Teacher Burnout: 3 Ways to Support Educator Mental and Emotional Health Needs Moving into the Post-Pandemic Era by Rebecca Rock

As any teacher will tell you, there’s no tired quite like “teacher tired.” As someone who taught middle school during the pandemic, I can assure you there’s no “teacher tired” quite like “teaching-during-a-global-pandemic-tired.” As I have reflected on my personal and professional experiences in schools over the past few years, one sentiment has become abundantly clear: While teachers recognize the positive impact they can have on students’ lives, the mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion of their job is completely overwhelming.

It’s no secret that teaching is a difficult profession. Before the pandemic, in fact, one in six teachers were found to move schools or leave teaching entirely from one school year to the next (Taylor and West 2020). Since the onset of the pandemic, however, teachers are under far more stress than ever before, leading many to seriously speculate about the future of the profession (Walker 2021, Will 2021). While talks of teacher burnout have cycled through media outlets for years, recent events have sparked an unprecedented urgency for increased support for teacher’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

Teacher Stress

Teacher burnout is a consequence of chronic job stress resulting in intense emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion (Ghanizadeh, Afsaneh, and Jahedizadeh 2015). Teaching has often been identified as one of the highest stress jobs (Cardoza 2021, Hansen and Sullivan 2003, Herman et al. 2018, Kovess-Masféty, Rios-Seidel, and Sevilla-Dedieu 2007), especially for teachers working in areas that require extra occupational resources, such as low-income school districts and special education departments (Bottiani et al. 2019, Brunsting et al. 2014). While stress can come from many factors, past literature has identified some of the most common stressors being classroom discipline, overwhelming workload, lack of control, feelings of inadequacy/low self-efficacy, and student apathy (Haydon, Leko, and Stevens 2018, Kyriacou 2001, Skaalvik and Skaalvik, 2017). Regardless of the source, job stress often leads to poor job satisfaction, negative health outcomes, and increased rates of depression and anxiety in teachers (Ferguson, Frost, and Hall 2012, Prilleltensky, Neff, and Bessell 2016, Reilly, Dhingra, and Boduszek 2014). 

Teacher stress and burnout also significantly impacts students. For example, one study found that teachers’ depressive symptoms were negatively associated with student outcomes on reading and math tests (McLean and Connor, 2015). Another study found that teacher stress negatively impacted students’ school satisfaction and perceived teacher caring (Ramberg et al. 2020). Taken together, these outcomes for both teachers and students lead to higher rates of teacher turnover, which has been shown to negatively impact student achievement and school engagement for years afterward (Ronfeldt, Loeb, and Wyckoff 2013). Conversely, teacher well-being, defined as positive, healthy, and engaged functioning in school, has been linked to numerous positive outcomes, such as improved emotional regulation, teacher effectiveness, and student motivation to learn (Collie 2019).

The Impact of COVID-19

While virtually everyone was negatively impacted by the pandemic, its effects seem particularly acute in the education field. Recent studies have reported that teachers are feeling even higher levels of depression and anxiety due to the pandemic in comparison to other professions (Kush et al. 2021, Pressley, 2021), with female teachers and teachers with children at home being particularly adversely affected (Santamaría et al. 2021). Not surprising then, a recent RAND Corporation survey reported that one in four teachers said they were likely to leave their jobs after the 2020-2021 school year (Steiner and Woo 2021), with another survey from The Brookings Institute finding that teachers’ probability of leaving the profession in the next five years grew from 24 percent pre-pandemic to 30 percent (Zamarro 2021). If current trends hold steady, then the ever-looming teacher shortage is sure to come to fruition, placing our students and communities at even greater risk for learning loss and decreased educational attainment, underscoring the need for swift intervention. 

Recommendations

With all of this in mind, the question becomes “How can we best support teachers’ well-being?” The prevailing rhetoric suggests that teachers need to make a more concerted effort to indulge in “self-care” by exercising, having hobbies, or setting better work boundaries (Riaz 2021). While self-care is undoubtedly crucial to the mental wellbeing of teachers, such suggestions grossly oversimplify the larger problem, which is the pattern of systemic teacher burnout engrained into our education system. Thus, in order to truly support teachers, school leaders and other district personnel need to start now and build toward lasting, impactful change (Clement 2017). Building a positive school climate, improving professional development, and reliving accountability pressures are three places to start.

