Uncategorized – Katherine Reilly

November 19, 2025

Teacher Burnout: Why We Must Endure

I saw a post today about an old TIME magazine cover from 2018 that is making the rounds again, and one quote hit me straight to the heart:

“Violence in the classrooms. Pressure from admin and district to outperform every year. No work life balance. Constant criticism of trained professionals. This is why education becomes unsustainable for our mental health. We chose this career to help kids, and our compassion is taken advantage of at the cost of our health.”

The fact that a cover from years ago still feels painfully relevant says everything. This is the truth many teachers live every day. I’m not being a drama queen, nor am I exaggerating. This is reality. And yes, even though I’m teaching in Greece, this predicament reflects the status here as well.

Teaching is an act of care, but somewhere along the way, that care started being treated as an endless resource. Teachers are stretched, drained, and judged all at once, while still expected to smile and keep on going.

The emotional load, the pressure to perform, even the lack of support, slowly wears down the people who entered this profession with the purest of intentions. We cannot keep expecting teachers to pour from an empty cup. Healthy classrooms require healthy teachers. Safe students require supported adults.

We chose this profession because we believe in people. It is time for the system to believe in us too.

Credits:
Photo Cover: TIME Magazine
Source: Bored Teachers (Instagram)
Quote: bloombeyondburnout (Instagram)

Blog Post Text: Katherine Reilly

July 28, 2025

Using AI to Support Large, Diverse, and Low Resource Classrooms – TeachingEnglish South Asia, British Council

In this webinar, we’ll explore how free and easy to use AI tools can support English teachers working in large, low resource classrooms. Focusing on real classroom needs, we’ll look at how AI can help teachers personalize lessons, support diverse learners, and create engaging content, even when time, technology, and resources are limited.

You’ll learn how AI can:

• Adapt texts for mixed ability groups

• Help you give quicker, more targeted feedback without increasing your marking load

• Support learners with low confidence or special educational needs

• Create inclusive, multilingual content that reflects your students’ lives

This session includes real life classroom examples and tools that work on basic devices or mobile phones. Teachers will be invited to reflect, and share how these strategies could work in their own schools. Let’s explore how AI, guided by teacher creativity, can help us reach and empower every learner, even in the most challenging environments.

Free Webinar Handout: https://www.britishcouncil.org.bd/sites/default/files/using_ai_to_support_large_diverse_and_low_resource_classrooms_katherinereilly.pdf

Official Website: https://www.britishcouncil.org.bd/en/programmes/teach/sa2025

Video by TeachingEnglish South Asia – British Council

July 21, 2025

IATEFL MaWSIG Free Webinar

Iatefl Materials Writing SIG’s next webinar will feature Katherine Reilly, renowned ELT author and teacher trainer, who will explore how AI can empower materials writers to create more inclusive, personalised, and learner-centred content.

Katherine brings her expertise to help us rethink materials writing for the future. She specialises in learner-centred teaching and has delivered sessions on Inclusive AI for the British Council and multiple IATEFL SiGs. She has published extensively in ELT and children’s literature, serves as an oral examiner, and is a regular contributor to ELT NEWS magazine on equitable and accessible teaching practices.

Free for all to attend! Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from her inspiring work!