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I used to think the problem was me. If I were more organized… more disciplined… better at classroom management… I could keep up. I just had to find the right system and I could do it all.
Spoiler: I couldn’t. And you can’t either.
The workload isn’t designed to be completed. It’s impossible to do everything, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
So instead of trying to “do better,” I started finding ways to survive.
These are the things that actually helped.
1. Escape Rooms and Independent Projects
There is nothing noble about burning yourself out trying to be “on” every second of every class.
Some of the wisest advice I ever received about teaching was Never be the hardest working in the room. If you’re working harder than your students, you’re doing it wrong. Some of the best days I had were when my students were working… and I was engaging.
Escape rooms. Choice boards. Independent projects.
They think it’s fun.
You get to breathe.
Win-win.
2. “Donatello the DnD Dino” (aka: I’m Not Available)
Teaching is the profession where everyone needs a piece of you at all times. From the time kids enter my room to the time I get in my car, it’s constant.
“I have something to tell you.”
“I have a question.”
“Can I…?”
“Today guess what happened…”
At some point, I realized I needed a system for:
“Please stop talking to me for five minutes.”
Enter: the classroom mascot.
When Donatello the light up dino was illuminated, it meant:
I am not available.
Do not ask me questions unless there is an active emergency.
Figure it out or ask someone else.
And shockingly… it worked.
You don’t need a dinosaur specifically.
But you do need a visible, consistent signal that you are not constantly accessible. This lets you take attendance, answer an email, or catch up the kid that missed two weeks of school without constant interruptions.
3. The Door Curtain
Planning time. Finally peaceful time to work, right? LOL.
Close the door? Not enough.
Lights off? Still not enough.
People will knock anyway. They will smoosh their faces to the window and peer inside to stare at you until you stop what you’re doing. I wish I was talking about students. Nope. It’s the adults.
So I added a curtain.
During planning, it went down.
No eye contact. No interruptions. No guilt.
If someone knocked, I did not answer. If someone truly needed me, they’d either have a key, or they’d text me.
Because here’s the thing no one tells you:
Your planning period is a resource.
If you don’t protect it, it will disappear.
4. Stop Trying to Grade Everything
This one might make some people uncomfortable.
I don’t care.
You cannot grade everything.
And pretending you can is how you end up drowning.
So I stopped.
Some things were graded carefully.
Some things were completion.
Some things… learning opportunities..
And yes—when students asked:
“Is this graded?”
The answer was usually yes.
Did I always follow through on that?
…moving on.
Be strategic. Not everything needs your time.
5. Learn the Art of Leaving Things Undone
This was the hardest one.
There will always be:
- more papers
- more emails
- more things you could do
You will never finish everything.
So you have two options:
- Stay late forever trying
- Leave some things undone and go home
I started choosing option 2.
And nothing catastrophic happened.
School kept going.
The world did not end.
And I stopped feeling like I was drowning all the time.
If you feel overwhelmed constantly…
You don’t need to be a better teacher.
You need better boundaries. The system will take everything you’re willing to give it. So stop giving it everything. Start protecting your time, your energy, and your sanity. Because no one else is going to do that for you.