| Coping With Teacher Burnout |
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| Teacher
stress may be seen as the perception of an imbalance between demands at
school and the resources teachers have for coping with them. Symptoms of
stress in teachers can include anxiety and frustration, impaired
performance, and ruptured interpersonal relationships at work and home.
Researchers note that teachers who experience stress over long periods of
time may experience what is known as burnout. PREVENTION OF BURNOUT Organizational practices that prevent teacher burnout are generally those that allow teachers some control over their daily challenges. At the individual level, self-efficacy and the ability to maintain perspective with regard to daily events have been described as "anxiety-buffers". At the institutional level, other factors may help mitigate teacher stress. Chris Kyriacou, who draws from an Education Service Advisory Committee report, offers the following advice for schools: > Consult with teachers on matters, such as curriculum development or instructional planning, which directly impact their classrooms. > Provide adequate resources and facilities to support teachers in instructional practice. > Provide clear job descriptions and expectations in an effort to address role ambiguity and conflict. >Establish and maintain open lines of communication between teachers and administrators to provide administrative support and performance feedback that may act as a buffer against stress. > Allow for and encourage professional development activities such as mentoring and networking, which may engender a sense of accomplishment and a more fully developed professional identity for teachers. Other prevention efforts focus primarily on early detection of problems before they emerge as full-blown disorders. Symptoms of teacher stress as contributing to burnout may take many forms. Studies by several researchers report the following as early symptoms of teacher stress and burnout: > Feeling like not going to work or actually missing days > Having difficulty in concentrating on tasks > Feeling overwhelmed by the workload and having a related sense of inadequacy to the tasks given to them > Withdrawing from colleagues or engaging in conflictual relationships with co-workers > Having a general feeling of irritation regarding school > Experiencing insomnia, digestive disorders, headaches, and heart palpitations > Incapacitation and an inability to function professionally in severe instances Once teacher burnout has occurred, a decision must be made as to whether the teacher can or is willing to continue their work. Personal factors also figure into a teacher's decision to stay in a school, with the current labor market, personal financial and family obligations, and years in the field all being instrumental in the decision making process. In hard economic times, teachers may stay with the relatively stable profession of teaching due to a lack of outside possibilities for a career change. The promise of retirement benefits that increase with added years of service is a draw to teachers who have already accumulated more than a few years of service. Teachers generally fall into three categories when reacting to stress and burnout. Some teachers simply end their careers as professional educators. Others seek relief from stress by "downshifting:" taking a less prestigious or demanding role, redefining their job as a part time instructor, or by having previously held duties assigned to other teachers. Some teachers choose to reframe their sense of identity as educators; for these teachers, this may involve developing outside interests, placing more emphasis on family and friends or relocating to a more favorable school environment. SUMMARY Burnout results from the chronic perception that one is unable to cope with daily life demands. Given that teachers must face a classroom full of students every day, negotiate potentially stressful interactions with parents, administrators, counselors, and other teachers, contend with relatively low pay and shrinking school budgets, and ensure students meet increasingly strict standards of accountability, it is no wonder many experience a form of burnout at some point in their careers. Efforts at primary prevention, in which teachers' jobs are modified to give them more control over their environment and more resources for coping with the demands of being an educator, are preferable over secondary or tertiary interventions that occur after burnout symptoms have surfaced. However, research reviewed here indicates each type of prevention can be useful in helping teachers contend with an occupation that puts them at risk for burnout. |
| Many teachers find
the demands of being a professional educator in today's schools difficult
and at times stressful. When work stress results in teacher burnout, it
can have serious consequences for the health and happiness of teachers,
and also the students, professionals, and families they interact with on a
daily basis. |
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