Work-Related Changes in the ELT World
Ana Jereb 
How to adapt without burning out
In a profession like teaching, where every day is different, change comes with the territory. But sometimes, the changes in the workplace—whether they're job-related, management-driven, or just structural—can feel overwhelming. How do we navigate these shifts AND stay sane, healthy and calm? Is it even possible?
(Yes, the answer is yes, it’s possible. No, the solutions don’t NEED to include alcohol.👍)
Common Work-Related Changes in Language Teaching
Here are some of the big ones that language teachers face at work:
- Getting Fired or Laid Off: It’s the nightmare scenario—one minute you’re planning your lessons, and the next, your job is gone. If you’re like most people, this will be a scary scary situation to experience - which is normal because the situation is objectively scary! Your survival is suddenly at stake.
- Classes Canceled or Reduced: Suddenly, half your workload has disappeared, along with your sense of security. Sure, it’s not quite as bad as losing your job entirely, but it still means you need to scramble to find more classes or a new position.
- Last-Minute Schedule Changes: Your well-planned day takes a turn when you find out your class times have shifted. Nobody asked you if you’re fine with it, either, you’re just told that you need to be at work at new times. The rest of your plans need to take a back seat. This situation can feel like you’re powerless, used and ordered around by an admin staff who don’t care about your wellbeing. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
- Changes in Management: A new boss means new policies, new expectations, and a new way of doing things (which can feel like a lot). It can create conflict and uncertainty. Even for those of us who are comfortable with new people, new situations, who are comfortable drawing clear boundaries and are outgoing and chatty can feel unsure (unsafe!) when a new decision maker takes place on the stage.
How to Manage Work-Related Change Without Losing Your Mind
When changes hit at work, it’s easy to feel lost or anxious, but there are ways to get back on solid ground.
- Stay Proactive: If your classes get cancelled or hours reduced, don’t wait to take action. Seek out new opportunities—whether it’s tutoring, freelancing, or taking on new responsibilities within the school. Send out emails, let your community know what’s going on with you, reach out to your old students. You can feel a little bit sorry for yourself, sure but please don’t zone out in front of Netflix feeling like it’s all hopeless anyway. Stay proactive (I believe in you and I’m proud of you - keep in mind that this change might lead to something better than what you had so far.)
- Negotiate (Nicely): When faced with a sudden reduction in hours or pay, have a conversation with your supervisor. There may be other roles or tasks you can take on to make up for the loss. You can be creative here: ask about organizing CPD activities for the other teachers (my favourite), offer to be the school’s librarian, or take on more admin tasks. Perhaps it’s time for your school to have an ADOS assisting the DOS? Freelancers can consider how you sell your lessons and courses: are you packaging them or selling individual lessons? (The correct answer is PACKAGING. Trust me.)
- Stay Connected: Maintain relationships with colleagues and managers (old and new). You never know when a job lead or opportunity might arise from those connections. Try, if you can, not to react to bad news with anger or self-loathing. Anger will burn bridges immediately; and one you’ve calmed down, you’ll realized that it wasn’t really that bad and the DOS/head teacher/client didn’t mean to hurt you personally and that in fact, you used to get along well with them, and you wish you still had a friendly professional relationship. If you get sad and start blaming yourself, you’ll probably isolate and that’s bad in this situation. (okay, in any situation, but I’ll focus on losing your job or classes for the purposes of this post). It’s incredibly important that you do the opposite of pulling away - lean in by reaching out to the people you know in your field!
Solutions for Managing the Emotional Side of Work Changes
Change can be emotionally draining, especially when it affects your livelihood. Here are some ways to protect your mental health:
- Talk It Out: Don’t bottle up the frustration. Talk to colleagues or friends who can offer perspective and support. Ideally, you won’t talk to people who will tell you to ‘buck up, you’ll be fine. You’ll find more work!’ Ideally, you already have a community/group of your own, colleagues and friends who know how important it is to just listen. If they offer advice, and it feels like they’re dismissing your feelings - that sucks. It’s probably coming from a place of love, wanting to comfort you - remembering that might help!
- Focus on What You Can Control: Some changes, like management decisions, are beyond your control. Focus on what you can manage, like how you respond to new expectations or the opportunity to develop new skills. I suggest you make lists and brainstorm. Look, lists are fun. And they are useful! They are logical, ordered and simple. They can bring a sense of control over your life! I love lists. So when you are ready, sit down and brainstorm all the new possibilities that are only possible because you now have more time!
Work Changes are Tough, But You’re Tougher
Workplace changes can be challenging, but with the right mindset, you can adapt and even thrive. It’s not easy and I most strongly encourage you to feel all the bad feelings before taking the steps outlined above. It’s healthy to grieve the loss, and it’s the only sure way for you to be able to take steps forward.
This post is part of a series on dealing with change at work, and next up, we’ll be talking about how to manage larger, systemic changes like policy shifts.
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