December 10, 2024 • 34 mins
You've Got Mail!
It's time for our third and final mailbag episode covering the topics discussed in our three-episode arc covering exhaustion. In this episode we discuss the issues raised and discussed in Episode 3, Exhaustion: The War Within, Dr. Jordan Lauer rides solo and answers your emails, discusses some great articles sent into the show, and talks about "teacher bladder". Teachers' professional opinions not being taken seriously, the guilt from taking off work, and how that exact scenario happened to him the day after episode three dropped that we just discussed are all covered.
Come join the fight!!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome back to Educational Warfare.
(00:12):
I'm Dr. Jordan Lauer.
Today we are talking about our last, our final episode in our three episode arc covering
exhaustion.
Episode three was exhaustion, the war within.
This is our Malbag episode.
Welcome in everybody.
You emailed the show, you reached out to us on all the socials and you asked questions,
(00:33):
gave us comments, gave us strategies.
Remember those socials we reached out to us at onx.eduwarfare.
I am at drjordanlauer.bsky.social on blue sky.
If many of you have navigated over there from X and any other places, great place.
There's also an awesome hashtag on there for us that helps educators, that educators talking
(00:56):
and connecting.
And it is hashtag edusky.
So if you're on blue sky, check that out.
It's really cool.
Some great conversation, great teacher networks on there.
This is coming from you.
This is about talking about exhaustion, asking questions, having comments, giving some great
strategies, sending some great emails.
So this only happens because you reach out to us and we appreciate that so much.
(01:19):
Dr. Jackson and I, you guys help drive the content, you give us ideas, you kind of shift
the way we're thinking.
So please keep reaching out, keep sharing the show and letting other people know because
we want to help you guys and we want to have you be a part of this.
So we're just not talking at you.
We're all talking together and voicing some of the issues that are affecting education
and our clientele and many other cool aspects.
(01:43):
So with that in mind, we're going to jump into some emails here.
So let's take a listen to our first email.
You've got mail.
So Tracy emailed in and she said, it was great actually hearing what exhaustion can physically
do to us.
I have felt and experienced some of those issues, but I have always attributed them
(02:03):
to aging or even put the blame on myself with poor diet and lack of exercise.
Having them explained and shared, knowing that others feel it felt like a weight lifting
off my shoulders.
I love your show and all the information you share.
Please keep going.
Teachers need many of these issues out in the open.
Tracy, thank you so much for that amazing email.
(02:24):
It means so much to Dr. Jackson and I that we can make any teacher feel even 1% better.
That is awesome.
If it's any more than that, we're just blessed to be able to do that and help or make them
more confident themselves.
That's why we do the show.
So thank you so much for emailing Tracy's.
Thank you so much for listening and be a part of this.
To recap what Tracy's talking about, in our last episode, exhaustion, the war within,
(02:52):
we covered what exhaustion can physically do to you and some of those things that it
did, that it can do, that it can affect us by and some of the warning signs even of exhaustion,
which can lead to teacher burnout.
Here we talked about change in appetite, weight loss or weight gain, anxiety, depression,
(03:15):
fatigue, sleep disorders, irregular hair loss, lack of job satisfaction, and inability to
enjoy downtime.
You know, Dr. Jackson talked a lot about not enjoying having free time and being with her
family and we really went into that lack of job satisfaction.
We talked about that and fatigue, all of us feel that, anxiety, depression.
(03:39):
But one issue I wanted to kind of get into that I think is part of this that can cause
exhaustion, cause some of these physical things, and it's just a part of the job, but it's
almost accepted and like now a joke in the field.
But it does cause some physical issues is teacher bladder.
Teachers, as soon as I said that, you all went, yup, I guarantee it.
(04:02):
We all know what I'm talking about.
We literally oftentimes have to hold going to the bathroom.
One of the only professions that does that.
I mean, it is not just called teacher bladder actually in the teaching profession.
That's what it's nicknamed in the medical profession.
And there's not many other professions, I don't know one honestly, that would have a
(04:24):
medical term named after just profession because it's such a factor because we have to hold
it.
There's not enough time.
If you have kids coming in, you have to go to the bathroom.
On this topic, our old friend and rock star listener and emailer, Andrea, she's awesome.
She emails so many great things and questions all the time.
He said in a great article just about this topic from NEA Today entitled, teachers need
(04:50):
a bathroom break.
In that, it even says, unlike other groups of professionals, teachers frequently deprive
themselves of drinking water because they have no bathroom access for hours on end.
And 63% of Orange County, Florida teachers with a survey was taken said that they avoided
(05:10):
drinking water.
Just last episode, Ryan and I were talking about how important water is.
This is saying the teachers don't trigger it because they don't have time to go to the
bathroom.
And I've, at a time I'm working out or kind of in a diet that may ask for me to drink
a lot of water, I've been drinking that to stay on the diet and just been in the bathroom
(05:31):
every planning period or every passing period, just walking in and out.
And I just feel, and even sometimes in between, in middle of class, I'm like, oh, now I have
to go.
And I just feel like I'm always out of my room and I'm not doing hall duty.
Kids are waiting for me being like, hey, I have a question, Dr. Lauer.
And I'm coming from the bathroom.
So even when it's part of like a diet or part of a workout thing that I've been part of,
(05:53):
I'll stop doing it just because I'm like, okay, I can drink this much and I can go after
this period.
I can go after this period.
It seems almost silly to be talking about it, but you know, one thing the article says
is that bladders work like elastic waistband pants.
If you stretch them over and over and over, they lose shape and function.
(06:13):
That's an organ in our body we're talking about.
As much as it's silly and it's kind of just a joke of the profession, the idea of possibly
having another physical health issue because of the go, go, go nature and kind of the high
energy impact that teaching is that we have to do this and this and this just don't have
time to go.
(06:34):
That is a sign of burnout.
That's a sign of exhaustion.
Like eventually you will, you'll feel that physically, of course, if something happens
to you, but you'll feel that strain of, oh, I just, I can't even go to the bathroom.
It becomes a mental issue as well.
So that was an interesting thing that I wanted to bring up because I think it's part of being
a teacher, but just something nobody ever talks about unless they're just joking.
(06:55):
You know, and you even say it among people who aren't teachers, like I didn't get to
go to the bathroom for three hours today.
And they were like, what do you mean?
It's like, well, I can't do that.
And they kind of chuckle, but it's, if you're putting that position, sometimes not comfortable.
Or if you do go, you have to rush.
It's awful.
It also says that 20% of Orange County, Florida teachers said that they had to see a doctor.
(07:17):
And because I'm not being able to use the bathroom and it becomes a actual medical issue.
So that's a silly little thing that, or that we take as silly, but actually can lead to
physical things.
So make the time to go to the bathroom.
You're not, don't exhaust yourself by not being able to do that and having physical
problems.
Go to the bathroom.
We'll be able to do all the other things we need to, but don't get a medical issue arise
(07:42):
on you because of that little aspect of our job.
Probably not worth it.
And at least a mental exhaustion as well as physical issues.
So looking at the next email coming in, you've got mail.
Renee emailed the show and said, great series over exhaustion.
(08:04):
I have always felt that exhaustion is the silent killer of the teaching career.
We all just get to a point where we simply cannot do it anymore.
The issue that always exhausts and frustrates me the most is exactly what you talked about
in your last episode.
