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Look at the news, and you’re bound to hear about “The Great Resignation.” This phenomenon is happening in education. How could it not? All the making of teacher burnout has been brewing over the last few years: overworked (check!), the stress in the workplace (check!), less respect (check!), low pay (check!), and the list goes on. The key to teacher burnout is recognizing the signs before it happens and creating a culture within your school that combats burnout.
Teachers experience burnout when they have exhausted their resources to the point that they do not believe they can replenish themselves. Very often, the exhausted resource is the teacher. Teachers often feel pushed to their limits and simply do not feel that they have anything else to give.
Teacher burnout has increased since the pandemic. This surge is understandable as teachers have had to work longer hours, adapt traditional classes to remote formats, make rapid adjustments to plans, and manage teaching under immense pressure and uncertainty. Even though schools have returned to normal operations, the residual effects of these demands continue to impact teachers, highlighting the need for ongoing support and resources to address burnout.
Teacher burnout and demoralization, undoubtedly, are on the rise. But these two terms are not the same. Teacher burnout is more aligned with exhaustion, and schools can cure exhaustion. Teacher burnout often is seen as temporary. Changing conditions or circumstances can remedy burnout.
Demoralization is different from teacher burnout. When educators experience demoralization, it affects their mindset. A demoralized person often feels that nothing can change their circumstances. Teachers often feel they can no longer do their job at the right level due to their job conditions. This mindset change can cause teachers to feel hopeless.
The biggest effect of teacher burnout is that teachers leave the profession. The ripples of this can be felt all over their community. It starts with students. When a teacher with experience leaves the profession, a teacher with less experience replaces them. Students do not benefit as much from an inexperienced teacher. The effects are felt throughout the building as less experienced teachers collaborate and less wisdom and knowledge seep into other classrooms.
But what happens if there aren’t educators to fill these jobs? They sit vacantly. Then other teachers in the building have to pick up extra classes or sub during their planning period. This exacerbates teacher burnout, further causing more and more teachers feelings of overwork.
There are a few signs and symptoms of teacher burnout that you should watch out for in your building. These are all changes over time, so consider the person.
All is not lost if you notice these qualities in yourself or your staff. We will outline ways to combat teacher burnout below.
The best way to prevent teacher burnout is to look for signs before getting out of control. Examine the symptoms above, and intercede when you notice early signs.
If you notice that your staff is struggling with burnout, there are a few techniques that you can employ to alleviate these feelings.
Are there teachers in your building who seem to do it all? Try to look around and make sure extracurricular responsibilities are equally spread out among staff. Often teachers can’t seem to get caught up in the classroom because they are putting so much time into after-school activities.
Teachers need to have mentorship with colleagues to grow within their careers. Administrators can create mentorship programs that create an actionable dialogue between experienced and new teachers. Administrators have the power to structure programs that can happen during the school day, involve observing actual classes, and create goal-oriented training for mentor groups.
Do your teachers feel like they have autonomy over their day-to-day classes? Figure out ways that you can grant your staff more freedom. This might not come in the form of curriculum and assessment. But try to give autonomy in places like hall passes, lesson planning, and professional development.
Burnout is contagious. Check your school culture. Is there a way for teachers to voice their concerns in an environment where they feel safe? If not, teachers will take to venting behind closed doors. This is the place burnout spreads like wildfire. Create measures where administrators hear teachers’ voices and address their concerns.
Burnout has never been more prevalent than in recent years. During the pandemic, teachers lacked the resources needed to adapt to remote learning. As technology integration in the classroom continues to evolve, it’s important to provide teachers with the necessary tools to manage these changes. If you identify a need in your school, consider providing tools to support your teachers. TeacherMade can be a valuable resource in this regard, offering solutions to help manage workloads and improve classroom efficiency. By equipping teachers with the right tools, you can help alleviate burnout and support a healthier teaching environment.
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