When googling the term: ‘teacher burnout,’ a number of results appear.

The majority of these bolster the importance of self-care.

But…Teacher burnout is a flaw in the system, so why is self-care the first response to this far larger problem?

Burnout, otherwise known as the modern day epidemic in the teaching profession, is characterized as emotional, psychological and physical exhaustion.

Statistics from the 2017 Educator Quality of Life Survey show that 61% of teachers find their jobs often or always stressful. Furthermore, 58% of these teachers mentioned poor mental health, as a result of the stress.

Teachers want to give their students the best opportunities available to learn, grow and flourish within their working environments.

But what happens when said teachers face a clear and unsurmountable obstacle?

Teacher, Dan Lintell, interviewed by The Guardian spoke of a ‘toxic routine.’ Lintell noted his experiences with planning lessons. He would plan until 1am in the morning, sleep, wake up in a panic soon after and then leave for work. This routine, he said, continued for months, resulting in re-occurring panic attacks and heart problems.

“2 hours per lesson. 25 hours of lessons a week.”

This is 50 hours of work, not counting the marking and other administrative tasks.

Just under 40,000 teachers quit the profession in 2016. This represents about 9% of the workforce, according to government figures. 

So, what is the solution? Other than a face mask and a long weekend?

The implementation of digital tools that teach.

As is evident, the traditional method of teacher-led learning offers little in the way of allowing teachers the time they need.

However, teachers in digitally led classrooms say that, using technology, say they are able to direct their own development and can facilitate constructive partnerships between themselves and their students.

This is done through the enabling of students to take on more active roles in the co-creation of and collaboration in lessons. This allows students to take on greater ownership over their own learning in the classroom. Teachers, in turn, have a reduced workload.

Similarly, a Speak Up survey shows that tech used the classroom had the ability to develop skills that would enhance a student’s college and career readiness.

This is as, in ‘blended learning,’ i.e. when traditional learning methods are combined with digital tools, traits like critical thinking, resource management, interpersonal communication and decision-making are enhanced.

The final result?

Teachers make their time back without compromising learning and if anything, enrich their student’s classroom experience in the process.

The effort may seem minimal but the effect is nothing short of meaningful.

Burnout is an epidemic and implementing digital tools may just be the solution, saving the careers of teachers and their students.

Why teach harder, when you can teacher smarter?

Kebloom is a platform for entrepreneurial young people, walking them through the process of brainstorming an idea, iterating it and then finally, launching it into the real world as a business. Whether it is a not-profit, social impact initiative, product and/or service, young people can bring their business ideas to fruition with the help of Kebloom and its step-by-step design.

About the Author:

Ellie McRae is the blogger, interviewer and content creator for Kebloom! When she’s not writing kick-ass articles, you’ll find her studying marketing and drinking copious amounts of coffee. Find out more about Ellie here.