"Given the culture and psychology of self-sacrifice in progressive organizations, it's no wonder that turnover is so high, that so many talented younger organizers don't stay, and that those who do get burned out. They get burned out because they adapt to the perceived expectation that they give up their lives, their families, and their health for the chance to do mission-driven work. It's also no wonder that so many of them have such unhealthy lifestyles and that their gatherings are so often lubricated by alcohol.

Finally, there is an unspoken and destructive prohibition against talking seriously about the problem of burnout. To those caught in its terrible web, it would be like questioning the weather, or asking themselves why they need a paycheck, or why they should wear clothes to work. When burnout becomes embedded in a culture and reflected in a lifestyle fueled by the psychic predispositions of those living it, an honest discussion of its causes & effects becomes impossible."

"Is high turnover indeed correlated to lower achievement in these schools? If not — if some schools are burning through teachers but excelling academically nonetheless — how does this affect our view of the teaching profession? Are teachers disposable employees? That would be the cheaper route, but a depressingly disrespectful one that over time would practically guarantee that bright young college students would steer clear of the education field, especially when it involves teaching the students who most need help.<br />
<br />
It's unlikely that we can build large-scale school reform on a platform of continual new demands on teachers — more time, more energy, more dedication, more accountability — even if schools find ways to pay them better. This, not the relatively small number of truly bad teachers, is the bigger teaching challenge facing schools. We need a more useful answer to the Berkeley study than, "Yeah, it really is hard work.""

"I was angry, because I wanted to know how this teacher could possibly have thought that this was an OK way to teach. Who could possibly think that kids could learn that way?<br />
<br />
And I thought of a point I've made in dozens of presentations - "Put a good person in a bad system & the system wins too often." What created a system where an adult thought that sitting in front of students & lecturing in a monotone voice about any topic could possibly inspire a child to learn? To care?<br />
<br />
How was this teacher educated? Did a teacher ever inspire her? What has this teacher's experience in the classroom been? Was there a time where she cared & had that care disrespected? <br />
<br />
Was there a principal who said, "Just follow the curriculum?" Was there someone to mentor her who was able to offer profound advice, not merely survival tips? <br />
<br />
Was/is there space for her to continue to be a learner? <br />
<br />
Was there a specific moment when she just got tired? When she gave up? When it became "just a job?"…"

"I am reminded that all of our wranglings in education need not lose site of our learning communities, & the humans behind them. We need to come back consistently to young people. Do you remember beyond the banter of struggle what the noise of young people learning sounds like, looks like…? Do you remember the feeling you had; the heartache of happiness, body & mind full of  hope…hope?Do not loose these feelings, even in your radical reform work to help, political struggles & battles…But do not rest in your classrooms, learning centers & other space of education either.

Keep coming back to the learner: not the standard, model, curriculum…Weave your dream w/ learners as a learner & never forget they are there, watching, waiting, worried & hopeful. Listen to young people & they will do more than follow your lead, idea, design…they will lead, ideate, & design. Your dream will be successful, inspirational & world altering precisely because you kept coming back…to what matters…"

Too much to quote, both in the post and in the comments. Update: Already bookmarked this back in February with a different URL, but leaving this here because it's so good.

[Obviously not a perfect translation from Google] "One in five newly graduated teachers to change the field a few years after graduation. The main causes of the exchange are poor pay, job demands and job burnout. Restless children and parents need more and more distressed.<br />
Teachers' identity work of the examiner Cathy Stenberg, teachers do not know enough about him. S identity should be better taken into account in teacher education.<br />
Thus avoiding the burnout that some teachers face in a few weeks. Tiredness also prevents the teacher's role clarification.<br />
The school is social media, multiculturalism and children's leisure activities contribute to a windy spot. Stenberg believes that the school's role should be defined as new.<br />
He winds would also teaching principles. The 1990s, teaching methods are already outdated."

"Feynman on curiosity-driven learning (or how to recover from burnout)" http://twitter.com/zephoria/status/44450982616248320

"In reading those documents, you can see the valiant struggle to create something meaningful and powerful and democratic for students in the school. Kids and teachers made decisions together... classes were purely democratically chosen... students powerfully owned their learning. But I also read some of the same problems that we've seen in varying degrees at SLA. Student motivation to make those decisions or find learning on their own waxed and waned.... figuring out what to do when given ownership and freedom was hard... and maintaining the spirit of the revolution, so to speak, could be exhausting."

