Stress Management for Teachers PDF

This book presents a basic understanding of stress, in the context of teaching, and the effects of stress on personal and professional well-being. It also provides strategies for managing the many stressors that affect teachers, from career planning to dealing with difficult people. Over the past few decades there have been many changes in circumstances that affect teachers, and the job has become more and more stressful. However, at the time of writing, exciting changes are afoot to alleviate many of the stressors teachers have endured, and the implications of these changes are incorporated into the advice contained in this book. Chapter 1 covers the rationale for the book.

It begins with definitions of stress in the academic literature, and then addresses the findings of research on stress in teachers as a specific occupational group. It continues by justifying the importance of teachers using stress management, based on research demonstrating the dangers of stress to physical and mental health, and its detrimental effects on quality of life and career progression. Chapter 2 is concerned with providing an understanding of what stress is. It outlines the relationship between performance and stress, and the positive as well as negative aspects of moderate stress, including stress as a source of motivation, stress as a focus for achieving targets and stress as a source of energy. Chapter 2 also includes a brief questionnaire for readers to test whether or not they are under too much stress, and offers suggestions for what to do if you are. Chapter 3 addresses stress in teaching specifically. A review of the literature on stress in teachers forms the basis for this chapter. Three major areas of stress that affect teachers are identified: stress during teaching itself, stress resulting from your self-image as a teacher and stress resulting from the politics of teaching. Tips for dealing with each of these sources of stress are presented.