Class Description - Express: Moving from Burnout to Balance: Put Yourself First (8.21.25

Date: Available for registration anytime between August 21, 2025 - August 20, 2026
Course #: LR 288:734
Number of License Renewal Credit Hours: 3
Registration Deadline: Last day to register is Thursday, August 20, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.

How it Works:
Participants will have 2 full months after registration to complete their course.

Examples:

Register FEBRUARY 1ST and start the course as soon as your registration has been processed.
You will have until APRIL 30TH to complete the class.
Register FEBRUARY 25TH and start the course as soon as your registration has been processed.
You will have until APRIL 30TH to complete the class.

Students must monitor their progress and finish the course at the end of 2 months after registration.
If there is a problem, or any questions, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor.

Course Description:

According to Teacher Career Coach, educators are experiencing burnout at an unprecedented rate. The pandemic has only added to the stress that teachers feel and 1 in 4 teachers are considering a new career. Even before any of us had heard of COVID-19, 44% of teachers were leaving within the first 5 years of their teaching careers- which is over a third of new teachers. The newer the teacher, the greater the chance that he or she will quit the profession.

Stress and burnout are the leading causes of why teachers leave. The cost to society, our schools and our students is staggering. The mental and physical health of our educators is at risk and we are finding an ever increasing shortage of well trained and well qualified teachers. We are a nation in a state of crisis because of our teacher shortage.

This class will touch on why teachers are quitting and the high price they pay to stay in the classroom. Participants will read articles and watch videos related to this topic.

This class will also outline the parts of our lives we have control over; the parts that we can enhance to have a healthier life. Although we cannot control the issues that assail educators who take this course, we can outline ways to help maintain mental and physical health which may pave the way to staying in the profession as happy people.

Lessons will include information on eating well, exercising and dealing with stress and anxiety. Participants will read articles and watch videos related to these topics.

Strategies, approaches, techniques and interventions will be discussed on how to support ourselves and our educators. Journaling will be explored in depth as a way to stop worrying and meet life affirming goals. Participants will engage in journaling on a regular basis as a way to provide self-support and enhance good mental health. Achieving a health life balance will be the focus of this class.

Outcomes and Objectives:
By the end of the course, participants will…

Understand the prevalence and impact of educator stress and burnout.
Be able to identify signs & symptoms of educator stress and burnout.
Know & be able to implement professional and personal strategies that support a healthy life balance.
Understand how a poor diet can impact mental and physical health and how a good diet can enhance mental and physical health.
Understand how exercise can contribute to positive mental and physical health.
Understand what interventions can be utilized to minimize the problems we encounter as educators.
Understand the nature and reality of worry.
Understand how journaling may impact our mental and physical health in a positive and productive way.
Understand the importance of putting self-first.

Course Topics that Support Instructional Practices and Strategies:

The Facts about Burnout
What is Balance?
Is it Worry or Anxiety?
Productive Worry & Nonproductive Worry
Everyday Tips for a Balanced Life
Eating Right
Exercise
The Power of Journaling

Instructor Methods and Course Design:

This course is presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are expected to access the course and post regularly (at least once a week) and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules.

How Does This Course Support The Iowa Core?

Students who take this class should have a good understanding of their health (health literacy) both mental and physical. These essential skills, needed to maintain mental and physical well-being, provide the 21st century teacher with a solid foundation for being productive, effective and fulfilled teachers. Teachers who possess these qualities are better able to meet the needs of the 21st century student.

Grading:

This is a 3-credit hour Iowa license renewal course. Course goals will be met through instructor designed lesson, supplemental readings, videos, reflections and assignments.

Required Text/Materials:

Participants are required to create a Google Doc Journal.

All other materials provided online.

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**Important Information for You**
Please read through as these are Frequently Asked Questions in which answers can be found within this page.

1. The instructor will email you once the start date arrives with information on how to get started in the class:

Emails regarding this class will come from the instructor/organization with an email address ending in professional.development@educateteachers.org;
Be sure to check your junk/spam/clutter folders-mailboxes in case the email address isn't recognized as a known address; and
IF YOU ARE USING A SCHOOL EMAIL ADDRESS, many schools have their network security filters set up to push unknown emails directly to spam and you will not see even see it-if this is the case you will need to either talk to your IT department and request emails with the email address be allowed through or let us know you want to use a different email address.

2. The Tabs at the top of the registration page have important additional information regarding this class:

The Syllabus gives information of what will be expected of you in the course. Generally it will include course policies, rules and regulations, required texts, and a schedule of assignments;
The Fees will let you know how much this class will cost depending on the type of credit you want to take it for as well as if you are an ISEA member or not;
The Cancellation Policy is important so you know how to cancel if you need to and how refunds are handled; and
The ISEA Official Transcript page tells you how to access your transcript once the class has ended.