Teaching is a stressful job. In fact a United States survey found that education is the fifth most stressful profession.
But stress shouldn’t be seen only in negative terms. It can be positive too. An athlete about to run a race or a teacher waiting to address a school assembly can experience positive stress, the type of stress that helps to “up” your performance. There are ways to beat negative stress, the type of stress that damages your physical and mental health.
Six stress beaters
Here are six stress beaters to help overcome the negative effects.
Create a comfortable classroom
Make your classroom or office comfortable. Many hours are spent in it every day. Have a comfortable chair and desk. Put up pictures and posters that brighten the room. Does the room need repainting? If so, choose colours that please you. Pot plants and flowers will add more colour.
How about having a CD player to play soothing, soft background music? Well-chosen music can quieten and calm a class. According to research Bach and Mozart help mental concentration.
Plan your day
A teacher’s daily workload can be stressful. There’s so much to do in so little time.
Use a diary to plan the day to ensure the most effective use of time. Time is precious. Write down a daily “to do” list. At the end of the day, revisit the list. Tick off what’s been done; not only will this give you a sense of achievement, it will also show the tasks that weren’t completed and which need to be rescheduled for the next or another day.
Be gentle on yourself
There’s so much that needs to be done besides actual teaching. There’s lesson preparation, marking and the general administrative work. In the afternoon there are the extramural activities and staff meetings. Evenings might involve meetings with parents and the school governing body or attendance of school functions. All that you have is a willing pair of hands, a fine brain and limited time. You can’t do everything. Relax. Simply do your best and leave the rest. Be gentle on yourself.
Learn to say “no”
The willing horse gets ridden to death. Pace yourself. If the demands of the school are too much or seem unreasonable, say so. There are family and friend commitments beyond the school gates. Learn to say: “No. I regret that I’m unable to assist in…”
Count to 10…slowly
Most teachers have had this sort of experience, at least once: the teacher walks into a class and finds that a quarter of the class hasn’t done its homework. Books have been “forgotten” at home; some culprits say they “thought that the work was due only next week”. Keep cool, calm and emotionally in control. Shouting is demeaning. Count to 10…slowly. Gather your thoughts. Decide on the corrective action that you will take. Be rational.
A school can be a highly emotional zone. Learners often lose control of their emotions. They bully, fight and scream. Sadly, sometimes their parents and even teachers do, too. When a person loses self-control, his or her stress level soars. Count to 10…slowly.
Have a weekly “switch off” day
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. The same applies to teachers. Teachers need regular breaks. Many teachers take work home at the weekend. If you’re one of them, choose either Saturday or Sunday when you don’t look at a school-related book. As children would say: “Chill out!” Enjoy the great outdoors. Do some of your favourite things. Have a life outside school.
This “switch off” break is good for your physical and mental wellbeing. On Monday morning you’ll be able to greet the children with enthusiasm and a warm smile.
The six stress busters will help you to reduce stress. Book shops have books on stress management. If stress levels become overwhelming and unbearable, get help. See a psychologist or doctor. Remember that, although teachers dedicate their lives to caring for others, they need to care for themselves too.
The South African Quality Institute visits schools to deal with quality leadership and management issues. Schools are encouraged to pay the basic costs of the programmes. Poor schools are sponsored. If you would like more details, please speak to Vanessa du Toit on 012 349 5006 or Richard Hayward on 011 888 3262