Why My Administrators Are Sick of Me

I know my administrators get sick of me!

Why? Because I’m the one always reminding them that my team needs its planning period protected.

Let me explain.

The social studies department is at the bottom of the food chain. There may be a competition for last place between us and the fine arts department. It just depends on the day.

We have the first official planning block of the day, second period. Everything starts during second period. More often than not, that means my fellow historians and I lose our planning period. And when you only get one a day, it becomes critical.

Then I have to make calls and send messages requesting coverage later in the day. Sometimes I win, and sometimes I don't.

Nonetheless, I will continue dropping reminders that, according to TEA, Texas teachers are supposed to be afforded 450 duty-free planning minutes every two weeks.

And this is not to throw my admin team under the bus.

I actually love working with my administration team. They are some of the best I have ever worked with, and they genuinely make an effort to help us recoup those minutes. They have to make tough calls every day, and I appreciate their efforts.

So why am I always beating the drum to protect planning periods?

After several battles with burnout, one of which landed me in the hospital, I did a deep dive into the connection between burnout, work-life balance, and productivity.

A few years later, I wrote a book about the effectiveness of daily routines in helping mitigate the stress and overwhelm that can lead to burnout.

Teachers face increasing demands year after year. Uninterrupted, purposeful planning time can play a huge role in a teacher's day-to-day experience.

In a recent survey of teachers, 55% of respondents reported that meetings often take up their planning periods. In addition, only 10% reported feeling caught up at the end of a planning period.

If that isn't enough to get your attention, listen to this:

More than 90% reported feeling overwhelmed. 89% reported experiencing burnout symptoms. 83% have considered leaving education due to workload stress.

Can we talk about teacher retention?

Teachers are not leaving because they hate their jobs. Many are not even leaving because of low salaries. Many are leaving because their mental and physical health are at risk.

After 15 years in education, I am excited to bring together my experience as a teacher and my work as a certified productivity coach.

My goal is to help teachers create sustainable teaching systems so they can stop staying late and taking work home. More than 80% do, by the way.

I believe sustainable teaching systems create a win-win for everyone involved, especially the students we get to impact every day.

How protected is your planning period?

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Start with the Planning Period Audit to identify where your time is slipping away.

Carla Erskin, Teacher & Founder of Sustainable Teaching Solutions