What Causes Teacher Burnout?

The New York Times reports about a German study under Teacher Burnout? Blame the Parents.

While the data come from German schools, the researchers note that many of the demands of teaching, including disruptive students, high expectations from school officials and close scrutiny from parents, are universal.
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To be sure, many issues play a role in teacher burnout and turnover. Dwindling school resources, low pay and high expectations for test scores from school districts are just some of the challenges teachers face.

But the data from the German study also show that parents can have a big impact on a teacher’s happiness and stress, said study co-author Joachim Stoeber, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Kent in Britain. Said Dr. Stoeber, “Teachers should focus on their students’ expectations and needs and get support from colleagues if they feel overwhelmed, but not try to make overly demanding parents happy.'’