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Teacher Burn Out

  • Sandra Smith
  • May 20
  • 4 min read

Burn out seems to be a buzz word these days - but what does it actually mean and what, in turn, does that mean for school leaders and teachers?

Prolonged and repeated stress can cause us to exist within a state of severe physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion - burn out! The World Health Organisation recognises this as an occupational phenomenon, differing from regular stress because it leaves us feeling depleted, cynical and detached, rather than just the usual overwhelm of 'ordinary' stress!


You may well recognise these feelings in someone you know in your organisation - perhaps even yourself. According to government statistics, 114,000 teachers have left the profession over a 3 year period in the UK. Around 30% of newly qualified teachers leave within the first five years of starting work and of the mid to late leavers (who traditionally left to retire) 90% are now leaving to pursue other careers. The Teacher Wellbeing Index published by Education Support cites poor mental health and heavy workload as the main reasons for leaving. Union surveys suggest that the volume of administrative tasks, stress and inspection pressures (such as Ofsted) cause up to 72% of surveyed teachers to consider leaving the sector.


There are so many articles and comments out there about how teachers are experiencing burn out within a broken system. Reasons for this include: pressures of day to day teaching, the thousands of decisions that teachers make on a daily basis, the parental pressures, the expectations of SLT and the constant changes that need to be included or adapted to. Then there is the assessment and the testing and the budget cuts ... and...and...and. Plus you have other roles outside of work that you must perform with at least the same amount of energy and expertise!


Leaders are under pressure to acknowledge this and make a difference - therefore adding even more pressure to them as they are expected to take on board every staff member's mental health and well-being (often as a priority over their own). This in turn - contributing to their own potential burn out! The late night telephone calls or early morning notifications, the tears, the tantrums and the trauma - all justifiable but also, for a school leader, multiplied by the number of staff they have in their school. Not something everybody considers. As a teacher and school leader supporting headteachers and being married to teacher who became a headteacher, I have seen this first hand. The impact it can have both at the time and over time is hugely challenging to navigate.


Yes, teacher burn out is very real. Yes, it is the responsibility of school leaders to support their staff - but how much responsibility do we have for our own journey into burn out? How many times do we say yes when we know we should say no? How often do we carry on working when we are ill and really can't function at the level we usually would? How often do we keep going until half term only to become ill for the holiday?


Teaching is a hugely demanding job. Leading in a school is also a hugely demanding job. Finding a way through the challenges and pressures of a career in education isn't easy - especially when you are hit with other life events which can paralyse even the most positive and effervescent teacher or leader into a state of, 'I can't do this anymore'. And there you have it - burn out. That overwhelming feeling that you are somehow unable to keep going, which can so often lead to our parasympathetic nervous system switching off as our amygdala takes control and causes other systems in our body to shut down. We are prepared for fight, flight or freeze (or to hide in the staff toilet whilst we try to calm down). The hormones cortisol and adrenaline are raging through our bodies and, if this becomes a permanent state of existence, the negative health effects it can cause can become longstanding problems. High blood pressure, inflammation and digestive problems are just some of the potential impacts that burn out can have on our bodies.


So, what is the key to preventing burn out? Ideally not getting there in the first place - prevention is better than cure and all that! That's not being flippant, it's a hope for every educator out there that it never happens to you. If you are a teacher or a school leader and you think you are on the road to burn out - talk to somebody about how you feel. Look after your heath, do the things you love to do and say no if you need to. Support each other and get help if you need it. See the links below for support.


Let's not forget though - teaching is also one of the most rewarding jobs in the world! We get to witness the awe and wonder of new discoveries, the development of confidence, the genius ideas and the joy of children becoming themselves. Not only that, but we get to facilitate these experiences and guide their learning and feel a pride in their successes. Whilst this can be hard to hold onto if you are experiencing stress, it can be helpful to remember why you started this journey in the first place.





 
 
 

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