Teacher Burnout

**Lesson Summary: Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout**

This lesson examines the causes, effects, and potential solutions for teacher burnout. Learners will explore the factors contributing to burnout, including excessive workload, lack of support, emotional exhaustion, and policy pressures. Learners will analyze the consequences of burnout on educators, students, and the broader education system, highlighting issues such as decreased job performance, higher teacher turnover, and negative impacts on student learning.

By reviewing and analyzing lesson readings, learners will identify key themes and research-based insights on burnout prevention. Through brainstorming sessions, learners will propose policies and strategies to support teacher well-being, such as workload management, mental health resources, professional development, and administrative support. By the end of the lesson, students will develop actionable recommendations for reducing burnout and fostering a healthier, more sustainable teaching environment with final considerations of scapegoating as a rationale for teacher burnout.

A task card accompanies each learning activity, providing clear directions, objectives, and guiding questions to help learners engage meaningfully with the task. Each task card typically includes the following:

  • Activity Instructions: A step-by-step guide on how to complete the task.

  • Learning Objectives: A brief statement of the goals students should achieve.

  • Key Questions: Thought-provoking prompts to encourage critical thinking and discussion.

  • Required Materials: A list of needed readings, tools, or resources.

  • Reflection/Extension: A follow-up task or discussion point to deepen understanding.

Using task cards gives learners a clear framework for participation, promoting independent learning, engagement, and structured collaboration.