TEACHING did not suddenly become difficult in 2026. It has been quietly heavy for years, but this year feels different because the weight is finally being named. The posts circulating on social media about what teachers must avoid struck a nerve not because they were radical, but because they sounded familiar. They described ordinary days: late-night checking, borrowed time from family dinners, the reflex to say yes even when the body is already tired. Many teachers read those lists and nodded. Some felt relief. Others felt exposed. I did too. I offer this as a fellow teacher, not an exception. I need these reminders myself, because I also slip—sometimes unknowingly, sometimes willfully—until the consequences have already caught up.
These reminders show how teaching has grown heavier over time. It is no longer just about knowing the lesson or managing students. It now involves emotional labor, paperwork, and social expectations that never quite pause. Studies abroad have long warned about burnout when workload is high and control is low, and local surveys tell the same story in schools, especially where paperwork competes with preparation. That is why teacher well-being matters so much. A tired teacher can still stand in front of a class. A depleted one finds it hard to stay patient, creative, and caring.
Saying yes to everything is one habit many teachers struggle to break. Filipino culture often praises self-sacrifice, so extra work feels like duty. Another committee, another message after hours—it feels harmless. But boundaries are not selfish. They bring clarity. I still fail at this, replying to or sending messages during after work and telling myself it will be quick. It rarely is.
Overload also becomes easy to normalize. When everyone is exhausted, being tired feels normal. Teachers joke about surviving on coffee and little sleep, as if that were strength. But constant fatigue damages health and dulls empathy. Teaching needs presence, not just endurance.
Comparison works quietly. It shows up when we measure ourselves against colleagues who publish more or seem to do everything well. But classrooms, students, and life seasons differ. Our teachers carry multiple roles at work and at home. Growth is personal and uneven. Remembering this does not end insecurity, but it makes it manageable. (To be coneinued)
- Herman M. Lagon