Signs of Teacher Burnout to Watch For
If you’re experiencing some of the signs of teacher burnout, you are so far from alone. First off, I want to take the stigma out of feeling burnout. Teaching is nearly impossible and, at some stage in your career, burnout is pretty inevitable.
In fact, some teacher burnout statistics show that as many as 44% of teachers leave the profession within the first five years of their career. Through Educator Forever, I talk to teachers who are seeking to leave the classroom every day. And I remember the feeling well from my own days in the classroom.
When I was teaching, I went through phases of burnout. Sometimes I felt extremely exhausted and run down at the end of the week or right before holiday breaks. These periods of burnout were relatively short-lived. After I rested and recharged, I came back refreshed and ready to continue teaching.
But, over time, the teacher burnout and stress became more consistent. At first, I used the regular tools in my toolbox. I rested, I tried to do less work, and I talked to loved ones about my overwhelm. But the feelings didn’t go away.
I started to feel guilty because of my persistent burnout. My identity was so tied to being a teacher, yet I didn’t have my whole heart in teaching anymore. I realized that, this time, my burnout was different. It was a signal that I needed to make a change.
It’s not always possible to prevent teacher burnout all together, but we can learn to catch the symptoms early.
Signs of Teacher Burnout to Watch For
If you are experiencing teacher burnout, instead of trying to immediately solve it, I encourage you to lean into it. Listen to what your feelings are trying to tell you. Do you need to rest? Do you need more support? Do you need a break from teaching?
One of the first steps in preventing teacher burnout is to recognize when it’s starting to affect you. Not sure whether you’re just tired or if it’s something more? Look out for these signs of teacher burnout and consider how you will find your way through them with compassion and purpose.
Teacher Burnout Sign #1: It doesn’t go away
Like I shared above, my persistent teacher burnout was different from the occasional bouts I had experienced before. When we ignore problems, they often become bigger.
If your feelings of burnout become louder and louder, listen to them. Don’t force yourself to push through your feelings in hopes that they’ll disappear. Instead, consider what you really want. What would make these feelings go away?
Think creatively about potential solutions, brainstorming ways that you can act compassionately towards yourself as you make plans for the future.
Teacher Burnout Sign #2: Parts of teaching you used to enjoy don’t feel rewarding anymore
When I was teaching, I loved reading aloud to my students. I had a special bookshelf where I kept my favorite books to read, and I would reach for those books on my toughest days. Reading great books was a way to center myself and connect with my students when I needed it most.
But as I started to feel more and more exhausted by teaching, I found that these read alouds no longer brought me as much joy as they used to. They were still lovely, but they weren’t enough to keep my head above water. This was one of my first signs of teacher burnout and it got my attention.
If you’re trying all the things that used to make you feel fulfilled and nothing seems to make you feel better, this might be a sign that you should make a new career change from teaching.
Whether you want to leave the classroom or not, consider how you might be able to lean into whatever it is about education that still lights you up. There are so many jobs for teachers who are burned out that are still within the field of education.
Whether it’s designing lessons, supporting new teachers, or revamping the education system, pay attention to where you feel energized and passionate. See if you can build more of this energy into your daily life as you decide on your best next step.
Teacher Burnout Sign #3: You dream about leaving the classroom
At the height of my burnout, I remember fantasizing about spending my days in a quiet room by myself, drinking cups of hot tea… all things that are generally not possible when you’re teaching kindergarten!
Whether you want to have more flexibility in your days or spend more time with grownups, pay attention to your desires. What you dream about can give you clues about your next steps.
If you think about not showing up to school every day, don’t feel guilty. There’s nothing wrong with experiencing teacher burnout. It’s okay to want a career change and it’s beyond okay to listen to what you want.
In fact, it’s necessary! There are many ways for you to make an impact beyond the classroom and to support teachers and students to build a better education system.
Teacher Burnout Sign #4: Your gut tells you it’s time for a change
Sometimes you just know that something isn’t right. This is one of the greatest signs of teacher burnout.
In times of transition, our minds can take over with all sorts of rational— and not so rational— thoughts about what we should do. But when feelings keep popping up over and over again, it’s important to listen to them. Preventing teacher burnout may be as simple as tuning in to what you really want.
If your gut is telling you you’re ready to try something new, let yourself fully entertain what that might look like.
What To Do About These Signs of Teacher Burnout
How you handle symptoms of teacher burnout is a really personal decision.
Perhaps you’re seeing the first signs of teacher burnout and you just need a break. Maybe you need a new system to manage the work you do outside of school hours. Maybe you need to take on less extracurricular duties or speak to your administrator about getting more support.
But if you’ve been experiencing burnout and stress for a while and can’t seem to shake the feeling - it’s important to know there is no shame in looking for alternative careers for teachers. There are so many ways you can continue to work in education even after leaving the classroom.
If you’re ready to get clear on what you want, tune into what you love about teaching, and build a flexible, profitable professional life in education, I built the Beyond the Classroom course for you. Join us to banish burnout and make your dreams a reality.
And if you have questions about avoiding teacher burnout or finding work outside the classroom, don’t hesitate to contact Educator Forever.