1. Build a positive school climate

School climate plays an important role in teacher stress. School climate is defined as the physical, social, and academic environment of a school, including feelings of belonging, trust, and order (Grayson and Alvarez 2008, Loukas 2007). Recent studies have linked positive school climate with outcomes such as increased teacher efficacy, commitment, and satisfaction, suggesting it is a critical factor for helping teachers build their resilience in stressful environments while also decreasing the chances of burnout (Gray, Wilcox, and Nordstokke 2017, Grayson and Alvarez 2008, Suldo et al. 2012). One of the foundational elements of a positive school climate is trusting relationships, which consists of confidence in others, cooperative behavior, and feelings of benevolence (Ashley 2016, Thapa et al. 2013, Tschannen-Moran 2014). As such, leaders should focus on fostering trust inside and outside their schools by providing opportunities for consistent, positive interactions between parents, teachers, students, and administrators (Bryk and Schneider 2003, Van Maele and Van Houtte 2015, Van Maele, Van Houtte, and Forsyth 2014). This could be accomplished through home visits or school open houses, building strong community ties, or incorporating students and teachers into decision-making roles (Noonan, Walker, Kutsyuruba 2008).

2. Focus professional development on topics teachers actually need

Since the onset of the pandemic, teachers have spent more time in professional development than they have at any other time, adding significantly to their stress (Atmojo 2021). From learning how to run Zoom meetings, to becoming experts on new learning management software, as well as having to transfer years of curriculum onto various digital platforms, teacher workloads have significantly increased as they have needed to essentially learn a whole new mode of teaching (Carver-Thomas, Leung, and Dion Burns 2021). These added responsibilities have rendered their already limited prep time very precious but has also increased the potential value of professional development sessions. As we enter into this new digitized learning era, it’s important to recognize that teachers’ needs have shifted dramatically, and so the content and delivery of professional development sessions needs to shift as well to help them keep up with their new demands (Zimmer and Matthews 2022). School leaders should take time to learn what kinds of professional development would best help their teachers navigate this new educational landscape, such as learning to incorporate culturally responsive teaching, strategies for navigating technology equity issues with their students, or learning best practice hybrid teaching techniques.

3. Relieve the pressure from high stakes accountability policies (as much as possible)

Ever since No Child Left Behind, performance-based accountability policies have skyrocketed despite evidence suggesting they have negative effects on teacher stress, burnout, and turnover (Nathaniel et al. 2016, Ryan et al. 2017, Berryhill, Linney, and Fromewick 2009). Leaders can help mitigate these stressors in a number of ways. First, they can incorporate more teacher voice into school-based decisions, such as curriculum requirements, hiring processes, or in developing school goals. One of the biggest consequences of accountability policies is decreased professionalism in teachers, which commonly leads to stress and demoralization (Wills and Sandholtz 2009, Wronowski and Urick 2021). Conversely, incorporating teacher voice has been shown to promote professionalism, increase efficacy, and reduce stress (Lauermann and König 2016, Leithwood 2001, Ryan et al. 2017). Another strategy could be to adjust district teacher evaluation systems to be less punitive and more reflexive to teacher’s new demands, relieving added job stressors and allowing them to focus more on their teaching practices (Frost 2020). For example, districts can update their evaluation frameworks to better align with both in person and virtual teaching strategies, providing them with more relevant and effective feedback (Giffin 2020). Finally, administrators can advocate for crucial policy changes, such as increased teacher compensation or more informed data-driven decision making to improve teacher working conditions under such high demand accountability requirements.

Conclusion

Teaching is a tough job, but one that is crucial for our nation. As Bousquet (2012) stated, “If more energy were put into providing emotional support for effective educators, they would be far more likely to continue to teach and to share their passion and knowledge in the years to come” (2). If we truly want what is best for our students and teachers, then it’s time to give teachers the support they need. This begins with school and district leaders actively engaging in the fight for teachers’ well-being.

About the author

Becky Rock is a 2nd year Ph.D student in Educational Theory and Policy at Penn State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from BYU-Idaho and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Policy Studies from BYU. She is a former middle school language arts and creative writing teacher. Her broad research interests center around the intersection of political science and public education, including teacher policy, school choice, accountability, and educational policy processes. Her current work centers around the political engagement and influence of K-12 teachers. 

References

Ashley, Dana M. “It’s about Relationships: Creating Positive School Climates.” American Educator 39, no. 4 (2016): 13-16.

Atmojo, Arief Eko Priyo. “EFL teachers’ online teacher professional development experiences amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Practices and perceptions.” Englisia: Journal of Language, Education, and Humanities 9, no. 1 (2021): 1-18.

Berryhill, Joseph, Jean Ann Linney, and Jill Fromewick. “The Effects of Education Accountability on Teachers: Are Policies Too-Stress Provoking for Their Own Good?.” International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership 4, no. 5 (2009): 1-14.

