Three Powerful Ways to Transform Your Teaching Career
Has this school year made you feel so overwhelmed that you don't even know where to start when it comes to seeking solutions for your teacher burnout? Has this year made you feel like you don't know if this career is for you anymore, yet you still love it? And you don't even know if you want to find a new one in the first place? Is this making you feel ready for a huge transformation, and do you want to see a significant change in your life? But you've been hesitant for some reason. Alongside that, has this podcast that you've been listening to or watching been helping you stop feeling sorry for yourself? Finally, has this podcast helped you dive deep within yourself and decide that you have the drive to take action in order to make teaching the career you've always wanted it to be? In this episode, I'm going to share with you three significant ways that you can experience substantial transformation in your teaching and your personal life, as well as in the lives of your fellow teacher friends whom you know and love. Let's dive into this episode.
I'm not sure how many of you know my story, but back in 2016, I bought the domain burnedinteacher.com and started blogging about my transformation from a burned-out, miserable teacher to someone who considers herself to be "burned in." That's what Burned In Teacher is all about. I shared reflections about books I was reading, like "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do." I talked about people I was bringing into my life and who I was focusing on as huge, impactful supports in my life, where I used to have none. I shared the changes I was making to live the happiest, most fulfilled career and life that I possibly could.
Then in 2018, because I have to admit, writing is not my favorite pastime, I started the Burned In Teacher Podcast so that I could have more of a conversation with all of you. I wanted you all to know that you're not alone when you're struggling. I wanted you all to know that there is another option for you other than crying in your car every day to and from school like I was. And, most importantly, I wanted you to know that there was hope for you. I wanted you to know that you could live differently. I wanted you all to know that if I could crawl out of teacher burnout as low as I was, then you could do it too.
Over the past six years that the podcast has been running, I have received very positive feedback about the podcast and some amazing reviews that have brought me to tears. Let me share some of them with you right now.
One listener says, "I've been listening to Amber's podcast for the past couple of years, and her words of wisdom and tools have helped me so much. I always end each episode thinking about strategies or mindset shifts to recover and stay out of burnout. I have a lot of podcasts that I follow, but hers is the only one that I'm sure to listen to weekly. I feel like I'm listening to a friend who is full of such wisdom, and I would love to teach with her. Amber is so vulnerable, authentic, and relatable as she teaches in a primary classroom, as do I. I have also read her book 'Hacking Teacher Burnout' twice."
Another listener writes, "I'm not kidding with the title. The title was life-changing. Amber's podcast has helped me so much. I'm ten years into my teaching career, and this past year, I have had such terrible burnout. My principal even suggested I take time off teaching to recover. But that just wasn't what I wanted or what I could afford. I found Amber's podcast when searching for podcasts about teacher burnout. As soon as I started listening, it felt like being wrapped in a great big hug of support and understanding. I can't recommend her podcast and her book enough. I've listened to so many episodes now, and it's already helped my mindset and mental health so much. Thank you, Amber."
And finally, this one says, "Loving Burned In Teacher. I've been listening for one and a half years. I was in a stupor and really burned out and burned into the ground. A story for another time, but this podcast helped me stop feeling sorry for myself. It made me dig deep within myself to decide if I had the drive anymore. It's a constant struggle. But the topics that Amber presents are some I've wondered about, needed information on, and some I didn't even consider. Thank you so much for sharing this out into the world, Amber. Anyone questioning their decision to teach can be empowered with information from the podcast. You will take away something from each episode and joy and discover along with the rest of us."
It has been such an honor for me to be part of thousands of teachers' journeys over the last few years. And I have loved every single minute of being behind the mic. Since September 2018, I have released over 200 episodes of the podcast, which have been downloaded more than 200,000 times. I am so incredibly grateful for every single listen, and to each and every one of you. Being a part of even a sliver of your transformation makes the hundreds of hours that this podcast takes to run worth it. And listening to this podcast each week is guaranteed to help you if you truly want the help.
