We teach learners how to survive the digital world. But who helps us survive it?
As CAT teachers, we often carry more than just lesson plans. We carry cables, crash reports, forgotten passwords, corrupted files, broken printers, and late-night panic messages from learners who “swear they saved their PAT.”

We’re the silent force keeping the school’s tech running while also juggling practical assessments, intensive marking, and theory that’s constantly evolving in a world where new tech pops up faster than we can update a slideshow.

Burnout in education is real. But CAT teacher burnout? It’s a special kind of fatigue.

The Reality Behind the Screen

You’re always “on call.” Even if you’re not the official IT person, your name is the one whispered when someone’s projector fails or when CAPS LOCK won’t turn off. Your assessments take triple the time to mark. Screenshots, spreadsheet formulas, Word formatting, database queries—all checked manually. No memo can do it for you. You teach learners who know less than you think—and others who think they know more than they do. That balance is exhausting.

And let’s not forget theory. Trying to explain what “non-volatile memory” is while half your class is mentally on TikTok.

The Hidden Mental Load

Beyond lessons and marking, you’re constantly:
1.  Debugging projects
2.  Designing engaging content to keep theory exciting
3.  Updating your own skills to stay relevant
4.  Managing device policies, classroom management, digital ethics
5.  Wondering if what you teach will still be relevant in five years

All while feeling invisible. Because CAT is often treated as a “soft subject” when in fact, it lays the foundation for 21st-century learning.

So, What Now?

Here’s what I’ve started doing—and maybe it helps you too:

1. Set Boundaries With Tech
You don’t have to answer WhatsApp messages about the PAT at 10 PM. Model digital wellbeing. Set “offline” hours and stick to them.

2. Automate Where You Can
Use tools like Google Forms, ChatGPT, Quizizz, or self-marking spreadsheets to lighten your load.

3. Find Your CAT Community
We’re a rare breed. But we exist. Start a WhatsApp group with other CAT teachers, share resources, or just vent safely.

4. Give Yourself Credit
What you do matters. You are giving learners the tools to function in a digital world. Celebrate small wins. Even getting everyone to name their files correctly is a win!

5. Talk About It
We need to address burnout in tech education. Speak up. Write posts. Tell your HOD when things are too much. Help others understand what you actually do. Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’ve been strong for too long—while rebooting 15 laptops, calming a crying Grade 12 whose Access file won’t open, and still delivering a killer lesson on networks.

Take the break. Log off. Rest. Your learners need you whole.

– Ruval Gouws
“Just because it’s digital, doesn’t mean it doesn’t drain us.”