School administration is a calling that is not for the faint of heart. Often, I am asked to describe what school administration is like, and my response to that question is: “You have to be all things to all people at all times.” Truly, school administrators are looked upon to have all the answers, handle all the situations, and to reference a popular cultural phrase in 2023, “Do all the things.”
Recently, there seems to be a laser focus on education, particularly the challenges with staffing in both the classroom and administration, and research has pointed to burnout as a significant cause of a growing teacher and administrator shortage. As an administrator, there are several ways to avoid burnout, navigate burnout, and thrive despite feelings of burnout.
What Does Burnout Look Like for Administrators?
First, to know what administrative burnout is, one must first understand the idea of burnout. Although not a medical condition, the APA Dictionary of Psychology defines burnout as “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes towards oneself and others
You don’t have to look too far in today’s educational climate to see scores of teachers and administrators leaving the profession, all attributed to “burnout.”
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly exacerbated these feelings, with administrators particularly feeling the pressure and stress of operating schools safely, creating and implementing reopening plans, facilitating hybrid instructional practices, and spending countless hours contact tracing and other challenges.
For administrators, burnout can take on several different forms and present itself in various ways. First, burnout can present itself physically in the form of fatigue.
As administrators, we are expected to be on campus to supervise students, attend games and other functions, and be highly visible on campus. This fatigue caused by burnout can lead to mental and physical exhaustion, chronic absenteeism, tardiness, and failure to complete job-related tasks.
Additionally, burnout can lead to feelings of apathy or disinterest in the total school program. For administrators, this feeling is not because of a lack of “want to”; it is firmly rooted in the sheer weight of all the stress and fatigue that leads to a feeling of disengagement and questioning whether or not we are making a difference in anything.
Differences Between Administrator Burnout and Teacher Burnout
The concept of burnout is real, and it exists at both teacher and administrative levels. In the education profession, burnout can take on similar roles in both teachers and administrators.
For both, burnout symptoms can include fatigue and sleep issues, concentration issues, physical challenges including appetite and weight issues, depression, and anxiety. For teachers, these burnout challenges exist within their classes and their workload, often aided by the feeling of being perfect and living in a culture of working overtime and carrying work home.
Teachers are perfectionists, and the last three years in education have certainly not been perfect. All of the intangible and uncontrollable factors have led to more and more burnout in teachers and administrators alike.
Although similar, teacher burnout can affect the teacher’s individual classes and components they are a part of.
Administrator burnout can impact the total school program, from the culture and climate to the day-to-day operations. Ultimately, burnout is critically detrimental to a school at every level.
How to Thrive Despite Burnout
Unfortunately, the concept of burnout is here to stay. However, there are certainly ways to combat burnout. Although it is not a problem that is resolved overnight, there are ways to deal with burnout and slowly move away from feeling inadequate to feeling energized and rejuvenated in the work of education.
Make Time for Yourself a Priority
First, one way to combat burnout is to take time for yourself. Whether a teacher burnout or administrative burnout, finding a way to relax and compartmentalize the stress of the job is a great way to refocus.
For administrators specifically, there is not a lot of downtime, so to speak, so finding a hobby, craft, or making intentional time with family and friends outside of school is a great way to restore your physical and mental health. Along these lines is the art of self-care.
Make Your Health a Priority
The knock on education is that educators don’t take care of themselves. Oftentimes, educators are overweight, stressed, and generally in poor health. These factors only contribute to more burnout and can be rectified by taking care of yourself.
Whether it be eating healthier, exercising, or other methods, taking time for yourself and unplugging from school is critical. Next, finding ways to connect and accentuate the positives of the education profession is crucial in reducing burnout, and can be done by involving the whole school community.
For example, having staff events where positives are celebrated and upbeat connections are made and encouraged can lead to circumstances where people remember why they entered the education profession, thus connecting back to happier times in their lives and moving the focus from burnout to re-engagement.
Recognize You’re Struggling
Finally, understanding that you are burned out is critical. As administrators, we live in the moment and face issues as they present themselves. We put aside our own personal feelings and diminish thoughts that creep in regarding self-doubt and question our own abilities.
Facing those beliefs and addressing those ideas is crucial to addressing burnout. Recognizing and naming burnout allows for prescriptive steps to be taken, like those mentioned above, to reduce burnout and ultimately thrive.
The overall well-being of both teachers and administrators is an immediate concern as schools and students look to return to the days before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burnout attributes like stress, fatigue, and poor mental and physical wellness have a detrimental effect on the learning environment in which we work and can impact academic and non-academic outcomes.
Burnout is here to stay, however, that does not mean the attributes of burnout have to control our lives. Taking time for self-care, connecting positively with faculty and staff, and finding ways to decompress and unplug from the educational world are just a few ways to combat burnout and ultimately be the best administrator and teacher you can be.
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