Let's Burnout the Teacher
March 21st 2010 18:08
Overworked and exhausted Photo: Jessica M. Cross
Burn out for an educator does not happen over night. There is much talk lately about Elizabeth Green’s recent article in New York Time Magazine, “Building a Better Teacher”. article Teaching is so under appreciated. People who love to teach are committed to education and children. The media constantly bombards the public with negative teaching experiences about bad teachers. Usually these highlighted educators are horrible examples and typical lame-asses that think education is an easy paycheck. “Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers”, article was another article in Newsweek a few weeks ago. This was another bad feeling article about why teachers are not making the cut.
The real question should be how do we keep dedicated awesome teachers. No one asks the latter. Weird hugh? It's always the negative teaching experience in the media. The woman that sent nude text messages to her 15-year-old student, gross. Sometimes the reports are about the sports coach that has had relationships with several young girls on a high school campus. Every time I hear one of these stories I want to bury my head. For the thousands and thousands of dedicated and hard working teachers that do not make it to the news for positive work or even get an occasional pat on the back, I lower my head in shame. Burnout does not happen overnight. Teachers do not teach for kudos. My experience is that they teach for the passion of education. A friend recently got a bonus at work. Teachers don’t get bonuses at work when something very cool happens or students do amazing work. Nor do teachers fight for this kind of recognition. What we do get is insanity that leads to burnout.
The burnout situations often involves situations that you can not control. One time I had a student that was psychotic and very dangerous placed in my classroom. The administrator brought in the student and introduced him. I welcomed and settled the student into the class. I got a strange feeling that something was not right. It was a special needs class so I went to ask some questions. I went to talk to the higher ups or “Muckie Mucks” and at that time I was told the truth about the student, he was psychotic. A person that is psychotic without treatment or medication should not be set up for failure nor put in a possible situation to endanger themselves or others.The next sentence is what I have been told throughout my years as an educator. “There is nothing we can do right now”. Really? I have had many situations like the one mentioned above in special and the general education settings. Teachers get dumped on. I was put in a situation to take care of a student whose needs were outside of the educational setting as well as, watch out for the safety of other students. This could stress you out! After several of these situations good teachers start thinking about changing schools, getting an administrative credential or moving professions.
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