3 Ways to Prevent Burnout When You’re New to Homeschooling

As defined by HelpGuide.org, burnout is “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” A survey conducted by Stranmillis University College revealed that homeschooling in the COVID-19 era is making parents feel “overwhelmed, very stressed, exhausted and burnt out.” 

This news may come as no surprise. The swiftness with which COVID-19 swept the globe left parents with little to no time to prepare for homeschooling or learning from home. On top of adjusting to these educational changes, parents who were fortunate enough to keep their jobs had to find a way to simultaneously work from home—enough to drive many families to their emotional limits. 

This fall, you may be homeschooling out of choice or obligation. Whatever the case may be, you may also be new to this mode of education, which can make it all that much harder. Here are three things that can help:

1. Find or form a virtual support community

The internet is an unparalleled resource for gathering information. Whether you have a doubt about a piece of course content or a specific teaching strategy, all you need to do is pose the question to a search engine. In a matter of milliseconds, you’ll be directed to thousands of relevant sources.

But there may be an even better—and more human—way to find support and solutions to your homeschooling needs: through a virtual community of other homeschooling parents. You can either form such a group yourself or find a pre-existing group on Facebook and the like. 

If possible, include multiple parents who were homeschooling prior to COVID-19. That way, some people will be able to speak from a place of experience. However, if you don’t know anyone who fits this profile, that’s alright too. Two heads are still better than one. 

What makes having a support community so useful is that it allows you to instantly connect with other parents who could be facing similar obstacles or have already found solutions to them. Rather than spending time combing through overwhelming search results, which sometimes ends in disappointment, a quick call or message to another homeschooling parent can get you the specific guidance you need. 

2. Invest in engaging learning resources

At this point, you probably possess the main course materials you’ll be using with your family this fall. However, it doesn’t hurt to secure a few supplemental resources to make your lessons even more interesting—these materials don’t have to cost you much, either.

For instance, you can bring a dynamic angle to your classes by incorporating some fun and games. You can spice up Spanish lessons with Word Searches and Crosswords in Spanish or play an exciting round of U.S. history trivia with Professor Noggin’s History of the United States Trivia Card Game. If you’re looking for instant digital downloads, consider visiting Teachers Pay Teachers, where you can access a multitude of varied and quality learning resources for just a few dollars each. 

Play is a powerful tool for learning. According to Whitby School, “Play is far more powerful for children . . . than many parents realize. It’s actually the key to learning. Researchers and educators across the world have found that play can help enrich learning and develop key skills such as inquiry, expression, experimentation, and teamwork.” 

But play isn’t just good for children. It makes the homeschooling experience lighter for parents too. By laughing with your kids, you form a closer bond and enjoy the relaxing sensation of endorphins, “the body’s natural feel-good chemicals,” as they’re being released in your body.    

3. Incorporate active learning opportunities

Just because you’re assuming the role of teacher this fall doesn’t mean you have to do all the work. In the traditional paradigm, teachers are conceptualized as carriers of knowledge who dictate information to passive students. However, some modern educators have adopted a different approach, which assigns the student a more active role. 

This change in approach was prompted by ample research that suggests students learn more when they actively take part in their learning. Interestingly enough, a 2019 Harvard study found that “though students felt as if they learned more through traditional lectures, they actually learned more when taking part in classrooms that employed so-called active-learning strategies.”

Active learning encompasses a broad range of activities “which engage students as active participants in their learning during class time with their instructor. Typically, these strategies involve some amount of students working together during class, but may also involve individual work and/or reflection.” Common examples of active learning include journaling, brainstorming, group discussions, roleplays, and peer review. 

When you incorporate active learning opportunities into your routine, you will notice that both you and your child feel more engaged. In addition, implementing individual work (i.e. journaling, brainstorming, etc.) will give you a moment to catch your breath.

Tiffany Sorensen holds a Master of Science in Spanish-English Translation from New York University. She works remotely from sunny Mexico, where she gives English and Spanish classes, writes educational articles, and designs practice tests for the ACT.