Hi there!

It’s so nice to finally meet you! Thank you so much for taking your precious time to come and check out my blog, I appreciate you.

This blog was created with a hope and a dream for teachers to have a community where they can feel loved, understood, accepted and included, especially when burnout hits. I will share a bit about me as well as how this idea came to life, then encourage you to check out the rest of the blog and if you like what you see, subscribe to get updates on any new posts, offers, resources or links shared!

My name is Aubrie and I am entering my fourth year as a special education teacher for kiddos ages 3-5 years old (Pre-K). I know, I am still early in my career, but I learned very quickly that burnout hits no matter how long you have been teaching and that there are very few resources out there to help when it comes. I am married to my high-school sweetheart (cringe, I know) and have been married to him for six years. We don’t currently have kids, but we have two dogs who I love as if they were my own children. When I am not teaching, I am usually outside, rain or shine. You will find me hiking, walking my dogs, paddle boarding, skiing, gardening or traveling to somewhere new. I have always had a passion for writing, helping others and problem solving, so creating a blog seemed to fit my style perfectly. Being a teacher, I know time is valuable, so I am dedicated to creating quick, easy to use resources and tools for you to painlessly implement into your life to ease the burdens of burnout.

During my last school year, burnout hit me like a train. I had never experienced anything like the intense life-suck it was. I didn’t feel really any emotions anymore, my brain was stuck in over drive 24/7, I had no energy to do anything except sleep and try again the next morning, just to be stuck in the same cycle of being so overexhausterwhelmulated (yes, that is exactly how it felt like) that I didn’t even have the energy to cry, just survive. The chronic fatigue along with the chronic stress not only left me in soulless shambles everyday, my heart started developing irregular rhythm and I had to get my heart studied at only age 27! But I was so stuck in survival mode, I had no idea it was tearing me apart until I finished the year in June, starting summer break to only feel dead inside with no hope in sight. I remember reaching out to more seasoned teachers asking for tips or help with burnout, and they only told me “take care of yourself” or “self care!” and I felt even more lost. What does that look like? How do they even have time for that? I felt like I was failing not only myself, but those around me because I could not get life back into my body.

It took exactly one month after school ending for the summer for me to feel like I could actually see the light again. I finally felt myself coming out of the clouds after weeks of wondering what was wrong with me or why I was so down. Only to realize my body had been buried in the bricks of surviving for so long I completely lost who I was. I researched all the time, searching for something or someone who would understand what I was feeling, and there was nothing. I felt even more alone. I was so tired of hearing burn out was “just a matter of time for every teacher”. I was sick of it being so normalized that no one has tried to help burnt out teachers. So, thus, “Burnout to Balance” became an idea. I decided if no one else was going to do it, then I was. I was going to create a space for teachers to come to help heal from burnout, be proactive to prevent burn out, or to have a community where they may not feel so alone.

I may not be able to change the school system, but I can at least help teachers feel like they are seen, heard, and respected. I can at least ensure that we can be in this journey of healing together to help us continue to do the job we love, instead of being forced to leave just to protect our own health.

Welcome to Burnout to Balance, where we learn how to set boundaries, give teachers a voice, accept anyone and everyone who is ready for a change and are trying to abolish the awful stereotype of burnt out teachers. Will you come along this journey with me?