If you’re a teacher, at least once in your career you’ve probably heard comments such as, “Being a teacher isn’t that hard, and you don’t have to go to work when it snows!” Or perhaps, “You get all those holidays and summer off, I have to work all year long.”
While there is a growing amount of support and understanding for how hard teachers work, there are still people who believe the profession is easy. And that all teachers are happy with their chosen career.
Yet, according to the United Kingdom’s 2021 Teacher Wellbeing Index, nothing can be farther away from the truth. The index reports that 72% of UK’s teachers describe themselves as experiencing work related stress; stress that leads to burnout. This number jumps to 84% for leaders and teachers in senior positions.
To be more precise, teacher burnout.
The number spikes greater concern when we move to the details. In comparison to the 2020 Teacher Wellbeing Index, the present numbers show a 10% increase from 62%. An increase is also seen in how such stress impacts the general wellbeing of teachers. 77% report experiencing physical and/or psychological symptoms (74% in 2020). The index also states that 54% of teachers considered quitting their jobs because of this increase (53% in 2020).
Yet, when it comes to support resources, the numbers decline. With only 52% (58% in 2020) aware of their workplace having wellbeing policies, only 39% (47% in 2020) report receiving their due support.
Teacher burnout refers to a state of prolonged, occupational stress. In this case, specific to teachers. While these numbers are from an annual study of teachers in the UK, sadly global numbers suggest that teachers worldwide are experiencing increased stress on a daily basis. Some American studies go as far as to say that teachers are the most burnt-out profession in the United States.
Such teacher burnout statistics make it crucial to take a look at what exactly is going on. What are teachers feeling? What is making them experience burnout now more than ever? And is there a way to bring them out of this?
What Is Teacher Burnout?
Teaching burnout overlaps quite a bit with Burnout Syndrome. As a matter of fact, it’s actually a sub-type of occupational burnout. While most forms of work burnout depict similar symptoms and etiologies, there are some key differences:
- Burnout in teaching specifies itself to a single profession.
- It includes certain characteristics of compassion fatigue as well.
- A toxic work environment is not always associated with teacher burnout.
It is very possible for teachers to feel guilty about not being able to help their students in an effective way—even if they are working within a school system that provides great support. This is especially true when they themselves are feeling detached and exhausted from work.
This is where the role of compassion fatigue comes in. Teachers experience disturbed emotional states primarily due to being unable to cater to their student’s needs. The stress that pupils face because of this is attained by teachers vicariously. Because of this, they become more prone to experiencing burnout with time.
There are three main characteristics that depict teaching burnout:
Exhaustion
This involves mental fatigue that disrupts one ability to continue working. With time, such exhaustion manifests itself in physical ways as well.
Detachment
Physiological and psychological exhaustion brings up dissociation. This leads to teachers feeling disconnected from their profession. Especially due to not being able to perform in an effective manner.
Ineffectiveness
Exhaustion and detachment from work induce inefficacy. This also leads to feelings of guilt and incompetence; hence, a heightened burnout.
What Are Teaching Burnout Symptoms To Watch For?
While exhaustion, detachment, and ineffectiveness are signs of burnout in teachers, as with all chronic stress related conditions, things can be much more serious.
When it comes to teacher burnout symptoms, they can be both psychological and physical. Some of these symptoms include:
Psychological Symptoms of Teaching Burnout
- Inability to concentrate on various teaching tasks.
- Reduced levels of motivation to help students.
- Lapses in memory and judgment.
- Continuous feelings of being overwhelmed, guilt, and self-doubt.
- Mental exhaustion and fatigue that leads to withdrawal from teaching activities.
- Irritation and emotional flareups (which can carry over outside of work).
- Feelings of general anxiety and/or depression.
Physical Symptoms of Teaching Burnout
- Being tired all the time.
- Sleep disturbances.
- Psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches and irrational bowel syndrome.
- Weight loss or weight gain.
- Weakened immune system
These signs are just the tip of the iceberg. As with any form of chronic burnout syndrome, if left without intervention or untreated, teacher burnout can result potentially life-threatening medical conditions.
To assess the severity of your symptoms, refer to our burnout syndrome assessment.
What Causes Teacher Burnout?
When it comes to burnout in teaching, the etiology is quite simple. According to teachers, being overworked and underpaid are the two main contributors.
Teaching is not limited to giving a simple lecture in front of a room filled with kids. It involves so much more. From designing lesson plans to answering every question that every student’s parent has. Needless to say, the list is endless.
No matter how short the formal working hours seem, teachers have to work around the clock. Yet, they never get paid for the extra effort and time that they put in. The problem can be further aggravated through toxic working conditions and/or parents that do not provide the needed support for teachers to function effectively.
The lack of resources is also a major determinant. With limited funds, feeling overwhelmed is unavoidable. Especially when new mandates keep rolling out one after the other.
Compassion fatigue also pushes one towards experiencing teacher burnout. The main role of the teacher has always been to teach. Feeling unable to do so very often leads to experiencing teacher burnout symptoms.
All in all, the amount of pressure on teachers to perform with little to no benefits has consequences. Consequences that deeply impact the well-being of educators across the globe.
What Do Teacher Burnout Statistics Look Like?
According to the Gallup Poll of 2022, teacher burnout statistics are quite worrisome. Especially in comparison to the statistics that were present pre-Covid. Yet, similar trends are present across the globe.
The poll reports that 52% of employed teachers in the US suffered from burnout at least once. It also reports the frequency of teaching burnout being way more than anticipated. With 44% of males experiencing symptoms "very often", the number goes up to 55% for female teachers.
Post-Covid, an estimated number of 560,000 teachers are known to have either quit or retired due to added stress and workload because of the pandemic. The latter is mainly due to the extra work because of the giant shift toward virtual teaching. Though Covid is not the only reason for such a decrease is practicing educators.
A study conducted by Ingersoll & Smith sheds light on the effects of such a problem. It states that around 40% to 50% of hired teachers prefer leaving their jobs within the first five years. All because of increased workload and decreased compensation. With these polls increasing each year, the number of individuals entering the profession is also declining.
Yet, it is not only the teachers that are being affected. Students are at a much higher risk. With teachers experiencing greater amounts of burnout, teaching quality gets compromised as well. Because of this, students do not get the environment that fosters and nurtures their growth. Rather, they get the opposite, leading to a stunted learning experience.
Are There Any Solutions For Teaching Burnout?
If you are wondering whether there is a way to treat teaching burnout, the answer to that is a resounding “YES!”. Timely intervention is the key. Followed by necessary changes that help in recovery to prevent developing burnout syndrome.
Refer to our extensive guide on burnout syndrome to learn more.
Emotional Awareness
It is crucial for teachers to stay in touch with how they are feeling. This helps in pinpointing any disturbances that might occur. Take time out for yourself to fulfill your own emotional needs by taking breaks.
Emotional Regulation
Soothing the nervous system when it comes to experiencing negative emotions is crucial. Activities such as journaling, meditating, and practicing mindfulness help a lot. Grounding techniques such as belly breathing helps to regulate heightened emotional states too.
Establish Boundaries
This is crucial when it comes to taking on extra work. Humans have both mental and physical limitations. It is always beneficial to assess what those limitations are to maintain health. Especially if one is present in a toxic work environment.
Get Support When Needed
Humans need support in whichever way that suits them. Be it family, friends, or colleagues, it is always good to have a support system. Whenever you feel that things are getting too hard to handle, reach out. Professional therapists can help with treating symptoms through needed interventions such as relaxation and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
