Use the SCAN approach to prevent teacher burnout

Perhaps one of the greatest joys for an educator is unexpectedly running into a former student out “in the wild.” Sometimes they hug us, sometimes they laugh in disbelief, sometimes they cry, but always, the imprint we have left on them is clearly visible. These moments are just as powerful for us — the former teacher or principal — even if, as the students work through their emotions, we are scrolling through our mental Rolodex. We don’t always remember the name, but we never forget the kid.

These relationships we form with our students are impossible to explain to non-educators. The power of these relationships what keeps teachers in a profession that has become increasingly fraught. Yet, despite the passion and commitment educators have to their students, teacher burnout is driving many to leave a profession they love.

Teacher preparation programs center their coursework on specialized skills in content and pedagogy, often referred to as “hard skills.” While these skills are essential for novice teachers, an entirely different set of skills, referred to as “soft skills,” are seldom explicitly taught. These skills, which are anything but soft, are crucial to the success of early career educators and essential for long-term career satisfaction and teacher retention.