Feeling Overwhelmed as an Ag Teacher? A 4-Step Strategy for Asking for Help

Something has seriously changed in my teacher brain once passing the decade mark in the classroom. 

My to-do List will never be done. And that’s ok!

To be honest, I am not one who needs to check boxes to feel accomplished. I would much rather vision cast and brainstorm new ideas, however I fully understandI that many of my teacher friends (and even my husband) need to get tasks done to finally relax. 

Regardless if you are a Type A check box teacher or a Type B go-with-the-flow, you may have felt the pressure of those tasks needing to get done. And maybe you have even worked yourself to the bone trying to make all the things happen on your own. Why? Because you might think…

• The only way to get it done is to do it myself

• I am the only one who can do this right

• I don’t have time to train someone, so I have to do it

I have BEEN THERE and I’ll be honest it took me a while to realize I didn’t have to feel this way. I didn’t have to feel alone in my classroom, as an advisor, and most specifically with all the tasks on my to-do list. 

If you actually did all the work on an Ag Teacher’s plate by yourself I think it would be a 24 hour/7 days a week/365 days a year job with more work to do. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way if you implement one thing into your career: 

Asking for help. 

But, you might be saying…

• What do I even ask for? 

• What can I even ask for help? 

• What if people say no? 

Those are very valid questions that we have crowdsourced the answers to. Because we get it, asking for help is an acquired taste that a lot of us overachievers hate more than the taste of Vegemite or Robitussin. 

I have suffered alone many a times. 

We all found ourselves at this place…we hit our breaking point of searching through Facebook Groups, TPT, Pinterest Boards and TikTok.

Our turning point was when we decided to SHOW UP. When we decide enough is enough and it’s time to show up for ourselves by seeking the help we need. 

And showing up for yourself and asking for the help you need is vital because SUPPORT ISN’T SENT, IT IS SOUGHT. 

Those good natured teachers, community members and admin  who have said to you “I'm happy to help” “just shoot me a text if you need me.” or “I’m always here to help” don’t know you need help unless you tell them. It isn’t on them to check in on you constantly asking if you need support. It is YOUR job to stand up and say “it’s time, I need help.” 

In this blog post, we’re sharing four steps that you can use as you start utilizing your community to get the help you need. 

4 Steps to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed as an Ag Teacher

Step 1: What do you REALLY need help with?

First things first, what is the monkey on your back right now. What is that thing that you cannot stop thinking about even though you aren’t at school? What is that thing that no matter how much time and effort you put into problem solving you cannot find a solution? You need to name that exact thing before you can ask for help. 

One of the biggest problems with asking for help is the CLARITY of your problem. When we are clear on what we need help with we can be strategic about who we are asking for help. Which leads us to step 2. 

Step 2: WHO Can Help?

Now that you know your problem, start brainstorming who could help you with that problem. Who do you already know that could help you find a solution? 

Here are some ideas to get you going, but remember that during this step you are starting with a name, not a solution.:

• A teacher

• A former mentor

• An administrator

• An ag teacher friend

• An industry contact

• “That person I always text”

Step 3: Can THEY help?

I can already tell that some of you might be stumped on step 2. You might be thinking “if I knew who to ask I would have already done it.” Maybe it is truly you don’t know who could help. Then we need to start thinking about GROUPS of people that might be able to get you connected with the right person. 

Remember for this step you don’t need the exact person to help you solve, just a door to get you to that person. Here are some ideas that might help:

• State Ag Teachers Association

• FFA Staff

• Extension

• Direct support team in your school

• The G&G Team/Community

Step 4: WHAT do I need to ask?

OK, hopefully you have a person or a group that you feel confident asking for help from. Now, we need to get to asking the question. We as ag teachers tend to have our own vocabulary and ways of saying things that might not make sense to others, so this step is imperative so we clearly share our problem. We know that vague problems get vague help BUT specific problems get solved. 

