Lisa McMorris loved teaching. Over 35 years in early elementary education, she built a career around helping children learn and feel supported. But as the demands of the job grew, she found herself working late, carrying students’ struggles home, and wondering whether she could keep going. In this episode of Real Talk About Educator Burnout, Lisa joins Lori Herman to reflect on what changed and why she chose to retire earlier than planned.

Their conversation makes room for both the joy and the weight of teaching. Lisa describes the difference a caring principal made when she was overwhelmed, while also explaining why individual support could only do so much when responsibilities kept piling up. She shares what she wishes she had known about boundaries earlier in her career and what she hopes school leaders will hear from teachers today.

In this episode you'll hear...

• How Lisa’s passion for teaching shaped her career and made it difficult to step back when she needed to.

• Why growing workloads and assessment demands left less time and energy for the parts of teaching she loved.

• What it can feel like to support students through difficult experiences while carrying that concern beyond the school day.

• How a principal’s regular check-ins helped Lisa feel seen, even when larger demands remained.

• Lisa’s advice to school leaders: listen to teachers before making decisions that change their work, and take something off their plates when adding more.

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