How to Avoid Burnout from Teaching Online

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At the end of the day, teaching online isn't just about delivering content through a screen; it’s an intricate balancing act involving technology, pedagogy, and human attention. Amidst the convenience of remote classrooms and the abundance of digital tools, many educators find themselves grappling with exhaustion—teacher burnout in remote teaching quickly becomes a very real threat.

But what does that actually mean? Why does something as seemingly flexible as remote teaching end up feeling more draining than teaching in person? Ever wonder why despite all the shiny platforms like Moodle or versatile tools such as Pressbooks, fatigue still sneaks in? The answer often lies in how we manage attention, technology, and workload.

The Attention Economy’s Impact on the Classroom

We live in what some call the Attention Economy—a world where every ping, notification, and alert competes fiercely for our focus. This environment has crept into the online classroom, transforming it in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

Educational institutions and platforms are understandably excited about integrating technology. EDUCAUSE, for instance, offers extensive research and resources that underscore how digital tools can reshape education. However, technology in itself isn’t inherently beneficial or detrimental; it’s a double-edged sword.

The Double-Edged Sword of Technology in Education

Consider Moodle, one of the most widely-used learning management systems. It’s powerful, customizable, and centralizes many aspects of course delivery. Pressbooks Visit website allows for custom textbooks and interactive content, enriching the learner’s experience. These tools provide options to engage students beyond passive video lectures and PDFs.

But here’s the catch: more tools and features mean more places to check, more interfaces to learn, and more windows vying for your attention. Without careful design, educators can quickly fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once. This leads to cognitive overload—a state where the brain is overwhelmed by too much information or too many tasks simultaneously.

Why Multitasking Is a Common Mistake in Managing Screen Time for Educators

One mistake I see often is assuming multitasking is productive. It feels efficient to check emails while crafting a quiz or responding to forum posts during a lecture—that bombardment of tasks can trick you into thinking you’re accomplishing more.

But studies consistently show multitasking actually fragments attention, leading to errors and extended completion times. For educators, this not only reduces quality but accelerates burnout because the brain never truly gets to rest or focus deeply.

Let’s break it down with a simple analogy

• Imagine trying to write a thoughtful email while someone keeps tapping you on the shoulder every couple of minutes. You lose train of thought.
• Now imagine you have to write that email, answer questions, design a lesson in the same timeframe—each interruption depletes your cognitive resources.
• This is the reality of juggling the many digital demands of online teaching without clear boundaries.

Strategies for Sustainable Online Pedagogy and Managing Screen Time

So, what’s the solution? How do we design an online teaching practice that is sustainable and prevents burnout?

1. Set Boundaries with Students

Clarity and consistency are your allies. Set expectations about response times and communication hours. It’s tempting to stay logged in all day but resist it. Your students don’t need instant answers 24/7. Model the behavior you want by establishing "office hours" and respecting those limits yourself.

2. Move From Passive Consumption to Active Inquiry

Online learning that demands passive consumption—watching endless videos or scrolling through documents—quickly drains both students and teachers. Instead, encourage active inquiry where students engage critically and educators facilitate rather than flood. Tools like Pressbooks enable interactive content creation that supports questioning rather than rote memorization.

3. Design for Cognitive Balance

Apply principles from cognitive load theory by chunking information and creating manageable learning segments. Use Moodle’s modular structure to break lessons into concise, focused parts rather than overwhelming students (and yourself) with huge blocks of material.

1. Limit synchronous sessions; keep them focused and interactive.
2. Provide varied modes of engagement—quizzes, discussions, reflections—to prevent fatigue.
3. Include short breaks or offline activities to reduce screen time stress.

4. Prioritize Your Workflow

Identify which tasks require your immediate attention and which can wait or be delegated. Automate where possible (e.g., Moodle’s quiz grading). Use batch processing—set aside specific times for emails, grading, and content creation instead of spreading them out.

Practical Tips for Managing Screen Time for Educators

Challenge Recommended Practice Tool or Approach Endless notifications and multitasking Turn off non-essential notifications, use focused time blocks Moodle’s notification settings, browser focus modes Overwhelming information delivery Chunk content, scaffold learning Pressbooks for modular content; Moodle modules Lack of boundary between 'work' and 'home' Set specific communication hours, clear policies Course homepage announcements, syllabus guidelines Physical fatigue from screen time Regular breaks, use analog note-taking Personal habit; old-school paper notebooks/traditional notes

A Healthy Skepticism Toward ‘More is Better’ in Ed Tech

It’s tempting for administrators or institutions to chase the “next big thing” in instructional technology. But I keep a well-worn copy of Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death on my desk as a reminder that technology is not inherently progressive. Adding features doesn’t automatically improve learning outcomes. Instead, focus on thoughtful pedagogy aligned with your learners’ actual needs.

EDUCAUSE’s rich repository often emphasizes this balanced view—technology should serve learning, not overwhelm it. Sustainable online pedagogy begins with recognizing cognitive limits, respecting human attention, and designing courses that empower both students and educators.

Final Thoughts

Teacher burnout in remote teaching is a serious concern, but it’s not inevitable. By understanding the Attention Economy’s hold on us, rejecting the myth of productive multitasking, and harnessing tools like Moodle and Pressbooks thoughtfully, we can create more sustainable, engaging, and humane online teaching environments. Set firm boundaries with your students, design with cognitive balance in mind, and remember—you don’t have to be “always on” to be effective.

In a world flooded with digital distractions and rising demands, prioritizing mental bandwidth and thoughtful pedagogy over flashy tech trends is the best way to serve yourself and your students in the long run.

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