Why teachers suffer from burnout

Published on: Sunday, May 21, 2023

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It seemed quite easy, as it was at a primary level, and I had an interest in this subject. It went well, when I had resources and excellent mentors to field my questions and guide me. But soon enough, I had more piled on. It was difficult to say not when there is, indeed, a shortage of more qualified people to do it.

AS a teacher myself, I have heard about the current teacher shortage, especially in some core subject. The reasons were relatable and prompted me to write this.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). Upon entering the workforce, I was of course given English to teach but with an extra core subject that I did not have experience in.

It seemed quite easy, as it was at a primary level, and I had an interest in this subject. It went well, when I had resources and excellent mentors to field my questions and guide me.

But soon enough, I had more piled on. It was difficult to say not when there is, indeed, a shortage of more qualified people to do it. Thus began an arduous journey of picking up the subject, ensuring I know enough about it to be able to deliver effectively to the students.

It was, and still is, not easy. You are looking at different thinking skills required for each subject as well as different ways of assessing progress and achievements. This split in process takes on a toll slowly but surely.

Aside from academics, there are extra-curricular activities that we organize as well. Field trips to think of, school events, admin work and assessments, they pile up as we go along.

This, along with having to manage multiple children across multiple classrooms and maybe even across multiple age levels requires a teacher to always be on top of everything.

Surely it is manageable, but when you have a shortage of manpower and assistance to handle it, this becomes a management disaster.

I do not intend to discourage one from seeking the life of a teacher. It has its many bright sides too, seeing children enjoy the process of learning and to learn from them as well.

You gain a great perspective in life when interacting with others, and the need to take care of yourself. I find myself taking up new skills to improve myself and to inspire children into taking an interest in whatever we learn.

However, a teacher can only do so much before feeling burnt out. It is very easy for a teacher to leave, but fairly difficult for one to enter the fray and immediately take up the mantle that their predecessors had left behind.

This jeopardises the education of children too, having to accommodate different teachers and their teaching styles.

I can only hope and pray that a solution is implemented that looks at the short term AND long term problems that has and would occur in the future.

Teacher