Everywhere I turn, I see the signs of teacher burnout.
In person and online…
We are overwhelmed (with student issues, new initiatives and changing standards), overworked (with countless papers to correct, forms to complete and duties to cover that do nothing to help us to teach) and expected to deal with situations we were just not ready for (a student that bites or throws scissors depending on the situation, students with trauma and PTSD, constant screaming in the halls that we are expect edto ignore. “The student is safe. There are adults helping him.”)
I’ve seen countless posts on social media that speak to these issues, just in the last couple of weeks.
Look:
These 3 posts about teacher burnout were put up by 3 different teachers on 3 different days…and they weren’t the only ones.
We are dealing with a crisis here and while we CAN’T control the regulations (although we can work hard to create change) we CAN help ourselves when we need it.
That is one of the main reasons why the SEAL Retreat was born. Four years ago, after listening to what teachers felt they needed, I got work on creating a retreat experience that would help teachers to unwind, get creative, learn new activities and strategies and go back to their classroom feeling refreshed.
And since then, I have been told that this SEAL Retreat has actually helped prevent teacher burnout.
Why? Well, I think there are a couple of reasons:
1) The SEAL Retreat is like a little vacation. You get excited to go, you enjoy it while you are there and after it’s done, those feelings carry over into your life. Good vacations, no matter how small, can truly help to renew your spirit.
2) It fills you with new ideas, and new ideas refresh the work you are already doing. Plus, when you experience the activities (like we do at these retreats) you are much more inspired and motivated to try them out in your classrooms.
3) It provides you with a safe community to be creative and interact with other educators who are in the same boat as you! And we all know how having a safe community can help support you in times of stress.
4) It gives you an outlet. The SEAL Retreat always has new ways for you to be creative and express your ideas, emotions and needs as a teacher WHILE teaching you new ideas for your classroom. You can drum, move, color, act, write, talk and also relax.
Ruby L., a repeater retreater and elementary classroom teacher said it best after attending her first SEAL Retreat:
“This was the best professional development because it refueled my teaching soul.”
Another repeater retreater, Mary R., who is a high school art teacher, keeps coming back because she knows how much she needs this time AND how it affects the work she does in her classroom:
When we do something that fulfills ourself both professionally and personally, the outcome is beautiful and refreshing. Teachers keep saying how much they needed this time to both relax and work, create and learn, play and discover more ways to help themselves to grow and their students to thrive in the classroom.
So now it’s YOUR turn!
Are you ready to do something that will help you grow as an educator and help to prevent that feeling of teacher burnout?
AWESOME!
For more information about this year’s workshops and schedule, click the “Upcoming Retreat” button.
If you are ready to register now, SWEEET! Click the “Register for the Retreat” button instead!
I’m looking forward to seeing you then!
