Reigniting the Spark

By Wandalyn Jones - Charleston County School District

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Summary: As the school year enters the second semester, teachers often face burnout and a lack of motivation. To stay inspired, it's important to set new goals, whether it's exploring new teaching strategies, professional development, or motivating students to set their own goals. Reflecting on your original "Why" for teaching can reignite your passion, while practicing self-care helps avoid burnout. Celebrating students' progress, collaborating with colleagues, and embracing new challenges can also renew excitement. Finally, surrounding yourself with motivated, enthusiastic teachers, especially new ones, can help reignite your own enthusiasm. By staying focused on these strategies, teachers can finish the school year strong, motivated, and ready for the next one.

Spring is here and all we can think about is spring and summer break. If you teach high school, you may have started the second semester with a brand new class of students. The teachers and students are tired. Everyone is ready for the school year to be over. Staying motivated throughout the year can definitely be challenging, especially when you’ve been in the game for years. Over time, things can feel routine, and it's easy to lose that spark. The second semester often brings new students, which means we have the opportunity to start our “year” all over again. What can we do differently to stay motivated and not lose that spark? 

One thing we can do is to set new goals. Even if you’re experienced, whether for several years or just one semester, setting fresh goals can keep things exciting. You could aim for professional development in areas that you haven’t explored yet (like tech integration, project-based learning, or exploring new teaching strategies). Remember how as a first year teacher you were excited and motivated to learn new teaching strategies? We wanted to inspire our students to be just as excited about learning as we were. You can help motivate your students by helping them set new goals. One way to do this is at the beginning of the year or semester, have students complete a goal setting worksheet. This provides a structured way for students to break down their goals and outline steps to achieve them. Another way is to use Google classroom to engage in goal-setting discussions with their peers and yourself. This is a great way to receive targeted advice and feedback which helps them stay on track and feel supported.

Another thing you can do is reflect on your ‘why’. It sounds familiar, but sometimes, it’s easy to forget why you started teaching in the first place. We get caught up in the daily routines, the challenges revolving around education and become focused on the conflicts rather than teaching. Take some time to reflect on your original motivations. Whether it was the joy of helping students grow, sparking curiosity, or creating a supportive community, reconnecting with that can reignite your passion. Remembering your ‘why’ will keep you motivated throughout the year. You can also have your students think of their own ‘why’ for your class. Post them in your classroom to help them stay motivated.

Don’t forget about self-care. Burnout can hit hard after years in the classroom. Make sure you’re taking care of your mental and physical well-being. If you’re not taking care of your mental and physical well-being, you won’t be at your best for your family, profession, or your students. Consider setting boundaries around work hours, scheduling breaks during the day, and making time for hobbies and activities that recharge you. Remind your students to be sure they are taking care of themselves. Many of our high school students are working part-time jobs. They are juggling work, school and home responsibilities. The student who is sleeping in class may have worked late the night before. Self-care is not just for you but also for our students.

Another way to keep that motivation is to celebrate your students’ growth. I was a Special Education teacher for 26 years before becoming an Academic Interventionist. My students took the SC Alternate assessment. Their growth may have been demonstrated by independently pointing to a correct answer or by making an independent choice using their communication device. Whatever the accomplishment, my assistants and I celebrated it with them. As a veteran teacher, you will likely have many students who have made incredible strides under your guidance. Take a moment to celebrate their progress—sometimes it’s easy to focus on the challenges or the tough days, but remembering the small victories can keep you motivated. If you’re able, reach out to former students and hear how you’ve impacted their lives. Celebrate the small victories.

Collaborate with Colleagues. Sometimes a change of perspective can be energizing. If you haven’t already, try collaborating with other teachers. Sharing new ideas, resources, and teaching strategies with others can help keep you feeling inspired and connected to the wider educational community. Being a part of this year’s Emerging Leaders has been motivating for me. I love being able to step outside of my usual network of educators to share ideas and strategies with others and to learn from other educators so that I can share with those I work with the new ideas I’m learning. 

Embrace New Challenges. You might want to take on a new leadership role, start a new project in your classroom, or tackle a topic you haven’t explored before. Challenging yourself in new ways keeps the job dynamic and helps break the monotony.

Surround yourself with others who motivate and encourage you. Spend time with new teachers. Talk with them. Listen to their stories. Ask them what motivates them. Spend time in their classrooms. If you’ve been teaching for a while, you’ve probably accumulated a lot of knowledge. They want to learn from you. Just as you inspire them, their excitement and eagerness for learning will inspire and motivate you. Last month I was at the Low Country Multilingual Learner conference. I was paired with a new teacher. Listening to her talk about her year and how it was going was exciting. New teacher excitement can get you excited again. 

The end of the school year is close. How will you stay motivated from now until then ? How will you start your new year? Are there any specific things about teaching that you still find exciting? Reflect on those things and end your year with the same excitement as you started your year.

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About the Author

Wandalyn Jones is a 28-year veteran Special Education teacher who serves as the Academic Interventionist at Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies in Charleston County School District. She is also the advisor for the National Technical Honor Society at Cooper River CAS.