When your classroom is your bedroom: Setting boundaries (before burnout) for remote teachers
When I first started teaching college courses remotely, I felt like I’d landed the dream setup.
No commute, flexible hours, and the comfort of my own home? Yes, please.
But within weeks, I learned that the flexibility of working from home, especially in education, came with its own set of challenges.
With my desk in my living room and my laptop always within reach, I struggled to separate “work me” from “off-the-clock me.” Teaching quickly became all-consuming, and burnout followed soon after.
This article is for anyone in education navigating the blurred lines between home and work, especially those of us doing it from the same space where we sleep, eat, and unwind. I’ll share the boundaries that helped me avoid burnout, the systems that saved me time, and how I eventually built a healthier routine while still showing up for my students.
The Challenge of Always Being Available
Teaching college students brought a unique dynamic to the classroom. These adult learners were taking intensive courses while juggling jobs, families, and other responsibilities.
Unlike younger students who can typically leave school behind at the end of the day, my students often reached out with questions, concerns, and the occasional emergency, at all hours of the day.
The challenge wasn’t my students or their needs—it was how I responded to the never-ending stream of emails. I felt a strong sense of responsibility to be a supportive teacher and to address every issue as soon as I could, no matter the time. I found myself answering emails late at night, first thing in the morning, and responding to questions that could have just waited until the next class. I was working much longer hours than necessary, trying to stay ahead and prevent issues before they even started.
As a new professor, eager to support my students and prove myself, I didn’t set clear expectations early on.
That constant availability came at the cost of my well-being. Before long, I was burned out, and like many teachers, I didn’t recognize it until I was already deep in it.
The Shift: Boundaries That Made a Difference
Eventually, I realized I needed limits—not just to protect my time, but to protect my energy.
The first boundary I set was a strict end-of-day rule. I’d finish my class, give myself one hour for admin tasks and prep for the next day. Then shut everything down. Laptop closed, notifications off, workday over. The time afterwards was mine—non-negotiable.
It also helped to remind myself that as an instructor, I had a 24-hour response window. I didn’t need to answer every student immediately, and doing so only set expectations that I’d always be available.
Giving myself permission to go home, and wait until the next day to respond, allowed me to unwind and come back to class more present and focused.
Try it
Choose a set time when your workday ends—write it down and treat it like a non-negotiable meeting with yourself.
Use a physical signal to mark the end of your day: Close your laptop, turn off your notifications, or leave the room.
Remind yourself that timely doesn't mean immediate. Reconfigure your notifications so you aren’t tempted to look at your phone. Set up an autoresponse or message letting students know you'll reply within 24 hours, if that works for you.
Protecting Breaks and Downtime
Another trap I fell into early on was working through my breaks. I thought I could be more efficient at home—grading during lunch, troubleshooting student issues, and prepping lessons between lectures. I’d be half-eating, half-working, hunched at my desk with my brain in teacher mode. I rarely stepped away.
For the first few months, I was also teaching from a one-bedroom apartment with my desk in the living room. That meant my “classroom” was also where I ate dinner, relaxed, and watched TV.
After a long or stressful workday, I felt like I couldn’t mentally “leave” the space—I was still sitting in it. The lack of physical separation blurred the line between work and personal life in ways I hadn’t expected.
Eventually, I made one small but meaningful rule: no eating at my desk. Even if it was just 15 minutes on the couch or a quick walk around the block, taking a proper break helped me reset.
Teaching online takes a solid amount of mental energy, and those moments of rest became essential on long days.
That small boundary sparked a shift in how I approached my workload and helped me create systems that helped me protect more of my time and energy.
Try it
Pick one meal a day (e.g. breakfast or lunch) that you commit to taking away from your workspace.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and leave your working area, even if it’s just to sit by a window, grab a coffee, or stretch.
Keep a short list of non-work activities you enjoy and can do in 10-15 minutes (reading, walking, journaling). Use these during breaks to help your brain reset.
Creating Systems to Cut Down on Mental Load
To reduce the number of tiny tasks eating up my time, especially the ones I was tempted to squeeze in during breaks, I started building out templates.
Since I taught the same courses repeatedly, I created customizable emails, assignment reminders, and end-of-day announcements. I even made templates for giving personalized feedback, instead of starting from scratch every time.
These systems didn’t just save me time—they enhanced my focus. Reducing the number of tiny, repeated decisions freed up mental space for things that required my immediate attention, especially during heavy grading periods.
It wasn’t about cutting corners—it was about making the behind-the-scenes work more sustainable.
Try it
Identify a task you repeat often, like posting announcements or grading discussion posts.
Turn your process into a simple template.
Store these templates somewhere easy to access (Google Docs, Notes app, etc.) and personalize them for students as needed.
When something works—an email, announcement, or piece of feedback—save it right away so you can reuse it later instead of reinventing the wheel every time.
Building a Healthier Work-from-Home Routine
Several months into teaching, I moved into a two-bedroom apartment with space for a dedicated office. The physical separation made a huge difference.
When the workday ended, I could shut the door on my classroom, literally, and leave it behind until morning.
But even before the move, the boundaries I’d set were already helping me feel much more grounded. I wasn’t as exhausted. I felt more like myself again—less emotionally drained and more present in both my work and my personal life.
Teaching Remotely Without Losing Yourself
Working remotely as an educator can be so meaningful and enjoyable, but only if you’re intentional about how you manage your time and energy.
The boundaries I created, the systems I built, and the habits I protected are what helped me keep showing up for my students in a way that still felt good.
If your classroom lives in your bedroom, your living room, or any space you also call home, it’s not always easy to create separation. But it’s worth it. At the end of the day, your students don’t just need a responsive professor—they need one who’s rested, happy, and fully present.
Sustainable teaching starts with clear boundaries and the belief that you’re allowed to set them. When you protect your time, your energy, and your space, you’re not doing less; you’re preserving your capacity to do the work you care about and setting yourself up to enjoy it along the way.
Connect with Alessa on LinkedIn.