Bottiani, Jessika H., Chelsea AK Duran, Elise T. Pas, and Catherine P. Bradshaw. “Teacher stress and burnout in urban middle schools: Associations with job demands, resources, and effective classroom practices.” Journal of School Psychology 77 (2019): 36-51.

Bousquet, Sarah. “Teacher Burnout: Causes, Cures and Prevention.” Online Submission (2012).

Brunsting, Nelson C., Melissa A. Sreckovic, and Kathleen Lynne Lane. “Special education teacher burnout: A synthesis of research from 1979 to 2013.” Education and treatment of children (2014): 681-711.

Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in schools: A core resource for school reform. Educational leadership, 60(6), 40-45.

Cardoza, Kavitha. “‘We Need To Be Nurtured, Too’: Many Teachers Say They’re Reaching A Breaking Point.” NPR, April 19, 2021, sec. NPR Ed. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/19/988211478/we-need-to-be-nurtured-too-many-teachers-say-theyre-reaching-a-breaking-point.

Carver-Thomas, Desiree, Melanie Leung, and Dion Burns. “California Teachers and COVID-19: How the Pandemic is Impacting the Teacher Workforce.” Learning Policy Institute (2021).

Clement, Mary. “Why combatting teachers’ stress is everyone’s job.” The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas 90, no. 4 (2017): 135-138.

Collie, Rebecca J., Jennifer D. Shapka, Nancy E. Perry, and Andrew J. Martin. “Teacher well-being: Exploring its components and a practice-oriented scale.” Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 33, no. 8 (2015): 744-756.

Ferguson, Kristen, Lorraine Frost, and David Hall. “Predicting teacher anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction.” Journal of teaching and learning 8, no. 1 (2012).

Frost, Alexandra. 2020. “Evaluating Teachers Who Are ‘Building the Plane While They Fly It.’” We Are Teachers. October 19, 2020. https://www.weareteachers.com/teacher-evaluations-covid/.

Ghanizadeh, Afsaneh, and Safoura Jahedizadeh. “Teacher burnout: A review of sources and ramifications.” British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science 6, no. 1 (2015): 24-39.

Gray, Christina, Gabrielle Wilcox, and David Nordstokke. “Teacher mental health, school climate, inclusive education and student learning: A review.” Canadian Psychology/psychologie canadienne 58, no. 3 (2017): 203.

Grayson, Jessica L., and Heather K. Alvarez. “School climate factors relating to teacher burnout: A mediator model.” Teaching and teacher education 24, no. 5 (2008): 1349-1363.

Giffin, Jessica. “Teacher Observation, Feedback, and Support in the Time of COVID-19: Guidance for Virtual Learning.” Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (2020).

Hansen, Jo-Ida, and Brandon A. Sullivan. “Assessment of Workplace Stress: Occupational Stress, Its Consequences, and Common Causes of Teacher Stress.” (2003).

Haydon, Todd, Melinda M. Leko, and Doug Stevens. “Teacher Stress: Sources, Effects, and Protective Factors.” Journal of Special Education Leadership 31, no. 2 (2018).

Herman, Keith C., Jal’et Hickmon-Rosa, and Wendy M. Reinke. “Empirically derived profiles of teacher stress, burnout, self-efficacy, and coping and associated student outcomes.” Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions 20, no. 2 (2018): 90-100.

Kovess-Masféty, Viviane, Carmen Rios-Seidel, and Christine Sevilla-Dedieu. “Teachers’ mental health and teaching levels.” Teaching and Teacher Education 23, no. 7 (2007): 1177-1192.

Kush, Joseph M., Elena Badillo-Goicoechea, Rashelle J. Musci, and Elizabeth A. Stuart. “Teacher mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: informing policies to support teacher well-being and effective teaching practices.” (2021).

Kyriacou, Chris. “Teacher stress: Directions for future research.” Educational review 53, no. 1 (2001): 27-35.

Leithwood, Kenneth. “School leadership in the context of accountability policies.” International Journal of Leadership in Education 4, no. 3 (2001): 217-235.

Loukas, Alexandra. “What is school climate.” Leadership compass 5, no. 1 (2007): 1-3.

Lauermann, Fani, and Johannes König. “Teachers’ professional competence and wellbeing: Understanding the links between general pedagogical knowledge, self-efficacy and burnout.” Learning and Instruction 45 (2016): 9-19.

McLean, Leigh, and Carol McDonald Connor. “Depressive symptoms in third‐grade teachers: Relations to classroom quality and student achievement.” Child development 86, no. 3 (2015): 945-954.

