Many teachers suffering from low morale contemplate moving to a new career. While teachers care about salaries, researchers have found that they tend to be more motivated by intrinsic rewards such as self-respect, responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment. An international review of 67 studies on teacher stress found that teachers here and abroad feel especially burdened by time constraints, excessive workloads, insufficient classroom resources, and administrative bureaucracy. Younger and less-experienced teachers tend to feel more alienated and powerless. On average, female teachers tend to feel more satisfied with their jobs than male teachers do, and elementary teachers report less stress than secondary teachers.
Sidebars discuss the principal as coach and contain selected references.
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