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Mental Health and Wellness

Introduction

Objectives
of this Resource Guide
Background
Organization of this Guide

Letter
from Bob Chase, President, National Education Association

Section
I – Stress 101: A Primer on Stress for School Employees

Why Should
We Concern Ourselves about Employee Stress in Schools?
What is Stress?
What are the Symptoms of Stress?

Section
II – Violence and Schools: Separating Myth from Fact

Statistics
on School Violence
Violence Against Teachers: Are Schools Safe Places to Work?
Statistics on Violence Directed at Teachers
School Practices/Policies Related to Safety

Section
III – Reducing Violence-Related Stress in Schools

Violence-Related
Stress for School Staff: 4 Most Critical Stressors
What Can School Employees Do as Individuals to Reduce Stress?
Stress Busters
What Can School Systems Do to Reduce Stress?


Stressor
1: Feeling isolated and/or powerless.

 


  • Build/sustain
    peer connections by providing intern programs, providing
    mentoring programs; designating teacher leaders; and organizing
    teaching teams.
  • Involve
    teachers in decision-making.
  • Provide
    recognition.
  • Provide
    performance incentives that increase cooperation rather
    than foster competition.
  • Build/support
    effective community involvement in schools.

 


Stressor
2: Lack of training and/or skills needed to identify and address
students’ behavior that
is potentially problematic.

 


  • Build
    and maintain partnerships between schools and post-secondary
    schools of education and other post-secondary education
    institutions for pre-service and in-service training.
  • Provide
    experiential learning and classroom simulation in pre-service
    and in-service training.
  • Recognize
    and utilize existing expertise among school staff for in-service
    training and workshops.
  • Develop
    and maintain school/community partnerships for access to
    community-based training and consultation resources.

 


Stressor
3: Lack of clear expectations and lack of classroom and school-wide
management
to meet those expectations.

 


  • Develop
    clear, concrete, school-wide (i.e., for all classrooms and
    for all non-classroom school settings) expectations for
    student behavior.
  • Effectively
    communicate expectations regarding discipline and student
    behavior to everyone in the school community.
  • School
    leaders and administration must support school staff whenever
    they take action that is within school guidelines and/or
    policy to respond to student behavior or discipline problems.
  • Identify/research
    best practices for your (i.e., the teacher’s or the school’s)
    particular needs.

 


Stressor
4: Fear of verbal, emotional or physical intimidation.

 


  • Training/participation
    in violence prevention programs.
  • Provide
    a realistic assessment of risk and facilitate adequate,
    accurate communication among school personnel, parents and
    others.
  • Maintain
    school safety and crisis response plans and procedures.
  • Create/maintain
    partnerships with law enforcement, mental health and other
    community-based agencies and personnel.

 

Section
IV – Recommended Resources

School Violence
Prevention Resources
Resources
for Developing School Policies
Resources
for Building Parental Involvement and Community Partnerships
Classroom
Management/Student Discipline Resources
Resources
for Mental Health Following a Crisis
School
Violence and School Mental Health Information/Technical Assistance
Centers
Relevant
Resources from the NEA Professional Library

References

Project
Advisory Group