Good Teachers Gone Tired: The Parroting Continuum of Self-Reliance

Teachers wonder why they're so drained at day's end. Perhaps, they're thinking not only for themselves all day, but for 25 others, as well.

As a seasoned and successful classroom teacher, I became increasing tired of responding to students' questions, which I made sure had been previously discussed or answered. Wondering why kids don't listen, and knowing the answer to my question, I realized, perhaps, I was the one who needed to think differently about this reoccurring annoyance. I began wondering how many interactions I entertained in a day of school; that perhaps this was leading to my mental exhaustion at the end of the student day. According to their book, Asking Better Questions, Norah Morgan and Juliana Saxton reported that teachers ask about 300-400 questions in a day. If this is the number of inquiries make in a day, imagine how many questions I answer for my students, never mind those of parents and peers. With statistics like these, it's no surprise that my mental capacity was depleted by day's end. Read More>>