"This chapter focuses on the intellectual stultification of learners, the first of three fundamental problems that limit the quality of thinking and efficacy of the educational experience. Students in increasingly lower grades and educators at increasingly earlier points in their careers lose their joy for their work. They become jaded by the limitations on their imaginations, frustrated by the questions they are not allowed to pursue, and depressed by the more experienced peers around them who seem uninterested in their ideas. Somewhere along the way, we—educators, parents, and students alike—decided that schooling was supposed to feel this way, that the drudgery of school was necessary in order for learning to happen. We are all culpable for perpetuating this reality."

"de-motivation derived from constant feeling I have that continuing to receive formal education is neither relevant to nor financially viable for me. Not given chance to get over burnout from my last stretch of k-12 schooling, I am beginning to feel that this isn't worth it if I am always confused, stressed & tired. Yet at the same time I LOVE learning & a college (or library) has ready-made learning opportunities that aren't taken by force…I feel caught in a daze…student body is not academically oriented…there is mostly an attitude of apathy. Many people will be transferring & a few have already dropped out…There is this air of cynicism & self destruction that worsens my burnout to point of sorrow.<br />
<br />
One saving grace…Green Mountain's “Progressive Program”…less required classes…program is a work intensive self designed program. I would be a traditional art major in the program, but I will be linking many cross disciplinary classes into it. I can shape my own curriculum"

"smaller cities offer more opportunities for unstructured play…to hone general coordination, power, & athletic skills. These longer hours of play also allow kids to experience successes (& failures) in different settings…likely toughens their attitudes in general…important advantage of small towns…actually less competitive…allowing kids to sample & explore many different sports. (I grew up in big city,…sports career basically ended at 13. I could no longer compete w/ other kids my age.) While conventional wisdom assumes it’s best to focus on single sport ASAP, & compete in most rigorous arena…probably a mistake, both for psychological & physical reasons…While deliberate practice remains absolutely crucial, it’s important to remember that most important skills we develop at early age are not domain specific…real importance of early childhood has to do w/ development of general cognitive & non-cognitive traits, such as self-control, patience, grit, & willingness to practice"

"Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am — a reluctant enthusiast… a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves & your lives for pleasure & adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there & hunt & fish & mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains, bag the peaks. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in & head & your head firmly attached to the body, the body active & alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe-deposit box & their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: You will outlive the bastards."

"A generative sabbatical — that year off work to travel, explore, draw, write a book, or otherwise indulge in creative pursuits — is perhaps the most idealized...A recuperative sabbatical is the most needed & the most practical. It is often unplanned and occurs only after the “sabbatee” reaches a breaking point — brought on by a chaotic workplace atmosphere of on-demand innovation, parallel work streams‚ and always-on digital lifestyles...I refer to this kind of recuperative time off as the “go away and try to remember whether you still like yourself” escape. It would be nice if we didn’t need this type of sabbatical, if our society and corporate culture were different, and we managed our time and relationships better. In reality, we not only need but also deserve them."

"Teach for America, a corps of recent college graduates who sign up to teach in some of the nation’s most troubled schools, has become a campus phenomenon, drawing huge numbers of applicants willing to commit two years of their lives. But a new study has found that their dedication to improving society at large does not necessarily extend beyond their Teach for America service.

"The startup world is full of people addicted to work. The addiction often carries a heavy toll of lost friendships, broken relationships, bad health, and a dearth of other interests. All that matters is the next high from work. The next deal, the next milestone, the next round of funding.

"fact that Jefferson is great at everything is source of pride but also concern...fear that school is becoming success factory—place where overachievers are too busy racking up trophies & credentials to test themselves in lab or classroom...How much success is too much?...kids...note that to get in...do well on a standardized test...smart...but more important...good test takers...obsessed with grades & work angles...“professional students...game anything...get A’s.”...AP curriculum is standardized & limited..."just regurgitating information."...faculty would gladly ban APs...fighting culture of achievement that has enveloped country...best learning...comes from exploration & experimentation. Rewards not always tangible & failure often best teacher...lots of kids today approach education as...video game. At each level...work to master tricks & collect points...ultimate goal may be getting into good college...kids approach school this way because they’re programmed to chase success"