Teachers not being listened to by anyone above us, even though we're the experts in our field,
(08:28):
content and students.
I have always had great scores.
I've been a teacher of almost 20 years and I have offered to my district ways to possibly
raise scores for all students in the grade level I teach.
Instead of even asking me to come meet and discuss these issues, my district just surprised
me and put me in the grade level in my school and content area where our scores were the
(08:51):
lowest.
Now I have to teach the grade level I have excelled in and, all caps there, completely
new content set in a different grade level to raise those scores.
If I don't keep my scores in my old class high and also now raise these new grade scores,
it will be put on me.
(09:12):
That as you both often say in the show in unison is exhausting, all caps there too.
Boom.
That is such an awesome email, Renee.
I feel like you just touched the heart of every successful teacher in America with that
topic right there because I think we've all felt that.
Thank you so much for emailing in.
Thank you for listening.
(09:32):
Thank you for the laugh of the both saying it in unison because that's actually totally
organic.
I'm trying to time it up to where I know what he's about to say or he knows what I'm about
to say and we just do it and never talked about that.
So it's kind of funny you noticed that.
So I appreciate it.
Dr. Jax appreciates it too.
So thank you so much for emailing in and being a part of the show.
That is right though.
(09:53):
We often have responsibilities added to our jobs when we're successful.
We put more stress on our good teachers, right?
Renee's so right there.
She has done really, really well.
Let's break this down.
She's done really, really well for quite a long time.
So she's reached out to the district, you know, looking at scores every time for non-teachers,
anybody listening, you get your scores and we're all competitive.
(10:17):
The first thing we kind of do is look if you have the same grade in your same subject in
your grade, you kind of compare those scores.
Now we're all part of learning professional learning communities and data team.
So we want everybody to be high because we're all working together, but you still check,
see where everybody falls and then you especially check your district scores because you don't
work really with those other teachers.
(10:38):
So you want to be higher, right?
So she's looked at all these scores and she's gone to her district and hey, I consistently
have high scores.
Here's what I do.
Maybe we could kind of make these type of things, something the district does, you know,
not saying that everybody needs a copy of me, but maybe she has a couple of tactics
that could become, she could do professional development or she uses certain things outside
(11:00):
the district that she thinks they could put in.
And instead of that becoming the norm like that, like celebrated, hey, you did so good,
you're right.
Let's copy this.
They said, well, we'll, we'll now have you teach this different spacey subject.
Let's say I'm a history teacher by trade.
So I'm gonna go history here.
So she teaches, let's say she teaches seventh grade history or eighth grade history, which
(11:24):
is U S. Okay.
So she teaches that she does really good.
It goes to district says these things.
So now they're like, well, your sixth grade scores aren't really the best.
So we're gonna have you teach that too.
Not the strategies she's done, you know, and I'm sure she's been sharing those in the school
because she's asking to go to the district.
(11:45):
So I'm sure she tried those in the school, but you know, not really just, hey, we're
gonna have them do these things.
It's you teach it.
So now she has to learn a new content cause sixth grade history is very different from
eighth grade history and she has to learn new content that she's probably hasn't taught
much before so she's now learning and she is tasked with keeping her scores high and
going up as well.
(12:07):
And now raising the sixth grade scores, which could compromise her scores because now she's
at half of her time.
She's there to be making all new content.
You know, she'll be thinking about that class with that pressure of raising those scores.
So it's almost like a, well, if you think you're this good, we'll see how you do in
this grade that you've never taught before.
So it's putting more pressure on somebody who's been super successful.
(12:28):
That's sometimes what happens.
And as she said in unison, that is exhausting.
You want to be rewarded.
I mean, any other profession that would be a promotion, right?
You do that well for that long, they would promote you.
Education doesn't really have a pathway for that.
They're not just going to make a good teacher, a brand on principle.
(12:50):
And there's no like, oh, now you're in charge.
There's already somebody in the district in charge of the curriculum for the subject you
teach.
So they're not going to fire that person.
So there's not much nowhere to go, but there's really also no reward.
It's sometimes we, and I don't want to use this word too strongly.
Sometimes we get punished.
They're like, now she is more stressed.
She's been successful and it's more stress.
(13:12):
You could say, well, anytime there's promotion, there's more stress.
That is true.
But there's also other perks like more money and she's definitely not getting that either.
So it does almost seem like a punishment.
Education gets smacked around in the media a lot.
We talked about this before we were heroes during COVID that we were teaching these kids
from home and trying to get engagement via zoom and Skype and whatever, you know, teams,
(13:38):
whatever your district was using.
We're getting engaged, our heroes.
And then boom, that goes away.
And all of a sudden we're back to teachers aren't qualified.
Teachers are grooming.
As we talked about, teachers are indoctrinating.
Like we said that, you know, we just have all the time to do these things.
And we always get smacked around for they're not competent or what are they really teaching?
(14:02):
And then, so it's easier to lay low sometimes in education.
That's where those stories come from.
If you just kind of ride out the level three, let's say, or five being the highest, depending
on what your state has, if you just ride that out, you're not getting moved around to do
anything.
And, and that's when we get those from the outside world, instead of having this whole
(14:24):
group of rock stars who are high.
Sometimes easier just kind of keep your head down.
I always tell new teachers that don't get a endorsement on your license.
That isn't something you love because as soon as you get it, that's what you'll be teaching.
Again, history teacher, you get a reading endorsement and you're a middle schooler.
You'll be teaching ELA and reading on top of history probably.
(14:46):
And if that's not your love, then you're going to be stressed out because you're just not
really that confident in it.
But you were like, Oh, I want to add as much to my license.
So I'm well rounded adding things to your license, which would be again, making even
more skilled teachers sometimes could be a punishment because now you're teaching reading
or math, you know, these super high stakes things.
(15:06):
And that's really not your chosen field.
You just wanted to add it so you could have that ability.
So these things that should be promotions that should be attaining new skills and advance
yourself, sometimes can be seen as, Ooh, I don't want to do that because I'll make my
life so much harder.
And that is exhausting.
So I totally love that email, Renee.
(15:28):
I love that thought or tacking these issues.
We want to get these out here and talk about it.
Don't want to be seen as griping about education because we did a whole Thanksgiving episode.
Go check that out.
Where we talked about what we're thankful for education and within the field.
But it is a part and that's what this show is for.
We're going to have that radical candor.
We're going to be a little spicy, talk about some stuff that may make you may make some
(15:50):
people uncomfortable.
And that's a part of education.
We need to look at that.
Teachers like that should not be having this extra stress on them.
They should be leading and teaching class is leading.
We are all leaders, but she should be leading those other teachers to help them while she's
still able to do her thing and just be awesome at it instead of stressing and then becoming
(16:11):
exhausting.
So great email, Renee.
Anybody out there wants to comment on that, please email the show, educationalwarfare.pod
or gmail.com to talk about that further.
Love to hear some of your opinions.
Also going back to the Thanksgiving episode, there's some funny things to be asked you
to email about.
So go back and listen to that.
And if you have anything, let us know, talk about it.
It'd be great to hear from you.
So transitioning to another thing, this actually isn't an email, but it's about the show.
(16:36):
So I just had to talk about it.
That something that happened that we talked about on the show and literally right after
it happened to me.
So on the show we were talking about how sometimes teachers can feel guilt about taking a day
off.
