Teacher burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion that occurs when an educator has used up their personal and professional resources, leading to a feeling of detachment, fatigue, apathy, and cynicism. Large classroom sizes, student behavior issues, a lack of planning time, pressure to produce high test scores, and poor culture building can all contribute to teacher burnout.
In fact, 44% of all teachers in K-12 schools report often or always feeling burnt out, while over half of teachers say they’re going to leave teaching sooner than originally planned.
Here, we’ll explore the causes of teacher burnout, current teacher burnout statistics, and steps that school districts can take to prevent teacher burnout.
Main Takeaways
- Teacher burnout is increasingly common and has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Fatigue, weight changes, lack of concentration, anxiety, and depression can all be symptoms of teacher burnout.
- School districts can take many steps to prevent teacher burnout, including providing competitive compensation plans, offering mental health support, and ensuring manageable workloads.
Table of Contents
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- What Causes Teacher Burnout?
- What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
- 7 Teacher Burnout Statistics
- What Can School Districts Do to Prevent Burnout?
- What Might Happen If Teacher Burnout Isn’t Addressed?
- At EVERFI, We’re Here to Support Your District—and Your Teachers
What Causes Teacher Burnout?
Teacher stress and burnout can be attributed to a number of causes, including:
- Being underpaid
- Staff shortages
- Heavy workloads
- Safety issues
- Student behavior issues
- Unrealistic expectations from the administration
In addition to these factors, many students are still struggling to catch up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This leaves teachers with the job of covering two (or more) years of material, which can be challenging for students of varying academic levels in one classroom.
During the pandemic, many teachers felt they were ill-equipped to learn how to teach virtually in a short time frame and decided to resign from the classroom. This left schools with a severe teacher shortage, placing new stress on those who chose to return to the classroom after the pandemic. Teachers who chose to stay in education have been forced to compensate for those who chose not to return, resulting in a higher workload without a higher salary.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Teacher burnout symptoms can vary from one educator to the next. Teachers may notice their burnout symptoms worsen at certain times, like after returning from a holiday break, and improve at others, such as before summer break. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms most often exhibited by teachers who are experiencing burnout.
Emotional and Physical Exhaustion
Teaching has become increasingly demanding in recent years. Nearly 74% of teachers report taking up extra duties to make up for staff shortages, and 80% of schools report an increase in negative student behaviors in recent years.
These changes can make it difficult for teachers to stay physically and emotionally healthy. These effects can trickle down to students, creating a negative classroom environment that makes each day even harder on the teacher.
Irritability, Frustration, and Mood Swings
Teachers are more likely to feel burnt out when they feel overwhelmed, unappreciated, and unfairly compensated. 60% of all teachers report experiencing job-related stress frequently or always, making it difficult for them to enjoy time with family and friends.
Feeling short-tempered at work can easily translate to becoming short-tempered at home, increasing stress levels in multiple areas of a teacher’s life. Students may also notice that their teacher is becoming short-tempered and begin exhibiting more negative behaviors themselves, creating an endless cycle.
Lack of Concentration
Lack of sleep, high levels of stress, and a lack of a sense of purpose can all make it hard to focus on the task at hand. Teachers experiencing burnout may become forgetful, take longer than normal to grade work, or struggle to meet deadlines. Like the above symptoms, this can have a negative domino effect in the classroom, as students begin to realize that their teacher isn’t engaged in keeping them focused and on task.
Changes in Weight and/or Appetite
High levels of stress associated with burnout can cause weight and appetite changes. Some professionals who experience burnout notice an increase in appetite and weight, while others notice the opposite effect.
Lack of Job Satisfaction, Feelings of Ineffectiveness
Burnout can lead to a lack of job satisfaction and a feeling of ineffectiveness, especially if a teacher’s students aren’t hitting their goals. Many teachers report struggling with job satisfaction due to a lack of student motivation and a lack of respect for teaching as a profession from the general public.
Inability to Enjoy Downtime
Burnout can make it difficult for teachers to enjoy the times when they’re not at work, as it’s hard to stop thinking about the fact that they have to return to work. This can make holiday breaks, summer breaks, and other extended times away from work difficult to enjoy.
Anxiety and/or Depression
Teachers who are experiencing burnout may develop depression and anxiety disorders as they work to cope with the stress of their classroom. Teachers who lean on the anxious side of the spectrum may constantly worry about being criticized or fired at work, while those who lean on the depressive side may show an increase in
absences or a lack of engagement with their students.
