BACKGROUND
I first heard the term boundaries in the ‘90s with the release of the New York Times Bestseller Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend. A few years ago when the term experienced a resurgence largely through social media, I finally read the book and spent a good amount of time listening to Terri Cole’s podcast about boundaries so that I could implement them into both my personal and professional life.
Boundaries are limits I set for myself, not limits I set for other people. In other words, boundaries are not what others need to do but what I will and will not do when faced with what others have done or asked. Think of boundaries in this way: “If you do ___, then I will do ___.” For example, if you send me an email during the weekend, I will respond on Monday. Or, if you submit your work late, I will put grading it at the bottom of my to-do list.
I set workplace boundaries mostly to prevent burnout and preserve professional relationships. The book Boundaries says, “People who have shaky limits are often compliant on the outside but rebellious and resentful on the inside” (107). Holding true to boundaries is an antidote to resentment and bitterness. At school, I hold my boundaries by
- saying no to certain types of committee work so that I don’t resent my administrators,
- sharing exactly how much time I have to chat during my planning period or after school so that I don’t resent my colleagues,
- addressing misbehavior as a warm demander (see Teacher Talk’s 10-15-24 episode) so that I don’t resent my students,
- avoiding spaces that steer me away from my purpose so I don’t resent myself.
MY BOUNDARIES WITH THE WORKLOAD
Being a teacher is hard work, and because more growth is always possible for teachers and students, that hard work is never ending. Every lesson could use updating with each new group of students and bundle of resources. Every curricular or child development issue could use more research. Every assessment could use more feedback and analysis. Every student could use more support, enrichment, or challenge. So boundaries must not only be set; they must be embraced. The alternative is overwhelm, bitterness, and burnout. Here are the boundaries that work for me.
- Be 100% present with your students when they are with you. Do not slip away to check email, grade papers, etc.
- Pick 1-3 issues you will go to battle for. Trust that others can take care of the remaining issues, and if no one does, was the issue worth it?
- Sometimes you only need to plant the seed when you have ideas. Others can water it if it needs to grow. You do not need to see every idea and initiative come to fruition.
- Embrace ENOUGH. Teachers can always do more planning, more assessment, more feedback, more preparation. Know when to stop for your own wellbeing. A teacher’s stress and overwhelm can affect the mood of a classroom.
- Grade less. Bringing too much work home can create bitterness, which will affect your presence in the classroom. Using model examples, answer keys, and rubrics, students can sometimes assess their own work for feedback rather than a grade.
- If you keep your school email account on your phone, turn off notifications.