All the things that can affect you.
(16:57):
You're worried about your lessons going over here, worried about your kids doing things.
You're worried about behavior, worried about what the sub will be like.
So many things to worry about.
We worry about your colleagues needing to pick up your slack because you're not there
and a sub didn't show up and now you're adding their exhaustion and you're like, I could
have just taken day quit and stayed home.
(17:19):
Talked about that in the show.
It's a real thing.
We record these shows on Sunday or Saturday depending.
And then they drop early Tuesday morning.
If you follow the show and whatever, wherever you get the show on Spotify, Apple, Amazon,
I heart radio, pod guru, any, wherever you get the show.
(17:39):
If you hit the follow button, as soon as the episode drops in the morning, you'll get a
little nice little notification.
It's the educational warfare has dropped a new episode.
So please do that.
That way you don't have to come find us every time.
So the show comes out Tuesday, Wednesday, I'm driving to work cold out.
It's like 17 degrees.
(18:00):
I notice in my car, all of a sudden my feet are kind of chilly and I had the heat on the
floor setting and I was like, Oh no, that's weird.
But so I just turned the heater off cause I was off a wargery about that later.
About five more minutes later, my car starts beeping and says, your car is overheated.
Please pull over.
And I was like, overheated.
(18:20):
It's 17 degrees.
What is going on?
So I'm kind of in the back roads.
There's not much area to pull over.
So I crawl along and finally get to a gas station, open up my hood and steam's coming
out.
There's water everywhere.
I am broken down.
Now this is right before school.
Like I am on my way to school.
(18:41):
So I usually get to school with about 25 minutes before students start coming up, you know,
and they're at least from wherever.
So I got like a 25 minute window here before I'm late.
So I tried to do everything I can.
I walk, I run in the gas station.
I need to see if they have any coolant, get all that stuff, pour it in.
(19:03):
I'm like, yeah, I'm feeling good about myself.
I'm like, I just probably fixed this problem.
Well, so then I just kind of, for some reason, bend over to look under the car just in case.
And I noticed everything I put in was pouring out.
Not good.
So at that moment, I'm like, okay, this is not going to work.
I'm not going to make the extra 20 miles to work right now.
(19:25):
Anyway, I can't crawl there like this.
So I immediately call my principal, tell her what's going on.
She says she'll get things covered, take care of it.
All these things we're talking about, right?
Taking a day off.
Someone's a Sunday.
Now I have to scramble to do these things that I thought I'd be able to do.
So I call my principal, I email my neighbor and I'm like, Hey man, could you please make
sure this happens?
(19:45):
I make sure anything.
Luckily, what I was doing, we talked about this to limit exhaustion.
My assignments were digital.
What they were doing today was digital.
So all I had to do is make sure they were published where I could see them.
That kind of takes away some exhaustion.
We talked about that using those systems.
I'm very happy I did that that day.
I sit in the car, no heat on, freezing, trying to type and do this after being outside.
(20:06):
My hands hurt.
So I'm like typing.
I'm sure there are a hundred spelling errors in that email.
Send it along.
Everything's taken care of.
Get the car to shop.
So I have no car, but my wife comes and gets me.
So she had to get coverage from her classes.
Came and got me.
We're able to talk to our in-laws and they were saying, you can borrow a car.
(20:28):
All this stuff happened, right?
I should have probably just taken that car and went back to the shop and see anything
or went home.
I had grease all over.
It was already a couple hours into the day.
I was so worried about my colleagues.
That was a stressful day.
(20:49):
I wasn't exactly in the super chipper.
I was under a car in 17 degrees with hot radiator, whatever, pouring near me and on me.
And then I'm dirty and then I had to go drive.
I was able to get the car cool enough to drive the two miles that I found that there was
a garage to work on it.
And with my wife following me, by the whole time I was so worried that the engine would
(21:09):
just blow up and fire start shooting out.
It was a stressful morning.
I was worried about my colleagues.
I got my in-law's car and I drove to work.
Had to get myself in the right head space.
Had to calm down on that drive.
But I'm there because I worry.
We've talked about this.
We do this because we care.
(21:30):
It's a profession of the soul.
And I didn't want my kids to not have anybody in there.
I didn't want my colleagues to get an email.
So Dr. Lauer's suddenly out today.
So could you go cover his third?
And we all have that happen to us.
And doesn't always seem to happen on the day where you have a lot of things doing your
planning.
You're like, okay, today am I planning?
(21:51):
I know what I'm going to do the next two days.
I'm going to get those copies knocked out.
I'm going to have this made.
I'm going to grade those papers so then I can, you know, it's a day where you like in
your head two days ago, you knew on this day.
Isn't that always the day we get that email?
Hey, you got to go to this.
No, but I had to do the copies, you know, so I didn't want anybody feeling that.
So I went in.
Okay.
(22:12):
And that's exactly what we're talking about.
Don't want to sound whiny or like, oh, it's stressful.
So I can't do this.
But I mean, that that's what we talk about with a mental health day.
That's what we talk about.
We're just needing a day.
We're like, that is bad because, you know, there's also the stress of getting into the
garage and getting all those things I talked about, but we all make a teacher salary.
So in my head, I was also thinking about what am I going to have to pay for this right before
(22:34):
Christmas?
Right.
So it should have been a mental health day, but I wanted to be there.
I was not mad about being there.
I love my students love being there, but I was worried about my colleagues and that's
exactly what we were talking about.
That's an exhaustion.
So I was stressed on two different levels and it was just such a rough type of day.
And I thought it was interesting how we just talked about this and I experienced it.
(22:57):
I want to share that with you.
It's a real live story of what we're talking about that teachers go through all the time.
They wake up sick, just can't breathe out of their nose, eyes puffy, coughing, and they
do the calculus of I didn't have copies made or I didn't expect not to be here.
So I need to make copies made because I was going to do something with them, but obviously
(23:18):
the sub can't do that.
And so should I run in real quick, which is a crazy thing our profession has to do.
We talked about that in the episode that we could be sick and exhausted, but then we still
have to go to work to make copies sometimes and then come home.
Do you do that calculus or do you just go in two day quill tablets noon?
(23:41):
You might take two more.
If it's a four hour release camera, if it's four or eight, you do that and just, you can
still have them do something quiet because you know, you can't talk that much, but at
least you're there.
Right?
That's the thing.
I'm there.
I'm in control.
None of these crazy things we've talked about happens.
And that is exhausting and stressful that we have to make that calculus.
I just thought it was interesting.
(24:02):
It was a situation similar to that, that is unexpected and pops up and happens.
So it's a real thing.
We're not making these stories up.
We're not making these topics up.
These are things teachers experience and love to hear any similar to that, that you may
have.
You've got mail.
In email, Chuck came in and Chuck said, I love your show, but one thing it made me think
(24:27):
of with exhaustion is the ones who keep us up.
The students who just for good or bad, keep us up, keep us awake because we're thinking
about them.
We're worrying about them.
And that is something that has always exhausted me because even when I want to let go, I can't
(24:47):
do that because I constantly think about them.
And it also ties back to your war at home episode where you talked about how you can
be a part of your family because you're either doing or thinking about education.
And as you guys talked about the exhaustion within, I feel this attacks me inside because
I'm always stressed about that certain area.
(25:10):
Wow.
Thank you, Chuck.
That's so true.
