Surviving School Stress by Lebrun Marcel;Mann Eric; & Eric Mann

Author:Lebrun, Marcel;Mann, Eric; & Eric Mann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated

Chapter 6

Strategies and Interventions for Successful Stress Management

Our bodies weep the tears our eyes refuse to shed.

Sir William Osler

Stress reduction is a multibillion-dollar industry. The resources invested in trying to manage stress involves education, healthcare, business, and government. Stress is not a new concept but one that evolves as the human race evolves. New technologies, ideologies, and inventions all create a new way of doing something aimed at enhancing quality of life and above all producing a change.

Change is stressful, regardless of resulting benefits. Change is perceived differently because of one’s own lenses and biases. An individual’s adaptability to change is an area that needs to have a root cause analysis in order to achieve an acceptable level of equilibrium in one’s life. The framework of change is built around the concepts of anticipating and welcoming change. Although many people accept that change is unavoidable, they still view it negatively. One must understand the source of the fear regarding change before any intervention strategies can be implemented effectively.

It is a known fact that people and organizations that understand and welcome change as an opportunity and know how to work with the changes are more likely to be successful. Peter Drucker said, “You can’t manage change. You can only be ahead of it. You can only meet it.” This mindset needs to be prevalent if institutions like schools and governments are to be proactive in preparing for change which is inevitable in our constantly evolving society.

Educators who are in a position of leadership need to understand that change is stressful. Stress is manifested from both a social context and a personal perspective. Students and teachers become stressed out because the changes are not well planned out, articulated or presented in a way that the receiver of the change is able to understand the expectations and act accordingly. Managing complex change is both an art and a science.

To achieve lasting change the leaders must possess the ability to identify a vision and the necessary skills to make the change happen, give incentives that are desirable for the audience needing to enact the change, ensure that resources are plentiful and supported over a designated period of time, and provide an action plan that is solidly based on clear and achievable goals and objectives. Change and education are synonymous with transition.

The transitions in education are daily: going from bus to classroom; going from whole group activity to individual work; new instructional topics; new activities; changing of grades; and going from middle to high school are all major and minor changes that are part of the daily life of a student and educator. Since transition is such a major part of school life and since it is a stress producer, the relevance of addressing transitions thoughtfully to reduce stress for students and educators is high.

For stress management to occur at the grassroots level in the schools and classrooms, effective change leaders must be able and willing to institute policies to make the present create the future.

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