What is the Teacher Recharge Framework?

When the demands of your work exceed your resources to navigate those demands, you can become depleted and disengaged. If this persists over time, you are in danger of experiencing burnout, which impacts physical and mental health. Teaching is demanding work, both physically and emotionally. There are two ways to reduce the likelihood of burning out.  One is to decrease the demands; the other is to increase resources.

For teachers, many demands are inherent in the role. Trying to meet the needs of multiple students with individual needs, interests, and goals can be overwhelming. Managing parent communication, providing feedback on assignments, extracurricular activities, and meetings are additional demands at the end of the day. It’s natural to feel tired at times. It’s normal to feel stressed at times, but those feelings should be temporary, not persistent. Some of the demands can be lessened by school, district, and state leaders. For example, reducing class sizes, increasing support staff, and eliminating unnecessary administrative tasks can make the work more manageable. As teachers, we can advocate for our needs, but the demands of our work are often outside our control. The second way to reduce the likelihood of burnout is to develop the resources needed to navigate the demands more effectively.

What resources are most useful in moving from depleted and disengaged to energized and engaged? Three areas of focus are supported by research. The first is relationships. Strong relationships with students and colleagues are a buffer against stress and isolation. The second area is reframing. When teachers practice viewing challenges as opportunities to help students grow or to grow themselves, they stay more engaged in the work. The third is resilience. Building inner resilience gives teachers the resources to navigate the demands of the work and bounce back from adversity. How can focusing on these three areas keep your teacher battery charged?

Building Strong Relationships

Positive relationships between students and teachers foster a supportive and inclusive classroom environment where students feel comfortable expressing ideas, asking questions, and engaging in learning. This contributes to a positive classroom culture that benefits both students and teachers. Strong relationships lead to better academic, social, and emotional outcomes for students. Teachers who build strong relationships with their students are better able to provide emotional support and guidance when students face challenges or difficulties. Knowing that they have a caring and supportive teacher can help students navigate academic and personal challenges more effectively. Positive relationships between students and teachers can lead to less conflict, as students are more likely to comply with rules and requests. For teachers, building strong relationships with students increases satisfaction and a sense of purpose. When teachers feel connected to their students and see the positive impact they have on students’ lives, job satisfaction and engagement increase.

Building strong relationships with colleagues is also important for keeping your teacher battery charged. Strong relationships with colleagues are essential for fostering professional growth, providing support and encouragement, solving problems collaboratively, and promoting positive school culture. Teaching can be a challenging profession, and having a network of supportive colleagues can provide emotional support and encouragement during difficult times. Strong relationships with colleagues create a sense of camaraderie and solidarity, making it easier for teachers to navigate the ups and downs of the profession.

To build strong, supportive relationships, focus on presence, connection, and energy.

Practicing Reframing

One thing is certain in teaching - you will face challenges every day. Hidden in each challenge is an opportunity to help your students grow or to grow yourself as a person and professional. When you view challenges as frustrations or disruptions to the work, you can feel defeated and depleted. When you view challenges as opportunities, you can feel empowered and energized. Finding opportunities in challenges requires pausing to recognize and regulate emotions, then getting curious about the possibilities.

Teaching is full of challenges, and big challenges are often accompanied by big emotions. It’s hard work, and it’s heart work. That’s why the first step in reframing is the pause. When an unexpected challenge occurs, a pause makes the difference between an unhelpful reaction and a helpful response. An unexpected challenge brings uncertainty, and our brains don’t like uncertainty. That’s why our brains search through our past experiences and patterns to devise an explanation. But with practice, we have the power to pause, get curious, and construct a different explanation.

Regulating emotions doesn’t mean ignoring them. It means navigating them by consciously deciding what they mean and choosing the most helpful response. Curiosity is a beneficial stance for teachers because inaccurate assumptions can damage relationships. Good decisions are based on accurate information, and curiosity can lead you to the information you need. Curiosity fosters a continuous learning orientation, too. When you are curious, you are more inclined to view setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than failures. This mindset shift enables you to bounce back more quickly from adversity.

To practice reframing, first pause then ponder. Then persist in regulating emotions and taking a curious stance.

Fostering Resilience

Resilient teachers are better equipped to handle the challenges they face , such as classroom management issues, student behavior, instructional challenges, workload pressures, and societal expectations. By developing resilience, teachers are more likely to be effective in the classroom and stay in the profession longer. In order to teach well, you need to be well. Developing the inner resources that contribute to resilience is good for your body, mind, and soul.

Education is constantly evolving, with new instructional strategies, technologies, and curriculum standards emerging regularly. Resilient teachers are more adaptable to these changes and can quickly adjust teaching practices to meet the evolving needs of their students and the demands of their work. The pandemic showed us how important resilience and adaptability are to our work. When you proactively develop resilience, you are ready for challenges. And being resilient helps you bounce back more quickly when adversity comes.

Students benefit from teacher resilience because resilient teachers are less likely to be absent from the classroom, are more likely to stay in the profession, and are more open to continual professional growth. Students also benefit from the ways teachers model resilience. You are constantly modeling for your students, not only in academic matters, but also in how to navigate challenges and setbacks. When students see you demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity, they are more likely to learn and adopt similar coping strategies, which can benefit them throughout their lives.

To be your most resilient self, be mindful of where you invest your attention and energy. Do more of what charges your battery and less of what drains you.

Using the Framework

Begin using the Teacher Recharge Framework by focusing on one area at a time. Choose the one that feels most exciting and accessible to start. To assess which areas are your strongest, check out the Teacher Recharge Quiz. Once you feel comfortable in your first area, move to the second, and then the third. Remember, recharging your teacher battery takes focus and intention. Give yourself some grace when you slip, and rest when you get tired. Making ripples in students’ lives isn’t easy, but you can find joy and satisfaction in the work.

For even more strategies to recharge your teacher batter, grab your free TEACHER RECHARGE FRAMEWORK EBOOK. Click here to get your copy.