That is a big part of teaching and possibly a big part of exhaustion is the ones who keep
us up at night.
The students who are just in our thoughts, you might just sit up after being in bed two
hours, you went to bed at 10, you sit up and you look over and it's midnight.
(25:31):
Part of you is a little happy because I still get like five hours of sleep, but you sit
up and they just cross your brain instantly.
And it's so strange because there's so many other things you could think of instantly
in that moment of sitting up in your bed, but you think of this kid because of this
reason.
And then your mind might start racing.
(25:53):
Maybe it might be hard to go back to sleep.
And it's so interesting that we have students like that.
I was sitting in a professional development earlier this month and the presenter mentioned
how some students can keep us up at night, what we're talking about.
I love this email from Chuck because it kind of brings that back.
And it just hit me so powerfully as an element of exhaustion.
(26:13):
Think about how either negative behavior or simply caring for a student, we care in this
profession, who may simply need you can make your professional life exhausting.
And then when you internalize that behavior that's kind of driving you crazy or that need
for you, it follows you in your private life and your private life and your private thoughts
(26:37):
and your private relationships and how is that not exhausting?
When the thought of a student follows you into your private life in that moment, kind
as Chuck mentioned, you are half in your career and you're half in your family life because
you're thinking about that.
You're thinking about that kid.
(26:58):
And we all know giving half of ourselves to something makes whatever we're doing struggle
to be completed, done to the best or even fully realized if it's a thought or idea.
You know, teachers care again.
We've talked about this.
What we put our attention to matters.
Half in half out, it's like having 50% oxygen.
(27:18):
You won't die, but you won't be doing anything well.
Anything you attempt to do in a short amount of time, you'll be gasping for air.
And isn't that just a perfect description of exhaustion we've been talking about these
three episodes.
You want to do something, but end up struggling and gasping for air because something that
(27:41):
exhaustion, whatever that causes is holding you back with this.
Sometimes that soon is, I mean, it's, it's almost a worry of fear of just what's going
to happen tomorrow.
We've all had a student like that with behavioral issues that you just sit there and worry because
there's so much unknown.
(28:02):
You start to get that anxiety and remember that anxiety is a warning bell.
It's telling you something's not right.
And really you're, you're scared of what could happen.
They are running around the room like crazy person and blow up the whole lesson.
They are say something awful.
They are a mess with another student.
You know, those, sometimes those behavior issues can be, they, they truly can follow
(28:23):
us if you just have that nightmare class and every teacher has had one and we all have
ways we all conquered it because we're still here.
Right?
We all conquered, we all teachers so adaptive and we find so many cool ways to relate to
that student or to just do something that gets them back on track that, and you build
(28:43):
that trust.
You know, it's always an interesting feeling.
It always makes you feel good inside, but you feel bad for your colleagues, but it makes
you feel good inside when that student for everybody else is just the one who follows
them home that they fear and think about and oh my gosh, what's going to happen.
But for you, they're okay.
But for you, it's just a little here and there and you, you have that relationship where
(29:05):
you can give them the parent look.
I call it your kids just know better knock that off.
I see that look.
You can give that student that and they get it too.
Or you can say one or two things.
Might have some bad days in there, but nowhere near what your colleagues are having.
That's cause you built that relationship because that's what we do.
That's until you build that relationship or even thinking about that, like, okay, it's
(29:26):
been a really good week.
What can I do?
Man, it just makes every day stressful and it makes every evening stressful because you're
thinking about it.
And those are the ones who follow us home at night or you have the ones who need us
and you worry about them.
You know, you worry about, are they okay?
(29:46):
Are they worried that, you know, kids share something with you and we think about that.
You know, we take that with us if a kid shares something with us.
That's why teachers so hurt when parents sometimes say or outside force sometimes say we don't
care about their kid or, or that becomes a, you know, these teachers don't care about
kids as like a national media type thing.
It hurts us cause that is furthest from the truth.
(30:09):
My wife had a student who was a constant problem in class and it seemed that all of her thoughts,
you know, I'm observing this as a fellow teacher and she's telling me about this, but I'm all,
I'm noticing as she's just kind of sitting and working and even talking to me, all of
her thoughts, even conversations led to that student.
They just took up so much of a mental time.
(30:30):
She'd be talking about something at work and all of a sudden a veer back to that class
and that student and what could happen the next day, you know, and, and like I said,
she's also had, and she's gone through this too.
She's had students who simply needed her.
She's always thinking about them.
She found some old student notes cleaning out kind of our closet and has a box and in
(30:52):
one of their typing classes at her school, they had the students type a letter to practice
to a teacher in the school that they're really thankful for and appreciative of.
And she got a bunch because my wife is a rock star.
She was just flipping through and reading them.
And just to see her face and hear her talk about it, that, you know, they thanked her
and that they said she had done so much for them.
(31:15):
That's one of those areas that warms us, but it also leads back to those students probably
needed her.
And I'm, there are some, and I know there are some just from the name she read that
she shared over time that she thought about at night and would worry about.
And so sometimes these ones who follow us home for good or bad, that can be exhausting
too.
That's something we need to know and open up about and understand.
(31:38):
That's just part of the job and then we can control that and know you're doing a good
job for both for the ones who need you and for the ones who drive a little crazy and
make those classes a little scary.
You're doing a good job.
You're making those relationships.
You're making that trust and you're there.
(32:03):
And but to link back, you don't have to be there for sick.
It's okay.
But you're there and they know you're going to be there.
I love it when I do take a day off and so many kids come up and are like, Dr. Laura,
where were you yesterday?
They're just shocked.
I don't take many days off during school.
I don't miss school much.
I think I am that teacher who will take some day quill and just be like, all right, I can
do this.
Right.
(32:23):
I shouldn't.
I know it always warms your heart when you come in.
They're like, Dr. Laura, where were you?
They're just shocked that you weren't there.
And they're like, they don't say, I'm glad you're back, but it's, you know, that they're
asking, you know, they don't just walk in and look and go, oh, you're here.
They are animated about it.
They care.
That's how they're showing that they care.
So you're doing a good job.
And these ones are follows home.
(32:44):
You're doing the right thing and know that deep in your core because you work hard and
you care.
And I thank you for that.
And the kids thank you in all their own little ways.
So that my friends is the show.
Thank you so much for everybody for emailing in, for commenting, for sending us strategies,
for sending us great links to articles that really inform this thing for everybody who's
(33:07):
commented on social media on either X or blue sky.
Use the hashtag educational warfare.
That way we can kind of find each other.
If you have these things or if you see an article on there and don't want to copy and
email it, just post it with that hashtag and we'll find it or add us.
Remember we're at ed warfare on X or at dr lauer dot B sky dot social on blue sky.
(33:33):
And again, you can email the show at educational warfare dot pod at gmail dot com.
And thank you so much for everything.
What we're going to do next week.
We finished the three episode arc.
We did it guys.
We all did it.
We did the three episode arc and exhaustion.
We have so much information about exhaustion out there now.
And this conversation's rolling and it's gotten such good reviews and comments from you all.
So we really appreciate Dr Jackson and I.
(33:55):
What we're doing next week is have a kind of one off show maybe over winter break.
It might be over some topic that we just want to talk about that one show.
Something that's interesting in the war of education, this educational warfare battleground.
So tune in then in that show.
