3 Human Skills-Based Strategies to Manage Teacher Burnout

Burnout looks different for every educator who experiences it. For some, burnout happens slowly, over the course of many school years. For others, it can seem to happen overnight. It can show up in a variety of ways, including:

• Emotional exhaustion—feeling overextended and drained
• A reduced sense of accomplishment or competence
• Depersonalization—negative, unfeeling responses to the job

A 2023 study shows that K–12 teachers report worse well-being than the general population of working adults, which plays a role in teacher turnover. However, research also suggests that burnout can be managed through intentional strategies. Burnout can feel inescapable for teachers going through it, but it doesn’t have to be.

Before diving into strategies to manage burnout, it’s important to remember that teacher burnout is influenced by a number of complex social and material factors and that individually focused solutions can only go so far. That said, human skills-based strategies are a practical approach that every educator can take to help prevent and manage feelings of burnout.

Educators need both personal coping skills and systemic support systems to prevent burnout. Here are a few strategies to cultivate both.

1. Connect and communicate

Educators typically form strong bonds with each other very quickly. However, when it comes to teacher burnout, isolation can be both a cause and an effect. When educators feel alone or unsupported, feelings of burnout may be right around the corner. And when they’re feeling burned out, they may be more likely to self-isolate, which only makes the problem worse.

Education leaders can create opportunities for colleagues to intentionally communicate and positively connect—not just vent in the teachers’ lounge. Here are a few simple ways to connect:

• Create systems—such as teacher teams, discussion sessions, and low-pressure one-on-ones—to support positive conversations.
• Organize friendly get-togethers outside of school, grab coffee, or share meals with other teachers regularly.
• Create open lines of communication for teachers to share thoughts and feelings with leaders.

Connections and conversations like these are the foundation for strong, supportive teaching communities, which are vital to beating burnout.

2. Protect teachers’ time and support growth

Burnout is often characterized by feelings of both exhaustion and inefficacy. In other words, burned-out teachers may feel exhausted from working hard, but they don’t see the fruits of that hard work. Further, burnout can also cause feelings of indifference and listlessness, making teachers feel like they have no room to progress in their careers.

To prevent these dissonant feelings, school leaders can make intentional efforts to protect teachers’ time from unnecessary obligations and ineffectual tasks. Much of the work teachers do—from lesson planning to grading and classroom organizing—is crucial, but there’s a fine line between productivity and busy work. It’s up to school leaders to recognize the difference.

For school leaders, here are a few ways to protect teachers’ time and support their growth:

• Limit busy work and excessive meetings.
• Give ample time for planning, grading, and taking breaks during the day.
• Provide high-quality professional development opportunities.*

*Elevating Second Step® Programs: Virtual Workshops offer leaders and educators the opportunity to master human skills instruction and implementation in their classrooms and communities—all in intensive, efficient 90-minute sessions. Opportunities like these give teachers the chance to enhance their professional practice and connect with like-minded educators, both of which can support their well-being and minimize burnout.

3. Strengthen human skills like emotion regulation

From joy to frustration, from pride to guilt—teachers cycle through dozens of emotions every day, if not every hour. This can lead to emotional exhaustion, another defining quality of teacher burnout. In the same way that kids need emotion regulation skills to thrive, educators need to be able to manage the complex emotions they experience on the job. But this is just one of many human skills that teachers need to support their well-being. Others include resilience, perspective-taking, and growth mindset.

How can teachers strengthen human skills like emotion regulation, resilience, and more?

• Practice: Teachers can consciously build skills with practice scenarios, discussion prompts, and independent reflection.
• Coaching: Leaders can support teachers with direct, individualized coaching.
• Experience: Skills like emotion regulation grow with experience. With healthy support systems in place and other skill-building strategies, teachers can naturally build the coping skills they need to support their long-term well-being and prevent burnout.

Beating burnout begins today

Burnout is one of the biggest challenges educators face today. But, like every great educator understands, a challenge is often an opportunity in disguise. In this case, the need to prevent burnout presents an opportunity for educators to commit to creating healthier, more supportive school communities where teachers can truly thrive in the work they love.

To learn more about how Second Step programs can help create school communities where both educators and students can thrive, connect with our Education Partnerships Team.