Last Week at One Schoolhouse: 80% Report Moderate or Complete Burnout - Here's How to Help

More than ever, how we lead and support ourselves and our faculty will have a big influence on how our schools recover from the pandemics. Last week at One Schoolhouse we asked, "w here are you on a burnout scale and what action is your school taking to address burnout? " Not surprisingly, 80% of respondents reported being moderately or completely burned out. Burnout isn’t a buzzword of the moment. It’s a real phenomenon that can take a toll on both physical and mental health. Here are some of the way your colleagues around the country are addressing burnout at their schools taken from last week's pulse survey: We have a full-time substitute on staff available to cover classes when teachers are out. Instituted a new, week-long fall break; Modified schedule on Wednesdays for community building; Flexible scheduling for teachers around instructional periods; Minimizing student coverage responsibilities; Incorporating a team of parent volunteers to supervise study periods and provide teachers reprieve during the instructional day. Writing thank you notes, chocolate, covering some duties, relaxing the dress code, emphasizing self-care and making time for it as part of faculty meetings, listening. Community care - we check-in on each other through mixed faculty/staff pods. We remind each other to get off the computers. We bring fun into our (virtual) faculty meetings (share memes, do face massages) and share strategies for doing our work more efficiently. Considering ways to adjust the schedule to provide teachers with more flexible time. Limiting PD options and meetings, but still encouraging teachers to pursue their interests as their bandwidth will allow. Promoting peer learning, in-house to reduce time commitments. Ways to Engage: Building Trust With Faculty: Critical Skills for Challenging Times : Now is the time to develop strategies that build healthy and supportive trusting relationships with your teachers , which will help address burnout. When teachers thrive, so can students. Course starts tomorrow, register today! Course dates: October 12 - 18, 2020 Register for Building Trust with Faculty Resources to Read: Burning Out : This InsideHigherEd notes that faculty burnout is always a real threat, but especially now, and schools (and Academic Leaders) should act before it’s too late. The Three Lessons That 2020 Has Taught Every University President : This Forbes article on three simple, time-tested rules for effective leadership at any time. Listen in order to lead. Make plans but stay flexible. Practice what you preach. Did you miss Wednesday's Academic Leaders Webinar with Lorri Palko on this topic of faculty morale and what you can do to help? Watch the recording posted here. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Burnout isn’t a buzzword of the moment. It’s a real phenomenon that can take a toll on both physical and mental health. Here are some of the way your colleagues around the country are addressing burnout at their schools taken from last week's pulse survey:

We have a full-time substitute on staff available to cover classes when teachers are out.
Instituted a new, week-long fall break; Modified schedule on Wednesdays for community building; Flexible scheduling for teachers around instructional periods; Minimizing student coverage responsibilities; Incorporating a team of parent volunteers to supervise study periods and provide teachers reprieve during the instructional day.
Writing thank you notes, chocolate, covering some duties, relaxing the dress code, emphasizing self-care and making time for it as part of faculty meetings, listening.
Community care - we check-in on each other through mixed faculty/staff pods. We remind each other to get off the computers. We bring fun into our (virtual) faculty meetings (share memes, do face massages) and share strategies for doing our work more efficiently.
Considering ways to adjust the schedule to provide teachers with more flexible time. Limiting PD options and meetings, but still encouraging teachers to pursue their interests as their bandwidth will allow. Promoting peer learning, in-house to reduce time commitments.

Ways to Engage:

Building Trust With Faculty: Critical Skills for Challenging Times: Now is the time to develop strategies that build healthy and supportive trusting relationships with your teachers, which will help address burnout. When teachers thrive, so can students. Course starts tomorrow, register today! Course dates: October 12 - 18, 2020

Resources to Read:

Burning Out: This InsideHigherEd notes that faculty burnout is always a real threat, but especially now, and schools (and Academic Leaders) should act before it’s too late.
The Three Lessons That 2020 Has Taught Every University President: This Forbes article on three simple, time-tested rules for effective leadership at any time. Listen in order to lead. Make plans but stay flexible. Practice what you preach.

Did you miss Wednesday's Academic Leaders Webinar with Lorri Palko on this topic of faculty morale and what you can do to help? Watch the recording posted here.