Teachers that work too hard are the ones that burn out

First of all I'd like to say that I'm partly agree and disagree with this phrase. As I've learned from the lectures and from my own teaching experience – burning out is not only caused by hardworking, but also by:

1. the lack of willing (motivation) to teach (some teachers chose this job unconsciously or accidentally). For instance, I nearly lost my motivation to teach because I could see that some of my students weren't interested in learning as they were from trouble families;

2. not being yourself (pretending someone else). The management of school where I used to work insisted on behaving strictly (shout at students, give bad marks), which I didn't want because I'm always kind and soft with my students;

3. being a perfectionist (when a teacher tries to give more than he(she)can or to do more than he(she) can, for example to work all night long, checking tests);

4. dedicating all your life to profession, not being able to find a place for yourself and your family. For example when I worked at state school, I even couldn't call in sick when I caught a cold, because I was thinking about my students firstly.

Of course working too hard in and of itself can cause a burn out, but only in case if you can't find a right balance between work and leisure. And you, as a candle, can just go out one day. This is where I can agree with the statement above.

Thanks for reading and take care!