Teacher Burnout: Causes, Effects and Solutions to a Growing Crisis

Over the past decades, numerous interventions have been implemented to support teacher well-being or reduce ill-being. In this review, we will analyse these studies and their intervention activities, identifying similarities with the PERMA-H model components, even in teacher well-being interventions where the PERMA-H model was not a deliberate focus. In contrast, proactive co-regulation strategies involve intentionally building and adjusting social support systems, like seeking, offering, and accepting help from colleagues to manage potential stressors (Pietarinen et al., 2013; Tikkanen et al., 2017; Väisänen et al., 2018). The occupational well-being of teachers has been defined by a range of positive elements. This emerging perspective advocates shifting the focus from merely addressing stress, burnout, and ill-being to promoting teacher well-being and flourishment (e.g., McCallum, 2021; Wessels & Wood, 2019). An essential element of teachers’ occupational well-being is their experience burnout (Hopman et al., 2018).

  • For those who feel that burnout is inevitable, exploring new career paths can offer fresh opportunities while still using the skills they’ve honed over their careers.
  • Burnout has been linked to altered heart function and hormone responses in studies, emphasising the necessity of addressing and preventing burnout in the teaching profession.
  • This negativity can extend to students, parents, coworkers, and even educational leaders, resulting in strained relationships and a toxic work environment.
  • Teacher burnout is a significant occupational problem worldwide (Akça and Yaman 2010; meta-analysis by García-Carmona et al. 2018).
  • This often means that teachers will keep their struggles to themselves for fear of retaliation or condemnation until they feel forced to quit or go on extended sick leave.

From Burnout to Balance: Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout

Accordingly, female teachers were slightly over-represented in the sample. The sample was taken from the teacher register held by the Trade Union of Education in Finland (95% of Finnish teachers are members of the Union) and data were collected via a paper survey sent to teachers’ home address by mail with a return envelope. Proactive self-regulation has also been found to be related to lower risk of burnout among school principals (Tikkanen et al. 2017). Accordingly, they can utilize proactive strategies that aim to cope with immediate stressors being faced, and also to buffer potential stressors in advance by building and using resources at hand (Aspinwall and Taylor 1997; Schwarzer and Hallum 2008; Straud et al. 2015).

Teach Educator

A psychologically healthy work culture is a work environment where people feel connected, Education Counts: March 30th, 2022 engaged, and supported. At Kaiser Permanente, we are grateful for the educators and school personnel who empower students and provide them with tools to help shape their future and foster personal growth. With appropriate interventions, such as counseling, peer support, and self-care practices, educators can recover from compassion fatigue. Educational institutions play a pivotal role in preventing teacher burnout. These programs educate educators on the risks of compassion fatigue, raise awareness about its symptoms, and teach coping strategies such as self-compassion and stress reduction techniques. Professional development programs should include topics such as stress management, emotional resilience, and trauma-informed teaching practices.

teacher burnout prevention

Mental health

teacher burnout prevention

However, the symptoms of “Ineffective instigated” were relatively difficult to alleviate and had a higher latent probability of transferring to the “Burnout” or “Highly ineffective” profiles. As seen from the results of this study (Table 3), when EE and DP were low, the symptom of highly reduced personal accomplishment was easily alleviated and there was a high latent transition probability to the “Low/no burnout” profile. The result of six latent profiles was similar to the five profiles developed by Leiter and Maslach (2016) . The OR of transition from T1 to T2 with the effects of resilience and positive coping.

teacher burnout prevention

Additionally, the disinterest in hobbies can lead to a vicious cycle, where teachers feel even more disconnected from their personal lives and struggle to find balance. Teachers should recognize signs of withdrawal and seek support from loved ones and colleagues to rebuild connections and improve mental health. Early identification of performance decline and supportive strategies can mitigate burnout effects and enhance classroom effectiveness. Additionally, increased absenteeism can be a sign that teachers are struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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