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The drama of the burned teachers

10/20/2025

Published in

Diario de Navarra

Gerardo Castillo Ceballo |

School of Education and Psychology

According to the report According to the OECD's Talis 2024, 20% of Spanish teachers teaching Secondary school teachers plan to leave the profession due to work-related stress. This primarily affects teachers over 45 years of age. These teachers have an excess of new responsibilities and work overload. work They lack the time to carry out the increase in tasks that successive educational reforms assign to them, without being accompanied by the training corresponding professional. As a result, they suffer physical, mental and emotional exhaustion caused by chronic stress, linked to a lack of motivation for the teaching .

That status so overwhelming that it was initially called surmenage . Later it became known as burnout : the syndrome of the “burned-out” worker.

In the process of development In the syndrome, the teacher initially becomes confused and frustrated when his or her expectations are not met. He or she then tends to blame himself or herself, believing that the problem is him or her. An overburdened teacher work who has to teach unmotivated and undisciplined teenagers is in constant tension. JM Esteve, in “The Discomfort professor ", says that what most disturbs this teacher is being forced to do his job badly. work .

How does teacher burnout occur? It's due to the confluence of five possible causes:

  • Causes related to student behavior: indiscipline, lack of respect for the teacher, and inattention in class.
  • Causes of subject social: little social recognition of the figure and the work of the teacher.
  • Difficulty adapting to new technologies.
  • Private teachers of authority, who no longer have the support of their families.
  • High ratios in classrooms: the reduction of public educational units has increased the issue of students per class , making personalized attention difficult.

Mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion profoundly affects teachers, manifesting in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue. This deterioration not only harms their health staff , but also compromises their ability to teach effectively. Measures to protect teachers are urgently needed. Some suggestions:

  • Reduction of ratios: fewer students per classroom to improve educational care.
  • Reducing bureaucracy: simplifying teachers' administrative tasks to prioritize teaching work.
  • Strengthening staff: hiring more teachers to balance the workload.
  • Emotional support: establish specific psychological care programs to prevent burnout.
  • Social and economic recognition: adequately assess the importance of faculty in society.

Well-being professor is essential to ensure a Education Quality. Therefore, taking care of our teachers is everyone's responsibility, but especially families'. Children often improve significantly in their academic performance and behavior when there is partnership and support from their parents with the teachers. This attitude, in turn, is a source motivation for teachers.