TM4T Burnout - What IS burnout anyway?

Various definitions of burnout exist, but the one which is likely to resonate best with teachers is by Herbert Freudenberger (who coined the term himself, based on the title of a Graham Greene story).

Freudenberger defined burnout as “A state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward”. Other definitions stress (oops, emphasize) the aspect of 'exhaustion' (physical, mental, and emotional) which is also a key symptom.

Of course, anyone in any job can become exhausted. What is so poignant and perverse about burnout is that it typically strikes people who are highly committed to their work, who have a vocation: you can only 'burnout' if you were once 'alight' in the first place. People who take a cynical view of their jobs are virtually immune to complete burnout.

This means that burnout is more difficult to fix than simple exhaustion. Exhaustion can often be fixed by a couple of long night's sleep, but at the core of burnout is a deep sense of disillusionment, which is not solved by a lie down.

Specific symptoms of burnout in teaching include:

• Having a cynical, negative and critical attitude of education, the school, the students, the parents...

• Dreading going into school, and constantly wanting to leave once you're there.

• Having low energy all the time, and little interest or motivation at work.

• Having trouble sleeping.

• Being absent from work a lot (physically) for various reasons

• Having feelings of emptiness or desolation

• Experiencing more frequent physical complaints such as headaches, neckache or backache.

• Being easily irritated by colleagues, students, parents

• Thinking more frequently that education (or your subject) is pointless or that you're not making a difference.

• Distancing yourself emotionally from your colleagues and others; becoming more cold in communication.

• Feeling that your work and contribution goes unrecognized, or is undervalued

• Refusing to acknowledge your mistakes

• Thinking of quitting teaching, or moving away, anywhere, preferably in a cave, with no kids, or school leaders