"כורעים תחת הנטל": שחיקה בקרב מחנכי כיתות אתגר לנוער בסיכון

Etgar (Hebrew for "Challenge") classes are especially designed for adolescents with academic problems and issues with persistence and motivation and help them become eligible for their high-school matriculation certificate. The current research is an examination of workload and burnout among Etgar homeroom teachers. To this end, in this qualitative-phenomenological study we interviewed 17 Etgar homeroom teachers across Israel. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and underwent content analysis. The research findings indicate that upon assuming the Etgar teaching position, the homeroom teachers were highly motivated and felt a sense of mission. However, by the beginning of their first year they became disillusioned and frustrated by the workload and the multiple classroom difficulties. Their work was fraught with ups and downs and required constant emotional availability for their students. They felt that the school administration was disappointed with them and described conflicts with subject-area teachers who taught their class. The participants described various means of coping with their workload and sense of burnout, ranging from drawing closer to the students to avoiding them. Moreover, their personal lives were affected, and they felt extremely isolated at work.