When teachers talk about leaving the profession, they are commonly described as "burnt out." But for many, argues Doris Santoro, that's not the real story. In truth, most teachers enter teaching because they want to pursue moral commitments to the well-being of their students, colleagues, and communities. In-depth interviews with…

In its well-intentioned effort to create alternatives to public school dropout factories, the charter school sector has created teacher burnout factories. But it does not have to be this way. Charter schools can continue to maintain high standards while creating a more sustainable work environment for teachers. This article examines the teacher…

Teachers, a population already vulnerable to high stress, experienced increased demands and threats to their coping resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic likely will continue to exact a toll on the mental health of the teaching workforce. A silver lining from COVID-19 could come from teacher stress research conducted during the…

Teacher stress takes a measurable toll on the teaching workforce, as many teachers become burned out and decide to leave the profession. Christopher McCarthy explains that stress is a psychological process that results from how teachers appraise the balance between the demands in their classrooms and the resources they have to meet those demands.…

Teachers' social and emotional competencies are very important to their overall effectiveness, but such skills are frequently overlooked. Social and emotional competencies like managing emotions and stress are needed more today than ever before. More practices and policies to support and foster educators' social and emotional…

This research examines national data on the status of the minority teacher shortage--the low proportion of minority teachers in comparison to the increasing numbers of students of color in schools. The authors show that efforts over recent decades to recruit more minority teachers, and place them in disadvantaged schools, have been very…

The sense of calling that compels educators to persist through difficult times and cope with stressful situations, also puts educators at risk for burning out. In order to fight potential burnout, both schools and individual teachers must attend to the issue. Schools must develop themselves as supportive work environments and educators must be…

Many teachers perceive an erosion of their professionalism since "A Nation at Risk" appeared, and they have felt that erosion accelerating since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act. Myriad factors contribute to this climate so contrary to teacher professionalism: poor funding, poor parenting, overstuffed classrooms, low-quality…

Many schools are characterized by a pervasive tension between students and teachers: Teachers want students to learn and so they set high expectations for students. Students become anxious about those expectations and often become resistant to learning, perhaps out of fear that they can't meet those expectations. School leaders can make a…

A former high school teacher's poem cynically addresses the burned out teacher syndrome. (MD)

A former teacher recounts her reasons for leaving the profession. (IRT)

In response to an article on teacher burnout, the author explains why she remains in teaching. (IRT)

In a study of teachers and administrators seeking advanced degrees and certification, over 78% of teachers reported negative rewards that included larger classes and more duties and committee assignments. Over 85% of administrators were given more responsibilities with no pay increase. While such rewards seemed positive at first, they led to…

Discusses results of several Canadian studies of teacher-workload issues related to family life, teaching stress and satisfaction, and physical and mental health. (Contains 16 references.) (PKP)

Describes a high school English teacher's impromptu relationship with a troubled special-education student. Miles's satiric essay about a teacher literally blowing up in class helped revitalize the English teacher's efforts to improve his own students' writing skills. (MLH)