‘Think of the teachers!’ How secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout are increasingly impacting teachers
By Glenys Oberg, School of Education, University of Queensland, Australia Glenys Oberg Glenys Oberg is a PhD student and research assistant at the School of Education of the University of Queensland. A former teacher, she focuses in her research on trauma-informed pedagogy and practice. Recently, Oberg and her colleagues Annemaree Carroll and Stephanie Macmahon published a review article in Frontiers in Education, which investigated the impact on teachers of working with students who experienced trauma – an increasing problem in an age where Covid-19 and ‘climate anxiety’ threaten the mental health and wellbeing of children. In the review, Oberg et al. showed how this challenge increasingly leads to burnout in teachers, often prompting them to abandon a profession they love. As a former teacher, I can attest to the challenges that come with being an educator. The long hours, heavy workload, and responsibility of shaping young minds can take a toll on your mental and physical health. While teaching is undoubtedly a rewarding profession, it’s also a profession that requires resilience and self-care. Unfortunately, teacher burnout is becoming increasingly common globally and is a concern that needs to be addressed. Burnout is a psychological condition that can occur when chronic […]