Teacher Burnout-- what are the myths?

Personal and Professional reasons for selecting this topic:

• Professional: Burnout is pervasive in teaching.
• Professional: Understanding the causes will promote longevity in the profession and benefit students.
• Personal: I love and dislike my job at the same time! Understanding will help me cope and prevent further burnout.

BURNOUT Defined:
fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity (www.dictionary.com)

Burnout IS:

• the final stage in the individual's failure to manage internal and external stressers
• indicated by distraction and reduced productivity
• something that takes time to recover from
• more common among the most reliable employees
• associated with a decrease or lack of feelings - giving up

Burnout ISN'T:

• related to compensation or salary
• necessarily associated with workload or caseload
• to be confused with stress or depression

Perception of Burnout Over Time, Part I of II

• Late 1960's, was not taken seriously by scientist, seen as limited to certain professions.
• 1980's- Development of standardized questionnaires ("methodological rigor"), gave us empirical evidence, resulting in acceptance.

Perception of Burnout Over Time Part II of II

• Focus changed from looking at the individual to looking at the organization.
• Later linked to other psychological theories such as stress and PTSD.
• Interest in the subject of burnout has increased.

Causative Factors

• role ambiguity & role conflict
• lack of autonomy
• bureaucracy
• difficult work relationships

Differentiate burnout from other conditions:

• BURNOUT VS. STRESS- Burned out individuals are unmotivated, whereas stressed individuals are motivated, just overwhelmed.
• BURNOUT VS. DEPRESSION- Burnout is specific to something or a situation, whereas depression is a mental disability and applies to all areas of your life

Differentiate burnout (continued):

• Burnout VS. PTSD- Although they share similarities, PTSD is a physical disability, whereas burnout is not.
• The response to both is the same: hopelessness

Who is susceptible?
-overachievers, those aged 30-40, educated, single

Types of Interventions:
~ Organizational- work redesign, training, mentorship, consensus, improved communication, sabbatical
~ Individual- cognitive & behavioral techniques