In today’s blog, Middle and High School teacher Betsy S. Goldman shares five tips for dealing with professional burnout as a theatre teacher and director.
I don’t know about you, but I am toasty. Not toasty warm (though I am sitting next to a space heater), but toasty as in singed at the edges. Flaky. Discolored. Burned out. I’ve been this way for quite some time – and while I love so much about my job and the life I’ve built around it, I often struggle to feel and experience that love.
Experts report that burnout – especially teacher burnout – comes in large part from folks feeling like they are managing so much without adequate support, while other reported culprits include poorly-designed school systems, and administrators not understanding the nature of our boots-on-the-ground job.
Now, because of the variety of roles and responsibilities theatre teachers hold, I’m not writing this with the intention or expectation of relieving your specific burnout (I also don’t think an article can do that, I’m sorry to say).
Instead, I’d like to share some of the (often minuscule) things that help me to move through the world as a vulnerable and proud piece of toast.
1. Acknowledge that you work hard – and you do a lot
Being a drama teacher and director is not for the faint of heart. The elements one needs to plan for, keep track of, stay flexible about, and be in charge of are myriad and constant.
Take a beat here to run through the list in your head (or write it down): What are you in charge of? What moving pieces are you wrangling to make your classes and/or your program work?
Look at that list. Look at how many elements you are holding together. Take a breath and sit with that list for a moment. You are handling a lot, and you are a rockstar for it.
2. Remember what you love about teaching theatre*
*I say this one with a big ol’ asterisk next to it, because I can’t stand when folks assume I do this work solely because I love it. Yes, I love theatre – nd yes, I love teaching. But teaching theatre is also my job, and as such, I expect to be paid and acknowledged for my work.
Sometimes, thinking about the parts of my work I love most helps me remember why I keep at it. Here are some of my reasons:
- I get to be creative and curious every day.
- I get to create worlds and play within them.
- I am pretty autonomous, and my supervisors don’t want to micromanage me.
- I’ve had a handful of students over the years who I have had the immense pleasure of seeing grow. Like… grow, grow. This is not to say that I alone have caused their growth and maturity – but my work has contributed to fostering courageous, curious, conscientious, and kind human beings.
3. Rest when you decide to rest
I’m going to tell you a story, and maybe it’ll sound familiar:
I’m sitting on the couch, working away on my laptop. My eyes are crossing and dry, and my brain feels like mashed potatoes (delicious, but not very good at planning classes).
I decide to take a break from working, so I turn on the TV. But I keep my laptop open. I can’t close the tab, you see, because then there’s a chance I might forget what I was working on, and if I forget what I was working on, it can’t loom over me like a giant, drooling dog.
Three minutes pass.
I get this feeling – sort of itchy and unsettled. I turn to my laptop to check my email. That tab is there. Open. And I think: I should really be working on this. So I half-watch TV, half work on my curriculum… and go to bed feeling satisfied with neither activity.
I think it’s vital to truly disconnect from one’s work sometimes, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I can’t tell you the number of times I thought I was resting when I was actually churning about scheduling, blocking, or making props.
Remember, you have permission to let go of your work. I give you permission. Even if your work isn’t done. Even if it means you might miss an email or have to scramble a bit the next day. Even if what you end up producing isn’t your best work. You can always close your tabs.
Read more: What makes a 'great' educator? Real teachers weigh in.
4. Connect with other theatre teachers
When I was in high school, I had a theatre teacher whom I admired deeply. I would stay after school to pick her brain about this play or that audition, and I would follow her from her office to the auditorium, to the attic above the cafeteria where the costumes and props were stored…
At the time, I thought this woman was the Energizer Bunny of theatre teachers, fueled by her passion and dedication. Pause for laughter… I now know that without the step count she racked up each day, the program would have fallen into disorganized chaos.
Maybe you’ve also noticed that, contrary to the very nature and necessity of theatre as a collaborative art form, theatre teachers and directors tend to work alone. But who is a better resource to you than someone moving through the same or similar challenges?
If we are open to both offering and receiving thoughts, advice, stories, and lessons, we can build each other up and help each other thrive.
Read more: Director Emma Rice shares her tips for encouraging play.
5. Keep exploring your own creativity, even if it seems small
I often forget that I am an artist. What I mean by this is that my job demands a lot of practical thinking, a fair amount of administrative work, and lots of on-the-spot problem-solving. I rarely get to take a step back from the play I’m directing to think deeply about the artistic merit of this choice or that, but I make it work.
However, if I sit down with a coloring book and some markers, or the watercolor kit my mother-in-law got me for the holidays, I can sometimes relocate my creative, artistic voice.
So I encourage you to keep exploring your own creativity, too – even if it’s something as small as sitting down with a coloring book on a Sunday afternoon.
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