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To answer the question, "when do you think teachers first experience burnout," -- it all depends. On what you teach, what else you have going on (family, pets, graduate school...). But it is STILL definitely "a thing"!

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I started feeling burned out my 4th year of teaching--but realize now, after learning in Module 1, some of what I was (am) feeling is demoralization, not burnout.

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I haven't really felt burned out, but I am very good at saying NO, and setting boundaries.

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It seems like teachers can get to burnout after demoralization. Most of these articles are directly related to COVID so that is the overriding context of Module 1. However, it's 2025 and the facts remain that the country is polarized, the cost of living in the US is high compared to wages, and students and teachers are in a reciprocal relationship when it comes to stress. I teach overseas so I have a different set of stressors. Burnout for me happened after a personal issue happened at a post in which there was little access to mental or physical health care and the culture of the host country was very much "vodka is our medicine." The expectation I placed on myself to mask up and keep going, despite emotional and physical delcine, led to burnout. It was not necessarily job related, it was "I teach in this country and therefore the dominant culture is XYZ" - and my own need to maintain the visage of "I've got it together!" so I wouldn't lose my job and have to go back to USA. I didn't know how to ask for help - once I did, my admin was amazing. But it was apparent that my burning the candle at both ends - personally and professionally - had burnt me out.

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Not totally sure how to answer this as it is different for everyone! I would imagine, after completing this first module, that burnout happens earlier teaching careers as new teachers haven't yet learned to set boundaries for themselves. Late after-school hours, early before-school hours, trying to get everything done. I have learned through this first module what I have experienced (after 27 years of teaching) is not necessarily burnout, but demoralization. I had never heard that term before now - and most of what I have been feeling as of late is just that. I still find joy in teaching - and actually find myself saying this to colleagues, family, and friends. I LOVE teaching. I love the time I am with my students. It's all the other "stuff" that causes stress and worry crabby mom at home at the end of the day!

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I think teacher burnout often happens when our ability to cope just gets overwhelmed. And in many cases, that overwhelm can feel like trauma—because you're stuck in a high-stress situation you can’t control, and it starts to wear down your sense of confidence, safety, and your identity who you thought you were when you started the job.

Burnout can happen fast. A lot of teachers walk in ready to make a difference and are blindsided by extreme student behaviors, constant disruptions, and a lack of respect that they never expected—or were never shown how to handle. It doesn’t take long before the stress piles up and starts to feel impossible. And there can be so much to try to address--behaviors, paperwork, deadlines, maintaining organization, lesson planning, testing, scheduling, in addition to making time for self-care (which in itself can seem like a chore that you don't have energy or time for).

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When I first chose to take this course, I felt a surprising sense of guilt. Shouldn’t we, as educators, be focusing on new teaching strategies or integrating the latest technology? The truth is—no, not yet. Not until we address the elephant in the room: many of us are burned out, and it's critical that we begin prioritizing our well-being to ease the stress, overwhelm, and guilt we carry into the classroom each day.

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I connected with your post because I had the same feelings of guilt when I first started this course. As teachers, it’s easy to think, “How can I feel burned out when there is always more I could do or students who still need me?” But through this course, I’ve realized that teacher burnout is very real. I’ve also learned that constantly putting everyone else first is not sustainable. Prioritizing self-care is so important because when we take care of ourselves, we are better able to support our students, remain present, and continue doing the work we care about in a healthy and meaningful way.

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I don't feel completely burnt out, yet I know and was reminded again that there are seasons in a year that feel more overwhelming to me. My teaching hat is only one facet of my life. Keeping a balance of all the obligations we have and enjoying the time with all the people we are privileged to have in our life is tricky and important to reflect on often.

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For me it depends on the school. In my first teaching job I had 7 different plans a day. I was feeling burned out by my 4th year. I did not feel like I was planning good enough lessons and was feeling like a failure. I now work in a much better school with a lot of support and I have one plan a day in a subject that I love. It makes all the difference in the world.

