Sick and tired : teacher burnout and what can be done about it

Abstract

It is estimated that as many as 21 % of educators experience what is known as teacher burnout. Teacher burnout is a result of various stressors teachers are subjected to on a daily basis. Some teachers have identified increased accountability, lack of respect from students, and lack of appreciation from the community and society as contributing factors to their burnout. Interestingly, there has been little research on burnout conducted since the No Child Left Behind Act of 200 1 was passed. The sweeping reform of this act has drastically changed the face of education as we know it, yet little is known about the effects of these changes on the issue of teacher burnout. Furthermore, very little research has been conducted to determine how familiar pre-service teachers are with teacher burnout. This study surveyed 27 pre-service, new, and veteran elementary school teachers and elementary school administrators. The information acquired through these surveys and secondary research was used to create a series of suggested strategies teachers can use to avoid and/or recover from teacher burnout.