TEACHER BURNOUT IDENTIFYING THE STAGES OF TEACHER BURNOUT COULD HELP YOU AVOID GETTING BURNED OUT BY: D R . C A N D I S C A R R AWAY A S S I S T A N T P R O F E S S O R , S T E P H E N F. A U S T I N S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y
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eacher burnout is real, and it is common in the ag education profession. Knowing what causes it and the different stages can help prevent you from falling victim. It is time we discuss this issue instead of ignoring it. None of us are immune to this problem, and most of us have probably already faced it whether we knew it at the time or not. After seeing the impact teacher burnout had on some of my close friends and mentors, I decided this was a topic I needed to research. The first book I read really spoke to me and reaffirmed what a big problem it is. Since that time, I have read tons of books and research articles about teacher burnout, burnout in general (teachers are not the only ones who face burnout), and stress. However, I still refer back to that first book I read when discussing the topic. The book was called “Joy in Teaching; Build Resilience, Fight Burnout, Reclaim the Joy” and was written by Dr. Tiffany A. Carr. To me, the most valuable part of the book is how it describes the stages of burnout and explains how people can move up and down the scale. The author stated the scale isn’t a cycle so you don’t have to go through every stage. If a person can identify they are approaching the burnout stage (stage 4) they can take actions to fully prevent escalation. This makes a lot of sense and I think ag teachers can relate to it, so I would like to share it with you. Dr. Carr describes the following stages of burnout: STAGE 1 PASSIONATE – In this stage you have a lot of energy. You are excited to implement new strategies in your classroom, volunteer for leadership roles or committees, and get started with practices
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