Advice from a Honolulu educator: Avoid burnout by saying ‘yes’

The following was written by Zachary Morita, Niu Valley Middle School music teacher:

Educators are facing high levels of exhaustion and seemingly endless to-do lists. Although self-care strategies and toolkits are popular suggestions to get to the root cause of burnout, I believe the solution is much deeper than a healthy diet and exercise.

The truth is teaching is a tiring and sometimes lonely profession. Oftentimes, teachers are alone in their classrooms with students, left up to their own devices to engage and inspire them. Many teachers struggle to ask for the help they need and don’t feel comfortable admitting that they are tired at the end of the day. In order to avoid burnout and to grow as educators, teachers should say “yes” to reaching out to their professional and social networks for support.

Engaging meaningfully with other educators helped me grow personally and professionally. As a social introvert, I had to start small and gradually build both my confidence and professional network. I started by signing up for Twitter, submitting grant applications, and applying to present at education conferences. I also spoke during news, radio and podcast interviews, and co-created a Professional Development: Educate, Empower, Excel (PDE3) course. While some grant applications and conference proposals didn’t pan out, other pursuits have opened doors for me as an educator, and I discovered that even in rejection, my community believed in me and encouraged me to try again.

One place I’ve found support as a teacher is the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Resources like HSTA’s Facebook page help keep me informed of the latest union- and education-related developments. I can turn to school-level leaders (SLLs) if I have questions or issues on the job. Going to representative assemblies (RAs) is another great source of professional support, as the entire chapter meets to get updates about what’s going on with HSTA. The union provides many opportunities to take on leadership roles, and eventually I applied and was accepted as a member of the HSTA-HIDOE Joint Educator Effectiveness System (EES) Committee, where we work to ensure teachers are evaluated accurately and fairly.

In addition to HSTA, there are many accessible networking spaces, such as the social media community #808educate, the Hawaii Distance Learning Forum, the Hawaii Society for Technology in Education, and the What School Could Be Community.

By joining these educational spaces, my colleagues and I share community norms, grading rubrics, digital resources, and much more. The time I took to engage with other educators in virtual gatherings, conferences, projects, and fellowships has led to lifelong friendships. An added bonus: by sharing resources, we save time on recreating learning material.

In fact, this article is a living example of how my colleagues help me achieve my goals. After writing the draft, I emailed it to 23 educator friends from across the state and within 24 hours, six of them had already replied. The feedback was honest, critical, and detailed, but also supportive, positive, and inspiring. After reading everyone’s comments, I had a completely different topic to write about, and I was okay because I trusted the insights shared by my educator friends. Collaborating with my colleagues on various projects and initiatives makes my goals more attainable.

Saying “yes” to educational opportunities goes beyond developing strong working relationships. It also translates to personal well-being. We go on food truck outings, have walking dates, take boba breaks, collaborate in escape rooms, and embark on hiking adventures. We’re always looking to add to our list of social gatherings, and we hope to include more and more educators as our profession focuses on relationships and community.

Every educator is different and must decide whether or not now is the right time to say “yes” to new opportunities. I found that saying “yes” often leads to wellness through connection. It’s only by saying “yes” that you can meet people who are really important. Educators often say time is the bane of our careers, but perhaps by saying “yes” to a new educational opportunity, you will save time, avoid burnout, and develop positive relationships during these challenging times.