Here are a few sentence frames  that might help you get those specific details out to your identified solution person/group:

• “What’s overwhelming me is ___________. I think this because_______________”

• “I am finding______________ very difficult because______________”

• “I am stuck on _________________ because____________________.”

Once you have completed Steps 1-4 you are READY to reach out to the person/people you want to get assistance from. We absolutely know as teachers ourselves that asking for help can seem daunting. But, what we also know is that you might not be alone in this. Someone out there knows the solution and just doesn’t know you need it. 

Teachers don’t always lack support, they lack clarity about who to ask and what to ask for. This 4 step strategy is your ticket to getting closer to solving your complex problems. As you step into asking for help remember that asking for help isn’t about being less capable, it's about being more precise. 

And if you are looking for specific help in the Agriculture Education space, your first stop to getting connected to experts in our very specialized area is the newly revamped and launched G&G Specialist Roster. You can even add your name to the roster in areas you are an expert to be a help when someone else is in need.

Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward)

I kept on getting the same question over and over again at our holiday events this past year. 

“How is teaching?” Usually made with a slight crinkling of the face and timid nature to their tone. 

Thankfully, I am able to say “Things are going great. I know this was the right decision for me.”

And after all of these conversations, I wanted to figure out what the underlying reason is. What is the “thing” that is making teaching feel awesome when less than 4 years ago I thought I was leaving it behind forever? 

And to be honest, it isn’t just one thing. 

It is a combination of a variety of things that deeply matter to me. And yes that includes my compensation. It made me think that I wish I had a road map of how to make a decision about accepting a teaching position so I could have avoided some bad moves in the past. 

So here you have it.

Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward) 

The Commute

If you have ever driven a commute more than 30 minutes you know. You know that taking an hour plus in the car is absolutely no fun. Now, don’t get me wrong I LOVE a decompressing moment. Those sacred moments when it is quick after a long day hearing your name a minimum of 187 times, where you get to choose if you want complete silence, an audiobook, a podcast or your favorite music. That time is awesome. But the car time gets excessive after 30 minutes. 

The Pay

(Caveat: I understand that some of you live in rural areas with limited education opportunities. Skip the first part of this and think about the second!)

Part 1: School Districts Pay Differently

As I was in the process of deciding if I wanted to go back to teaching I immediately pulled out the teaching salary schedules. I was really thinking about going back to my old district until I looked at that salary schedule. I would be taking a pay cut. Not worth it. My whole goal of changing my job was to find a better suited role and that ABSOLUTELY includes pay.

Now, I totally understand there isn’t much we can do with set salary schedules. But you CAN shop around if there are districts closer to you. I am in a more urban area and have 5 county/city districts within a decent commuting distance. 

So, I pulled them all up based on my experience and education and there was a CLEAR winner. I was able to get an immediate 17k pay raise just by taking a job at a district with higher pay.  

Now, pay is JUST PART OF THE PUZZLE! If you are commuting 2 hrs both ways to a higher paying district you might lose all the increase in pay with car depreciation, gas and maybe tolls (not mentioning your mental health from being in the car that much). 

Part 2: Other Paid Positions

If you don’t have the luxury to shop around districts (believe me I know it is a luxury), there are other ways to increase your pay. 

The obvious ones are getting a higher degree, taking a leadership position in your school, or even moving to an administration job. 

There are other ways to also increase your pay by coaching a team or advising a club (based on your system’s rules). I think it is important to know that you can increase your pay if you are willing (and able) to think outside the box. 

Content

If you have ever been out of your depth teaching a subject you better believe that content matters when choosing a teaching job. 

If you are applying for a horticulture heavy teaching position and you hate plants, that might not be the job for you. If you have to manage a show team and you have no livestock experience, that might not be the job for you. If you love middle school and you apply for a high school job, that might not be the job for you. 

Now, I get it that going out of your comfort zone is important for personal growth. But I also know that there is a sweet spot when learning something new. It’s called the Zone of Proximal Development. Where the learning isn’t too easy it is boring, and not too hard it is out of reach. 

