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Sunday, February 17, 2019

Heartbreak becomes burnout for teachers when work is turbulent | Salon.com

Heartbreak becomes burnout for teachers when work is turbulent | Salon.com

Heartbreak becomes burnout for teachers when work is turbulent
Teaching is often known as a “trial by fire” profession



Teaching is often known as a “trial by fire” profession.
In many countries, well-prepared teachers leave the profession at alarming rates, including in Canada, Australiathe United Kingdom and the United States.
School and educational system leaders have to invest significant time considering how to retain teachers
because keeping them is necessary to provide stability to the system.
What’s happening in schools that is causing educational professionals to leave a dream job with seemingly great perks such as summers off, good pay and a short work day?
Many factors influence teacher exhaustion and burnout, but I’d like to discuss a more personal reason: heartbreak. Stressful environments, where teachers’ agency is highly restricted and their resources and supports are strapped can create crushing heartache. This distress can influence educators’ well-being, willingness to innovate and the formation of warm relationships with other people.
Occupational heartbreak
People decide to become teachers because of love – love for subject matter or love for children.
For the past four years, I have worked with young people studying to become teachers. In our class discussions about why they chose the teaching profession, two reasons have consistently emerged: students either love a subject area (such as physical education, biology, math or English) or they love working with children and youth.
Some of my students have even spoken eloquently of feeling a calling to be a teacher, and have expressed their eagerness to join the profession. They cannot wait to finish their education degree and CONTINUE READING: Heartbreak becomes burnout for teachers when work is turbulent | Salon.com