Why are so many new teachers burning out?

As the school year winds down, the anticipation of summer break is a welcome respite for many elementary and high school teachers. Some teachers take the summer to upgrade their education or teach summer school classes, while others spend the time preparing for the next crop of students they’ll teach in the fall.

However, a number of teachers won’t be returning to their classrooms come September, burning out after only a few years of teaching.

According to figures from the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, roughly 30 per cent of Canadian teachers leave their jobs in the first 5 years. Rob Tierney, a professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education in UBC’s Faculty of Education, talks about why teachers burnout and what schools can do to retain them.