Summary

The author, a Chemistry teacher, shares their experience of burnout during the pandemic and the realization that they needed to adapt to the new reality to avoid exhaustion.

Abstract

The author, a Chemistry teacher, describes the challenges they faced during the pandemic, including teaching virtually and marking students' work on a computer screen. Despite the difficulties, the author stubbornly believed they were doing things correctly and continued to work continuously, leading to burnout. A turning point came when the author saw a dried-out pond on the school grounds and realized they needed to change and face the new reality or risk exhaustion. The author then started giving more multiple-choice questions and less classwork and homework, which made the students happier and helped the author return to their usual self. The author concludes that the way to move into the future is to let go of the past.

Opinions

The author believes that their pre-pandemic teaching methods were effective and worked well.
The author thinks that giving students multiple-choice or true/false questions is not as effective as having them explain and describe concepts.
The author believes that returning each student's graded paper is important for providing feedback.
The author feels that they were stubborn in their beliefs and continued to work continuously despite the challenges.
The author realizes that they needed to change and adapt to the new reality to avoid exhaustion.
The author thinks that giving more multiple-choice questions and less classwork and homework made the students happier and helped them adjust to the new normal.
The author concludes that the way to move into the future is to let go of the past.

Clinging To The Past Limits Your Future Possibilities

Embrace The Present and Look Ahead

Teaching during the pandemic was one of the most challenging periods of my life and career. It was during this time that I understood what it meant to suffer from overwork and burnout.

Let me share with you a bit of how all this unfolded.

I was confident in my abilities as a Chemistry teacher to impart information and to get students to achieve good results. Year after year, it was one of my students who consistently got the award for most outstanding Chemistry student in the country based on the external national examination.

I knew my method of teaching worked because I had the results to prove it.

When the pandemic arrived, I had to teach virtually. Armed with my writing tablet, teaching virtually was a breeze for me.

Sure, the lab component of the class required some creativity on my part. I performed experiments and recorded them for the students to watch. The students conducted experiments that could be done safely within the confines of their homes. They were also asked to watch recorded labs on YouTube and on some Chemistry websites.

Work Became Never-Ending

But what almost killed me was marking my students’ work. While many teachers were giving their students multiple-choice or true/false questions that the computer could easily mark, I shunned all these options.

In my mind having students explain and describe concepts were much better ways of testing. Plus, it made cheating a lot more difficult. So, I tested them that way.

This proved an enormous challenge when it was time for marking because I no longer had papers in front of me. I had to mark students’ work on the computer screen (after downloading their work first).

Keep in mind that I had 6 classes with approximately 25 to 30 students in each class. Plus, I was giving the students tests, quizzes, and homework as I usually did.

Not only was the marking difficult, but I also chose to return each student’s graded paper. I wanted the students to have feedback. This meant that I had to re-upload their work into the system.

Most teachers did not do that. Rather than returning each student’s graded work, they discussed the answers to the questions in class instead.

As you can see, I was stuck in the pre-pandemic format of teaching that I knew worked. I stubbornly believed I was doing things correctly and the other teachers should do better.

Words can’t begin to describe my level of burnout. I worked continuously — day and night, night and day — but there was always more to be marked. The marking was never-ending, and I was existing on 4 hours of sleep… or less.

Because I’m used to working hard, I kept at it longer than I should have.

Something Had to Change

Since we were in the middle of the pandemic, the teachers were not required to be at school. However, I chose to show up daily because the internet connection on campus was a lot more stable than the connection I had at home.

It was on one of those days that I drove past a pond that was on the school grounds. It was completely dried out. Just a few years earlier, this pond was filled with fish and turtles. It was teeming with marine life back then.

I stopped the car, got out, and walked over to have a close-up look at the pond. There, in the silence of the school, without all the noise of the students, I felt an overwhelming sadness for that pond. In that moment I saw myself in that pond — drained and empty.

I don’t know how long I stood there but it was long enough for me to cry my eyes out. I cried for the pond, and I cried for myself. When I did walk away, it was with a renewed mindset and realization.

I had to change and face the new reality that I was living in or die from exhaustion. I could not keep living in an old reality that no longer existed.

Moving Forward

From that day forward, I started giving more multiple questions and less classwork and homework. I still returned each student graded assignment because I believed that the students needed to see their mistakes if any.

The students were happier as a result. They were experiencing the pandemic as well and they were also trying to adjust to a new normal. Even though they had quietly complied with my instructions, I had been making their lives miserable.

Slowly, I started to return to the land of the living. My sleep pattern improved, and I was my usual happy self again.

I now know for sure that the way to move into the future is to let go of the past.

Staying locked in the past is like driving while only looking in your rear-view mirror… it’s only a matter of time before you crash.

Why let go of yesterday? Because yesterday has already let go of you.

-Steve Maraboli

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