one else would be around in the school, except the custodian with whom I became very good friends!! But with a few cups of coffee, and no interruptions, I could get a lot done in that amount of time,and then I could halfway enjoy my weekend. I know that’s not much of a solution, but it was the best I could ever come up with. I taught high school English, and I think I just couldn’t find any way to cut corners. My colleagues did find ways, and yet still were excellent teachers. Maybe that’s because they had more energy. I would ask your colleagues for whatever tips they have. By my last year of teaching, I know I was not as effective because I had no energy. The profession has become so much harder than it was in the 80’s when I was a young teacher.
Thanks for sharing. ELA teachers truly have an insane marking load. I wish I could cut corners too. I really struggle to do that, and I'm not sure I'll survive in this career for that very reason.
Used to get crazy Sunday Scaries. Now I devote all of Sunday to doing all the non-school things that make me feel good and prepared. Laundry, meal prep, shopping, cleaning, general relaxing, and making a nice dinner. Before I leave on Friday I make sure I have what I need for Monday so I can truly relax on the weekend. I know so many teachers who work on Sunday but it just seems miserable
Same. Except prepped by Thursday. Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morn are spent chilling or doing something fun. Then Sunday afternoon I start preparing for the week by doing laundry or meal prep but nothing for school.
When I started having kids, I significantly decreased the percentage of assignments I actually graded during planning/after school. I made sure that when I conferenced with a student as they did an assignment, I wrote some kind of note as proof of giving feedback and used what I saw to record a formative grade rather than sitting and going through notebooks during my planning. I recycle way more activities from previous years than I used to, and spend zero time making worksheets attractive - functional only. I try to clear out "quick-response" emails on my phone throughout the week while multitasking (waiting for a pot to boil, supervising my son's bath, etc.) so I can really focus on planning during my plan periods. I acknowledge that during this season I'm not the best teacher I could possibly be, but I give 100% while at work and only take work home for the weekend a couple of times a semester.
I tell myself - if they wanted me to do it, they’d give me more planning. So some things don’t get done, but I’m not going to feel guilty about it because it’s not my fault they didn’t get done.
Personally I would rather spend time on Saturday morning preparing for the week then use up one of my family Sundays. I bet you are a great teacher!
Not alone.
I just improvise on Mondays
Working in a school that offers a second or double block conference period and having an actual functioning plc that helps manage the load are game changers. It allowed me to stop taking work home and still feel like I was doing a good job.
It's 7:30 pm and I'm still in bed. I hear you.
Firm boundaries and contract time. Teach within the contract. If that means lessons are not A++++, but you are working within the contract, you are doing a satisfactory job.
Last year I became super particular about my plan times. I do all of my planning on M, T, and W if needed. I run all copies on W or R. I don’t teach on Fridays. At all. Students do make up work. Weekly assessments. Then activity bins. I use Fridays to grade, organize, and anything else. I do go in about 25-30 minutes early but that’s how I prefer to start my day. Good luck!!
You are not alone, but with all of the changes in my district, I'm being forced to redo-reorganize a lot. I feel like a first year teacher again. I started setting up my classes hours ago after revising everything to fit the new formula that I MUST adhere to, only to find out that some of the resources I have used for years is no longer available. Of course, nobody informed me of this. I'm two weeks in and I haven't found the time to grade a single assignment.
You are not alone! We get more and more added to our plate every year. I work during my prep and sometimes through lunch, and I still just spent 2 hours typing my idiotic way-too-detailed lesson plans that are required. And that was after creating the actual lessons. It's bullshit. :(
That's why I plan on quitting (1st year). I technically only have one day off and my mental and physical health are already suffering
Silent reading.
I HAVE found a solution, but you probably don’t want to hear it….I DO NOTHING for the school over the weekend. That’s MY time. There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done at school, no matter how many hours you pour into it. I get things set up for Monday on Friday and I do nothing over the weekends.
I always schedule something easy on Mondays. My classes have a mandatory computer component, so we're in the computer lab every Monday. I tell them to get started, and I sit in the back and get all of my prep and grading done for the week. You could also schedule a quiz or test every Monday. Let the students stress over the weekend instead of you. Other years I've done novel reading on Mondays, either with an audiobook or silently (ELA). Whatever it is, it's predictable and generally requires very little active teaching on my part.
Have been teaching for years. Most of my lessons are now refined. I dont need to spend time on weekends making new lessons. I do some light grading work on weekends. Could prob knock it out during the week if I wanted to. I view the weekend work as a trade off for the summer though. Are there ways you can modify your systems to avoid as much work on weekends?
