Teacher burnout is a trend that has been affecting teachers for decades but has only recently gained awareness. As pillars of the educational system, teachers not only bear the responsibility of educating students but also the responsibility of shaping the world’s future. Despite all that they do, increasing numbers of teachers are leaving the profession. Such absence is most commonly caused by burnout, a syndrome of stress caused by long-term stress, pressure at work, and lack of support. In addition, teacher burnout is most commonly caused by a buildup of factors, both inner and outer. Although some of these are long-standing issues, others have been intensified by recent trends in the educational system, like the COVID-19 impact.
The financial cost is added to the reality that the majority of educators spend their own money on classroom supplies. In a poll conducted in 2021, 94% of teachers reported spending personal money on school supplies, and the average teacher spends around $500 annually out of pocket (NCES). For some, the expenses are even higher, resulting in even more financial challenges. Teachers are expected to deliver a good education without proper financial backing, a situation that leads to frustration, feelings of inadequacy, and burnout.
The teacher wage gap also affects the long-term financial security of teachers. A majority of teachers cannot save for retirement or pay off increasing college student loan debt while working in a high-stress profession with minimal fiscal compensation. Many even have to get a second job or have a side hustle to keep up with the ever-increasing costs of living. Thus, a majority of teachers have their financial well-being go unmet, and they leave the teaching profession. “Hearing about this just makes me stressed out for the teachers on campus. Teachers do so much for us, and we don’t even realize it. I hope one day that teachers are appreciated and paid as much as they deserve,” says Lauren Kim (10).
The increased focus on standardized testing has worked to create a sense of stifling pressure among teachers. Educators are now being measured by stringent standards of performance that are tied to student test scores, which all too often translates into stress and a sense of failure if the students do not perform according to expectations. The focus on test scores deflects from the true mission of education: to instill a love of learning and encourage critical thinking. Teachers who believe they are constrained by such measures will be more likely to burn out, as they feel that their classroom creativity is being constrained. Haley Wong (10) says, “I feel like you can often tell when a teacher is feeling stressed or isn’t as excited as they were before. They look almost depleted of energy and are just trying to get through the day.”
Teachers develop deep emotional relationships with students and become deeply involved in students’ lives. Conversely, they are also supposed to fulfill students’ social, emotional, and psychological needs when most have their own lives and problems. The emotional cost of serving as a source of support for troubled students can be great when teachers themselves are not dealing with their own lives or are swamped with work.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a deeply profound effect on education, and many teachers found themselves thrust into remote or hybrid learning environments almost overnight. Online teaching presented a new and distinctive set of problems, ranging from needing to master new technology to remaking lesson plans for the virtual classroom. Distance teaching was especially difficult for teachers who missed in-person contact and had to face the isolation it brought. Also, the pandemic disruption, coupled with the extra pressure of attempting to keep students safe and healthy, added to the burnout in general.
The effects of teacher burnout are extensive, and they reach not just the teachers themselves, but also their students, schools, and the educational system as a whole. Burned-out teachers are less competent in classroom instruction, and this translates to reduced student motivation and academic achievement. Burnt-out teachers are also more likely to be absent from school, and this absenteeism interferes with student learning. In certain cases, teacher burnout results in high turnover, where schools are not retaining sufficient quality teachers. The turnover also encourages instability in schools, which continues to intensify the situation in classrooms.
The effective cost of burnout also encroaches on the mental and physical well-being of teachers. Chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression, and other physical problems. Some teachers choose to leave teaching completely for better work-life balance and mental well-being.
The schools can attempt to remove teachers’ non-teaching workload such as unnecessary administration and paperwork. More teaching assistants, counseling staff, and support staff can be hired so that the workload is lessened and the instructors have more time for teaching and advising students.
Also, teachers must be well paid for the job they are doing. Decent salaries, benefits, and pensions would translate to us being grateful for the job teachers are doing. Lessening the financial stresses that most teachers endure would lessen teacher burnout and keep more teachers in the classrooms.
Teacher burnout is a multifaceted problem with long-term implications, and something has to give if teachers are to be retained in the profession and the viability of our education system is to be ensured in the long run. By addressing the root causes of burnout—overwork, low pay, lack of backup, economic pressure, and emotional stress—society can begin to make teaching more viable and attractive. When educators are appreciated and respected, they are able to provide students with a quality education that they deserve more effectively.
