Setting Boundaries as a New Teacher: How to Say ‘No!’ Well
Oct 8, 2024
3 min read
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Keywords: #No, #Workflow, #TimeManagement, #Burnout
Saying “No!” Can Feel Weird For Teachers…
Let’s unpack this a bit.
Learning to say “No!” is popular right now whether it is to:
Buy back your time…
Establish boundaries…
Keep your sanity…
Combat overwhelm…
Stop being such a people pleaser…
All of which are good things!
Yet when it comes to teaching, the real skill to develop is to be able to say “No!” well!
Think about it like keeping your receipts. But we’ll come back to this.
Why Saying ‘No!’ Feels Strange In Teaching
“No!” feels strange in teaching, not because its a bad word, but because saying “No!” can be tough for conscientious people.
And this is doubly true for new teachers and teachers who are just starting their careers. This is when uttering the word “No!” particularly when said to members of school admin or even senior teachers, can have tangible consequences.
As in, “No!”:
You are no longer going to be offered that mat leave contract.
You aren’t going to be getting your own classroom.
You aren’t going to have your contract extended.
Is this a bit hyperbolic?
Probably…
With a million things being asked of you. Both by your students and while you are trying to navigate the steep learning curve of teaching.. The state you find yourself in when saying “No!” might not reflect you at your best.
The Consequences of Saying ‘No!’
On the flip side, saying “Yes!” too often can involve similar mental math.
Saying “Yes!” to frequently can lead to things like:
Late nights.
Lost sleep.
The disappearance of your social life.
Burnout.
However, we’ll save the issue of saying “Yes” too often for another blog.
Learning to Say ‘No!’ & Keeping Receipts
Earlier I mentioned how learning to say “No!” –well– is an important skill. A skill that, when applied well, looks kind of like keeping your receipts.
I’m borrowing from Call Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, where he highlights the importance of using your “No’s” strategically.
In order to start doing so, you need a number.
A number of tasks that relate to the number of things you can actively be working on with a high degree of fidelity.
My Number is 5 which look a little bit like this:
Course Prep - with almost no, or no additional preps or new classes including resource creation, resource adjustment, infrastructure upkeep, printing, creating opportunities for student led activities, etc, etc…
Clubs - preferably no more than one (e.g.- Student Council, or Public Speaking)
Student Management - comprised of tutorials, mentoring, one-on-ones, emails and other forms of followup.
Collaboration - working with other members in my department, organising field trips, organising events, reaching out to potential guest speakers and organisations.
Marking - marking for individual classes, creating student followup messages, following up on student self-assessments, report card prep, emails for missing assignments, report card writing.
You’ll note that there is quite a lot going on in these five categories. They are quite broad after all.
But here’s the leverage which you are going to use to inform your use of the word “No!”
As in, “No!” I already have these things on my plate…
Or
““No!” unless:
you can tell me which one of these I can either swap out or deprioritize…
you can extend the due dates on X or Y…
I can stop doing A or B all together…
The great thing about maintaining an active ‘Currently-Being-Worked-On’ document is that it is like keeping your receipts.
Odd as it may seem, when people come to you for tasks, it shows they value your skills.
In fact, if we are talking about senior teachers, or members of the admin. What they know about your skillset may have been why you were the first person who sprung to mind.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to be the one who takes on a particular task. And this is why being able to say “No!” well is such an important skill.
Partially because it is an indirect way of advertising just how much you already have on your plate.
More importantly, it shows how you understand your limits and can balance your work while staying sane.
For more information, check out the free EduWise resource below and visit Call’s website at https://calnewport.com/.
