From Burnout to Demoralized; and how to be Re-Moralized this School Year

Demoralize-

adjective

Having lost confidence or hope: disheartened

Re-moralize-

adjective

To gain back a feeling of hope or confidence when lost.

Why it’s important

Teachers are shifting away from describing themselves as 'burnt out' and adopting a new term that more accurately captures their experience: de-moralization. The term 'burn out' implies that the teacher simply couldn't handle the job, suggesting that with more self-care or mental health prioritization, they could have managed.

De-moralization, however, places the responsibility not on the teachers but on the systemic issues, culture, and current valuation of education. It highlights the lack of support, widespread disrespect, depreciation, and escalating unrealistic demands teachers face.

De-moralization exposes the absurdity and gaslighting behind the advice to take a bubble bath or find time for oneself to feel 'better.' This new perspective may offer a more accurate framing of the challenges within the teaching profession, paving the way for real solutions. The trendiness of the 'burn out' concept distracts from addressing these issues, leading to higher attrition rates and growing dissatisfaction with the profession.

What can we do?

I'm sure you're wondering, so what? What can we do about it?

We can start by changing the conversation through changing the language. When someone mentions teacher burnout, introduce them to the term "demoralization." I've been in the profession for 10 years, and it wasn't until this year that I learned about "demoralization" on Threads. Now, I'm writing about it and creating conversations around it. Language is powerful.

Next, we can learn from existing research and listen to what teachers are saying. We need to support each other. When a colleague speaks out about unreasonable expectations, inconsiderate scheduling, or huge class sizes, we should back them up. Whether it's with our voice, a clap, or a nod, we must not stay silent. These issues are directly linked to teacher attrition, and there's plenty of evidence to prove it. Speak up in meetings, at board sessions, write blogs, create reels—use the undeniable evidence to share the truths we've known for so long.

We can also look to teachers who have re-moralized themselves, found a renewed passion for their job, or figured out how to cope. You won't love your job all the time, right? Listening to their stories can be inspiring. For instance, the book "Demoralized" by Doris A. Santoro is filled with stories and concrete suggestions for re-moralizing teachers. Some of these suggestions include:

- Taking up a new assignment that ignites your passion
- Finding joy and laughing with students-> Check out a blog post I wrote about using humor in the classroom here. 

-Joining communities of others with similar experiences (social media, meetups, Facebook groups, etc.)
- Starting your own research and finding small ways to help solve the problem
- Refusing to administer state tests (I laughed at this one, but I get it)

Never in U.S. history have teachers had so much power. Let's not settle for temporary fixes that return us to "normal." Let's work to change the profession so future generations of teachers never have to feel the way we have. Let's use our voices, our votes, and our platforms to re-moralize teaching.