We may have a pretty exciting and interesting surprise for y'all and some news about the
(34:23):
show.
So tune in next week for that.
And thank you for being a part of this show.
Thank you for emailing for Dr Jackson.
Thank you for listening for me.
Thank you for being here and listening.
And thank you for being a part of the fight.
Welcome back to Educational Warfare.
(00:12):
I'm Dr. Jordan Lauer.
Today we are talking about our last, our final episode in our three episode arc covering
exhaustion.
Episode three was exhaustion, the war within.
This is our Malbag episode.
Welcome in everybody.
You emailed the show, you reached out to us on all the socials and you asked questions,
(00:33):
gave us comments, gave us strategies.
Remember those socials we reached out to us at onx.eduwarfare.
I am at drjordanlauer.bsky.social on blue sky.
If many of you have navigated over there from X and any other places, great place.
There's also an awesome hashtag on there for us that helps educators, that educators talking
(00:56):
and connecting.
And it is hashtag edusky.
So if you're on blue sky, check that out.
It's really cool.
Some great conversation, great teacher networks on there.
This is coming from you.
This is about talking about exhaustion, asking questions, having comments, giving some great
strategies, sending some great emails.
So this only happens because you reach out to us and we appreciate that so much.
(01:19):
Dr. Jackson and I, you guys help drive the content, you give us ideas, you kind of shift
the way we're thinking.
So please keep reaching out, keep sharing the show and letting other people know because
we want to help you guys and we want to have you be a part of this.
So we're just not talking at you.
We're all talking together and voicing some of the issues that are affecting education
and our clientele and many other cool aspects.
(01:43):
So with that in mind, we're going to jump into some emails here.
So let's take a listen to our first email.
You've got mail.
So Tracy emailed in and she said, it was great actually hearing what exhaustion can physically
do to us.
I have felt and experienced some of those issues, but I have always attributed them
(02:03):
to aging or even put the blame on myself with poor diet and lack of exercise.
Having them explained and shared, knowing that others feel it felt like a weight lifting
off my shoulders.
I love your show and all the information you share.
Please keep going.
Teachers need many of these issues out in the open.
Tracy, thank you so much for that amazing email.
(02:24):
It means so much to Dr. Jackson and I that we can make any teacher feel even 1% better.
That is awesome.
If it's any more than that, we're just blessed to be able to do that and help or make them
more confident themselves.
That's why we do the show.
So thank you so much for emailing Tracy's.
Thank you so much for listening and be a part of this.
To recap what Tracy's talking about, in our last episode, exhaustion, the war within,
(02:52):
we covered what exhaustion can physically do to you and some of those things that it
did, that it can do, that it can affect us by and some of the warning signs even of exhaustion,
which can lead to teacher burnout.
Here we talked about change in appetite, weight loss or weight gain, anxiety, depression,
(03:15):
fatigue, sleep disorders, irregular hair loss, lack of job satisfaction, and inability to
enjoy downtime.
You know, Dr. Jackson talked a lot about not enjoying having free time and being with her
family and we really went into that lack of job satisfaction.
We talked about that and fatigue, all of us feel that, anxiety, depression.
(03:39):
But one issue I wanted to kind of get into that I think is part of this that can cause
exhaustion, cause some of these physical things, and it's just a part of the job, but it's
almost accepted and like now a joke in the field.
But it does cause some physical issues is teacher bladder.
Teachers, as soon as I said that, you all went, yup, I guarantee it.
(04:02):
We all know what I'm talking about.
We literally oftentimes have to hold going to the bathroom.
One of the only professions that does that.
I mean, it is not just called teacher bladder actually in the teaching profession.
That's what it's nicknamed in the medical profession.
And there's not many other professions, I don't know one honestly, that would have a
(04:24):
medical term named after just profession because it's such a factor because we have to hold
it.
There's not enough time.
If you have kids coming in, you have to go to the bathroom.
On this topic, our old friend and rock star listener and emailer, Andrea, she's awesome.
She emails so many great things and questions all the time.
He said in a great article just about this topic from NEA Today entitled, teachers need
(04:50):
a bathroom break.
In that, it even says, unlike other groups of professionals, teachers frequently deprive
themselves of drinking water because they have no bathroom access for hours on end.
And 63% of Orange County, Florida teachers with a survey was taken said that they avoided
(05:10):
drinking water.
Just last episode, Ryan and I were talking about how important water is.
This is saying the teachers don't trigger it because they don't have time to go to the
bathroom.
And I've, at a time I'm working out or kind of in a diet that may ask for me to drink
a lot of water, I've been drinking that to stay on the diet and just been in the bathroom
(05:31):
every planning period or every passing period, just walking in and out.
And I just feel, and even sometimes in between, in middle of class, I'm like, oh, now I have
to go.
And I just feel like I'm always out of my room and I'm not doing hall duty.
Kids are waiting for me being like, hey, I have a question, Dr. Lauer.
And I'm coming from the bathroom.
So even when it's part of like a diet or part of a workout thing that I've been part of,
(05:53):
I'll stop doing it just because I'm like, okay, I can drink this much and I can go after
this period.
I can go after this period.
It seems almost silly to be talking about it, but you know, one thing the article says
is that bladders work like elastic waistband pants.
If you stretch them over and over and over, they lose shape and function.
(06:13):
That's an organ in our body we're talking about.
As much as it's silly and it's kind of just a joke of the profession, the idea of possibly
having another physical health issue because of the go, go, go nature and kind of the high
energy impact that teaching is that we have to do this and this and this just don't have
time to go.
(06:34):
That is a sign of burnout.
That's a sign of exhaustion.
Like eventually you will, you'll feel that physically, of course, if something happens
to you, but you'll feel that strain of, oh, I just, I can't even go to the bathroom.
It becomes a mental issue as well.
So that was an interesting thing that I wanted to bring up because I think it's part of being
a teacher, but just something nobody ever talks about unless they're just joking.
(06:55):
You know, and you even say it among people who aren't teachers, like I didn't get to
go to the bathroom for three hours today.
And they were like, what do you mean?
It's like, well, I can't do that.
And they kind of chuckle, but it's, if you're putting that position, sometimes not comfortable.
Or if you do go, you have to rush.
It's awful.
It also says that 20% of Orange County, Florida teachers said that they had to see a doctor.
(07:17):
And because I'm not being able to use the bathroom and it becomes a actual medical issue.
So that's a silly little thing that, or that we take as silly, but actually can lead to
physical things.
So make the time to go to the bathroom.
You're not, don't exhaust yourself by not being able to do that and having physical
problems.
Go to the bathroom.
We'll be able to do all the other things we need to, but don't get a medical issue arise
(07:42):
on you because of that little aspect of our job.
Probably not worth it.
And at least a mental exhaustion as well as physical issues.
So looking at the next email coming in, you've got mail.
Renee emailed the show and said, great series over exhaustion.
(08:04):
I have always felt that exhaustion is the silent killer of the teaching career.
We all just get to a point where we simply cannot do it anymore.
The issue that always exhausts and frustrates me the most is exactly what you talked about
in your last episode.
Teachers not being listened to by anyone above us, even though we're the experts in our field,
(08:28):
content and students.
I have always had great scores.
I've been a teacher of almost 20 years and I have offered to my district ways to possibly
raise scores for all students in the grade level I teach.
