3 Tips for Teachers to Avoid Being Overwhelmed by School Committee Responsibilities

As a teacher, it is easy to get bogged down by the seemingly endless responsibilities that come with the job. School committee work can be overwhelming, but there are ways to manage it all without becoming overwhelmed.

​Here are three tips for teachers who want to avoid being overwhelmed by school committee responsibilities:


Tip #1 - Don't Join Too Many Committees

You may be tempted or pressured to join more school committees that necessary.  Find out what is required of you.  In some schools, there can be rules about how many committees each teacher should join.  In others, there may just be an expectations. 
 
Especially if you are a new teacher, there can be a lot of pressure to join more than necessary.  Early on in my own career, I experienced this pressure.  I was new to the elementary school.  In the past, the 6th grade class always volunteered to gather paper for recycling in all the other classrooms on Fridays.  I knew it was already a struggle to have all students together for instruction.  I was not about to lose more.  In a staff meeting I politely declined the responsibility.  Many were not happy about it.  A veteran teacher stated, “Don’t worry, I’ll speak with her about it later.” Eluding to the fact she would convince me to do it.  I simply replied, “You can try, but you won’t convince me.” And I said this in front of everyone.  She never spoke to me about it.  And later, my principal applauded me for standing my ground. 
 
A good rule of thumb, is to choose one school committee for a certain period of time.  Maybe it’s one committee for the year.  Maybe it’s one for the quarter/semester and then you switch.
 
Eventually you may discover that certain committees do not require much of your time, and at that point you may choose to add another to your work load.  But you must remember that unless it is part of your contract, joining school committees is optional.  And if you don’t look after yourself, no one else will. 
Master the 6th-grade transition with the exact systems
​I use to build independent scholars.


Tip #2 - Volunteer For What You Are Already Good At

We all have our strengths and weaknesses.  Why not help do something you are already good at?
 
If you are a creation wiz on your computer, then volunteer to create and print signs or pamphlets for an event. 
If you love cooking, then volunteer to bring snacks. 
If you are organized, then volunteer to handle the paperwork.
If you have muscles, then volunteer to help set up or take down tables and chairs. 
 
If you lean into the skills you already have, then volunteering for committee tasks become a lot less stressful. 


Tip #3 - Join Committees that are Relevant to your Class

School committees are all about helping the school, which of course we want to support.  But as a teacher who already has a full work load, you must be wise about where you put your efforts.
 
There is not much sense in a 5th grade teacher volunteering for the committee that will organize the Dr. Seuss festival.  Nor would you expect a 1st grade teacher volunteer to run the Geography Bee. 
 
You may also consider joining committees that will help you stay informed about upcoming changes.  Being part of the Superintendent’s Teacher Committee would be very helpful in knowing what’s happening across the district.
 
Be practical and realistic in the school committees you choose to join.

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I’m Hillary Midgley, and I help teachers move from classroom chaos to streamlined success with no-frills systems that make managing student work easy. New here? Start with the Manage Student Work ebook.