Many teachers experience burnout because of difficulties in the classroom. Students who continuously disrupt the class during instruction cause teachers a tremendous amount of stress. Teachers must constantly take time away from their lessons to discipline unruly children, which can become tedious and repetitive over time. The problem with student behavior is especially difficult in inner cities where, according to Martin Haberman in "Teacher Burnout in Black and White," 50 percent of teachers quit within five years.
Salary problems are also a source of teacher burnout. According to the 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook, teachers of elementary, middle and high school students earned $47,100 to $51,180 in 2008. The average salary for beginning teachers was $33,227 in 2005-2006. This amount is lower than the starting salary of many other occupations, such as engineering and medicine. Some teachers find that their salaries commensurate with the workload and stress they have to deal with.
Teachers also experience burnout as a result of problems with school administrators and building conditions. Haberman lists "lack of administrative support" as one of the primary complaints given by teachers experiencing burnout. Lack of administrator support includes failure to properly address problem students, failure to provide requested supplies, lack of feedback on job performance and many other issues. Problems with the school building itself, including HVAC problems, building leaks, and equipment malfunctions, also contribute to teacher burnout.
Some teachers say that burdensome government regulations, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, contribute to burnout. They find meeting the requirements of these laws difficult. Disputes with union officials are another factor in teacher burnout. And demographic characteristics, such as youth (Younger teachers experience higher rates of burnout.), education (Less-educated teachers experience higher rates of burnout.) and even religious observance (Nonreligious teachers experience higher rates of burnout.).