Instead of even asking me to come meet and discuss these issues, my district just surprised
me and put me in the grade level in my school and content area where our scores were the
(08:51):
lowest.
Now I have to teach the grade level I have excelled in and, all caps there, completely
new content set in a different grade level to raise those scores.
If I don't keep my scores in my old class high and also now raise these new grade scores,
it will be put on me.
(09:12):
That as you both often say in the show in unison is exhausting, all caps there too.
Boom.
That is such an awesome email, Renee.
I feel like you just touched the heart of every successful teacher in America with that
topic right there because I think we've all felt that.
Thank you so much for emailing in.
Thank you for listening.
(09:32):
Thank you for the laugh of the both saying it in unison because that's actually totally
organic.
I'm trying to time it up to where I know what he's about to say or he knows what I'm about
to say and we just do it and never talked about that.
So it's kind of funny you noticed that.
So I appreciate it.
Dr. Jax appreciates it too.
So thank you so much for emailing in and being a part of the show.
That is right though.
(09:53):
We often have responsibilities added to our jobs when we're successful.
We put more stress on our good teachers, right?
Renee's so right there.
She has done really, really well.
Let's break this down.
She's done really, really well for quite a long time.
So she's reached out to the district, you know, looking at scores every time for non-teachers,
anybody listening, you get your scores and we're all competitive.
(10:17):
The first thing we kind of do is look if you have the same grade in your same subject in
your grade, you kind of compare those scores.
Now we're all part of learning professional learning communities and data team.
So we want everybody to be high because we're all working together, but you still check,
see where everybody falls and then you especially check your district scores because you don't
work really with those other teachers.
(10:38):
So you want to be higher, right?
So she's looked at all these scores and she's gone to her district and hey, I consistently
have high scores.
Here's what I do.
Maybe we could kind of make these type of things, something the district does, you know,
not saying that everybody needs a copy of me, but maybe she has a couple of tactics
that could become, she could do professional development or she uses certain things outside
(11:00):
the district that she thinks they could put in.
And instead of that becoming the norm like that, like celebrated, hey, you did so good,
you're right.
Let's copy this.
They said, well, we'll, we'll now have you teach this different spacey subject.
Let's say I'm a history teacher by trade.
So I'm gonna go history here.
So she teaches, let's say she teaches seventh grade history or eighth grade history, which
(11:24):
is U S. Okay.
So she teaches that she does really good.
It goes to district says these things.
So now they're like, well, your sixth grade scores aren't really the best.
So we're gonna have you teach that too.
Not the strategies she's done, you know, and I'm sure she's been sharing those in the school
because she's asking to go to the district.
(11:45):
So I'm sure she tried those in the school, but you know, not really just, hey, we're
gonna have them do these things.
It's you teach it.
So now she has to learn a new content cause sixth grade history is very different from
eighth grade history and she has to learn new content that she's probably hasn't taught
much before so she's now learning and she is tasked with keeping her scores high and
going up as well.
(12:07):
And now raising the sixth grade scores, which could compromise her scores because now she's
at half of her time.
She's there to be making all new content.
You know, she'll be thinking about that class with that pressure of raising those scores.
So it's almost like a, well, if you think you're this good, we'll see how you do in
this grade that you've never taught before.
So it's putting more pressure on somebody who's been super successful.
(12:28):
That's sometimes what happens.
And as she said in unison, that is exhausting.
You want to be rewarded.
I mean, any other profession that would be a promotion, right?
You do that well for that long, they would promote you.
Education doesn't really have a pathway for that.
They're not just going to make a good teacher, a brand on principle.
(12:50):
And there's no like, oh, now you're in charge.
There's already somebody in the district in charge of the curriculum for the subject you
teach.
So they're not going to fire that person.
So there's not much nowhere to go, but there's really also no reward.
It's sometimes we, and I don't want to use this word too strongly.
Sometimes we get punished.
They're like, now she is more stressed.
She's been successful and it's more stress.
(13:12):
You could say, well, anytime there's promotion, there's more stress.
That is true.
But there's also other perks like more money and she's definitely not getting that either.
So it does almost seem like a punishment.
Education gets smacked around in the media a lot.
We talked about this before we were heroes during COVID that we were teaching these kids
from home and trying to get engagement via zoom and Skype and whatever, you know, teams,
(13:38):
whatever your district was using.
We're getting engaged, our heroes.
And then boom, that goes away.
And all of a sudden we're back to teachers aren't qualified.
Teachers are grooming.
As we talked about, teachers are indoctrinating.
Like we said that, you know, we just have all the time to do these things.
And we always get smacked around for they're not competent or what are they really teaching?
(14:02):
And then, so it's easier to lay low sometimes in education.
That's where those stories come from.
If you just kind of ride out the level three, let's say, or five being the highest, depending
on what your state has, if you just ride that out, you're not getting moved around to do
anything.
And, and that's when we get those from the outside world, instead of having this whole
(14:24):
group of rock stars who are high.
Sometimes easier just kind of keep your head down.
I always tell new teachers that don't get a endorsement on your license.
That isn't something you love because as soon as you get it, that's what you'll be teaching.
Again, history teacher, you get a reading endorsement and you're a middle schooler.
You'll be teaching ELA and reading on top of history probably.
(14:46):
And if that's not your love, then you're going to be stressed out because you're just not
really that confident in it.
But you were like, Oh, I want to add as much to my license.
So I'm well rounded adding things to your license, which would be again, making even
more skilled teachers sometimes could be a punishment because now you're teaching reading
or math, you know, these super high stakes things.
(15:06):
And that's really not your chosen field.
You just wanted to add it so you could have that ability.
So these things that should be promotions that should be attaining new skills and advance
yourself, sometimes can be seen as, Ooh, I don't want to do that because I'll make my
life so much harder.
And that is exhausting.
So I totally love that email, Renee.
(15:28):
I love that thought or tacking these issues.
We want to get these out here and talk about it.
Don't want to be seen as griping about education because we did a whole Thanksgiving episode.
Go check that out.
Where we talked about what we're thankful for education and within the field.
But it is a part and that's what this show is for.
We're going to have that radical candor.
We're going to be a little spicy, talk about some stuff that may make you may make some
(15:50):
people uncomfortable.
And that's a part of education.
We need to look at that.
Teachers like that should not be having this extra stress on them.
They should be leading and teaching class is leading.
We are all leaders, but she should be leading those other teachers to help them while she's
still able to do her thing and just be awesome at it instead of stressing and then becoming
(16:11):
exhausting.
So great email, Renee.
Anybody out there wants to comment on that, please email the show, educationalwarfare.pod
or gmail.com to talk about that further.
Love to hear some of your opinions.
Also going back to the Thanksgiving episode, there's some funny things to be asked you
to email about.
So go back and listen to that.
And if you have anything, let us know, talk about it.
It'd be great to hear from you.
So transitioning to another thing, this actually isn't an email, but it's about the show.
(16:36):
So I just had to talk about it.
That something that happened that we talked about on the show and literally right after
it happened to me.
So on the show we were talking about how sometimes teachers can feel guilt about taking a day
off.
All the things that can affect you.
(16:57):
You're worried about your lessons going over here, worried about your kids doing things.
You're worried about behavior, worried about what the sub will be like.
So many things to worry about.
