Teacher burnout. By this time of the school year, the phrase has been bandied about so frequently鈥攂ehind closed classroom doors, in the aisles of grocery stores, by the media鈥攖hat it threatens to become diluted, or dismissed altogether. That would only make the problem worse, as burnout is a serious issue that鈥檚 bad for students, schools, and of course, teachers themselves.
Despite teacher burnout being an oft-repeated phrase, there鈥檚 no consensus on what causes it鈥攁nd how to solve it. Some have suggested that certain personality traits, including low levels of emotional stability and high levels of conscientiousness, make teachers susceptible to burnout. But current and former 糖心动漫vlog tell a different story.
As they see it, burnout stems mainly from circumstances beyond their control. What鈥檚 more, many 糖心动漫vlog believe the best chance of keeping burnout at bay involves making intentional decisions that are within their control, like choosing to set parameters around if and when to work beyond school hours.
What teachers say causes burnout
Why are teachers burned out? One primary culprit, according to recent survey data and anecdotes from 糖心动漫vlog, stems from the trickle-down effect of staffing shortages at schools.
More staff to support teachers and students topped a list of 10 key components of teachers鈥� working conditions (other than a pay raise) that could improve teacher satisfaction, according to results of the EdWeek Research Center鈥檚 nationally representative survey of teachers conducted in the fall of 2024 as part of the annual State of Teaching project.
Elizabeth Suto, a former teacher who hosts Teacher Career Coach, a podcast whose guests include teachers transitioning out of the profession, said she鈥檚 heard similar complaints from teachers.
鈥淭he lack of staff is really leading teachers to burn out more quickly. With the shortage, staff positions aren鈥檛 being used for their intended purposes,鈥� said Suto, manager of operations at Aspireship, a company that offers skills-based training to job seekers. 鈥淭he ramifications of staffing shortages run deep.鈥�
Several 糖心动漫vlog have shared examples with Suto of how staffing shortages affect their day-to-day school lives鈥攁n insufficient number of aides to fulfill the requirements in a special education class forces counselors to be pulled in to substitute as an aide, for instance, or a principal who鈥檚 bilingual has to sub for the bilingual classroom and is not able to coach new teachers.
Suto鈥檚 revelations align with teacher advocates who insist that teacher burnout should be considered in a different light.
鈥淏urned-out teachers aren鈥檛 鈥榮ignificantly less socially and emotionally competent.鈥� They鈥檙e handicapped by lousy school systems, ignorant officials, or out-of-touch administrators,鈥� wrote Alexandra Robbins, author of The Teachers: A Year Inside America鈥檚 Most Vulnerable, Important Profession, in a 2023 EdWeek opinion piece.
Robbins suggests that society shift the focus away from the fact that teachers have higher-than-average burnout levels to the underlying culprit: school systems鈥� failure to provide necessary supports and resources for their employees.
School staffing shortages are improving but still persist, especially in high-need areas like special education. In the meantime, some teachers may find themselves at the brink of quitting, or creating their own coping mechanisms in attempt to stave off burnout.
How are teachers coping?
Aspireship鈥檚 Suto, who left the teaching profession during the pandemic, hears often from former teachers who describe their final days in teaching.
鈥淎 lot of teachers would wake up in the morning just dreading the day. They couldn鈥檛 imagine going to work. They were crying every day, and they were seeking out mental health services,鈥� she said.
Many of the teachers told Suto that they came to the conclusion, often with the support of therapy, that teaching was no longer a sustainable career for them.
But some teachers have found ways to avoid or minimize burnout. Education Week sought to find out how.
In a March , we asked: Teachers, how do you avoid burnout? The LinkedIn poll received over 1,300 responses, and there were 100-plus comments on both LinkedIn and Facebook. Notably, the majority of responses indicated that teachers are leaning into self-reliance by controlling aspects of the job that they can, which often includes setting boundaries between work and personal life.
Here鈥檚 a sample of comments made by EdWeek鈥檚 social media followers, edited lightly for clarity:
I鈥檓 big on avoiding taking work home. They stop paying me at 6 whether I鈥檓 working or not. I鈥檓 doing lesson plans on the clock only. 鈥� This means having max productivity during the day. I also ensure I decompress afterwards. Being a mom and a teacher means kids all day. If I have to hide on the toilet for 10 minutes, I鈥檓 taking my 10.
Set boundaries. I used to answer emails at all hours, and it drained me. Now, I have set 鈥榦ff鈥� times. The world doesn鈥檛 end鈥攁nd I show up more refreshed the next day! Rest and take holidays. Self-care is so important.
Realize that you are not to blame for society鈥檚 problems, regardless of how systemic education tries to push that, and accept that you cannot fix said problems. Focus on educating the whole child instead of constantly pressing academic progress only.
Lead an after school club that you enjoy. Connecting with the kids and engaging them in something that excites you helps give perspective beyond classroom walls that translates into critical class time connections.
32nd year. I鈥檓 still making a difference. My students鈥� growth motivates me. Good at compartmentalization.
