Teacher Goals That Build You Up, Not Burn You Out
I’m a huge fan of the Peloton. One thing the platform uses to motivate riders is a leaderboard.
This is where you can essentially pace yourself to compete with others. Sometimes this does help me tap into my competitive side to push myself harder. But many other times, this means I push myself too hard. That’s when I actually feel sick and am sore for days and I regret pushing myself so hard. I know that it’s not a pace or resistance level that I can sustain every single workout. The constant competition would just be too much, and would lead to feelings of dread.
But there’s another feature on the Peloton that I love even more.
It’s the feature that tracks your personal records (PR). Every time you’re on a ride, there’s a number that shows you how your current pace and resistance tracks with your PR. This measure helps you compete with only yourself.
Why is this my favorite feature?
Because I know I’ve already accomplished something I can be proud of. Even the smallest incremental increase to the next level will mean I’ve done better than before. I’m not competing with some 25-year-old from Baltimore that I have no business competing with at my age. That only ever results in frustration. Instead, with a PR goal, I can push myself to be just a little bit better every time. And every time, I feel good knowing I’ve accomplished something more.
Which makes me wonder…why don’t we use that same PR mentality into teaching?
Why not set our teacher goals according to our own teaching PRs?
So often, we let ourselves believe that the teacher down the hall is better than us.That we don’t measure up. It’s like we have a leaderboard posted in our own school building.
And boy, is this exacerbated on social media! The constant judgement and condescension that can so quickly make us feel inadequate is pervasive. This is made clear by how many people feel compelled to post their questions anonymously. They do it because either somebody they know is also in that group and they don’t want to make waves, or they worry that they are going to get crucified by other group members (which happens a lot). So hiding behind anonymity is a mask that helps to save face. It’s what led me to create my own Facebook group for literacy educators, a place where blame and shame are not tolerated.
Pinterest is another self-sabotage platform. All those beautiful images of perfectly-coordinated, expensive classroom set ups can make us feel like we need to rise to that level, too.
It’s pervasive not just in classroom decor, but in instruction, too–especially in certain Facebook groups and on X (Twitter).
“There’s no reason to expect a teacher to master a new instructional approach or program the first time she or he tries it,” Dockterman says. “Teachers are learners too, who benefit from seeing competence unfold.”
Does this really serve us though? Does it make sense to compete like this?
Research would tells us no. Feeling inadequate means low teacher efficacy. In 2019, the National Institute of Health published an article about this, summing up by saying that teacher self-efficacy “plays a key role in influencing important academic outcomes (e.g., students’ achievement and motivation) and well-being in the working environment.” This is further backed by decades of research, synthesized in a 2022 issue of Multidisciplinary Research Journal. Researchers confirmed that “Studies show that there has been a positive relationship between teacher efficacy and students’ achievement.”
What if we stop doing this? What if we stopped treating teaching literacy instruction like there’s some kind of leaderboard?
Instead of a culture of shame and blame, let’s learn from each other. Collaborate.
Not compete.
What if, instead, we approach teaching–literacy or anything else for that matter– with the goal of surpassing just our own PR?
What if we really focus on just one thing for a while. Really get good at it. Really feel comfortable with it. Then layer on another part.
On the bike, this could mean maybe really focusing on resistance-building over time. Then later coupling that increased resistance with increased speed.
In the classroom, in coaching, and even in administrative leadership, this means just picking one or two meaningful goals to focus on for the year to dig into.. Like my ridiculous competition with that 25 year old on the Peleton, we cannot possibly focus the same amount of energy, time, and commitment to every single thing when it comes to teaching. It’s just too much.
But we can focus on leveling up our own PR.
Maybe one year, our teacher goals include a focus on explicit, short, impactful lesson delivery. Maybe the next year we layer in data-driven, focused small group instruction. Maybe the year after that, we add in student conferring or better student engagement practices.
Just as a juggler begins training with only one ball then adds another, and then eventually several, it will serve us–and our students–well if we just add one layer at a time. Knowledge and skills are built over time.
Incremental goal-setting, not trying to juggle it all at once, will also keep burnout at bay.
As we round out the school year, I invite you to reflect on where you’ve reached a PR. It doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to be perfect. And it most definitely doesn’t have to compare to the teacher down the hall. What matters is where you are right now, in this moment.
This could be anything…
Did you work toward your goals with communication? Did you get very focused on really making time for small group instruction? Or start learning about a facet of instruction you didn’t know much about before?
Celebrate whatever your focus was!
That was hard work. It was commitment. It was impactful.
Take the time to celebrate this PR, and give yourself credit for all that you did.
Then think about what’s the next step toward your teacher goals. What next incremental step could you take so students or staff benefit more? What’s your next personal goal?
The personal record is a part of the Peloton platform for a reason. It’s motivational. It makes you feel proud.
Let’s do the same in our schools. Let’s stop feeling like it’s a competition. Let’s stop shaming and blaming and making others feel inadequate. It’s not a competition. It’s a journey. A long journey that has no finish line.
Education is a journey full of incremental moments toward our teacher goals that help us become better and better.
If we took the time to give ourselves credit where credit is due instead of ignoring all that we’ve accomplished or only look at what others do or might think, we would feel so much more accomplished. This is something we could all use a dose of at the end of the school year!
As you think about your next teacher goals for the coming school year, I’d love to hear what’s on your mind. Know that if you want to brainstorm together, bounce ideas, or put some plans in place, I’m here for you! This journey is not meant to be taken alone.
“Like their students, teachers learn best when they feel they belong to a group that honors and supports growth — where asking for help to improve practice is a sign of a productive, strategic learner, rather than an incompetent performer.”
Reach out for a coaching call or join my free Facebook group where seven days a week, you can get answers to your questions, learn new things, and celebrate all the incremental steps you’ve made so far!
Who is Coach from the Couch? I’m Michelle Ruhe, a 25-year veteran educator, currently a K-5 literacy coach. I continue to learn alongside teachers in classrooms each and every day, and it’s my mission to support as many teachers just like you as I can. I’ve got more details about who I am and what I’m all about here.
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