Under Pressure: Teacher Wellbeing, Behaviour & Burnout in 2025

Luis Villasmil

Let’s be honest: teaching in 2025 feels like sprinting through a hurricane with a whiteboard under one arm and 30 emails chasing you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, and wondering whether you’re the only one hiding in the stationery cupboard during break — you’re not alone.

In this post, we’re unpacking the three biggest challenges UK teachers are facing right now:

✅ Workload

✅ Behaviour

✅ Stress & burnout

We’ll also offer some strategies — and a little humour — to help you feel less like you’re drowning in marking and more like, well, a human again.

The Stats Are In – And They’re Alarming

According to the NEU, two-thirds of teachers say they’re stressed for more than 60% of the time. One in three say it’s more like 80%. And only 1.5% of teachers say they don’t feel overwhelmed. Who are those teachers? Where do they work? Do they have a magic email blocker and free coffee?

Other stats from Education Support show:

• 84% of staff experienced more work-related stress this year

• 82% say challenging pupil behaviour is harming their mental health

• 70% say negative parent interactions are making things worse

Add to that the 52.4 hours a week most teachers are working (and no, that doesn’t include the Sunday panic planning session), and you’ve got a recipe for exhaustion.

Why Are Teachers So Burnt Out?

Let’s break it down:

1. The Endless Workload

Marking. Planning. Emails. More marking. SLT initiatives. Data entry. Detention slips. And for good measure? Let’s throw in an 83-slide CPD session on “resilience.” One early career teacher said: “I work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, then take work home just to stay afloat. I struggle to sleep with the stress.”

That’s not work-life balance. That’s a spreadsheet-induced existential crisis.

2. Behaviour’s Getting Worse

Post-COVID, many schools are reporting a serious spike in poor behaviour. And no, not just the usual pencil-tapping and chair-tilting. We’re talking serious defiance, verbal aggression, and increasingly, incidents that impact staff wellbeing. One teacher wrote: “Behaviour in particular has gone off a cliff. We’re short-staffed, constantly firefighting. We’re just getting more and more fatigued.” We get it. You didn’t sign up to be a riot control officer with a PGCE.

3. Parent Pressure

There’s also been a big uptick in parental confrontation. Social media has blurred boundaries, and some teachers are now expected to answer DMs faster than a Domino’s pizza delivery. Education Support found 7 in 10 teachers say parents are contributing to their stress. And that’s before you’ve even had a chance to sip your lukewarm coffee from the “Keep Calm and Teach On” mug.

Real Talk From Real Teachers

Here’s what some teachers are saying:

🗣️ “I’m broken. I always keep going ‘for the kids’, but even that’s gone.”

🗣️ “Experienced staff are leaving in droves. Class sizes are huge. We’re just sticking plasters over the cracks.”

🗣️ “We are sorely underappreciated. Every break or free period disappears. The workload is creeping up every term.”

Sound familiar?

What Needs to Change?

At Government Level

• Vacancy rates in schools are the highest in UK history

• Pay is still below inflation for most

• Funding for wellbeing is minimal or symbolic at best

• The 2.8% pay increase for 2025–26 is seen by many as an insult rather than a solution

At School Level

• Schools need consistent behaviour policies — not just posters on the wall

• SLTs must protect teacher PPA and stop “emergency cover” from becoming a daily norm

• Wellbeing needs to be embedded, not bolted on at the end of Inset Day

What You Can Do (Right Now)

We know you can’t fix the whole system alone — but here are a few ways to stay afloat:

1. Set Boundaries

Turn off work notifications after hours. The 9:47 p.m. email about book corners can wait. Really, it can.

2. Batch Your Tasks

Group your marking. Share planning. And no, you don’t need to create 30 unique comments for every single assessment. Reuse. Recycle. Survive.

3. Lean on Your People

Union reps, honest colleagues, staffroom chats — these aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines.

4. Listen to Your Body

If you’re always exhausted, snapping at home, or crying in the car park — it’s not “just part of the job.” That’s burnout waving a red flag. Pay attention.

Final Thoughts: You Are Not Alone

Teaching right now is heroic — not in a movie-montage way, but in a “how am I still standing?” kind of way. You’re doing the job of a social worker, data analyst, public speaker, and peacekeeper — all before lunch.

But here’s the thing:

You matter. Your health matters. Your rest matters.

And guess what? You’re not just allowed to look after yourself — you’re required to.

Let’s Keep Talking

If any part of this blog resonated, share it with a colleague. Use it to open up a conversation. Or just print it out and stick it next to the kettle. At Teachers Planit, we’re here to help — with practical planning support, wellbeing tools, and resources that make teacher life a little less overwhelming. Want to share your story? Reach out. You’re not alone in this.

Leave a comment below or get in touch at teachersplanit@outlook.com

Let’s keep the conversation going — and let’s make space for hope, humour and actual lunch breaks.

Check out our podcast: Teacher Tales ep 1-Biggest Challenges