The majority of educators (71 percent) are worried about teacher burnout during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a national survey conducted by Lexia Learning, a Cambium Learning Group company.

That concern is warranted; in a January 2022 National Education Association (NEA) survey, 90 percent of NEA members reported that feeling burned out was a serious problem.

The high probability of teacher burnout comes at a time when educators believe students will require more individualized instruction to achieve at- or above-grade-level performance.

About 75 percent of educators think that more one-on-one student-teacher time would help their students in the 2022-2023 school year. More than half of educators (56 percent) feel their students would need increased access to classroom specialists (e.g., special education teachers, subject-matter specialists, school psychologists).

But while they anticipate that their students will need extra academic support, many educators worry whether schools will have the resources for even routine operations such as cafeteria operations, custodial services, transportation activities and the like. Survey findings revealed 52 percent of educators were concerned about teacher shortages and even more (66 percent) were concerned about non-teacher staff shortages (e.g., bus drivers, custodians, teachers’ aids, substitute teachers).

“The prevailing circumstances of staff shortages, combined with students’ need for support, makes teacher burnout a very real prospect,” said Lexia Learning President Nick Gaehde. “Educators will need an array of support as they strive to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.”