Teacher burnout. By this time of the school year, the phrase has been bandied about so frequently—behind closed classroom doors, in the aisles of grocery stores, by the media—that it threatens to become diluted, or dismissed altogether. That would only make the problem worse, as burnout is a serious issue that’s bad for students, schools, and of course, teachers themselves.
Despite teacher burnout being an oft-repeated phrase, there’s no consensus on what causes it—and how to solve it. Some researchers 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 educators tell a different story.
As they see it, burnout stems mainly from circumstances beyond their control. What’s more, many educators 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 educators, 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’ working conditions (other than a pay raise) that could improve teacher satisfaction, according to results of the EdWeek Research Center’s 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’s heard similar complaints from teachers.
“The lack of staff is really leading teachers to burn out more quickly. With the shortage, staff positions aren’t being used for their intended purposes,” said Suto, manager of operations at Aspireship, a company that offers skills-based training to job seekers. “The ramifications of staffing shortages run deep.”
Several educators have shared examples with Suto of how staffing shortages affect their day-to-day school lives—an 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’s bilingual has to sub for the bilingual classroom and is not able to coach new teachers.
Suto’s revelations align with teacher advocates who insist that teacher burnout should be considered in a different light.
“Burned-out teachers aren’t ‘significantly less socially and emotionally competent.’ They’re handicapped by lousy school systems, ignorant officials, or out-of-touch administrators,” wrote Alexandra Robbins, author of The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s 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’ 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’s Suto, who left the teaching profession during the pandemic, hears often from former teachers who describe their final days in teaching.
“A lot of teachers would wake up in the morning just dreading the day. They couldn’t imagine going to work. They were crying every day, and they were seeking out mental health services,” 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 social media poll, 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’s a sample of comments made by EdWeek’s social media followers, edited lightly for clarity:
I’m big on avoiding taking work home. They stop paying me at 6 whether I’m working or not. I’m doing lesson plans on the clock only. … 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’m taking my 10.
Set boundaries. I used to answer emails at all hours, and it drained me. Now, I have set ‘off’ times. The world doesn’t end—and 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’s 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’m still making a difference. My students’ growth motivates me. Good at compartmentalization.
