Teachers 'exhausted' by tough demands of job

12 April 2012

Unrealistic goals and the high expectations of others make teachers stressed and exhausted, according to a report today.

A Kent University study claims teachers who feel more is demanded of them than they are capable of giving have higher stress levels, and were more at risk of stress-related illnesses and burnout.

But teachers who set high standards for themselves were more likely to feel mentally energetic and emotionally invested in their work.

The study, conducted in association with the Teacher Support Network, questioned 197 teachers twice over three months.

Teachers whose goal was to outperform their colleagues had higher levels of stress, the report concludes, while those who planned to advance their own professional development had higher levels of mental energy.

Teachers at the highest risk of stress and burnout were those who had been in their current job for a long time, felt that others demanded more of them than they were capable of giving and compared their performance with that of their colleagues.

Report author Julian Childs said: "Teachers who thought other people wanted them to be perfect had high burnout and low wellbeing whether they were highly stressed or not.

"Teachers need to discuss clear and achievable work goals with their managers.

"Managers then need to make sure teachers have the resources to achieve these goals and are able to talk about conflicting duties and how these can be prioritised.

"Teachers pass their goals on to students: a teacher focused on learning and developing their skills will foster the same goal in their students."

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