The kind of burnout which is most often talked about in literacy circles is "emotional burnout" - emotional exhaustion which comes from caring too much for too long. One person described burnout as "being all fired up, then having the flame go out". Carolyn Stockdale's painful story of burnout (Chapter 3) prompted me to ask others about the reality of burnout in their literacy work. I learned that it is a reality but not for the reasons one might think.
There is no question that literacy work is demanding. I have listened to people describe all that they do in their literacy work and am amazed by the resourcefulness required to be able to meet all the expectations of the job. Classroom instructors are expected to teach literacy to students whose personal problems continually overwhelm their ability and desire to learn; volunteer tutors with little or no teaching backgrounds are expected to work with students after only nine hours of training; and coordinators are expected to be able to speak to the Rotary Club, balance a financial statement for their Advisory Committee, interview a new student, find information on spelling for a tutor and write a press release - all on the same day, sometimes all at the same time
At a meeting of the LEARN monitors in Cold Lake, MEREDITH OTTOSON described her interview for the literacy coordinator position she now holds in Vermilion:
"During my interview, I was shown the job description for the position. It was pretty lengthy, 17 points in all. I recall looking up at the interview panel and thinking 'Get real - surely you can't possibly want all these skills in one body and only expect to pay them $9.00 an hour!' Well, I guess my interest in literacy was greater than my concern about the job description because I accepted the position."
"Now, after being in the job for 6 months, there are days when I have to shake my head and remind myself that I agreed to work for $9.00 an hour knowing that I had 17 points on my job description and only 17 hours a week in which to accomplish everything. The people in management who hired me seemed to think the expectations were reasonable but they just aren't."
One of the reasons Meredith decided to accept the position was because she enjoys working with people. Working with people, however, especially those who are experiencing difficulties or changes in their lives, can be more physically taxing and emotionally draining than it is rewarding. It isn't easy to be compassionate when faced with someone else's fears or pain, calm in the midst of crises or optimistic when everything seems hopeless.
COLLEEN SAUNDERS from Bonnyville described her concerns about "people work":
"Working in a job that involves people is a very emotional job, all the time. I used to nurse and I know what it's like. You're always supposed to be happy and friendly and that takes a lot of energy. You don't realize it but you're burning emotional and physical energy all the time. If you get too involved, it ends up affecting every part of your life."
Most people who work in literacy are drawn to the field for the same humanitarian reasons as Meredith. Dedication and commitment to "people work" gives one a sense of purpose and well-being. What doesn't feel good is over-commitment. Giving too much of oneself in a setting of unrealistic expectations very quickly leads to frustration, fatigue and feelings of failure.