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One thing that really stood out to me in this course is the difference between burnout and demoralization. I used to think they were the same, but now I see how burnout is more about being physically and emotionally drained, while demoralization comes from feeling like you can’t teach the way you know is right. That made me realize that it’s not just about taking bubble baths or having a better planner—it's also about having support and being respected in our roles.

Something I’ve started doing is setting clearer boundaries with my time. I used to stay way too late after school trying to finish everything, but now I’m making more of an effort to leave at a reasonable time and be okay with the to-do list not being done. I’ve also started taking a few minutes between tasks just to breathe or reset—it sounds simple, but it really helps. The biggest takeaway for me is that talking with other teachers and not isolating myself makes a huge difference.

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I agree with this so much. I am planning to work on boundaries and taking a few minutes every day to just breathe. I also plan to not stress as much if something doesn't get completed in the time frame I thought it would and to also not be afraid to take a lesson in another direction if the kids are not engaged. This helped me feel like I have more control over my personal well-being and how that can help foster a better learning experience for my students.

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I agree with this. I thought it was me. It's nice to know that this is a real thing.

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"Meditation and self-care" is not the answer to teach burnout. I always felt hopeless and almost angry when administrators would say, "Take time for yourself" or "Make sure to practice self-care" and then proceed to pile on extra paper work, more staff responsibilities, larger class sizes, data deadlines, etc. This is refreshing to hear that others feel the same way.

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I think it really varies depending on the circumstances of the individual teacher. A new teacher might struggle with setting boundaries, discipline or preparing effective lesson plans and those factors might contribute to early burnout which we learned is common within the first 5 years. A more experienced teacher may feel burn out as they attempt to balance the demands of teaching with the demands of parenthood and other family responsibilities. Veteran teachers may feel burn out because of the changing skill sets, technology, shortening attention spans of students and increasing lack of parental support when dealing with disruptive classroom behavior.

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Teachers may first experience burnout if they don't have the systems and supports in their school to support them as an educator. They may also feel burnout when they feel that they don't have a voice in how decisions are made in the school.

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So far this course is making me realize how important my own mental health and well being are. In 18 years of teaching, I've always focused my professional development on curriculum and strategies to help my students. I am glad I'm finally seeking strategies to help myself grow as a person and educator. 

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So far this course is making me realize how important my own mental health and well being are. In 18 years of teaching, I've always focused my professional development on curriculum and strategies to help my students. I am glad I'm finally seeking strategies to help myself grow as a person and educator. 

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The Chicken Lays the Egg: Demoralization Causes Burnout

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The Chicken Lays the Egg: Demoralization Causes Burnout

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Last year was my first-year teacher year, and I anticipated some stress as I navigated the procedures and expectations laid out by my administrators. This course's discussion on demoralization, on the negative affects that pushing a rigid, rigorous curriculum on non-receptive (or not ready) students with the hyper-fixation on state test scores can have on teachers, truly resonated with me. I had moments of helplessness last year as a result of this exact situation and definitely experienced some of the symptoms of burnout. This course has been great with its abundance of advice and strategies that teachers can do to help themselves be "remoralized," and I plan on reaching out to my colleagues and working with them to (try and) avoid those negative feelings next year!

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I am really appreciating how much this course is focusing on connections and community. It is interesting that multiple articles suggest finding your community within the school and that is doesn't need to be your PLC. 

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I am really appreciating how much this course is focusing on connections and community. It is interesting that multiple articles suggest finding your community within the school and that is doesn't need to be your PLC. 

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Burnout is subjective. I know a couple teachers that are gung-ho everyday even after 15 years. I am starting to feel it after my 8th year.

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Mostly what I feel is slight demoralization.  Veteran teachers know what is best for students and schools, but often the admin push from above promotes what is new or shiny.  It is feeling that sleight that our veteran voices are being pushed aside that hurts.  