“son is freshman in college...dear friend’s nephew is a freshman in college as well. That’s about where the similarity ends...My son is thriving...never received any grades in middle or high school...didn’t take the SAT...encouraged & mentored to discover his interests & build on his strengths...developed intrinsic motivation & commitment to personal integrity...nephew is floundering. She thinks he may be depressed...wondering why he’s even in school? When asked what he cares about or wants to pursue, he comes up blank...unaccustomed to those kinds of questions; he’s been too busy following script to get into college...Paradoxically...thrived in high school...4.0 GPA, AP classes, high test scores & choice of at least a few selective colleges...family supported him in doing everything they believed would get him into a “good” school...thought that was key to his future success. As parents, we’re always focused on doing what’s best for our kids. But what if what we think is best, isn’t?”

"Never mind the bollocks. You are not writing for Amazon, or to fit a staff proofreader’s vacation schedule, as important and real as those considerations may be. You are writing for readers, a duty as sacred, in its way, as parenting. If you don’t believe the previous sentence, if you think writing is mainly about getting paid, I’m sorry you wasted your time reading this page, and I hope you find another way to earn a living soon. The world is already choking on half-considered, squeezed-out shit. There’s no need to add to the pile.

"Yes, they're paid $10,000 a year more than union teachers at NYC public schools, but the two Saturdays a month of extra work, the longer weekday hours, and the expectation that they take phone calls from students at home is still burning out many NYC KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) charter school teachers. Besides these extra demands, they say they also want more voice and "a fair evaluation and discipline system." Hm. Overworked and unprotected from unfair dismissals. Sounds like a job for the unions - so it's no wonder teachers at two top NYC KIPP schools want to join the United Federation of Teachers."

"The idea that schools are only about the kids is a problem because, as much as I am a proponent of student-centered learning, we have to do a better job of taking care of the adults because we are losing too many of our best young teachers. And we’re not losing them because they don’t like the job, we’re losing them because we aren’t creating pathways for them to feel good about their job without it coming at incredibly high cost." - Chri Lehmann

"I want to celebrate every teacher who has made this job a calling...But my concern is that this nation thinks that building an entire system around martyrdom is the way to go - if you aren't spending 80 hrs/week & 1000s of your own $, you can't be an effective Title I school teacher. (it's not THAT much better in wealthier districts.) We cannot build a national system on idea that KIPP & TFA and 60-70 hour work week is acceptable. It's not...Every time we see a teacher celebrated for their Herculean efforts, let's all be sure to ask the following questions: * What can be done to support and sustain you? * How can we change the system that more people can be as successful as you? * How can we create schools where it does not require Herculean efforts to be a successful teacher?"

"Studies show older people are generally more adept with computers than younger....Education and work can be restructured to teach and propagate the skills of concentration and focus. People can be taught to turn off, to ignore the beep and the ping."

"In the cases where people reported managing their time, they more often reported experiencing burn-out, they didn't know how much longer they could go on at their particular job or lifestyle. There was often a sense of helplessness and overwhelm."

"the more insidious, prolonged strain of dissatisfaction which stays with a blogger, right below the surface, throughout a blog’s lifetime. the diligent and self aware blogger can resist this destructive undercurrent, make changes, adapt, rationalize, b

"combination of e–mail overload & interruptions is widely recognized as major disrupter of knowledge worker productivity & quality of life, yet few organizations take serious action against it....action should be a high priority, by analyzing the severe

"taking time out of classroom to travel, reflect, participate in community service jobs ...work to pay for college...beef up résumés ...gain admittance to elite schools that rejected them...decompress from the unrelenting pace and structure of their liv

"We have to look to the tool makers to build in safeguards that promote human scale, that keep controls in our hands, that provide greater and greater nuance in online relationships. Otherwise, burnout, backlash, and bail-out is inevitable."

"In the grand tradition of lists and books of hacks, writing hacks are clever little actions that give you leverage and put the dynamics in your favor. Here in part 1 it’s all about how to start."

"We used to know how to get together and really let our hair down. Then, in the early 1600s, a mass epidemic of depression broke out - and we've been living with it ever since. Something went wrong, but what?"

"In a culture where work can be a religion, burnout is its crisis of faith."

"Experts say young people are more likely to experience burnout than older persons, and a single person is more likely to feel it than a person who takes care of four kids and ailing parents. But what is burnout? Guests discuss the three kinds of burnout