You’ve probably heard the phrase “work-life balance” at some point. It’s one of those catch phrases that people love to throw around. You may have heard it directed at you specifically as a teacher, or thought about how to achieve it yourself. I know I have. After years of feeling overwhelmed and stressed out in my job, I worked hard to achieve that elusive “work-life balance” only to realize something important. It’s all a myth, and an unhealthy one at that.
When we talk about “work-life balance,” we’re pitting work against everything else in our lives. What’s wrong with work? Also, what exactly is “life” in the work-life balance equation? Isn’t work part of our lives? Life includes relationships, hobbies, civic involvement, education, household chores, self-care, and yes, work. “Work” doesn’t have to be the antithesis of “life;” in fact, work can and should enhance and enrich our lives. Work can be difficult, stressful, and incredibly time-consuming, but it can also be meaningful, enjoyable, and incredibly fulfilling.
We shouldn’t talk about “work-life balance.” We should talk about creating a rich and fulfilling life, including our work. Unfortunately there are a lot of ideas about teaching that make it hard to do that sometimes.
When I was in college, I had a professor who told us that she didn’t trust teachers who left right at the end of contract time. According to her, good teachers stayed late. This idea that good teachers work extra hours is everywhere. People often assume that because I’m a teacher, I work long, extra hours to do my job. I’ve talked to many teachers who complain/brag about how long they spend grading papers or planning lessons. (Humans are weird like that. We always want to outdo each other, no matter what it is. We can take a problem or complaint and turn it into a badge of honor instead of just doing something about it.)
In reality, there is absolutely no reason why working longer hours makes you a better teacher. On the other hand, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t work longer hours if that’s what you want to do. I’ve done both. I used to spend hours after school grading and creating lesson plans and materials. I have also worked exactly eight hours every day and no more. Interestingly, I’ve felt guilty both ways, either feeling like I needed to do more or that I shouldn’t be doing so much. Sometimes I want to work longer hours because I have a project I’m excited about, or I’m behind on grading and I just want to get it done and out of the way. Sometimes I want to leave early because I have something to do at home, a friend who needs help with something, or I’m just tired of being at work.
We have so much autonomy in teaching. Exactly how much autonomy varies from school to school, but in general we can do whatever we want. If you want to spend less time at school to make room for other things in your life, you can do it, guilt free. If you want to spend more time at school because you enjoy your job and you want to do more, you can do that, guilt free.
Sometimes it’s hard to accept that we have that level of autonomy. It feels like we don’t. We look at that stack of grading or think about the lessons we haven’t planned yet and it feels like we don’t have a choice. We hear other teachers talk about how much they do and we feel like we should do more. Remember, it is your choice. You get to choose how you spend your time.
We also get overwhelmed with everything we have to do. I’ve seen t-shirts, graphics, and memes depicting all the different roles and skills that teachers have. Not long ago I was feeling stressed and down at work, so I wrote down all the different skills I had used for my job in just the last three or four weeks. It was a long list. I did it intending to use it as a complaint, but afterwards I realized that I love teaching because I have to use all those skills. I love learning new things, and I’m proud of all the skills I have gained through my job. In the moment it was overwhelming, but in the long run, that’s part of what makes my job so fulfilling and enjoyable.
Don’t be afraid to own the parts of your job that you love. Do you love decorating your classroom? Do it! Take the time to make it special. Do you love creating new materials? Why not use that as a creative outlet? Again, we have so much autonomy in our jobs. Do more of what you enjoy.
I’ve also found that the balance we need in life is constantly shifting. You will go through phases where you spend more time working and phases where you pull back and spend more time on other things. There’s nothing wrong with that. Things change. The amount of time and energy that you spend on work depends on what else you have going on in your life.
While there will always be things out of our control, our work is largely what we make it. Work can be a satisfying, enriching part of our life if we make it that way. It just takes a little flexibility and curiosity, and a willingness to question assumptions and make changes.
Today’s Challenge:
Think about one thing you wish was different in your job. Can you do anything about it? Be creative – you might assume you can’t change it, but maybe you just need to think about it differently. Make a plan to make one small change today.