Nathaniel, P., Laura L. Pendergast, Natasha Segool, Elina Saeki, and Shannon Ryan. “The influence of test-based accountability policies on school climate and teacher stress across four states.” Teaching and Teacher Education 59 (2016): 492-502.

Noonan, Brian, Keith Walker, and Benjamin Kutsyuruba. “Trust in the Contemporary Principalship.” Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy 85 (2008): 1-17.

Pressley, Tim. “Factors contributing to teacher burnout during COVID-19.” Educational Researcher 50, no. 5 (2021): 325-327.

Prilleltensky, Isaac, Marilyn Neff, and Ann Bessell. “Teacher stress: What it is, why it’s important, how it can be alleviated.” Theory Into Practice 55, no. 2 (2016): 104-111.

Ramberg, Joacim, Sara Brolin Låftman, Torbjörn Åkerstedt, and Bitte Modin. “Teacher stress and students’ school well-being: The case of upper secondary schools in Stockholm.” Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 64, no. 6 (2020): 816-830.

Reilly, Eithne, Katie Dhingra, and Daniel Boduszek. “Teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, self-esteem, and job stress as determinants of job satisfaction.” International Journal of Educational Management (2014).

Riaz, Sheyla. 2021. “Teachers Are Beyond Stress, Self Care Isn’t Optional, It’s Required.” Education Post. August 3, 2021. https://educationpost.org/teachers-are-beyond-stress-self-care-isnt-optional-its-required/.

Ronfeldt, Matthew, Susanna Loeb, and James Wyckoff. “How teacher turnover harms student achievement.” American educational research journal 50, no. 1 (2013): 4-36.

Ryan, Shannon V., P. Nathaniel, Laura L. Pendergast, Elina Saeki, Natasha Segool, and Shelby Schwing. “Leaving the teaching profession: The role of teacher stress and educational accountability policies on turnover intent.” Teaching and Teacher Education 66 (2017): 1-11.

Santamaría, María Dosil, Nahia Idoiaga Mondragon, Naiara Berasategi Santxo, and Naiara Ozamiz-Etxebarria. “Teacher stress, anxiety and depression at the beginning of the academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Global Mental Health 8 (2021): e14.

Skaalvik, Einar M., and Sidsel Skaalvik. “Teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy: Relations and consequences.” Educator stress: An occupational health perspective (2017): 101-125.

Steiner, Elizabeth D., and Ashley Woo. “Job-related stress threatens the teacher supply.” RAND. Retrieved March 1 (2021): 2022.

Suldo, Shannon M., Melanie M. McMahan, Ashley M. Chappel, and Troy Loker. “Relationships between perceived school climate and adolescent mental health across genders.” School Mental Health 4 (2012): 69-80.

Thapa, Amrit, Jonathan Cohen, Shawn Guffey, and Ann Higgins-D’Alessandro. “A review of school climate research.” Review of educational research 83, no. 3 (2013): 357-385.

Tschannen-Moran, Megan. “The interconnectivity of trust in schools.” Trust and school life: The role of trust for learning, teaching, leading, and bridging (2014): 57-81.

Van Maele, Dimitri, and Mieke Van Houtte. “Trust in school: a pathway to inhibit teacher burnout?.” Journal of Educational Administration 53, no. 1 (2015): 93-115.

Van Maele, Dimitri, Mieke Van Houtte, and Patrick B. Forsyth. “Introduction: Trust as a matter of equity and excellence in education.” Trust and school life: The role of trust for learning, teaching, leading, and bridging (2014): 1-33.

Walker, Tim. 2021. “Getting Serious About Teacher Burnout | NEA.” 2021. https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/getting-serious-about-teacher-burnout.

Will, Madeline. 2021. “Teachers Are Not OK, Even Though We Need Them to Be.” Education Week, September 14, 2021, sec. Teaching Profession. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teachers-are-not-ok-even-though-we-need-them-to-be/2021/09.

Wills, John S., and Judith Haymore Sandholtz. “Constrained professionalism: Dilemmas of teaching in the face of test-based accountability.” Teachers college record 111, no. 4 (2009): 1065-1114.

Wronowski, Meredith, and Angela Urick. “Teacher and school predictors of teacher deprofessionalization and demoralization in the United States.” Educational Policy 35, no. 5 (2021): 679-720.

Zamarro, Gema, Andrew Camp, Dillon Fuchsman, and Josh B. McGee. “How the pandemic has changed teachers’ commitment to remaining in the classroom.” Brown Center Chalkboard (2021).

Zimmer, Wendi K., and Sharon D. Matthews. “A virtual coaching model of professional development to increase teachers’ digital learning competencies.” Teaching and Teacher Education 109 (2022): 103544.