Category: Teaching & Classroom Practices

Teen Academic Burnout: A Growing Crisis We Can No Longer Ignore

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

I’ve been thinking a lot about the quiet exhaustion I often notice in teenagers today, the way their shoulders slump under the invisible weight of expectations, or how their eyes lose a little of their spark as exams approach. Sometimes, when I’m mentoring students or talking to parents, I find myself asking: When did learning become so heavy for our children?

In Pakistan, where grades are tied to prestige, opportunity, and sometimes even family honour, academic pressure doesn’t just sit in school bags; it follows students into their homes, their sleep, and their identities. And whether we admit it or not, teen academic burnout has slowly become a national concern.

What Exactly Is Teen Academic Burnout?

Academic burnout is more than just being “tired of studying.” Psychologists describe it as a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by long-term academic stress (Schaufeli et al., 2002).

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The Silent Crisis: Why Young Teachers Feel Discontent in Today’s Classrooms

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

A composite, real-life moment: it was a Thursday morning staff room at a mid-sized secondary school, the rattling of tea/coffee cups, a lesson planning meeting was on the go, and a cluster of early-career colleagues leaned against a counter. One of them, a bright, newly qualified teacher, scrolled through recruitment adverts on their phone and muttered, “Why am I doing this for that?” Another answered with a wry smile and a string of sarcasm about ‘team-building’ that meant yet another unpaid evening. A third rolled their eyes and said the work “would be fine if we all wanted to live at school.” The mood felt less like anger and more like a brittle, constant complaint: quick jabs, ironic comments, and an overall tone of pessimism that made it hard to plan long-term for the department. This is a scene I’ve seen repeated across schools not a single scandal or headline, but dozens of small, corrosive interactions that together shape a school’s culture.

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Student Burnout – Academic Pressure Causes High-Level Anxiety

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Parents Beware: “If You Are Not Ahead, You Are Behind” Is Not a Healthy Mental Strategy

Today, high school is more challenging for students than ever before. The constant pressure to excel academically, participate in extracurricular activities, and prepare for the future often leaves students overwhelmed. Recently, at a parent orientation, a story was shared that highlights this struggle: a student who had fallen behind on several projects because of pending physics assignments. She still lagged behind despite giving up her summer holidays to catch up. This chaotic academic pressure affected her social life she became less engaged with family and friends and suffered from irregular sleep and anxiety attacks over minor issues. Despite these warning signs, her parents insisted on extra evening tuitions, hoping she could keep up with the class. Unfortunately, cases like hers are increasingly common, and they showcase a worrying trend—students feeling burnt out, exhausted, and unable to enjoy learning or life.

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