In this episode, I’m joined by physics and math teacher Stephanie Watroba. You’ll get to hear her dramatic journey through burnout — what it was like, why it happened, and how she got through it. She went from Teacher of the Year to burnout and depression to “the best year of school that I’ve ever done.” It’s an informative and intense conversation.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
We discuss:
Daily Burnout: Understanding that exhaustion isn’t a straight line, and how to recognize the shifts in your energy.
The Psychology of the Teachers’ Lounge: What negative talk among staff reveals about systemic stress and the need for support.
The Internal Critic: How high-achieving teachers use self-criticism as fuel until it leads to burnout.
Warning Signs: Identifying the red flags before they spiral into depression.
“Making Friends” with Burnout: Why fighting your burnout doesn’t work, and how Stephanie learned to listen to her burnout as a signal for change.
It’s not just teachers who experience burnout, of course. This episode is for everyone who gets depleted and cannot care for themselves when they’re not meeting their own and others’ high expectations. Stephanie’s experience and insights are universally valuable.
About Stephanie: Ms. Stephanie Watroba started working at Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School in 2013 as a physics teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and is a proud member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honors society. She has held the titles of math team leader, science team leader, and teacher of the year in her prior years at BART. She currently teaches physics, calculus, and pre-calculus. In her spare time, she enjoys video games, dungeons and dragons, horseback riding, and ballet.
Connect & Share
Got a story to share? Does Stephanie’s story resonate? What’s your story of burnout? Leave me a voicemail at (413) 239-4158.
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Credits
Founder and Host: Betsy Burris
Co-Host: Joe Johnson
Producer: Jullian Androkae of PodVision
Audience Development: Andreea Coscai of PodVision
Music: Tom Burris/Jabbering Trout
