How the World’s Greatest Kindergarten Teacher Manages Those Really Hard Days

This post was written by Kourtney Mannall, a kindergarten teacher in Iowa who is in her 22nd year of teaching. You may know her as the World’s Greatest Kindergarten Teacher; she is our executive director’s daughter. It has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Burnout is real. And seeing it already this time of year is quite sad. But I do think there is hope and things that can help. My dad [Dan Burkhalter] and I talk frequently about controlling the controllables, and when I think about burnout, I often find myself landing back with that.

I recently read an article about teacher burnout, and it said that professions which involved a strong sense of morality or purpose and commitment from workers, who sacrificed themselves for the good of others, were at most risk. This made so much sense to me about why teachers seem to be more at risk of burnout in our current reality.  

Teachers are taking on heavier workloads than ever, and the pressure seems to be at an all-time high. Add that to a profession filled with workers who (in general) have an absolute LOVE for what they do plus a passion to put others before themselves. It seems like a recipe for disaster.

Over the years, I have tried and tested different ways to manage the hard days so I don’t get burned out. These three things work best for me, and maybe they will work for you, too.

Do things that are not school-related

First of all, the longer I have been in this profession, I realize how important it is to be proactive to help reduce the number of days that feel really hard. For me that is doing something that is NOT school related. I have not always been good at this and looking back I wish I had been better about it.  

Outside of teaching kindergarten, one of my other loves is coaching soccer. I am the Goalkeeper Coach at St. Ambrose University. Following this other passion gives me relief from the weight of the classroom. I get to be around a different age group and I get to do something else that also brings me joy.  

With that said, staying physically active is also a must for me. Whether that is just walking our dogs every day, or making it to a workout class at a local gym, staying physically active helps my mind and body.  

Prioritize myself and what I need  

Second, I try to be REALLY mindful to prioritize myself. Prioritizing myself can look many ways.

Some days/weeks that might mean I need to stay and work late to have my room/plans ready. Some days/weeks that means I leave right when my contract time is done.  

Prioritizing myself also means putting the things I value outside of the classroom (my family, travel, soccer, working out, etc.) first. 

I used to be so worried about taking my personal days/mental health days and missing school, but I have found that while it IS extra work to prepare sub plans, and it can be a little chaotic when I return, taking that time makes me a better teacher when I return.

I am less resentful, more refreshed, and able to handle the stress more easily.

And I can show up for my students with joy.

Focus on things I can control

There are parts of this job that are really frustrating and make my job really challenging, BUT some of it I have no control over.  

Twenty-two years ago, I allowed myself to get worked up about these things and I likely spent way too much time and energy complaining and being frustrated over things I couldn't control.  

For example: state funding and class sizes. The only thing I can control with state funding is to vote for those who support increasing public school funding, speak with others in our community about supporting increasing this funding, and advocate for leaders who will help this.  

Beyond that, I actually have no control so spending my whole year complaining and being upset about larger class sizes is wasted energy.  

Instead, I set boundaries about what I need from my principal (more time to complete report cards, less additional committee work, support in my room to help manage more students, etc.) and I try to work smarter not harder. I utilize things like AI to help with lesson planning and collaborating with teachers in my building and in other kindergarten classrooms so I don't have to reinvent the wheel.  

My advice if you’re feeling burned out

Put yourself first. What do you actually need?  

If it's time away from the classroom...take it. The work will be there when you return.  

If it's professional support, there are some amazing groups that can help. You just have to find the right one.  

Don't keep trying to do it all. Let something go. It'll be ok.  

And if it's really bad? Maybe you need a change. Maybe a different grade level. Maybe a different building. Maybe you really do need to step away from teaching for even just a little bit.  

This job is hard. I don't think it will ever not be hard. But it should be more fulfilling than it is frustrating.  

Focus on the students. They need smiling faces. They need people who genuinely care. They need champions in their corner.  

The rest? It can wait.