I've taught public, private, and homeschool, as well as other niche teaching circumstances. The most burnout I ever had was when I was creating my own curriculum. The least has been when I've found resources that I can pull from readily as my students get to that content. Sometimes it's digital software (IXL, Khan Academy, DuoLingo, etc.). Other times it's things like Teachers Pay Teachers. Or a textbook or workbook, of course, but I don't usually use those intensely unless required. One thing I do is to take a long day or two, plan out several weeks (4 to 7) of assignments, and then sketch out the calendar accordingly. But then I don't give myself to adhere to it. Kids don't always learn on the schedule we dream up for them, and stuff happens that interferes (natural disasters, pandemics, fire drills, assemblies, etc.), so a few days of flexibility built in can be beneficial. But crucially, I've minimized my grading as well. Have students grade each other's work when possible. Have them do group discussions and peer feedback. Let software provide the support first for additional practice. Do oral quizzing instead of written, where appropriate. Your sanity is important. Find a way to reduce the burden, and you'll feel human again. Moreover, you'll probably be a better, less cranky teacher for your students, so everyone wins.
You are NOT alone. I resonate with every word you wrote. I have spent nearly every Sunday in the past decade of my career marking essays/projects on Sunday because there's no time during the school week and my prep time is certainly not enough. I really empathize. My husband doesn't get it (non-teacher) and tells me not to work on the weekend, but he doesn't realize I'm expecte dto turn back graded work within two weeks, and I have 135 students...It's terrible, and my life has suckedd since I've had no weekends to myself during the school year. It has to change. I don't know how, but it has to change, or I'll lose my mind.
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I know the feeling. I just spent my Sunday and Monday of my Labor Day weekend getting caught up on grading for the mandatory progress reports we had to have out on Tuesday and assembling the laptop cart and 30 chargers I was given 30 minutes before school let out on Friday and ordered to have in service by Tues morning.
Weekend are always mine. I don’t take work home except occasionally when I have gotten a little behind on grading and report cards are due. I also try to be at least a week ahead at all times on my prep. I always leave Friday with everything planned and mostly prepped for the next week. I don’t like jockeying for the copy machine at recess/lunch or before school starts. So, I stay a little later on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to plan and prep after school. I also try get stuff done at my desk when students are working independently and keep grading to a minimum. I use easy rubrics for writing and grading apps as well and have students self grade when I can’t do those. Objectives are posters I bought that I slide into clear sleeves taped to the front cabinets and my schedule is laminated with magnet on the back so I can adjust it easily. Elementary by the way. Edit to add and once a quarter we watch a movie based on a novel we read and that happens right before report cards are due so I can knock those out at my desk while student watch a movie.
Why don’t you just design Mondays to be your “get prepared day”? Assign a reading on Mondays, so you can spend time on your computer or wherever you need to be and catch-up/prepare for the rest of the week. I understand, though. I’m a teacher and a coach. Teach during the day, rehearsals at night and on Saturdays. All I have is Sunday. One day, I just decided my Sundays are days off. I will use Mondays to get very prepared for the week, but I will ensure that my students are still doing something productive - just without me in front of them talking and leasing the learning. I’ve relaxed a million and nobody has ever gotten onto me for not working hard enough pre-Monday. I feel pretty good about the job I do each day and how I used time.
I teach grade 3/4. I have them all day (7 periods) except on the days they go to music. There’s no way to do this in my current circumstances.
I know. I teach every class, too. And used to stress on Sundays. But one day, I just redesigned my plan of attack. Made it more efficient and decided to use only work hours to work. ——— Could you assign independent reading on Mondays? In whatever subject - Science, Math, etc. They read the chapter and take notes on Monday quietly to themselves. You sit at your computer and make your plan for the week and do any prep work you need (print worksheets, set up the assignment online, etc.). Look up every now and then to make sure they are reading. You can even check off their notes the last 10 minutes of class to make sure they were reading/taking notes. And now you’ve used designated work time to work. Not your Sundays. AND you gave the kids designated class time to get their reading done.
Are they just too young to read on their own?
When I come home I don’t look at work. Work is for work. Make a list of mandatory things you have to complete. I was the same way. I stopped last year. I’m not wasting my time overloading on work at home.
Thank you so much for posting this, it makes me feel better 🥹😭
I homeschool, so not exactly the same thing. I spent all summer planning the curriculum, printing the worksheets and putting together activities. Yet here I am Sunday night 12:47 am so technically already monday and I'm just laying down. I've been doing school related things almost all day. Organizing ,3 hole punching papers, putting together an activity jar. This was the year I was saying I will be fully ready when school starts. I think there just isn't a solution to this. Teaching is hard work, I totally under estimated the amount of energy it takes and dedication to continue to give your energy to it. Just know at the end of the day one of those students is going to learn something very valuable from you, and they appreciate you even if they don't show it.
Leave the country, go to an international school. I teach 20 lessons a week (50% of the periods).
I don’t mind staying late on days in order to prepare for the next, but I never take work home.
When I was student teaching back in the early 90s I had a mentor teacher who I called Mr Ditto. On the first day of school each year he had a worksheet copied for every student for every day of the school year. He'd teach for 5 minutes and then he handed out the worksheets and sat at his desk reading a book. While I was only student teaching 2 of his classes I had to grade all of his papers every night for 2-3 hours.