As a teacher entering a new school/district you are ALREADY on a learning curve. You have to learn about the LMS, the student management system, grading policy, discipline policy, and not to mention the intricacies of the staff and admin relationships. 

Throwing yourself in the deep end with that heavy load on top of learning a new content (or multiple) might just be the perfect combination for burnout. 

Try to make sure you are applying for positions that align with your strengths and passions when it comes to content. Experienced teachers all know that it is much easier to teach the classes that you know and like. And anything to make the job a little easier is a win. 

The Duty Times

At the last school I taught at, I had to leave my house before 6 a.m. to arrive almost on two wheels before my duty time started. No buffer for picking up coffee or extra planning before 1st period busted through my classroom door. 

It was ROUGH. I didn’t get to see my children or husband before school as they were peacefully sleeping as I tip-toed out the door. And that took a HUGE mental health hit for me. I felt like I was always rushing. And when you start your day before 6am feeling behind, it is really hard to turn that negative feeling around. 

Knowing those expected duty times for teachers is essential before signing your contract. In conjunction with your commute and your family/personal responsibilities that could really make or break your relationship with your job. 

Maybe you gotta get your kids to before care.

Maybe you have to walk your dog who is going to be alone all day.

Maybe you have to get to the gym for a workout in the a.m. 

Whatever it is, that needs to be part of your decision. 

When I took my current position, I knew I couldn’t get my son to his bus on time. So my husband had to take on that role. Thankfully we are still able to all enjoy the morning together, we just go separate ways as we walk out the door. And we will reevaluate every year as things change. 

The Staff/Admin

The people you work with matter. I have been at four different schools and two different companies outside of school. And let me tell you, when you have toxic people around you it makes the job more difficult. When you have great people working with you, it makes the job more fun. 

If you get a weird vibe from the admin in the interview, it might be a sign. If you realize 6 months in that the staff is caddy and drama filled, it might be time to brush up your resume. 

You are spending 8 hours a day with these people. It is an awesome feeling that I know when I walk into 1st period I will have a great interaction with my fellow teachers/paras. I know that 3rd period will include a fun discussion with the teacher down the hall. It makes the days more enjoyable. 

We know that humans are wired for community. Your work community matters. Now, some people live their lives as robots and could care less about the people they work with. I am not that person. The people matter and twice in my working career I KNEW I had to get out and I did. Even if I wasn’t sure what was next I took myself out of the situation. 

Protect your peace, your mental health, your sanity. 

Feeling Accomplished

When trying to grapple with my feelings about teaching now, I realized that accomplishment is part of my puzzle for feeling content in my job. 

I was talking to an old friend who was also a teacher and spent many years in education adjacent careers and she asked me how that classroom was. And it finally clicked. 

I told her that in other jobs outside of the classroom when I finished the work day I felt relieved. That was my dominant emotion. These days when I leave my school I feel accomplished. 

Every. Single. Day. 

And it isn’t from winning awards like Teacher of the Month or having my students all pass a quiz. It is from the little things. Having my class laugh with me as we do interpretive dance to model a complex concept. It is when students talk to me in Spanish so I can improve. It is when I have kids asking to have lunch with me. It is when I get a kid to laugh. It is when I get to be the person who makes that kid feel valued. 

Every day I get to feel accomplished. Regardless of how the day actually went. And that means something to me. Personally, I need to feel that. Maybe it’s the way I am wired. 

All of this to say, everyone's situation is different. I know that some of you reading this won’t connect with some of the points, and that is OK. 

The overarching point I want to make is that the decision you make when you sign your teaching contract isn’t one to be taken lightly. It is more than just picking the school with the best FFA chapter, best pay, closest to your home. It is finding the best combination that works for you in your current situation. 

That might change. I left a job I absolutely loved because my family situation changed and we needed to move. I wish I had a blog post like this to have helped me avoid a bad job situation when I moved. I am hopeful this is that thing for someone else.