From Burnout to Balance Leading Schools Through Trauma

From Burnout to Balance: Leading Schools Through Trauma

Part two of trauma-informed leadership strategies to support educator wellbeing and help prevent burnout.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools/Student Services, SAU 16/Exeter (N.H.) shares a personal anecdote:

A teacher once confessed to me, “I love my students, but I feel like I’m failing my own family.”

This statement highlights the impossible bind many educators face.

The unspoken message in schools is that if you genuinely care, you’ll do more. However,

neuroscience and lived experience tell us the opposite: when educators push past human limits, their ability to connect, teach, and inspire diminishes.

Boundary-setting is challenging in education due to its cultural nature; educators are nurturers by nature, and saying “no” can feel like saying we don’t care. Unchecked overextension leads directly to secondary-traumatic stress (STS) and compassion fatigue.

Author's summary: Educators face burnout due to cultural pressure to overextend themselves.

Neuroscience shows that pushing past human limits diminishes educators' abilities.
Boundary-setting is hard in education due to its cultural nature.
Unchecked overextension leads to secondary-traumatic stress (STS) and compassion fatigue.

AASA, The School Superintendents Association — 2025-10-17

From Burnout to Balance: Leading Schools Through Trauma

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