Teacher Burnout
Presented by: Mouna Pohan
Educational and Behavioral Psychology
Professor: Dr. Leon Peek
Introduction
You may have felt it: the unrelenting fatigue after the latest series of faculty meetings.
The sense of hopelessness as you stare at stacks of papers to be graded and lesson plans
to be done. The temptation to start looking through help wanted ads for another job. It is
teacher burnout, and it affects most teachers at some point in their careers. The ever –
growing list of expectations and demands, and decreasing levels of administrative,
parental and team members support, many teachers are feeling discouraged and burned
out.
After a thorough review of the literature and researching several surveys, I have outlined
potential risk factors, prevention techniques and their resulting symptoms to help teachers
stay motivated.
Possible Reasons for Burnout
1. Limited career advancement
2. Poor salaries/insurance
3. Non – motivated
4. Unruly students
5. Role ambiguity
6. Heavy workloads
7. Demanding parents
8. Bureaucratic
9. Administrative pressures
10. Private life
11. Teaching from a script
12. Testing/TAKS
Symptoms of Burn
A. General signs
1. Works long hours, yet takes on more work, displays poor judgment
2. Decreased initiative and problem solving skills, capacity to make decisions
impaired
3. Decreased interest in work and loss of motivation
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4. Decreased quality of work. May feel they are not getting through to staff or
students
5. Decreased tolerance to the frustrations of ordinary or stressful situations.
Avoidance of complicated or draining problems.
6. Questioning the value of oneself, peers, job and life.
7. Feeling of exhaustion, worthlessness, helplessness, resignation, fear, anger, guilt,
embarrassment, despair, emotional withdrawal or avoidance of peers and
family/friends, feels isolated/ignored. (Overall Denial)
B. Psychosomatic/Physical symptoms
1. Fatigue and exhaustion
2. Depression and anxiety
3. Headaches/migraines
4. Weight loss, loss of appetite
5. Insomnia
6. Shortness of breath
7. Hypertension
8. Difficulty relaxing
C. Psychosocial/Behavioral symptoms
1. Mood swings, increased rigidity & negativity, decreased tolerance of ambiguity,
feels unappreciated by peers and supervisors.
2. Change in regular pattern of behavior, becomes unreliable and stubborn, may
perceive students simply as "problems" or difficult to manage.
3. Increased irritability looks and acts depressed, inappropriate or displaced anger.
4. Increased illness, absence from work and tardiness/late to work.
5. Loss of social and recreational interests.
Two Main Personality Types
A. Overly Conscientious Type
1. Moral, dedicated, honest and hard-working.
2. Strong desire to help.
3. Excessive empathy leads to increased giving to others and less for self.
4. High expectations of self, compensates for hidden feelings of inadequacy.
B. Guilt Motivated Type
1. Overly responsible for other people and overly apologetic.
2. Drawn to give to make up for something.
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C. Both Types Tend To
1. Deny own feelings.
2. Have a great need for approval.
3. Need to feel indispensable.
4. Have trouble setting appropriate limits and expectations.
Causative Factors
A. Work related
1. Increased work load (more hours, difficult problems, holding more than one job).
Decreased supervisor support/ Unclear limits of professional responsibilities
2. Boredom due to repetitious tasks.
3. Loss of peer involvement or support.
4. Lack of recognition/not valued.
B. Personal
1. Withdrawal from family due to overworking.
2. Losses or disappointments. Family changes or conflicts.
3. Crisis/re-evaluation of what is important to you.
4. Personal illness or chronic illness in ones' family.
Dealing with Burnout
1. Friendly confrontation to discuss the need to address fatigue (i.e., burnout)
2. Be reassuring by identifying strengths, past successes and positive involvements
3. Take some time off
4. Set reasonable expectations
5. Decrease work load
6. Increased family involvement
7. Develop hobbies and other rewarding recreational and social activities
Prevention
A. Professionally
1. Improve team support and sharing of frustrations.
2. Rotate tasks, diminish isolation.
3. Recognize staff needs and resentments, initiate a good feedback system that
recognizes success.
4. Limit work hours and take regular time off.
5. Provide adequate professional education and growth.
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B. Personally
1. Identify and review needs and goals, be optimistic.
2. Practice complimenting yourself/positive self-affirmation
3. Learn to say NO
4. GIVE YOURSELF SOME SPACE (Balance your life)
Additional Tips
1. Start your day with some meditation, exercise or activity that is non-work. (Yoga)
2. Prepare yourself mentally on the way to work. Don't rehash what went wrong
yesterday.
3. Take a lunch. Not a working lunch. Find a quiet place or share lunch with a
colleague. Try to avoid work related discussions. Make this personal discussion
time.
4. DON'T TAKE YOUR WORK HOME. On your way home, use the time to
unwind. When you get home, make some time for you to relax (read, music,
exercise). Spend time with your family and friends. Life is too short, learn to let
go and enjoy your time off.
Conclusion
Dedicated teachers always want to do more for their students, co – workers and
administrators but sometimes need to learn to say NO. Find balance and manage
your time so that you won’t be working all the time. Relax, play and take care of # 1
and remember why you went into teaching in the first place.
Works Cited:
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Huston, Joan. Teacher Burnout and Effectiveness: A Case Study. Education 2001 Vol.
110. No. 1, 70 – 78. Jamestown, New York.
Gold, Yvonne. Stress Reduction Programs to Prevent Teacher Burnout. Education 2001
Vol. 107. No. 3, 338 – 340. California State University, Long Beach, California.
Gold, Yvonne. Burnout: A Major Problem for the Teaching Profession. Education 2001
Vol. 104 No. 3, 271 – 274. California State University, Long Beach, California.
Legault, Louise, Pelletier, Luc G. and Sequin – Levesque, Chantal. Pressure From
Above and Pressure From Below as Determinants of Teacher Motivation and Teaching
Behaviors. Journal of Educational Psychology 2002, Vol. 94. No.1, 186 – 196.
Stern, Abby and Cox, James. Teacher Burnout: The Dull Reality. Music Educators
Journal, Nov 93, Vol. 80 Issue 3, pg 33. http://proxy.libraries.smu.edu:2050/direct.asp
Huberman, Michael. Burnout: In Teaching Careers. European Education, Fall 93, Vol.
25 Issue 3, pg 47. http://proxy.libraries.smu.edu:2108/citation.
Burnout Prevention and Recovery:
http://web.mit.ede/afts/athena.mit.edu/user/w/c/wchuang/News/college/MIT-views.html.
Speaking Out: Gary Stager (Professor at Pepperdine University)
www.DistrictAdministration.com
Burnout:
http//www.iue.indiana,edu/departments/copyright2000mentor/burnout.html.
Teacher Burn – Out Test:
http://www.sps.springfield.ma.us/mentors/burnout.htm
Burnout Inventory:
http://www.lessons4living.com/burnout_inventory2.htm
Is Your Staff Burning Out?
http://www.eacenter.org/SalfHelpInventories/StaffBurnout.htm
Are You Stressed Out?
http://www.aafp.org/fpm/970300fm/balance.html
Are You Burning Out?
http://www.docpotter.com/bo_quiz/bo-ami.html
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