How School Administrators Can Reduce Teacher Burnout

School administrators hold tremendous influence over the daily experiences of the teachers in their buildings, and one of the most meaningful ways they can lead is by removing unnecessary burdens or barriers to success. Teachers already manage lesson planning, grading, communication with families, and the intricate work of fostering student growth. When additional responsibilities pile onto this already full plate, the quality of instruction suffers. Administrators can support their faculty by deliberately streamlining expectations and giving back time that teachers can reinvest in their students or themselves.

Streamline Communication

By now, we all know what it is like to get buried in seemingly urgent emails, only to find them unimportant much of the time. One practical step to decreasing teacher stress is reducing the volume of internal communication. Teachers often spend hours sifting through lengthy emails or attending back-to-back meetings that rehash information. Administrators can consolidate announcements into a single weekly update and designate monthly instead of weekly staff meetings. 

At one middle school I have worked with, the principal replaces scattered daily reminders that often go ignored with a clear, concise Friday bulletin. Teachers know exactly when to expect information, which reduces stress and prevents interruptions during the week. Furthermore, because the bulletin is so useful, it gets far more attention than a series of disjointed emails.

Reconsider Data Collection

Day in and day out, teachers collect a huge amount of information about student performance, which can become overwhelming quickly. To that end, another area ripe for adjustment in stress reduction is data tracking. Gradebooks aside, school leaders may require that teachers enter information into spreadsheets or respond to requests for data that gets little use; a classic example is student voice data, which is often collected without any clear next steps or actions. 

By centralizing data collection and ensuring only necessary information is documented, administrators can cut hours of redundant paperwork. For example, in one district I work with, the assistant principal implements an online dashboard where assessment scores automatically populate from existing programs. Instead of inputting results manually, teachers can focus on analyzing trends and adjusting instruction rather than putting a lot of information into many different places.

Protect Instructional Time

Time is the most precious commodity that exists for teachers, especially when it comes to ensuring that curriculum goals are met. Much of the time, administrators have the power to protect instructional minutes, which are often eaten up by last-minute assemblies or mandatory testing schedules. While some of these needs cannot be avoided, teachers lose valuable momentum when lessons are interrupted, adding to their workload as they attempt to catch up. 

A tangible practice that is usually within a school leader’s circle of control is to limit assemblies or similar schoolwide events as much as possible, and to schedule them well in advance. In some of the more functional and effective school spaces I’ve seen, the leadership team commits to locking in all non-instructional events before the semester begins. That way, teachers can then map their units with confidence, knowing that disruptions will be rare.

Provide Clerical Support

Sometimes, it’s the little things that wind up creating the most amount of stress. There are countless small tasks—making copies, organizing materials, or gathering supplies—that consume teacher time outside of instruction. To mitigate some of this demand, administrators can assign support staff or even trained student helpers to handle some of these duties. 

For example, many middle and high school students have a requirement for community service and need to fulfill a certain number of hours to matriculate. While there are some limitations to what students can do, they can attend to more time-consuming yet essential tasks, such as shelving books or unpacking boxes of materials. That way, everyone benefits from an experience that administrators coordinate.

Limit New Initiatives

Finally, administrators can improve job sustainability and limit burnout by limiting the introduction of new programs where possible. Teachers feel overwhelmed when they are asked to implement multiple initiatives without time to properly plan for change or have a voice in the process. Leadership can instead introduce one small, necessary tweak at a time (ideally, one that builds on existing practice) and provide follow-up support. For instance, a principal might place a schoolwide focus on a single literacy approach for the school year that easily blends into core content area instruction and provide regular coaching sessions at regular staff meetings. With this approach, teachers see greater success with one supported strategy rather than many initiatives going into play all at once.

When school leaders take deliberate steps to defend teachers’ time, they communicate a crucial message: instructional excellence cannot exist without sustainability. By carefully removing demands and rethinking priorities, administrators give teachers room to thrive—both professionally and personally.

Written by Miriam Plotinsky, Education World Contributing Writer

Miriam Plotinsky is an instructional specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where she has taught and led for more than 20 years. She is the author of several education books (both out and forthcoming) with W.W. Norton, ASCD and Solution Tree. She is also a National Board-Certified Teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision. She can be reached at miriamplotinsky.com.

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