SECTION I – STRESS 101: A PRIMER ON STRESS FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
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As school employees, we have the task of trying to juggle educational demands with the social and emotional needs of 30 or more individuals. Caring for ourselves is often the last thing on our minds. – Jerald Newberry, Executive Director, NEA Health Information Network, former Fairfax County (VA) teacher, school administrator and mental health professional |
Stress is a normal part of life at home or on the job. And workplace stress occurs across all types and levels of employment. In fact, many people believe that workplace stress in our society is increasing as workers are being asked to do more and more with less and less.
Those working in schools, however, experience some unique types of stress. In addition to the impact of widespread economic and social problems that impinge on today’s families, specific factors contribute to the work-related stress experienced by teachers and other school personnel. These factors include:
- The introduction of mandatory high-stakes testing associated with educational reform movements, particularly where tests are not aligned with mandated curriculum;
- Challenges posed by the demographics of increasing student enrollments and larger class sizes;
- A nationwide shortage of qualified teachers;
- Budgets that fail to meet existing needs, such as the need to restore or replace deteriorating school buildings and facilities;
- Multiple, and sometimes conflicting, demands posed by the mix of federal and state requirements, local school boards, school administration, and concerned parents;
- Rapid advances in technology with insufficient resources for training or implementation;
- Growing diversity in our schools with the concomitant need to function as culturally competent educators.
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It’s been said that “It takes a village to raise a child.” In my classroom, however, there are days when I feel overwhelmed, like I’m the only adult in the village. – observation shared by a pre-kindergarten teacher. |
The challenges that many students face at home and in the community have a significant impact on their lives and well being. These challenges contribute to the stress felt not only by students and their families, but by school staff as well. Consider the following statistics on America’s children, from the Children’s Defense Fund’s State of America’s Children: Yearbook 2000:
- One in four lives with only one parent.
- One in 24 lives with neither parent.
- One in 60 will see their parents divorce in any year.
- One in five lives in poverty.
- One in six has no health insurance.
- One in twelve has a disability.
- One in 910 will be killed by guns before age 20.
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Whatever impacts our society — positively or negatively — at any given time, will be evident, to some degree, in our schools. We need to include an ecological perspective in teacher training to better prepare teachers for the challenges and, sometimes, harsh realities that they will encounter in their work. At the very heart of teaching are the unique and powerful relationships that can develop between teachers and students. Teachers must be experts in pedagogy and in the subjects that they teach. School personnel also must become experts in human relationships, because education, at its core, is a human activity that is grounded in relationships. – Robert Burke, PhD, Associate Professor, Teachers College, Ball State University |
Working with children on a daily basis, school staff may, at some level, already be aware of the prevalence of mental and addictive disorders among children. According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health [1], an estimated one in five children, between the ages 9 to 17, has a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder associated with at least minimum impairment in their functioning at school, home or with peers. This suggests that among the students in any classroom, there are likely to be several who have serious emotional or behavioral problems. When mental health problems interfere with a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school, school staff can face challenges that go beyond the scope of their education and training.
Why Should We Concern Ourselves about Employee Stress in Schools?
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As school personnel who work on the ‘frontlines,’ you have a strategic – yet challenging – role to play. Your work is a significant and important responsibility. To enjoy what you do and do it well, your own health and well-being must be made a priority. – Robert Burke, PhD, Associate Professor, Teachers College, Ball State University |
Making any job more satisfying and less stressful should always be a goal of management. Not only is it the humane thing to do, but it also makes sound business sense. Just like other employers, school systems need to pay attention to staff stress because to not do so can be costly. High levels of stress contribute to absenteeism, higher health care costs, lost productivity, burnout, and attrition. For example, it has been reported that health care expenditures are nearly 50% greater for workers who report high levels of stress. [2]
What is Stress?
When most people talk about stress at home or stress on the job, they are talking about mental and/or physical strain and tension. A more accurate definition of the term incorporates the concept that stress has a profound physiological affect on the body.