We worry about your colleagues needing to pick up your slack because you're not there
and a sub didn't show up and now you're adding their exhaustion and you're like, I could
have just taken day quit and stayed home.
(17:19):
Talked about that in the show.
It's a real thing.
We record these shows on Sunday or Saturday depending.
And then they drop early Tuesday morning.
If you follow the show and whatever, wherever you get the show on Spotify, Apple, Amazon,
I heart radio, pod guru, any, wherever you get the show.
(17:39):
If you hit the follow button, as soon as the episode drops in the morning, you'll get a
little nice little notification.
It's the educational warfare has dropped a new episode.
So please do that.
That way you don't have to come find us every time.
So the show comes out Tuesday, Wednesday, I'm driving to work cold out.
It's like 17 degrees.
(18:00):
I notice in my car, all of a sudden my feet are kind of chilly and I had the heat on the
floor setting and I was like, Oh no, that's weird.
But so I just turned the heater off cause I was off a wargery about that later.
About five more minutes later, my car starts beeping and says, your car is overheated.
Please pull over.
And I was like, overheated.
(18:20):
It's 17 degrees.
What is going on?
So I'm kind of in the back roads.
There's not much area to pull over.
So I crawl along and finally get to a gas station, open up my hood and steam's coming
out.
There's water everywhere.
I am broken down.
Now this is right before school.
Like I am on my way to school.
(18:41):
So I usually get to school with about 25 minutes before students start coming up, you know,
and they're at least from wherever.
So I got like a 25 minute window here before I'm late.
So I tried to do everything I can.
I walk, I run in the gas station.
I need to see if they have any coolant, get all that stuff, pour it in.
(19:03):
I'm like, yeah, I'm feeling good about myself.
I'm like, I just probably fixed this problem.
Well, so then I just kind of, for some reason, bend over to look under the car just in case.
And I noticed everything I put in was pouring out.
Not good.
So at that moment, I'm like, okay, this is not going to work.
I'm not going to make the extra 20 miles to work right now.
(19:25):
Anyway, I can't crawl there like this.
So I immediately call my principal, tell her what's going on.
She says she'll get things covered, take care of it.
All these things we're talking about, right?
Taking a day off.
Someone's a Sunday.
Now I have to scramble to do these things that I thought I'd be able to do.
So I call my principal, I email my neighbor and I'm like, Hey man, could you please make
sure this happens?
(19:45):
I make sure anything.
Luckily, what I was doing, we talked about this to limit exhaustion.
My assignments were digital.
What they were doing today was digital.
So all I had to do is make sure they were published where I could see them.
That kind of takes away some exhaustion.
We talked about that using those systems.
I'm very happy I did that that day.
I sit in the car, no heat on, freezing, trying to type and do this after being outside.
(20:06):
My hands hurt.
So I'm like typing.
I'm sure there are a hundred spelling errors in that email.
Send it along.
Everything's taken care of.
Get the car to shop.
So I have no car, but my wife comes and gets me.
So she had to get coverage from her classes.
Came and got me.
We're able to talk to our in-laws and they were saying, you can borrow a car.
(20:28):
All this stuff happened, right?
I should have probably just taken that car and went back to the shop and see anything
or went home.
I had grease all over.
It was already a couple hours into the day.
I was so worried about my colleagues.
That was a stressful day.
(20:49):
I wasn't exactly in the super chipper.
I was under a car in 17 degrees with hot radiator, whatever, pouring near me and on me.
And then I'm dirty and then I had to go drive.
I was able to get the car cool enough to drive the two miles that I found that there was
a garage to work on it.
And with my wife following me, by the whole time I was so worried that the engine would
(21:09):
just blow up and fire start shooting out.
It was a stressful morning.
I was worried about my colleagues.
I got my in-law's car and I drove to work.
Had to get myself in the right head space.
Had to calm down on that drive.
But I'm there because I worry.
We've talked about this.
We do this because we care.
(21:30):
It's a profession of the soul.
And I didn't want my kids to not have anybody in there.
I didn't want my colleagues to get an email.
So Dr. Lauer's suddenly out today.
So could you go cover his third?
And we all have that happen to us.
And doesn't always seem to happen on the day where you have a lot of things doing your
planning.
You're like, okay, today am I planning?
(21:51):
I know what I'm going to do the next two days.
I'm going to get those copies knocked out.
I'm going to have this made.
I'm going to grade those papers so then I can, you know, it's a day where you like in
your head two days ago, you knew on this day.
Isn't that always the day we get that email?
Hey, you got to go to this.
No, but I had to do the copies, you know, so I didn't want anybody feeling that.
So I went in.
Okay.
(22:12):
And that's exactly what we're talking about.
Don't want to sound whiny or like, oh, it's stressful.
So I can't do this.
But I mean, that that's what we talk about with a mental health day.
That's what we talk about.
We're just needing a day.
We're like, that is bad because, you know, there's also the stress of getting into the
garage and getting all those things I talked about, but we all make a teacher salary.
So in my head, I was also thinking about what am I going to have to pay for this right before
(22:34):
Christmas?
Right.
So it should have been a mental health day, but I wanted to be there.
I was not mad about being there.
I love my students love being there, but I was worried about my colleagues and that's
exactly what we were talking about.
That's an exhaustion.
So I was stressed on two different levels and it was just such a rough type of day.
And I thought it was interesting how we just talked about this and I experienced it.
(22:57):
I want to share that with you.
It's a real live story of what we're talking about that teachers go through all the time.
They wake up sick, just can't breathe out of their nose, eyes puffy, coughing, and they
do the calculus of I didn't have copies made or I didn't expect not to be here.
So I need to make copies made because I was going to do something with them, but obviously
(23:18):
the sub can't do that.
And so should I run in real quick, which is a crazy thing our profession has to do.
We talked about that in the episode that we could be sick and exhausted, but then we still
have to go to work to make copies sometimes and then come home.
Do you do that calculus or do you just go in two day quill tablets noon?
(23:41):
You might take two more.
If it's a four hour release camera, if it's four or eight, you do that and just, you can
still have them do something quiet because you know, you can't talk that much, but at
least you're there.
Right?
That's the thing.
I'm there.
I'm in control.
None of these crazy things we've talked about happens.
And that is exhausting and stressful that we have to make that calculus.
I just thought it was interesting.
(24:02):
It was a situation similar to that, that is unexpected and pops up and happens.
So it's a real thing.
We're not making these stories up.
We're not making these topics up.
These are things teachers experience and love to hear any similar to that, that you may
have.
You've got mail.
In email, Chuck came in and Chuck said, I love your show, but one thing it made me think
(24:27):
of with exhaustion is the ones who keep us up.
The students who just for good or bad, keep us up, keep us awake because we're thinking
about them.
We're worrying about them.
And that is something that has always exhausted me because even when I want to let go, I can't
(24:47):
do that because I constantly think about them.
And it also ties back to your war at home episode where you talked about how you can
be a part of your family because you're either doing or thinking about education.
And as you guys talked about the exhaustion within, I feel this attacks me inside because
I'm always stressed about that certain area.
(25:10):
Wow.
Thank you, Chuck.
That's so true.
That is a big part of teaching and possibly a big part of exhaustion is the ones who keep
us up at night.
The students who are just in our thoughts, you might just sit up after being in bed two
hours, you went to bed at 10, you sit up and you look over and it's midnight.
