Exhaustion ≠ Excellence: The Lie Teachers Are Told

Are you still waiting for someone to say it's okay to leave at contract time? To stop answering emails at night? To say no without guilt?

In this episode of the Why Edify Podcast, Jeremy Jorgensen offers a powerful reminder: permission isn’t coming—and that’s okay. Through heartfelt stories and hard-earned wisdom from 26 years in education, he dismantles the myth that exhaustion equals excellence and urges educators to reclaim their time, energy, and humanity.

This is your invitation to stop proving you care through burnout and start modeling sustainable teaching. Learn why setting boundaries isn’t selfish—it’s courageous. And discover how giving yourself permission can inspire others to do the same.

Whether you’re a teacher, admin, or lifelong learner, this episode will challenge your assumptions, affirm your worth, and help you build a more sustainable path forward.

🔗 Join the Strong Teachers Lounge — a supportive community for educators committed to doing meaningful work without sacrificing their well-being - https://www.skool.com/the-strong-teachers-lounge-3476/about

Takeaways

- Teachers often wait for permission to prioritize their health.

- The educational system relies on teachers' willingness to blur boundaries.

- Many teachers police each other through silent comparison.

- Setting boundaries is essential to avoid burnout.

- Exhaustion does not equate to excellence in teaching.

- Students benefit from teachers who model self-care.

- Giving yourself permission can inspire others to do the same.

- Building a supportive community is crucial for sustainable teaching.

- Teachers need to stop waiting for external validation.

- You are worth the time and energy you need to thrive.

📬 Get Involved:

✉️ Sign up for the Friday Five Newsletter for Teachers:

https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/newsletter

💪 Take the 30-Day Educator Challenge (Mind, Body & Spirit):

https://bit.ly/3PS4zM7

☕ Support Why Edify:

https://buymeacoffee.com/whyedify

🤝 Connect with Jeremy:

https://linktr.ee/whyedify

👕 Shop Why Edify Gear:

https://www.bonfire.com/store/why-edify/

🌐 Connect with Jeremy Jorgensen:

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/why_edify/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-jorgensen321/

👉 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/why-edify.bsky.social

👉 Website: https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/

Why Teachers Should Complete a Yearly Review (and How Reflection Builds Resilience)

This episode is about why teachers should complete a yearly review—and why this practice is more than just a feel-good exercise.

Recorded at the end of the year, this episode explores how structured reflection can support teacher wellbeing, resilience, and long-term growth. Drawing on research, personal practice, and classroom reality, this conversation makes the case for slowing down, capturing what mattered, and intentionally carrying lessons forward.

This episode connects directly to a related article on Why Edify and resources available inside the STRONG Teacher’s Lounge.

In this episode, we explore:

- Why rest should come before reflection

- How yearly reviews help consolidate learning and reduce stress

- Research on writing, reflection, and emotional processing

- How reflection counters negativity bias and rumination

- Practical questions teachers can use to review their year

- Why choosing “three words” can bring clarity and closure

If this resonates, consider sharing it with a colleague who could benefit from slowing down and reflecting before moving forward.

🔗 Mentioned Resources

- Related article: Why Reflection Works: The Science-Backed Case for Teachers Completing a Yearly Review - https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/why-reflection-works-the-science-backed-case-for-teachers-completing-a-yearly-review/

- Why Edify Yearly Review (available inside the STRONG Teacher’s Lounge) - https://www.skool.com/the-strong-teachers-lounge-3476/about

🤝 Community Invitation

If you’d like guided support for reflection, goal-setting, and sustainable growth, you’re invited to join the STRONG Teacher’s Lounge—a supportive space where educators reflect together and grow stronger over time.

📬 Get Involved:

✉️ Sign up for the Friday Five Newsletter for Teachers:

https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/newsletter

💪 Take the 30-Day Educator Challenge (Mind, Body & Spirit):

https://bit.ly/3PS4zM7

☕ Support Why Edify:

https://buymeacoffee.com/whyedify

🤝 Connect with Jeremy:

https://linktr.ee/whyedify

👕 Shop Why Edify Gear:

https://www.bonfire.com/store/why-edify/

🌐 Connect with Jeremy Jorgensen:

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/why_edify/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-jorgensen321/

👉 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/why-edify.bsky.social

👉 Website: https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/

Screens, Paper, and the Cost of Speed: Rethinking Learning in a Chromebook Classroom

This episode began as a blog post—but it’s one of those topics teachers don’t just think about. We feel it every day.

In this live-style podcast conversation, we explore the growing tension between screens and deep learning in classrooms filled with Chromebooks, tablets, and laptops. While technology promises efficiency, research suggests that speed can sometimes masquerade as understanding—leaving students with shallow comprehension and reduced focus.

This episode isn’t anti-technology. It’s about using screens with intention and reclaiming practices that support attention, cognitive endurance, and meaningful learning.

Companion Article: https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/why-screens-hurt-learning-dr-jean-twenge-explains-the-chromebook-problem/

Join the STRONG Teachers Lounge: https://www.skool.com/the-strong-teachers-lounge-3476/about

In this episode, we explore:

- Why screen-based reading often leads to “information grazing”

- How paper slows thinking in ways that support deeper comprehension

- What research says about reading, memory, and distraction

- Practical ways teachers can balance analog and digital tools

- Why modeling intentional screen use teaches lifelong focus and agency

🎧 This episode works well as a reflective listen—during a commute, a walk, or a quiet planning moment.

If this conversation resonates, consider sharing it with a colleague who’s wrestling with the same classroom tension.

📬 Get Involved:

✉️ Sign up for the Friday Five Newsletter for Teachers:

https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/newsletter

💪 Take the 30-Day Educator Challenge (Mind, Body & Spirit):

https://bit.ly/3PS4zM7

☕ Support Why Edify:

https://buymeacoffee.com/whyedify

🤝 Connect with Jeremy:

https://linktr.ee/whyedify

👕 Shop Why Edify Gear:

https://www.bonfire.com/store/why-edify/

🌐 Connect with Jeremy Jorgensen:

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/why_edify/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-jorgensen321/

👉 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/why-edify.bsky.social

👉 Website: https://www.jeremyajorgensen.com/