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DEFINITION OF STRESS A state of arousal that involves both the mind and body in response to demands made upon a person. |
Stress is not always negative. As illustrated in the following chart, at an optimum level, stress actually can make a positive contribution to performance. However, too much or too little stress can negatively impact performance:
Relationship Between Stress and Performance
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Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk. But when stressful situations go unresolved, the body is kept in a constant state of activation, which increases the rate of wear and tear to biological systems. Ultimately, fatigue or damage results, and the ability of the body to repair and defend itself can become seriously compromised. As a result, the risk of injury or disease escalates. – Stress…At Work, NIOSH (1999) |
In addition to its negative affect on performance, high levels of stress, particularly when experienced over a prolonged period of time, can lead to burnout and can contribute to a variety of physical health problems.
What are the Symptoms of Stress?
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Because prolonged periods of intense stress can pose serious threats to physical health, it is important to be able to self-identify symptoms of stress. School personnel need to be alert to signs that can warn that stress is affecting their well-being. [3] Over time, stress can precipitate more serious and chronic health problems. For example, research has shown that people who experience high job strain — defined as a combination of low control and high demand — are at greater risk for heart disease and hypertension. This is caused by the body’s prolonged physiological response to stress. |
Symptoms of Stress: What to Look Out for
Back and muscle aches Headaches Upset stomach Dreading going to work Anxiety Inability to concentrate Change in eating habits Sleep problems Recurrent colds Constant fatigue |
When under stress, the cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses of the body can make it more difficult to unwind, even after the source of stress has disappeared. It has been pointed out that some people show an absent or inadequate relaxation response, a phenomenon that can significantly contribute to heart disease and high blood pressure. [4] Stress can increase a person’s risk for developing ulcers and muscular/skeletal disorders, such as back problems. Some studies suggest that stress may be related to an increased risk of cancer and impaired immune functioning. [5]
| Reducing stress not only contributes to good physical health, it also contributes to clearer thinking, greater creativity and improved mental health. Stress has been found to be a significant predictor of depression. [6] When stress is long-standing, depression can progress and go undetected because its symptoms can look like those of stress-related anxiety. Depression inhibits an individual’s capacity to cope with stress, so depression and stress can become a vicious cycle, each reinforcing the other. [7] |
5-Minute Stress Busters
Meditate Hum Stretch Breathe deeply Laugh Listen to music |
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has identified a number of job conditions that commonly lead to stress [8], as shown in the chart below:
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Job Conditions That May Lead to Stress 1) Task design
2) Management style
3) Interpersonal relationships
4) Work roles
5) Career concerns
6) Unpleasant or dangerous environmental conditions
– Stress…At Work, NIOSH (1999) |
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Acute Stress Disorder
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Although uncommon, one of the most profound types of stress that can be experienced by teachers and other school personnel is to be exposed to violence. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and acute stress disorder are two types of anxiety disorders that potentially can develop in individuals who have been exposed to trauma such as violence. Exposure to trauma does not necessarily mean being directly involved or injured physically. People who are witnesses to violence, or who later learn that violence has affected someone close to them, can also be affected when their response to that trauma involves feelings of intense fear, helplessness or horror. The risk and potential severity of acute stress disorder and/or PTSD increase with the intensity of the trauma and its proximity in relation to individuals experiencing it. The duration of symptoms is what differentiates PTSD from acute stress disorder. A diagnosis of acute stress disorder indicates that symptoms have been present for four weeks or less; a PTSD diagnosis indicates that symptoms have continued to be present for more than four weeks after the trauma occurred. [9] The presence of acute stress disorder within the first four weeks after exposure to trauma has been shown to be a strong predictor of PTSD later on [10]; however, PTSD can also have a delayed onset by as much as six months following a traumatic event. [11] According to the American Psychiatric Association, ten percent (10%) of the general population has, at some point, been affected by clinically diagnosable PTSD; and even more have experienced at least some symptoms associated with PTSD. [12] |
Symptoms of PTSD
Intrusive Symptoms Flashbacks – sudden onset of vivid memories accompanied by strong emotions
Avoidance Symptoms Withdrawal from family, friends, and co-workers Intense anxiety or fear of social situations Irrational fear of places and unfamiliar settings
Hyperarousal symptoms Startle reactions Sudden irritability Explosive anger Disturbances in concentration Inability to remember things that are usually easy to recall
Insomnia |
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| Introduction
Section I – Stress 101: A Primer on Stress for School Employees Section II – Violence and Schools: Separating Myth from Fact Section III – Reducing Violence-Related Stress in Schools |
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