Overwhelmed?
I am hearing this word used more and MORE these days to answer the question, “How are you doing?”
I get it, especially for teachers!
The word “overwhelm” comes from a combination of the Old English word ofer meaning “beyond, past or more than” and the Middle English word whelmen meaning “to turn upside down”. (etymonline.com)
In the 15th Century, the word “overwhelm” came to be used to mean “to submerge completely” and probably was used to describe boats and other sea-going vessels that were “washed over and overset by a big wave”. (etymonline.com)
As always, word origins and etymology helps us gain insights and make connections that can possibly help us with solving problems and finding solutions!
Yay for the power of language!
But here is also a graphic, “picture”, that will help use see how the feelings and subsequent use of the word “overwhelmed” to describe these feelings has grown over time.
Amazing, huh, but not surprising given our current culture of technology, the internet, social media, etc.
Another way to help people understand a concept is to use a metaphor or analogy to which people can relate.
So, using the imagery of a boat sailing along on calm seas, and all of a sudden, a big wave comes and washes over it and the boat is now submerged, off course and struggling to “right itself” can be a powerful metaphor for the teacher to understand how they are feeling and, subsequently, how to manage the “vast ocean and rough seas” of teaching.
On any given day of the school year, teachers feel submerged and like they are drowning in an ocean of paperwork, emails, parent and admin demands, challenges of not having enough resources or support to do their jobs, not being appreciated enough and being criticized too much (sometimes quite viciously and inhumanely by parents).
Every day becomes an emotional roller coaster ride for teachers in the classroom.
And as in the real world, these roller coasters are becoming higher, more complicated and more scary to endure for more than a few minutes.
This submerged, drowning feeling like they are all alone in a little boat in a vast ocean of rough weather, rough seas and no help in sight is causing many teachers to send up an S.O.S. signal of despair, disappointment and disillusionment.
Other teachers are just jumping ship altogether.
So. what can we do to help teachers “right their boats” (a boating expression used to describe the process/action of turning the boat right side up after it has capsized)?
But more importantly, what can teachers do to not get overwhelmed and capsize? How can they navigate the rough seas of teaching for more “smooth sailing” ahead?
Warning: there is a big wave of sailing metaphors ahead, but don’t jump ship yet! Read on…
First of all, get a bigger boat and a reliable, supportive crew to help with the boat and the sailing.
In the classroom, that means to make sure that you have the resources and the people in place who will support you, share the duties and responsibilities required of a crew and not put holes in the bottom of the boat and sink it.
Sometimes we allow or even invite colleagues, admin, parents, staff and other people on the boat that are just “dead weight” that will sink the ship with their toxic attitudes, negative behaviors and lack of an “all for one and one for all” mentality.
You know who they are! We all have them on our boats, but we do not have to take them along on our journey. We can speak up, set boundaries and sail away from them into the sunset!
Only certain people have earned passage on our boat in life, and we don’t want or need anyone who would create a mutiny or become a pirate only interested in finding the treasure to keep for themselves.
Secondly, make sure the supplies and strategies are in place for any sort of weather ahead.
Planning is key and coping mechanisms in place are like the sails on the ship that help steer it in the right direction to avoid storms, rough seas, hidden barrier reefs and any other obstacles or conditions that would prevent you from smooth sailing.
Have emergency sub plans ready so that you don’t still go to school even when you are sick because it is too much work or too complicate to get a sub.
Create a partnership with admin and another teacher who will “have your back” and help when things start getting rough.
Maybe you need them to help the sub you got.
Maybe you need help with a parent in a conference.
Maybe you are running out of ideas and lessons to reach this particular student or class that you have this year.
Maybe you just need someone to listen and “see you and hear you” and validate you!
Don’t be afraid or feel like you need to be the ultimate Captain of your boat.
You need a crew, and it takes building relationships with the right people who can be part of your crew and for whom you can be part of their crew!
Take time to build and nurture those relationships.
Finally, be flexible and willing to change course or even plot a new one in order to avoid any rough waters you might anticipate ahead.
I have know teachers who follow a lesson plan to a tee and are not willing to change plans and be flexible to meet the needs of their students.
Some of these same teachers believe they are always right and that their course is the ONLY one that is right or that matters and will “sail” head on into rough waters and stormy seas without putting a finger in the air to check the weather conditions that surround them (f you get what I mean!) They are being too arrogant in their own Ego and point of view and, therefore, are just going “full steam ahead”, regardless of the warnings of icebergs and other dangers/obstacles and possible consequences!
I know this was an extensive metaphor, but I hope it helps because this feeling of overwhelm by teachers is the biggest problem in education today.
And if we don’t do something to raise awareness and develop a plan + strategies to overcome the overwhelm or at least deal with it in a more healthy way instead of making it the “white elephant” in every classroom, more and more teacher boats will be capsizing, sinking and just become shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea called School.
Here are some teachers who share their tips and tricks on how to combat the feelings of being overwhelmed both inside and outside the classroom:
Episode #11 – Lee – Teacher burnout, finding joy in teaching and the teacher voice
Episode #21 – Adrienne – Teacher identity, “seasons” and permission slip to be human
I invite you to listen and share Teacher Tales!
Also, please let me know of any teacher(s) you think would like to be a guest on the podcast.
Email or text me – don’t fill out the form!
Image credit:
“Calusd Carl -Armenian 1860 -Rowing boat on stormy sea” by wl.glazewski is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
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