But what I've come to realize in the last few months is that the podcast isn't the way to make the biggest changes in our lives, as teachers, and in our personal lives outside of that. And this school year is about taking big steps, not just for you, but for me. As hard as I've worked to help as many teachers as I possibly can to rise above their burnout and use it as an opportunity to grow through this podcast, the burnout pandemic continues to spread. But am I giving up hope? No, absolutely not. Am I giving up on you? No way. Never would I ever do that. But what I am going to do for now is I am going to pause the podcast so that I can focus my very limited time and energy after my long days of teaching on impacting more teachers and their students in ways that you may or may not have heard of.
I wanted to use this episode to make sure that you are fully aware of the many other ways that you can make the biggest impact on yourself, your students, your fellow teachers, your administrators, and your career.
The first way that you can help me to make a bigger impact, and also to see a bigger impact in your school is to find ways to get me booked for speaking at your school or at a regional, state, or national education conference. So, if you've ever enjoyed the podcast if you've ever found it helpful, it would mean the world to me if you would mention me to your administration, friends, or event planners so that I can get booked to come to your school or an upcoming conference and begin to fill my speaking calendar. You wouldn't be here watching or listening if you didn't believe that teacher burnout is a huge problem. So please help me spread the word. Tell your administrators or event planners to go to www.burnedinteacher.com/speaking to learn more about my signature talk that focuses on helping teachers look at burnout as an opportunity for change and growth in their own lives and the system of education that we're all working in. When teachers and administrators work together to support one another, our students' achievement will grow because we are going to have more capacity to serve them in a more positive and proactive way.
The second way to make the biggest impact on your career in education is by enrolling in Burned In Teacher University. I used to offer one-on-one coaching calls and live group coaching when I first started walking people through my eight-step Burned-In Process, but the people who have had the biggest transformation are the ones who have enrolled in the course. So, I want to encourage you to put the course on your calendar and to decide who you're going to do it with. It’s so helpful to create a concrete action plan when it comes to growing through your burnout. It's helped me so many times in my career. I've gone through burnout more than once, and I know that it has helped so many other teachers as they have gone through the course as well. You can go to www.burnedinteacher.com/course to learn more about that.
And lastly, if you don't have time to go through the course until January or next May, but you still want me in your ears, then I encourage you to read my book, 'Hacking Teacher Burnout.' Whether it's ten pages a day, or ten pages a week, a page is a step forward. You may or may not know this, but the book study series that I hosted over the summer is still live on the podcast. So you and I can walk through the book step by step, page by page together. So if you go to www.burnedinteacher.com/bookstudy I will tell you exactly what steps you can take to go through a little mini book study by yourself or with your teacher bestie anytime you want to start. And if you aren't interested in the book study, then simply go to barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com and search for 'Hacking Teacher Burnout,' and you can read the book however and whenever you want to.
This is such a challenging time in our schools, and in our classrooms, for multiple reasons. And there is an overwhelming need for support for you, your fellow teachers, as well as our administrators.
I am so proud of all of you who have been here listening, tuning in, for as long as you have. I know some of you are just finding me. I know some of you have been around since the very beginning. I want to say thank you so much for coming along on this journey with me and learning about all of the things that we can do to live our best lives together in the classroom and in our personal lives.
I am so proud of all of you for taking a stand and helping yourself move through and grow through your teacher burnout by listening to this podcast. In order for me to continue to be able to stand with you and walk along with you on your journey, these three options are where I will be waiting for you.
All right, everyone, you know what I'm going to say, so say with me. Take a deep breath because you just took another step to becoming a burned-in teacher. Burn on, and I'll see you soon.
Call to Action: Things You Can Do Tomorrow
- Reach out to your admin or event planner about bringing me to your school or next conference.
- Create a plan for when - and with whom - you’re going to work through my signature course Burned-In Teacher University.
- Have your own self-paced book study with my book Hacking Teacher Burnout. Go to www.burnedinteacher.com/bookstudy to find out more.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
- Learn more about booking me to speak at your school or conference
- Sign up for Burned-In Teacher University
- Order a copy of my book Hacking Teacher Burnout
- Click here to learn more about the Book Study mini-series I hosted on the podcast
