By Maribel Velazquez
The accelerated advance of the artificial intelligence in classrooms is creating new challenges for teachers across the country. A national poll conducted by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation revealed that Thousands of teachers face job burnoutunrealistic expectations and little guidance on the use of AI tools in schools.
According to the study, six out of ten teachers already use artificial intelligence in their daily work. However, most say their schools have not given them clear instructions on how to use it for tutoring, assessments or developing educational materials.
According to the report, the 69% of teachers said they had not received any guidance on how to apply AI in personalized tutoring. In addition, 58% said they did not have guidance to use these tools in grading and academic feedback.
Teacher burnout continues to grow
The research also found a direct relationship between work demands and teachers’ emotional exhaustion.
Among those who consider school expectations to be unrealistic, 77% reported frequently feeling exhausted. In contrast, only 21% of those who perceive attainable goals experience that level of burnout.
“Teaching has become more complex, faster than education systems have been able to adapt,” said Stephanie Marken, senior partner at Gallup.
The report also warns that many teachers feel that the academic goals imposed do not correspond with the available resources or the social realities of their students.
Forty five% indicated that school expectations directly collide with the living conditions of students, especially in low-income schools.
School leadership makes a difference
The study concludes that the communication of school leaders has a decisive influence on the teacher job satisfaction.
Teachers who rated their school leaders’ communication as “excellent” or “very good” showed higher levels of commitment and less emotional exhaustion.
“When school systems provide clear tools and realistic expectations, teachers can better help their students,” said Romy Drucker, educational program director at Walton Family Foundation.
The survey was carried out between February and March 2026 with more than 2 thousand public school teachers K-12 and reflects growing concern about teacher retention amid technological changes and work pressures.
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