Proactive Ways to Reduce Burnout as an Educator: A Trauma-Informed Approach
The beginning of a new school year brings excitement, fresh faces, and renewed energy to classrooms across the country. However, for many educators, the return to school can also mark the onset of stress and overwhelm as they juggle ever-increasing responsibilities. Burnout among teachers has become a critical issue, with educators experiencing unprecedented levels of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion.
September is the ideal time to address this before the demands of the school year reach their peak. By offering proactive strategies for burnout prevention early on, we can empower educators to take steps to protect their well-being throughout the school year.
Through a trauma-informed lens, we’ll explore why educators today are facing such high levels of burnout and provide actionable strategies that teachers, schools, and families can use to better support those who are shaping our future.
Why Are U.S. Educators Experiencing Such High Levels of Burnout?
The teaching profession has always come with challenges, but today's educators face a unique combination of stressors that are contributing to alarming levels of burnout. According to a survey by the National Education Association (NEA), more than 55% of educators are considering leaving the profession due to stress, a staggering increase compared to previous years.
Several factors are fueling this trend:
1. Under-Resourced Public School Systems
Many schools, especially in underserved communities, lack the necessary resources to adequately support students and staff. Teachers are often left to fill in the gaps, whether that means purchasing supplies out of pocket, covering for absent colleagues, or taking on multiple roles within the school. The lack of funding and support places an immense burden on educators.
2. Oversized Classes
Large class sizes limit teachers' ability to offer personalized attention to students, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and stress. Research shows that smaller class sizes improve student outcomes and allow teachers to foster better relationships with their students, yet many schools continue to pack classrooms beyond capacity due to budget constraints.
3. Vicarious Trauma
Teachers often serve as primary caregivers for students who come to school with a range of emotional and psychological needs, many of whom are dealing with trauma. Supporting students who have experienced trauma can lead to vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress for educators. As Dr. Lori Desautels, an expert in educational neuroscience, notes, "When educators are constantly exposed to students' trauma and grief, without proper support or resources, their own mental health can suffer."
4. Inflexible Schedules and Limited Mental Health Support
The demands of rigid schedules, coupled with a lack of mental health services for educators, create a perfect storm for burnout. Teachers are often expected to work long hours, attend to administrative tasks, and manage classroom behavior without having adequate time for self-care or professional development focused on their own well-being. Schools that do not prioritize mental health services for their staff contribute to an environment where burnout can flourish.
Proactive Strategies for Educators to Support Themselves
While the demands of teaching can feel overwhelming, there are proactive steps educators can take to support their well-being throughout the year. By practicing self-care, setting boundaries, and seeking support when needed, teachers can prevent burnout before it takes root.
1. Create Time for Personal Reflection
Teaching is an emotional profession, and it can be easy to lose sight of personal well-being while focusing on the needs of students. Taking time each day for personal reflection or mindfulness practices can help educators stay grounded.
As Brené Brown, research professor and author, emphasizes, "We can’t offer what we don’t have. Educators must create space for their own emotional well-being in order to show up for students."
Simple strategies like daily journaling, practicing gratitude, or engaging in short mindfulness exercises can provide much-needed mental clarity and help reduce stress.
2. Set Healthy Boundaries
One of the main contributors to burnout is the pressure teachers feel to be available at all times—to parents, students, administrators, and even themselves. Setting healthy boundaries around work time and personal time is essential for preventing burnout.
Teachers should aim to:
Limit work hours by setting specific times to respond to emails or grade assignments.
Use calendar blocks to carve out time for personal tasks.
Say no to additional responsibilities that may stretch them too thin.
3. Cultivate a Support Network
No educator should feel they are navigating the challenges of teaching alone. Building a strong support network, both within and outside of school, can help prevent burnout. Whether it’s forming a peer group with fellow teachers to share experiences or seeking out a mentor, having people to lean on is crucial.
Trauma-informed practices emphasize the importance of relationships. Surrounding yourself with colleagues who understand the unique challenges of teaching and can offer mutual support is one of the most effective ways to combat burnout.
4. Incorporate Self-Regulation Practices
Just as we teach students emotional regulation strategies, teachers must apply those same practices to themselves. Self-regulation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindful walking, can help reduce the stress response during particularly challenging moments.
Dr. Bruce Perry, a leading trauma expert, notes, "Regulating the stress response is the first step in preventing burnout. When educators can regulate themselves, they are better equipped to regulate their classrooms." By practicing these techniques daily, teachers can create a buffer against stress.