7 Teacher Burnout Statistics
Let’s take a look at teacher burnout by the numbers.
Let’s explore how to prevent teacher burnout at the district level.
What Can School Districts Do to Prevent Burnout?
Curious about how to avoid teacher burnout? Thankfully, there are steps that school districts can take to address and prevent teacher burnout. Learning how to support teacher mental wellness can boost job satisfaction and teacher retention rates.
While the exact needs of districts differ, there are some general programs and promotions that districts can implement to support teacher well-being.
1. Ensure Competitive Compensation and Benefits
Teachers cite poor compensation as the top factor contributing to burnout. Ensuring competitive compensation and benefits shows staff that they’re appreciated and valued. Many school districts are offering updated compensation models, including pay increases for teachers in hard-to-staff subject areas, such as special education, math, and science. The Hawaii Department of Education, for example, offers a $10,000 yearly bonus for special education teachers.
2. Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Some schools have a “more is better” work culture, and teachers are expected to come in early, stay late, and show up on the weekends. Encouraging and modeling work-life balance can help teachers feel comfortable doing the same. Administrators can encourage this balance by holding staff meetings during contract hours, establishing a cut-off time for administrative emails to staff, and encouraging staff members to use their sick and personal days when necessary throughout the school year.
3. Address Workload Issues
93% of teachers believe that filling vacant positions would reduce teacher burnout. 62% of public schools report difficulties filling vacant positions, leading to remaining staff members taking on extra duties.
In addition to teaching a standard course load, many teachers are required to:
- Substitute teach for other classes.
- Monitor morning entrance, lunch, recess, and dismissal due to staff shortages.
- Purchase classroom supplies with their own money due to supply shortages.
- Provide unpaid after-school tutoring for students who are behind.
- Give up lunch or planning time to assist other teachers or students.
- Provide coaching/mentorship to new teachers.
- Teach additional classes (which requires giving up all prep periods, in some cases).
- Teach classes with above the state-permitted number of students due to staffing shortages.
Having casual conversations with teachers about the manageability of their workload can help district and building administrators understand how they can reorganize school systems to reduce overwhelm and prevent burnout.
Many rural Texas schools are trying a new tactic to attract teachers: a four-day workweek.
4. Provide Mental Health and Wellness Resources
Teaching is difficult, no matter how wonderful the school is. Teachers care deeply about their students, and when things in the classroom are tough, it can take a toll on their well-being.
According to Leigh McLean, the Primary Investigator at the University of Delaware School of Education’s Teacher Emotions, Characteristics, and Health Lab, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and depression have increased by 100% to 400% in elementary educators post-pandemic.
Providing stress management for teachers, including access to counseling, can help them through the ups and downs of their careers. Some schools are paying outside organizations to provide free mental wellness services to their teachers.
In New Hampshire, for example, former school counselor Emily Daniels created The Regulated Classroom, a business that offers workshops for teachers who are experiencing burnout.
What Might Happen If Teacher Burnout Isn’t Addressed?
The problem is clear: Teacher burnout needs to be addressed. If districts fail to address burnout, it’s possible that the educator shortage will become even more dire. Many districts are working to solve the issue of teacher burnout, budget cuts, post-COVID staffing struggles, and student behavior difficulties, which are making it difficult to keep teachers in the classroom.
This could lead to several negative effects, including:
Whether your teachers are showing signs of burnout or you’re working preventatively, taking steps to protect teachers’ physical and mental health is key to the well-being of your school district.
At EVERFI, We’re Here to Support Your District—and Your Teachers
At EVERFI, we know that teachers have a lot on their plate. That’s why we provide districts with free, turnkey lessons and support that make lesson planning and teaching easier and more effective.
Reach out to us today to learn how EVERFI can assist your district with free resources, alignment, professional development, and 24/7 support.
“To say I have been pleased with the EVERFI team is an understatement. We are appreciative of the standards-based curriculum modules, the ease of teachers being able to assign the lessons to their students, and the aspect of them being self-graded. I look forward to continuing to work with Andee and the EVERFI [Team] in the future.”
– Michele P. – District Administrator, California
Amanda Berkey is a Pennsylvania-based writer and reporter with an M.S.Ed. in School and Mental Health Counseling. With 17 years of experience in education, she has taken on diverse roles in teaching, coaching, and administration.
