Back-to-School Burnout: 5 Mistakes Teachers Make Every Year

It’s 2.5 weeks into the new school year, and I already have three to-do lists going—one of which I’ve completely lost. I’ve had a migraine, some kind of stomach bug, and I haven’t slept more than five hours in three days. Sound familiar?

Back-to-school season always starts with the best of intentions, but for many teachers, it quickly spirals into stress mode. Every. Single. Year.

Why? Because certain patterns set us up for burnout right from the start. If you’re hoping to break the cycle this year, here are 5 back-to-school mistakes that add unnecessary stress—and how to avoid them.

1. Recreating the Wheel? Say Hello to Burnout.

When I first started teaching over a decade ago, most of the time when I sat down to plan, I pretty much had to start with a tabula rasa because I had no textbook ancillaries, no Pinterest, Teachergram, or TpT. I was also in a district that I was new to, so I had no teacher friends there. Nowadays, there are so many resources and opportunities for collaboration that there is no reason to develop every single lesson for every single day from scratch. Certainly, there are new ideas that come along for a great project or assignment, and it’s nice to feel a sense of accomplishment when you’ve created something new. Plus, I get bored easily with the same lessons over and over, so I’m always trying new things. However, when your to-do list is growing by the minute, and you can’t get a single thing marked off for new things being added, using ready-to-go lessons frees you up to do the many, many other tasks that you face. There’s also something to be said for using materials, lessons, and ideas that other teachers have classroom-tested and tweaked. Recreating the wheel undoubtedly creates unnecessary work. Experience, they say, is the best teacher. And the best teacher is the one who isn’t stressed.

2. Worrying About What You Can’t Control = Instant Stress

There are so many things in education that are beyond the control of the classroom teacher. The short list includes class size, students in the class, class length, the administration, and federal mandates. We all wish for things we don’t have – the grass is always greener on the other side. Daily devotionals keep me grounded first thing in the morning, and I love First5 messages, Ten-Minute Bible Talks Podcast, and my own pastor’s All In Daily Devotional. THE VERY FIRST ONE I read from First 5 was geared specifically toward this major stressor in my life. Worry – and worrying about things I can’t change. The key quote said, “Contentment is the key to success.” If I’m always wishing I had different students, for example, then I’m not doing the ones that are right in front of me justice, and the truth is, God put those kids in my classroom for this season for a reason. Shifting your focus from the “what ifs” to the “what is” will definitely provide more success than stress. 

3. Absorbing Negativity? You’ll Drown in It.

In the morning, you get coffee from the community pot, and two coworkers pull you into their conversation about last night’s basketball game loss. They can’t believe the coach’s bad call. Then, at lunch, you sit down to eat in the lounge where a couple of teachers are gossiping about the way the new teacher dresses and how another teacher is always late. At class change, a student comes up and tells you all about how she and her best friend are in a huge fight, and she needs to hang out in your room until it blows over. At the end of the day, you have a headache, and you can’t concentrate. It’s a slippery slope if you are constantly subjecting yourself to this kind of environment. 

Studies show that negativity leads to a bevy of health issues, including heart problems, high blood pressure, and anxiety. Of course, you are concerned about your students and coworkers, but protecting yourself first is key to a healthy year. Having a truly helpful and healthy support system, friends and/or family, is the best way to survive a tough year or rough patch in this job. Thankfully, over the years, I’ve found a happy balance between showing concern and sponging up other people’s problems. It sounds harsh, but it’s a fine line. A genuine smile and an open ear go a long way with upset students, but their issues don’t come into my classroom, nor do they go home with me. 

Their issues are ones to pray about, but I work hard to choose that instead of worrying. Even harder was the tough choice to avoid the teacher’s lounge and other areas where Negative Nelly or Downer Dave hang out. Take a break from those spaces from time to time. Fostering healthy, positive relationships is valuable, and sharing your struggles and bearing each other’s burdens is critical, but soaking up other people’s problems to the point that you internalize them is only going to weigh you down. 

4. No Plan, No Peace.

I like to plan: my lessons, my meals, and even my outfits. (See them on Pinterest or Instagram.) But as much as I love a solid plan, there have been plenty of times when I’ve sat down to plan a lesson last minute, found a cute idea, and realized I didn’t leave myself enough time to get the supplies or make the extra copies. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to finish a task because of a lack of planning.

Most of the time, a lack of planning leads straight to procrastination—or worse, panic. For me, planning also helps break down that overwhelming “Where do I even start?” feeling. Instead of seeing one big, impossible pile, I remind myself I can eat the elephant one bite at a time. A good plan helps me start.

But here’s the real game-changer: building routines into your planning. When you have go-to systems in place—like a weekly lesson structure, a morning bell ringer, or even your own prep day rhythm—your brain has fewer decisions to make, and your students know what to expect. That alone cuts down on stress.

The best plan is one that’s flexible and accounts for the unexpected—because if teaching through a pandemic taught us anything, it’s that things will change. I always try to have a plan B for my lessons (because you never know when the projector bulb will blow or a fire drill will interrupt second period).

Planners gonna plan. (Shop planners for secondary teachers here.) But here’s the truth: working without a plan or routines leads to chaos—every single time.

5. Perfectionism Is a Guaranteed Path to Overwhelm.

I’m a Type A, Enneagram #1 personality, so trying to achieve perfectionism in everything is a real problem, and it bogs me down very quickly. In our district, teachers are given a rating – a number. I’m sure that’s similar to other districts, or maybe they have other “incentives” to keep teachers on their toes. Unrealistic expectations and perfectionism can make unfulfilled goals feel even more stressful. To me, there’s nothing worse than that feeling of not doing the best. But the question comes down to “whose best?” – “Not who’s best?” Once I realized that it’s my personal best, not in comparison with anyone else, and the growth and achievement my students are making based on what I can see in my classroom, my entire paradigm on perfectionism shifted. The thing is, it’s not reasonable to be a “5” every day in everything. Today might be a “5” day at school, but not at the game, or at home, or vice versa. Also, I think realizing that there are a few things that teachers work on to the point of perfection that may not really need to be at the top of the list could help relieve some undue stress. They (the cute bulletin boards, the perfect wall hangings, grading every single thing, etc.) take up valuable time, brain space, and energy. I love all those things, but physical, mental, and emotional health are key. 

Another issue that fits into this category is not taking a sick day or resting when we really need to. Grab a sub plan, and let yourself recuperate. The reality is that we are teachers -- not robots. No one wants to be a slacker, but sometimes cutting yourself some slack can eliminate the stress.

Love this content?

Sign up for my email newsletter with more tips, ideas, success stories, and freebies!