How do we avoid teacher burnout?
Feb 19th, 2007 by Don Ledingham
How can some teachers work in the same school for forty years and leave the job as enthused as they were on their first day, whilst others in the same situation feel completely burntout and exhausted?
The signs of burnout tend to be more mental than physical. They can include feelings of:
- Frustration and powerlessness
- Hopelessness
- Being drained of emotional energy
- Detachment, withdrawal, isolation
- Being trapped
- Having failed at what you’re doing
- Irritability
- Sadness
- Cynicism (people act out of selfishness and nothing can be done about it)
I recently came acros a couple of interesting articles Burnout: Signs, Symptoms, and Prevention and Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout.
I believe we all have a duty to be more aware of this debilitating emotional and physical state.
Over the next few weeks I’ll return to this theme with a view to exploring possible solutions.
Oooh, you’ve gone all burgandy on us. Just wanted to say that the first of those is particularly harmful and can make you feel most of the rest on the list. Being bypassed, not consulted, not used very well…. these are all things I’ve heard teachers say in every school in every country I’ve been to. I go through phases of feeling that, too. What I’ve come to understand - the hard way - is that it is rarely seen like that by others and managers or leaders aren’t aware that their actions make some employees feel that way.
I should point out that when working in East Lothian I’ve never felt it for myself. Why? Because it’s my choice to be empowered or not in the decision-making processes.
If those are the symptoms of burn out then I’ve been burnt out since I was student teacher.
So what are you going to do about it?
Ewan - The issue of ‘empowering yourself’ in the matter of decision making is all very well if you are in a position where that is an option. Unfortuantely there are head teachers who ask for teachers’ opinions so they can say they were consulted, but only listen when they hear what they want to hear!
Oh dear - cynicism - another sign of burn out. Time to quit?
I disagree - ‘empowering yourself’ means not just saying what you want but reaching compromise, finding a way through and getting what you feel is required in the end, whether that’s today, tomorrow or in a few years’ time. I didn’t say “get empowered” or “feel empowered”, I said “empower yourself” because, at the end of the day, the individual is the only one who can make a difference or a change, regardless of whichever Head Teacher, PT, Head of Education, Director or pupil is in front of you.
A case in point: when I joined MGS there was not one digital projector outside the computing/biz ed depts. I empowered myself to go and get one (some call it pestering ;-). I did, and then pestered on behalf of my dept. They did. The same for IWBs. The same for getting websites opened up because they’re more useful than risky. I empowered myself because no-one else is going to do it for me. I’d say the same is true for all teachers.
I apologise if the tone is off-centre, but responding to an anonymous commenter I don’t know where to pitch.
Ewan - I’m sure you can appreciate why I have remained anonymous! I am in a primary school in East Lothian.
I stand by my point. From a personal point of view, I am the sort of person who gets on with things and gets them done, whatever the obstacles. However, this is from a personal view.
Professionally is different. I was in a meeting yesterday for one and a half hours with senior management and a colleague discussing the issue of pupil photos on our school blog & website.
Our comments and opinions were repeatedly ignored/dismissed without reason unless we agreed with them. By the end of the meeting neither of us knew what had actually been decided. We both came out feeling frustrated and disillusioned and feeling that our time spent setting up the blog/website was wasted and unappreciated.
How can we empower ourselves to do anything when we are up against a brick wall? (NOTE: this is not just an ICT related problem - this happens in all school matters)
Yup, I can empathise with that feeling and those circumstances. It’s probably the only thing that gives me those tension headaches that just won’t go until the problem gets resolved.
There is no easy answer - I’ve been lucky in that my Head Teachers and managers have generally been superb at taking on board my views, professional opinions and personal opinions. Often there is compromise, which leaves both of us happy. Where that option seems blocked out there is a feeling of desperation, frustration, stress and the desire to give up.
All I can hope is that you don’t give up and continue to refer to the guidance, facts and policy that already exist on that particular issue. I’ve found that removing the word ‘feel’ from every one of my sentences in situations like this also makes it less personal, so perhaps management react less ‘personally’ and defensively to things.
Bon courage! as Napoleon said
Fred,
Can you explain what you mean by “the issue of pupil photos on our school blog & website”? We know that this can be a powerful educational practice. We know there are risks - as with many educational activities - but they have been assessed, and we know how to put in place appropriate controls. In terms of safety, then, there isn’t an issue.
Don’s recent post on this, “Safe and Outstanding Practice”, explained how the risks are managed.
I’d like to understand what the issue was that gave rise to the meeting. Is it perhaps to do with the arrangements for communicating this guidance to practitioners in schools?
Please email me privately, in confidence, if you would prefer. I am keen to help resolve this one.
Hi Dave,
Seems we’ve crossed blog issues here - this started out about teacher burnout!
I’ll email you directly.
“Fred”
Maybe as an authority rather than analysing why teachers become deluded and ‘burnout’ we should listen to Ewan and look at ways of ‘empowering’ them as professionals. I think that ownership of professional development along with mentoring is key to this empowerment. I would hope that East Lothian are looking at new more imaginative methods of offering professional development opportunities that move away from the current models being used in schools.
I did a search for sites that might help me not feel so alone in my depression and hopelessness. This one came up so I figured I would comment. You know what they say, the older you get, the less you are invited to weddings, and the more you go to funerals. On that positive note, I invite you to come to my blog, http://lazyfathead.blogspot.com, and join me in my delightful spiral into death depression and nothingness.
Thanks for your time. Remain happy ?