You're a teacher. You may feel all alone and that you have no support and no one to talk to. You're expected to do everything on your own. It's overwhelming: hours of homework to grade, no time for dinner, snapping at your spouse, and continuously increasing or changing role responsibilities--not to mention the low pay. Does this sound like your life?

It's no surprise that teaching, like other service-oriented jobs such as healthcare and law enforcement, has one of the largest turnover rates in all professional careers. According to the Mayo Clinic website, burnout is defined as "a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term exposure to demanding work situations." Burnout seems to have attached itself to the education field with a determined grip that some teachers cannot escape.

Holding tight, teachers try to outride the storms of burnout which result from unclear or unrealistic job expectations. Many don't persevere. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future has calculated that nearly a third of all new teachers leave the profession after just three years, and that after five years, almost half are gone.

This staggering statistic is the result of many factors. Burnout is a complex situation composed of so many factors that it is difficult to solve. In fact, health studies suggest that burnout cannot be solved; rather, it can only managed on a day-to-day basis.

What causes teacher burnout?

--Unclear or unrealistic job expectations
--Unaligned life priorities
--Student discipline issues
--School leadership conflicts or degradation
--Lack of focus or control
--Lack of variety or challenge in job activities
--Low self-esteem or perfectionism

In fact, in a New York Times blog, an American teacher cites a German study that suggests parents also play a large role in teacher burnout. The blog quotes "Notably, the highest pressure to be perfect didn't come from students or colleagues but from parents."

Teachers often cite the reason for entering the educational profession is because of a calling or mission. To make a difference, to change the world are the reasons why teachers become who they are. For teaching to be rewarding, it must be meaningful through personal relationships, the learning process, and the attraction of curriculum content.

However, the "real" world can come crashing in a hurry. According to Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout, burnout is comprised of three correlating factors of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished accomplishment. No doubt a large portion of influence also comes from school characteristics, personal qualities of the teacher and students, tasks, social support, and the societal environment, as the above book suggests.

Are you experiencing burnout? Here are a few symptoms from a Mayo Clinic article to watch out for, or, if you already have experienced them, to deal with immediately before your quality of life is affected.

--Excessive stress
--Fatigue
--Insomnia
--Anxiety
--Unhealthy weight changes
--Depression
--Alcohol or substance abuse
--Negative impacts on personal life or relationships

Do you have teacher burnout or know a colleague who is experiencing it? Read tomorrow's blog which will contain tips on how to prevent and control burnout!