We ran a story about this teacher quitting the industry. Her story was the first of many.

This week I spoke to a teacher. Well actually, a now former teacher.

Her name is Karen. She's in her late 50s and she worked in public or Catholic schools between grades two and five for 30 years. But she's had enough. 

She was broken not only by the system, but by the job itself.

"Respect from the students and respect from parents has gone out the window. It's been death by a thousand cuts," she told Mamamia.

"After what felt like the millionth student trying to hit or kick me amidst a tantrum, I'd had enough."

Read here: 'I've been a teacher for 30 years. Now, I'd rather work at McDonalds than step into a classroom again.'

The clincher was: "I will literally do any work. I'd serve burgers at McDonalds, be the greeter at the door at Bunnings, stack the shelves at Woolies, pack bags at the check-out at Coles. But I will never go back to teaching. Never."

Karen's story isn't isolated to just her own experience. It's something countless Australian teachers across different year groups and school institutions have been enduring for years.

Now, they are leaving the sector in droves.

Watch: The one task this teacher refuses to do. Post continues below.

When we published our interview with Karen this week, it was shared far and wide across social media. 

Educators across the board shared their own gripes with the industry they used to love. The responses were in the hundreds. They shared:

"I feel your pain. The thought of going back gives me anxiety."

"I left teaching 18 months ago, after 15 years in the profession. I now have a job I absolutely love and I feel respected and appreciated. My mental health has never been better! I wish I'd made the move sooner, but it takes courage to leave your career."

"I stand with you. I taught for 31 years and was a highly successful teacher. I will never return to a standard classroom."

"It wasn't that long ago that parents everywhere were singing the praises of teachers and appreciating just how much they actually deal with. Didn't take long for that to disappear."

"This is 100 per cent the result of children not being disciplined. I worked in the child care industry for many years and I saw firsthand the decline in children's behaviour."

"I love my job and I do it because I see the difference I make in my students when they smile each morning when we go into the classroom. However, this year has been the hardest in my 26 years of teaching. The demands placed on us with extreme behaviours, supporting parents, paperwork and having no work-life balance are becoming a real issue. We need to get back to the core work of our business."

"What was once a beautiful exciting and nurturing profession has become a nightmare for most teachers."

One article won't change an education system overnight. But as one reader noted, it's astounding that hundreds and hundreds of teachers have shared similar stories after Karen came forward with hers.

It reminds us just how big of a national issue this is.

As Amber Flohm, Deputy President NSW Teachers Federation, says: "Too many teachers are leaving the profession as a result of burnout from their unsustainable workload. 

"Addressing the fundamental causes of burnout through workload is critical. A properly rested and recharged teacher is better for our schools and better for our students."

When we reached out to Karen for her response to the article, she was "floored".

"It's nice to see how many people my story connected with. But that in itself also angers me — why is it that teachers across Australia are having their frustrations and challenges met with deaf ears? 

"It shouldn't take thousands of teachers all having bad mental health episodes for change to happen," she notes.

"I just want other educators out there to know they aren't alone. And for every message of solidarity I have received, I've felt a teeny bit better about starting my new chapter."

Feature Image: Getty/Canva.