5. Focus on What You Can Control
Educators often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of factors outside their control, such as administrative decisions, state mandates, and limited resources. Focusing on the elements of teaching that are within your control—your classroom environment, your teaching style, and your relationships with students—can help prevent feelings of helplessness.
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, emphasizes the power of focusing on your "circle of influence" instead of your "circle of concern." For educators, this means zeroing in on what you can do in the classroom to make an impact, even when larger systemic issues feel overwhelming.
How Schools and Systems Can Support Educators
Educators can do a great deal to protect their own well-being, but they cannot shoulder the entire burden of preventing burnout alone. Schools and educational systems must take responsibility for creating environments that support their staff and prioritize mental health and well-being.
1. Increase Mental Health Services for Educators
Schools that invest in mental health services for their staff are taking a critical step in preventing burnout. This can include providing access to counseling services, wellness programs, and professional development that focuses on self-care. Schools that fail to provide these services are leaving teachers to navigate the emotional toll of teaching without the necessary support.
A 2021 study by RAND Corporation found that schools with comprehensive mental health services saw a significant reduction in teacher burnout and turnover. Investing in mental health is not just good for teachers—it’s good for students and schools as a whole.
2. Offer More Flexible Schedules
Rigid, inflexible schedules contribute significantly to burnout. Schools can take proactive steps by allowing for more flexible planning periods, offering opportunities for teachers to have personal time during the school day, and adjusting workloads when possible. Flexibility can go a long way in helping educators manage their responsibilities without feeling constantly overwhelmed.
3. Reduce Class Sizes
One of the most impactful changes schools can make to reduce educator burnout is to limit class sizes. Smaller classes allow teachers to form deeper relationships with students and provide more individualized attention, leading to better outcomes for both students and educators.
According to research from The National Center for Education Statistics, teachers with smaller classes report higher job satisfaction and lower levels of stress. While not always feasible due to budget constraints, prioritizing smaller class sizes should be a goal for all schools seeking to prevent teacher burnout.
4. Promote a Trauma-Informed School Culture
When schools embrace a trauma-informed culture, it benefits everyone. Trauma-informed schools recognize the importance of relationships, emotional safety, and community in the well-being of both students and staff. School leaders should invest in trauma-informed training for educators, create spaces for reflection and recovery, and emphasize the importance of relational teaching.
As Karen Gross, author of Trauma Doesn’t Stop at the School Door, explains, "Trauma-informed schools help not only students but teachers as well. When educators feel safe and supported, they are better able to create environments where students can thrive."
How Families Can Support Educators
Parents and families play a crucial role in preventing educator burnout. By building positive relationships with teachers and offering their own forms of support, families can contribute to the well-being of those who spend so much time caring for their children.
1. Express Gratitude
A simple yet powerful way families can support educators is by expressing gratitude. A thank-you note or a kind word can go a long way in making teachers feel appreciated and valued. When educators feel recognized for their hard work, it can bolster their morale and reduce feelings of burnout.
2. Communicate Effectively
Open lines of communication between parents and teachers are essential for preventing misunderstandings and reducing stress. Parents should aim to collaborate with teachers, rather than viewing them as adversaries, and check in regularly to ensure they are supporting their child's learning without placing unnecessary demands on teachers.
3. Advocate for Educators
Families have significant power when it comes to advocating for change in schools. Parents can join school boards, engage with local government officials, and advocate for more resources and mental health services for educators. When parents work together with schools, they can help ensure that teachers have the support they need to thrive in their roles.
Prioritizing Educator Well-Being Now, Before It’s Too Late
As the school year begins, the risk of educator burnout may feel distant, but the seeds of stress are often planted early. If we wait until exhaustion has set in, we will be responding to burnout reactively, rather than preventing it proactively. Now is the time to prioritize educator well-being—not just for the sake of teachers, but for students, schools, and communities at large.
By acknowledging the immense challenges that teachers face—whether it’s supporting students with diverse needs, navigating under-resourced classrooms, or absorbing the emotional weight of their work—we can start creating environments where educators feel supported and valued. Teachers cannot pour from an empty cup. As we progress through the school year, it’s essential to remind ourselves, as well as school systems and families, of the shared responsibility to care for those who care for our children.
Supporting educators is not a luxury or an afterthought—it’s a necessity. By taking steps now to prevent burnout, we can foster healthier, more resilient schools where both educators and students can thrive. Let’s commit to keeping educator burnout top of mind today, ensuring that as the year unfolds, we protect the well-being of the teachers shaping the future.