Table of Contents

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.