Gabi Cecilio and her husband are trying to figure out balance. She's been teaching for 4 years. Two at Summer Creek Middle School. Two at Crowley Independent School District, where she is a sixth-grade English teacher.

"As much as I hate to admit, yeah, there are a lot of times that I'm like, 'I don't know if this is forever for me,'" she said.

According to the 25-year-old, the workload is heavy. She said teaching students is gratifying and challenging.

The weight of the role: more than just educators  

"You're not just an educator, you're, you might be that person's, you know, listening ear for the day, their counselor, their caretaker," Cecilio said. "Whatever it is, you play so many roles with those kids that it's a big responsibility."

Admittedly, she said teacher burnout is a thing. Most, she says, underestimate that educators sometimes have to raise students, meet educational mandates, handle parents, exceed social media expectations, and maintain a family life.

She recalled her first year, how demanding her workload would be.

"I would get to school at 6;45 a.m., 7 o'clock in the morning, and I would be at school until 6.30, 7 o'clock, 8 o'clock at night," she said. "There was one time I stayed until 10.30 p.m. Just, I just had stuff I needed to get done, and I didn't have the time to do it."

In her words, she's "dialed back the crazy." Her baby certainly helps make that change and sustainability, too. But there are still times when the days seem unending.

Recognizing teacher burnout  

"October and usually around February, April, those are, like, the hard months where you don't have a big break," she said. "You've been going and doing this consecutively every single day, you know, minus the weekends."

On Tuesday, she and 400 middle school teachers and staff from Richard J. Allie Middle School, Summer Creek Middle School, Crowley Middle School, and H.F. Stevens Middle School came to Alley Cats Entertainment for fun before returning to school on Wednesday.

"So as we focus on their needs, which is relieving stress, having fun, being able to express themselves in a different way, not being in the regular classroom environment, but still being able to connect with their peers," Smith said.

Smith is the CEO of the Quinnite Schools Network, which allows Paul Quinn College to reach an estimated 4,000 students. Kids who are already accepted to the college can maintain a B average and a good disciplinary record.

State-funded wellness program supports educators  

Part of the plan to get them there is the wellness of their educators through a state-funded effort that is now a partnership between Crowley ISD and Paul Quinn. Senate Bill 1882 was adopted in 2017. The partnership was formed in 2024.

"And so I like to say that we do hard work versus hard work. And when you start focusing on the hard work, you're able to engage, you're able to interact, you're able to elevate, you're able to speak life into children," Smith said.

Bowling, arcade games, go-karts, a batting cage, mini-golf, and a level of fun that most of the teachers do not have with their coworkers.

"We can play, we can cut up, you know, just hang out and have conversations," Cecilio said.

Giving teachers and staff a chance to breathe, Tuesday isn't the last chance for wellness, Smith said. At Paul Quinn College, Dr. Michael Sorrell's mantra, "We over me," is a rudder for the QSN. Smith said that Crowley ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael McFarland's commitment to the partnership is essential.

"It's not a number. It's about a name. It's not just a name," Smith said. "It's really about a heritage. It's not just about the past, but it's also about the future. It's about that one day these kids they're gonna leave us. And when they leave us, they have to be educated, and they have to be prepared for life."