Your colleagues are overwhelmed by virtual education challenges. How can you help them cope with burnout?

If I have a lot of asynchronous modules which are not linearly progressive, I list these out on a spreadsheet and take time to put the links and the time estimate beside each. Then, if I have a time slot to study, it may only be 20 mins but I can quickly choose a 20-minutes module. If I have 2 hours, yippee! I can tackle a string of modules. This allows you to utilize the 20 minutes time slot for studying rather than locating the place you left off, making a decision, and so on. List all of your learning goals this way, on tabs of a spreadsheet. I've earned multiple professional certifications over the past 10 months this way, completed many Udemy courses, and been astonished by my own productivity.

Being virtual and working from a screen all day can be tedious. I have a five minute dance/brain break in class to move away from the screen and focus on something else. I also take walks in the hallway or stretch in between classes to ease tension and move my muscles.

Having a supportive circle can really bring positive change in one's mental health. These people can offer support in various ways and help alleviate one's condition.

Most educators are cut from the same cloth of self-sacrifice and servant leadership. If self-care is not modeled by colleagues, administrators, and management, the barrier of perceived selfishness will never be overcome. Modeling appropriate self-care behaviors can remind your colleagues that self-care is not at all selfish, and they may be encouraged by your example.

It’s important to recognize that we don’t need to recreate the typical brick-and-mortar school setting. That leads to stress and unnecessary work. By examining the new opportunities that a virtual environment makes possible, and choosing one or more that suits our styles and topics, we can focus on the positive and reenergize ourselves.

Remember that successful models of virtual teaching are different than brick-and-mortar models. Often, classes meet fewer times, students are given more independent time to do work, and teachers serve more as guides to facilitate that work, rather than being present for each moment of a student's day. If your school is using a brick-and-mortar model for virtual learning and you are burned out, the students are likely burned out, as well. Talk to you administration or leadership to think about how you might need a systems reboot to support your (and your students') well-being.