Ultimate Teacher Burnout Quiz: Is It Time for a Break?

If you want to take a teacher burnout quiz, then you’re in the right place.

Teacher burnout is on the rise in many areas, and its a serious problem that affects teachers, their families and of course, their students too.

It’s important to take care of yourself physically and mentally as a teacher, in order to avoid burnout. But sometimes, the demands of the job make it challenging to care for yourself.

I worked as a teacher for almost a decade, but slowly burned out. I wasn’t able to return to teaching, and I decided to launch a new career that was less taxing on me and allowed for better work-life balance.

As a teacher who has struggled with burnout, and I have crafted a teacher burnout quiz so that you can assess where you stand with your job as a teacher.

So, grab a pen and paper and let’s start with your teacher burnout quiz.

Teacher Burnout Quiz

This quiz should only take about 10 minutes to complete, depending on how long you need think about the answers.

Important disclaimer:

This quiz isn’t designed to be the sole defining factor on whether you’re burned out or not, but it will give you an idea of how you are reacting and feeling about some of the pressures that you face at work.

Instructions: Write numbers 1 – 12 on a piece of paper. Beside each number, write down which answer correlates with how you feel for each situation – A, B, C or D. At the end, there will be a guide to score your answers.

1. What do you normally feel like doing when you get home from school?

a) Talking to my spouse or a friend about how the day went
b) I need a snack, and a nap.. maybe a shower – and then I can usually enjoy my evening.
c) Usually just feel like putting the school day behind me and focusing on the moment. It’s not always easy to do, but I try.
d) Just want to go lie down, and not talk to anyone until the morning. My energy is completely depleted by the end of the day. I find it hard to enjoy the evenings.

2. You’re in the classroom, and the morning bell has just rang. Your students start piling into class. Which of the thoughts below best captures how you’re feeling in this moment?

a) “I’m tired, and I need coffee – but I am mostly happy to see my students”
b) “How many days until the last day of school?”
c) “The sooner the school day starts, the sooner it’s over.”
d) “I have no idea how I’m going to get through this day.”

3. Do you believe that you make a difference in students’ lives as a teacher?

a) Absolutely. Teaching is challenging these days, but I try to remember how much I can impact my students and strive to do the best with what I have
b) Teachers can make a difference, but they need the resources. I am struggling with limited resources to help my students
c) Honestly, the school system feels like a joke now. I don’t think there’s anything I can do. It’s a broken system and it’s out of my hands
d) It might be possible, but not with my current situation. I have lack of support and I’m struggling to do my job as effectively as I’d like to

4. Are you getting your ‘behind the scenes’ (marking, planning and emailing parents) work as a teacher done?

a) I’m probably falling seriously behind with marking, planning and assessments. I feel like I’m drowning and I can barely get through the day as it is.
b) I’m a bit behind. It’s almost impossible to stay on top of all the work. If only there were more time in a day.
a) Mostly. I fall behind sometimes, as it’s a crazy amount of workload. But I try to stay on top of it.
c) I’m quite behind. I’m thinking of taking a sick day just to get extra work done, because I don’t know when else I would do it.

5. An email comes in from the principal. It says “Please come see me at lunch.” What are your thoughts and reaction to this?

a) I worry and fret about what it is. Did a parent complain, or did I somehow forget to do something? I hope I’m not in trouble!
b) I’m so down already that I hardly have the energy to worry about the reason they want to see me.
c) I’m not overly concerned, because I know I’ve been doing my job. It’s probably an administrative thing.
d) I’m a little concerned, as no one likes to see a message like that. But I know deep down it’s probably nothing major.

6. The social committee organizing a staff social after school on Friday. What are your thoughts?

a) I find it hard to connect with colleagues. Going to the staff social means more faking and pretending
b) I’ll probably go, assuming I’m in the mood.
c) I’m not sure how I’m going to feel by Friday, but if I’m up to it, then I’ll go.
d) That will be nice. I haven’t had much chance to socialize with my colleagues recently.

7. Two of your students have a disagreement and it causes a huge fight. Your principal suggests that you both sit down with the students during recess to resolve the issue. What do you think?

a) I would have really preferred to have that break (recess), but of course, I go to the meeting because it is part of my job
b) Giving up my break time isn’t a deal, but it’s an investment in solving issues in my class, which makes my life easier in the long run
c) I don’t mind helping them work through their problems, and when else would we do it?
d) I want so badly to say no, but know that it would look badly on me. I feel so overwhelmed and giving up that 15 minutes can make a difference in my day

8. Which statement best describes your relationship with your admin?

a) It’s a good relationship. I’m lucky to have great admin.
b) I have no idea. To be honest, impressing the principal is the least of my concerns these days.
c) I don’t have a great relationship with my admin this year. I have had better ones in the past, but this one is not the best.
d) Do good principals even exist?

