Teacher Burnout: Stress Management and Psychological Support (2015)
Undergraduate: Paige Reeves
Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience
Attrition and burnout rates among teachers tend to be highest within the first few years of teaching. Teachers are faced with emotional distress, overall stress, exhaustion, and more. This project articulates why adequate teacher support is necessary. A current policy in NC public schools in place is called the ¿¿¿the beginning teacher support program.¿¿¿ There are several strong components of the policy already implemented. However, teacher burnout continues to be an issue. This project suggests a new policy advocacy plan that would focus more on the psychological factors that detract from teacher productivity and lead to teacher burnout. This project observes the psychological effects of teaching on individuals and suggests how this new policy advocacy plan could compensate for these effects. This new support system would be a social worker designated for the support of beginning teachers. Adequate teacher support has suggested a decrease in psychological factors that have been detrimental to teacher productivity.