Teacher burnout is one of the most pressing challenges facing education today. With overwhelming workloads exacerbated by staffing shortages, many educators are struggling to maintain their mental health and job satisfaction. According to RAND’s 2025 State of the American Teacher survey, 53% of K–12 teachers report burnout.1
What Is Burnout?
The driving factor in burnout is untreated and long-term or excessive stress. Work conditions that cause this stress can lead employees to experience severe mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. Some signs of burnout include:
- Feeling continually negative about work, coworkers or students
- Feelings of cynicism or anxiety
- Loss of enthusiasm
- Poor performance
- Lack of focus
- Low sense of accomplishment
- Absenteeism
- Physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues or frequent illnesses2
“Teachers who experience burnout may notice that the weekends are not long enough for them to recover and return back to work feeling like their batteries have been fully charged,” says Dr. Christine Crawford, an associate medical director with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “It is impacting the quality of work.”
Why Do Teachers Burn Out?
Schools across the country have become increasingly responsible for more than just the education of 49 million public school students.3 Mental health, social media problems, cyber issues and even financial stress result in many of the 3.2 million classroom teachers feeling overworked and undervalued.4 Several factors contribute to teacher burnout, including:
- Staffing shortages: Across the country, 86% of school districts report open positions, and 57% of schools in high-poverty areas are understaffed. Teachers are frequently asked to cover additional classes, manage extracurricular activities and handle administrative tasks, all while morale declines.5
- Financial strain: Adding to K-12 educator stress, teachers are funding their own classrooms as schools cut budgets, and they often work second jobs to meet basic daily living standards.
- Student behavior: The Pew Research Center reports that half of teachers surveyed rank classroom behavior to be fair or poor. Teachers also say students are facing personal and mental health issues that impact their ability to learn. Nearly 53% of teachers say poverty is a major problem at their school, and 48% report that their students are affected by anxiety and depression.6
How School Leaders Can Reduce Teacher Burnout
Ignoring the problem is not going to make it go away. Districts that listen to and engage with teachers, and then respond with action, have an opportunity to drive systemic change.
Respond With Action
Teachers say that when leadership agrees to address burnout and its causes, the problem gets better. Administrators can:
- Improve teacher retention strategies and staffing issues with creative solutions and active recruitment.
- Foster a collaborative relationship between teachers and the community to connect local groups and businesses.
- Provide meaningful and accessible professional support for skills development, especially for the newest or most concerning challenges, like emotional well-being or technology integration.
Make Teachers Feel Valued
Celebration and compensation play a major role in reducing stress and improving morale. Solutions include:
- Increasing base pay and reducing the time to reach career-level salaries.
- Recognizing staff successes with awards programs and sharing them with the community.
- Contacting local organizations, like parent-teacher organizations or government support services, to supplement funding cuts or teacher supply needs.
“In the U.S., teachers often struggle with low salaries, buying classroom supplies out of pocket and taking on second jobs,” says Alison Whitten, healthcare and education industry practice lead at The Hartford. “It puts additional stress on teachers who care for our schoolchildren all day long.”
Encourage Use of Employee Benefits
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) provide support for some of the very stressors that can lead teachers to experience burnout. EAPs typically offer:
- Confidential counseling
- Support for financial and personal issues impacting work
- Resources to reduce absenteeism and healthcare costs
- Digital apps and other resources to help with certain stress, anxiety or insomnia issues
- Wellness programs to address nutritional needs and exercise
“These benefits support employees during life challenges and can help reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues,” Whitten says. “In turn, school districts could see improved teacher engagement and less burnout.”
Promote Work-Life Balance
Teachers report less job flexibility during the school year than other working adults, with 46% of teachers unable to enjoy their private life compared to 13% of similar working adults.7 Employers can:
- Offer flexible schedules as well as paid personal leave to treat burnout.
- Consider team teaching, job sharing and technology to alleviate workload pressures.
- Provide resources for physical, mental and financial well-being.
Address Staffing Shortages
Recruitment and retention strategies are key to filling classrooms with talented staff. Districts should:
- Establish a talent pipeline with local colleges to encourage students to pursue education careers.
- Visibly support the need to offer competitive salaries and benefits.
- Create pathways for professional growth and retention.
The Future of Teaching
It’s clear teachers are struggling in a time when they feel immense pressure to be all things to all students. In fact, 52% say they would not advise a young person starting out today to become a teacher.8 Without a commitment to systemic changes, the profession may only grow more challenging.
Teacher burnout is a complex issue, but by investing in educators’ well-being, schools can improve morale, reduce turnover and ensure a healthier learning environment for students.
Where Insurance Plays a Role
Persistent employee burnout can lead to increased risk of injury and workers’ compensation claims. Employers should partner with insurance carriers that offer benefits to help improve the well-being of educators and change the culture around mental health at work.
“Employee benefits and other incentives, such as recognition programs and awards, are effective ways to show teachers and staff that their needs, both in and out of the classroom, are important,” says Whitten. “And that leads to better teaching and improved student success.”
For more than 200 years, The Hartford has partnered with schools, colleges and other educational institutions across the U.S. Learn more about how we support the education sector.
1 RAND’s State of the American Teacher Survey, “Teacher Well-Being, Pay and Intentions To Leave in 2025,” viewed December 2025.
2 Mental Health America, “Burnout: Signs, Causes and How To Recover,” viewed December 2025.
3,4 National Education Association, “Rankings of the States 2024 and Estimates of School Statistics,” viewed December 2025.
5 College Transitions, “Teacher Shortage Statistics That Should Worry All of Us in 2025,” viewed December 2025.
6,8 Pew Research Center, “What’s It Like To Be a Teacher in America Today?” viewed December 2025.
7 RAND, “To Make Teaching Sustainable, Help Teachers Balance Work and Personal Demands: Findings From the 2025 State of the American Teacher Survey,” viewed December 2025.
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