Reducing Teacher Stress

Teacher Stress

A rise in teacher and Principal stress has been documented in many countries, including Australia, the USA and UK. A study by the Victorian Education Department in October 2004 reported eighty percent of school Principals experienced high levels of stress; nearly 50% reported a medical problem linked to work, including heart disorders, headaches and weight control.

A UK survey by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) in 2000 reported that 40% of respondents had visited their doctor with a stress-related problem in the previous year, and 25% suffered from serious stress-related health problems including hypertension, insomnia, depression and gastrointestinal disorders.

Teacher burnout has been described as ‘physical, emotional and attitudinal exhaustion’ that begins with a feeling of uneasiness, and increases as the satisfaction of teaching begins to slip away. Although the symptoms of burnout may be quite personal, they are generally ‘lack of’ symptoms. These include lack of energy, enthusiasm, satisfaction, motivation, concentration and self-confidence. (McGee-Cooper, 1990)

HeartMath Resilient Educator programs incorporating HeartMath skills have been shown to significantly reduce emotional stress and improve teacher wellbeing, improve energy and health, and increase staff retention.

Studies in schools in the UK and USA show HeartMath programs assisting teachers to reduce stress and conflict, enhance their performance, skills and sensitivity, and find balance in their personal and professional lives. Staff at the Plessington Catholic High School Technical College, UK Plessington_Staff_Data and DeKalb County School System, Georgia USA heartmath.org/education/research-edu-studies/staff-resilience.html reported significant improvements on a range of wellbeing measures.

Click here to view Diana Killen's article 'At the heart of education' first appeared on page 38 in EQ Australia Issue Three, Spring 2006, 'Wellbeing and connectedness'. EQ Australia is a quarterly magazine published by Curriculum Corporation.
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The Resilient Educator™
How to Succeed and Flourish in Today's Schools

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The Resilient Educator is an in-service program which teaches scientifically-validated skills and strategies proven to stop the negative impact of stress - mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Research shows that in addition to subject knowledge and excellence in pedagogy, good teachers need empathy, enthusiasm and the ability to engage with students. These are the very qualities that teachers report are diminished when they’re under stress. The Resilient Educator can help you build and sustain the qualities of teaching excellence The Resilient Educator is designed to help teachers and staff develop greater resilience, wellbeing, performance and fulfilment.

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Here is what this program can do for you and your staff:

• Reduce Emotional Stress
• Increase Vitality and Well Being
• Improve Psychological Health
• Improve Physical Health
• Increase Interpersonal Sensitivity
• Increase Empathy
• Improve Job Satisfaction

A Case Study

Prior to the training, 34% of the participants said that they felt exhausted. Three months after the training that number had dropped to only 11%. Those who said they felt like leaving their job dropped from 21% to 14% during the same three-month period.

 

In a half-day program or coaching sessions participants learn to:

• Recognise how stress, perceptions & emotions affect performance, resilience and health
• Identify the effect of stress in their professional lives
• Understand and apply new skills for managing stress and increasing personal effectiveness
• Apply skills to be less reactive, especially under pressure
• Understand how to apply skills to improve interpersonal communication
• Create a follow-up plan of action for implementing new skills
  

 

HeartMath and The Resilient Educator are a registered trademark of the Institute of HeartMath.