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Mostly what I feel is slight demoralization.  Veteran teachers know what is best for students and schools, but often the admin push from above promotes what is new or shiny.  It is feeling that sleight that our veteran voices are being pushed aside that hurts.  

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Last year was tough. I was trying to mentor a promising new teacher. What made things most difficul was an administrator who went out of his way to demoralize me. I had to spend time redirecting her to focus on her first year and not my 30+.

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I think teacher burnout happens when a teacher encounters overlapping challenges without support. For me, one challenge was how the school culture in my building changed over the last five years. I had always enjoyed my role as a kindergarten teacher but something happened to change how it felt to go to school each day. Between COVID, 3 principal changes and two challenging classes my excitement was not the same. The shift in curriculum and away from student directed learning was also a challenge. I lost my autonomy to do what was best for the group of students I had at the time. If these events didn't happen so close together, I don't believe I would have lost my spark. I have now switch to an interventionist and am still working within parameters of the district but feel I have more of a voice in the process.

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This seemed like the same thing to me, but as I dug deeper, I now understand that I am feeling more demoralized due to all the demands that I have, and not necessarily feeling burnout. However, now knowing this difference, there is a line that I know can easily be crossed to feeling burnout. I need to make sure I take car of myself first so that the burnout does not happen and the enjoyment I have of doing this job.

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I think wellness helps me balance everything better. This course and resources have been a good reminder of just how important it is to take time for myself. It is easy to get wrapped up in work, especially with all the extra things on our plates. For me it is a matter of scheduling in time to do what helps me balance it all.

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I almost didn't choose this course due to guilt and shame. I thought it would look bad to schools seeing that I chose a burnout related course rather than something like tech in the classroom, behavior management, science of reading, etc. However, that guilt and shame is already gone, as I couldn't think of a better course to take. Teacher demoralization and burnout is sadly and incredibly high. I taught two years in a testing grade and the first year all but killed me. The second year was quite a bit better but when I then switched to a non testing grade it was unbelievable how much I relaxed. I still worked hard and did well, but the work load was a bit less and the stress load immensely less. After staying home with my babies a few years and homeschooling I am about to go back into the field refreshed and I can tell this course is just the thing I need to do so.

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I think that teacher's can feel burnout in so many different ways. I did so well my first few years, or so I thought. I realized I was experiencing burnout for the first time when I called my math coach, crying, and didn't even realize it was two in the morning. I apologized to her and she told me I needed to take the next day for myself. She told me that she would handle sub plans for me. That day that I took off was my second year teaching, in the midst of planning a wedding, and I SLEPT for 15 hours.

I then got into a routine of giving myself breaks when I felt like I couldn't breathe. I then experienced my second bout of burnout when I had a toddler at home a little one on the way. It really all depends on the person and what they are going through.

Do they have partner support, family support, a "village"? Are they working with a team that works well together, or are they toxic? Are their administrators and school leaders supportive or do they turn them away and tear them down.

When you lack the feelings of safety and calm you can get burnout so fast.

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Understanding demoralization has made me feel SEEN. I started experiencing burnout due to repeated demoralization and feeling like just another number in the sea of teachers. I felt invisible.

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Understanding demoralization has made me feel SEEN. I started experiencing burnout due to repeated demoralization and feeling like just another number in the sea of teachers. I felt invisible.

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This course is teaching me that teacher burnout and demoralization are two different ideas. Teacher A who loved his job 10 years ago is becoming emotionally detached from his colleagues and students, spends excessive hours beyond the normal work week on teaching duties, and has trouble sleeping. This example is what "teacher burnout" looks like. Emotional, physical and mental stress is exhausting and is detrimental to a person's well being. Teacher B who is demoralized is feeling professionally let down. She questions why she is in the profession, as she doesn't have the support of her administration to teach the way that is in alignment with her values and ideals.

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Which one is it? A little of both. It's the end of the year, and I look forward to summer.