Nebraska Career and Technical Education Conference 2026

As built for the 2025 Nebraska Afterschool Conference, Maile and Abby will share their toolkit from hours of research for how to avoid burnout and what to do when it does, inevitably, hit you. 


Burnout doesn’t usually happen all at once—it creeps in through overcommitment, blurred boundaries, and the constant pressure to say “yes.” This session helps educators recognize burnout not as failure, but as a signal to realign habits, priorities, and expectations.


Grounded in neuroscience, behavior change, and real-world educator experience, From Burnt Out to Balanced introduces a practical framework using our Matchbox (burnout recovery) and Fuel Station (burnout prevention) models. Participants will identify common burnout signals, understand why motivation feels impossible when dopamine is depleted, and learn simple, realistic tools to regain momentum—without adding more to their daily plate.


Attendees will leave with a concrete burnout recovery toolbox and a proactive checklist to protect their energy during demanding seasons of the school year. This session is honest, relatable, and action-oriented—designed to help educators move out of survival mode.


Takeaway: Practical tools to recover from burnout now—and prevent it long-term.