Job Burnout Among School Teachers (Paperback)

According to research, stress, which in turn leads to burnout, is a cause of teacher attrition. Every year, U.S. schools hire more than 200,000 new teachers for that first day of class; by the end of the school year, at least 22,000 have quit. As more teachers retire it is believed that they will be replaced by more inexperienced first-year teachers who, in turn, are not equipped to handle the stress that comes along with teaching.

In special education, the main reasons for attrition are job conditions, occupational stress, and increased caseload. Both general education and special education teachers frequently start their careers at hard-to-staff schools where their resources may be scarce and where they are working with the neediest and often the most challenging students. Unfortunately, teachers are expected to assume a full schedule of classes, create their own lesson plans, and develop teaching techniques and classroom management strategies in relative isolation. "This is a recipe for early burnout". Educators must find a way to cope with this stress. Coping mechanisms used to inhibit burnout and enhance morale.