(25:31):
Part of you is a little happy because I still get like five hours of sleep, but you sit
up and they just cross your brain instantly.
And it's so strange because there's so many other things you could think of instantly
in that moment of sitting up in your bed, but you think of this kid because of this
reason.
And then your mind might start racing.
(25:53):
Maybe it might be hard to go back to sleep.
And it's so interesting that we have students like that.
I was sitting in a professional development earlier this month and the presenter mentioned
how some students can keep us up at night, what we're talking about.
I love this email from Chuck because it kind of brings that back.
And it just hit me so powerfully as an element of exhaustion.
(26:13):
Think about how either negative behavior or simply caring for a student, we care in this
profession, who may simply need you can make your professional life exhausting.
And then when you internalize that behavior that's kind of driving you crazy or that need
for you, it follows you in your private life and your private life and your private thoughts
(26:37):
and your private relationships and how is that not exhausting?
When the thought of a student follows you into your private life in that moment, kind
as Chuck mentioned, you are half in your career and you're half in your family life because
you're thinking about that.
You're thinking about that kid.
(26:58):
And we all know giving half of ourselves to something makes whatever we're doing struggle
to be completed, done to the best or even fully realized if it's a thought or idea.
You know, teachers care again.
We've talked about this.
What we put our attention to matters.
Half in half out, it's like having 50% oxygen.
(27:18):
You won't die, but you won't be doing anything well.
Anything you attempt to do in a short amount of time, you'll be gasping for air.
And isn't that just a perfect description of exhaustion we've been talking about these
three episodes.
You want to do something, but end up struggling and gasping for air because something that
(27:41):
exhaustion, whatever that causes is holding you back with this.
Sometimes that soon is, I mean, it's, it's almost a worry of fear of just what's going
to happen tomorrow.
We've all had a student like that with behavioral issues that you just sit there and worry because
there's so much unknown.
(28:02):
You start to get that anxiety and remember that anxiety is a warning bell.
It's telling you something's not right.
And really you're, you're scared of what could happen.
They are running around the room like crazy person and blow up the whole lesson.
They are say something awful.
They are a mess with another student.
You know, those, sometimes those behavior issues can be, they, they truly can follow
(28:23):
us if you just have that nightmare class and every teacher has had one and we all have
ways we all conquered it because we're still here.
Right?
We all conquered, we all teachers so adaptive and we find so many cool ways to relate to
that student or to just do something that gets them back on track that, and you build
(28:43):
that trust.
You know, it's always an interesting feeling.
It always makes you feel good inside, but you feel bad for your colleagues, but it makes
you feel good inside when that student for everybody else is just the one who follows
them home that they fear and think about and oh my gosh, what's going to happen.
But for you, they're okay.
But for you, it's just a little here and there and you, you have that relationship where
(29:05):
you can give them the parent look.
I call it your kids just know better knock that off.
I see that look.
You can give that student that and they get it too.
Or you can say one or two things.
Might have some bad days in there, but nowhere near what your colleagues are having.
That's cause you built that relationship because that's what we do.
That's until you build that relationship or even thinking about that, like, okay, it's
(29:26):
been a really good week.
What can I do?
Man, it just makes every day stressful and it makes every evening stressful because you're
thinking about it.
And those are the ones who follow us home at night or you have the ones who need us
and you worry about them.
You know, you worry about, are they okay?
(29:46):
Are they worried that, you know, kids share something with you and we think about that.
You know, we take that with us if a kid shares something with us.
That's why teachers so hurt when parents sometimes say or outside force sometimes say we don't
care about their kid or, or that becomes a, you know, these teachers don't care about
kids as like a national media type thing.
It hurts us cause that is furthest from the truth.
(30:09):
My wife had a student who was a constant problem in class and it seemed that all of her thoughts,
you know, I'm observing this as a fellow teacher and she's telling me about this, but I'm all,
I'm noticing as she's just kind of sitting and working and even talking to me, all of
her thoughts, even conversations led to that student.
They just took up so much of a mental time.
(30:30):
She'd be talking about something at work and all of a sudden a veer back to that class
and that student and what could happen the next day, you know, and, and like I said,
she's also had, and she's gone through this too.
She's had students who simply needed her.
She's always thinking about them.
She found some old student notes cleaning out kind of our closet and has a box and in
(30:52):
one of their typing classes at her school, they had the students type a letter to practice
to a teacher in the school that they're really thankful for and appreciative of.
And she got a bunch because my wife is a rock star.
She was just flipping through and reading them.
And just to see her face and hear her talk about it, that, you know, they thanked her
and that they said she had done so much for them.
(31:15):
That's one of those areas that warms us, but it also leads back to those students probably
needed her.
And I'm, there are some, and I know there are some just from the name she read that
she shared over time that she thought about at night and would worry about.
And so sometimes these ones who follow us home for good or bad, that can be exhausting
too.
That's something we need to know and open up about and understand.
(31:38):
That's just part of the job and then we can control that and know you're doing a good
job for both for the ones who need you and for the ones who drive a little crazy and
make those classes a little scary.
You're doing a good job.
You're making those relationships.
You're making that trust and you're there.
(32:03):
And but to link back, you don't have to be there for sick.
It's okay.
But you're there and they know you're going to be there.
I love it when I do take a day off and so many kids come up and are like, Dr. Laura,
where were you yesterday?
They're just shocked.
I don't take many days off during school.
I don't miss school much.
I think I am that teacher who will take some day quill and just be like, all right, I can
do this.
Right.
(32:23):
I shouldn't.
I know it always warms your heart when you come in.
They're like, Dr. Laura, where were you?
They're just shocked that you weren't there.
And they're like, they don't say, I'm glad you're back, but it's, you know, that they're
asking, you know, they don't just walk in and look and go, oh, you're here.
They are animated about it.
They care.
That's how they're showing that they care.
So you're doing a good job.
And these ones are follows home.
(32:44):
You're doing the right thing and know that deep in your core because you work hard and
you care.
And I thank you for that.
And the kids thank you in all their own little ways.
So that my friends is the show.
Thank you so much for everybody for emailing in, for commenting, for sending us strategies,
for sending us great links to articles that really inform this thing for everybody who's
(33:07):
commented on social media on either X or blue sky.
Use the hashtag educational warfare.
That way we can kind of find each other.
If you have these things or if you see an article on there and don't want to copy and
email it, just post it with that hashtag and we'll find it or add us.
Remember we're at ed warfare on X or at dr lauer dot B sky dot social on blue sky.
(33:33):
And again, you can email the show at educational warfare dot pod at gmail dot com.
And thank you so much for everything.
What we're going to do next week.
We finished the three episode arc.
We did it guys.
We all did it.
We did the three episode arc and exhaustion.
We have so much information about exhaustion out there now.
And this conversation's rolling and it's gotten such good reviews and comments from you all.
So we really appreciate Dr Jackson and I.
(33:55):
What we're doing next week is have a kind of one off show maybe over winter break.
It might be over some topic that we just want to talk about that one show.
Something that's interesting in the war of education, this educational warfare battleground.
So tune in then in that show.
We may have a pretty exciting and interesting surprise for y'all and some news about the
(34:23):
show.
So tune in next week for that.
And thank you for being a part of this show.
Thank you for emailing for Dr Jackson.
Thank you for listening for me.
Thank you for being here and listening.
And thank you for being a part of the fight.
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