9. Let’s say you win 10 million dollars in the lottery tomorrow. What would you do about your job as a teacher?

a) I would never go back in. Not even to give my 2 weeks’ notice. Ok, maybe I’d give the notice but I’d bounce the second I could, even if it’s mid-year.
b) I would likely take some time off to travel, but I would consider going back to teaching after that. I’d be bored with no job.
c) I would likely finish the rest of the school year, but I resign after that. This is my chance to do something I actually enjoy.
d) I would still be a teacher even if I won the lottery.

10. What are your thoughts on finding an alternative career to teaching?

a) I’d be interested in another job, but only if I could find one with comparable pay and benefits.
b) I would be searching for another job right now if I had the energy to. I feel like I’d take just about anything at this point.
c) My job isn’t perfect, but there’s honestly nothing else I’d rather be doing than being a teacher.
d) I think about leaving teaching from time to time, but there are a lot of things keeping me there.

Side note: You’re not ‘stuck’ being a teacher – after you’ve finished this quiz, check out our list of education-related jobs that AREN’T teaching here

11. You’ve just enjoyed time off over the summer, and you’ll be going back to school (work) next week. You know what grade you’re going to be teaching, and will be going in soon to set up. What are your thoughts through all of this?

a) Could use a longer break. If I could extend the summer break for another few weeks, I definitely would.
b) I love summer break like any other teacher, but I’m ready to go back to work after that amount of time off.
c) Am I looking forward to going back? No. But, it is what it is.
d) Dread going back. I’m having nightmares and feeling anxious about it.

12. Your younger sibling is thinking of becoming a teacher, and asks if you would recommend it. What do you say?

a) I would hate for them to face some of the struggles that I have. I tell them that I absolutely do not recommend becoming a teacher
b) I’m not sure if its worth it to become a teacher in the current climate, and I’m honest with my sibling about my struggles in the job
c) There are definitely some things to keep in mind before pursuing teaching, but overall its a decent job. I tell them the truth – the pros and cons.
d) There are better jobs out there, I’m sure, but teaching isn’t as bad as some other jobs. I tell them everything they need to know.

Teacher Burnout Quiz Score Sheet

Make sure you have a pen and paper to record how many points you got for your responses to each question. Your total score should fall somewhere between 12 at the least and 48 at the most

Question 1: A = 1, B = 2, C= 3 and D = 4
Question 2: A = 4, B = 3, C= 2 and D = 1
Question 3: A = 1 , B =2, C= 4 and D = 3
Question 4: A = 4 , B = 2, C=1 and D = 3
Question 5: A = 3, B = 4, C= 1 and D = 2
Question 6: A = 4, B = 3, C= 2 and D = 1
Question 7: A = 3, B = 2, C= 1 and D = 4
Question 8: A = 1, B = 4 , C= 2 and D = 3
Question 9: A = 4 , B = 2 , C= 3 and D = 1
Question 10: A = 2 , B = 4 , C= 1 and D = 3
Question 11: A = 3, B = 1, C = 2, D = 4
Question 12: A = 4, B = 3, C = 1, D = 2

Results of Teacher Burnout Quiz

Add up the amount of points you got from each of the questions. Once you have your total score, you can read the results of that score below.

If you scored between 12 and 20

You are one of the fortunate teachers who is feeling a decent level of job satisfaction at work.

You know what value you bring to student lives as a teacher, and while it’s a challenging job, you generally still enjoy it. Deep down, I am envious and I admire teachers like you.

However, just because you’re far from burning out now doesn’t mean you’re immune to it. Be sure to keep up self-care by looking after yourself, and keeping a teacher survival kit at work to make the days go smoother.

How I Developed This Teacher Burnout Quiz

When I was still working full-time as a teacher, I noticed a huge difference in my feelings and attitudes towards work compared to those of my colleagues.

Working as a teacher is challenging on some level for anyone, but after a few years, I began feeling a lot of dread about many aspects related to the job.

A lot of the situations above are based on some of my observations between how I felt about situations that came up and how my (less burned out) coworkers felt.

I read about symptoms of burnout (which is universal through many jobs) and could see how my attitudes towards work were affected by it.

I want to stress that the person who knows deep down whether you’re burned out is you. This quiz can help shine the light on how you experience different situations at work. But you know how you feel on a day-to-day basis.

Final Thoughts on Teacher Burnout

I hope that this quiz has helped you gain some clarity on what your feelings are towards teaching.

Feeling fed up, deflated, demoralized, and like your job is a joke could be a sign that you’re burned out. Look for general teacher burnout signs as well, and make sure that you

One thing that my principal told us once was that we are replaceable to the school district, (there are many other qualified people who could fill our role) but there is only one of ‘us.’

I truly hope that you feel better soon.