Impacts of Stress, Especially as it Applies to Teacher Burnout - Page 1 of 7

Impacts of Stress, Especially as it Applies to Teacher Burnout

Trying to Do It All

The job description for a teaching position sounds ideal - short working days, summers and holidays off, and being paid to help young people "grow up right." Yet many who accept teaching positions do not stay in education for long. Teachers who do stay often become disillusioned and increasingly frustrated by the difficulties faced by the educator. Relatively low pay, yearly bargaining for salary increases which often do not cover the rising inflation rate, and lack of appreciation from the public often cause educators to doubt their own worth and the value of their efforts. Working conditions that demand constant involvement throughout the day, early and late meetings, numerous extra-curricular activities, the need to take work home, and frequently upgrading their own education are typical causes of stress for teachers.

As educators, we live with high degrees of stress and change as a result of our unique relationships with students, parents, and the community. Much of the stress begins with the changing attitude of society toward teachers. There is a glaring contradiction between the historical romanticized image of a respected and valued school teacher and the picture of the inadequate educator presented by today's media. For the idealistic first-year teacher, this is puzzling and discouraging. For more experienced teachers comes the frustration of knowing one's competence is being labeled incompetent and/or uncaring by the popular media. Lack of positive community support can be extremely stressful in our work. This distress may be compounded by difficult working conditions, tight budgets, overly large classes, underprepared students, and increased expectations on our time and energy. Disagreements regarding educational purpose or objectives, lack of supportive leadership, lack of opportunity for advancement, and an inadequate reward system may compound the problem.

The stress of teaching is often intensified as we work daily with students who are also distressed. Internal "stressors" for young people typically include a mixture of self-doubt, fear of facing new challenges at school, needs for attention and affection, emerging sexuality, and coping with natural growth and development stages.