Erin M. McClure, M.A.
Graduate Associate
Behavior Consultant
School Psychology Program
The Ohio State University
mcclure.497@osu.edu
Introduction
As accountability measures for teachers and administrators continue to transform and increase in schools, school psychologists are increasingly being called upon to address systemic components of stress. According to the 2010 NASP Practice Model, school psychologists have an ethical and professional responsibility to create safe, positive school climates. Since positive school climate is a critical factor in student achievement, no matter how excellent the curriculum and instruction in a school may be, a negative learning environment will interfere with student outcomes.
Therefore, school psychologists should work with school leadership teams to help choose, design, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to address issues that contribute to a negative climate. Although it is not traditionally considered to be a part of day-to-day service delivery, practitioners are capable of providing stress management resources for school-based professionals. By receiving extensive training in the provision of mental health services and supportive services to the community, school psychologists are in an excellent position to effectively create and facilitate stress management programs within the schools.
Sources of Teacher Stress
Teacher stress is defined as “the experience by a teacher of negative, unpleasant emotions (such as tension, anger, or depression) as a result of some aspect of their work” (Kyriacou, 2001). Previous studies have found that 20-25% of teachers frequently experience a great deal of stress (Kyriacou, 1998). Furthermore, The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that approximately 8% of teachers transfer to a different school each year and another 7% leave the profession altogether. Among the reasons given for such decisions by both groups of teachers were dissatisfaction with pay and benefits, lack of support from administrators, and a sense that overall working conditions were not positive (Lambert, 2009; NCES, 2004).
Although teacher demands and stressors have consistently appeared in the teacher stress research literature for more than 40 years (Kyriacou, 2000), working conditions for teachers have become increasingly difficult in recent years in several significant ways. American students often arrive at school with fewer hours of sleep, less structure in their homes, and more exposure to electronic entertainment. They are more likely to come from homes where English is not the native language, and a higher percentage live in homes with no non-working parents than in any previous generation of American children (Lambert, 2009). Many of these varied factors often fall outside of the direct control of the child’s classroom teacher; however, they may still impact the student inside the classroom environment.
Although not uncommon, teacher stress should be of particular concern to administrators and school psychologists due to the adverse impacts that can result and affect the classroom environment. Stress among teachers is related to absenteeism, turnover, early retirement, and a decreased self-efficacy for practicing teachers, which negatively affect the climate of the school and lead to poor student outcomes, both academically and behaviorally (Kipps-Vaughan, 2013).
Furthermore, stressed teachers are often irritable, impatient, and easily frustrated by their students (Brock & Grady, 2000) which may lead to an increase in inappropriate disciplinary referrals or punishments that do not suit the infraction. Typically, little consideration is given to the teachers’ own perceptions and experiences, when in fact these factors may greatly influence not only their interactions with their students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009) but their own ratings of the students. Therefore, it is critical to examine these perceptions and to provide appropriate emotional and psychological support for teachers that are the most in need.
According to a 2014 study by Pas and Bradshaw, which examined 702 teachers in 42 elementary schools, teachers’ ratings of students’ behavior were associated with their own experiences and perceptions of the school. Teachers who had negative perceptions of the school and experienced high burnout generally rated their students less favorably than their colleagues. In addition, the study reported that teacher perceptions of their students likely influenced the way in which teachers interacted with their students and in turn the way that their students interacted with each other. These findings suggest that teachers experiencing high levels of stress are more likely to become exasperated by student behavior and to make discipline referrals as a result. This further emphasizes the importance of stress reduction, particularly in terms of decreasing discipline referrals and in building trust and positive teacher-student relationships.
The Impact of Self-Efficacy on Teacher Stress
Teacher self-efficacy and perceived level of multicultural competency should be examined via a needs assessment to determine whether this is an area of need for the school and one that should be considered for school-wide intervention. Self-efficacy can be defined as “beliefs that teachers hold about their ability to bring about a range of positive outcomes in their classrooms” (Berg, 2014). These beliefs have been associated with a wide range of positive outcomes for students, schools, teachers, and pre-service teachers. By using professional development and systems-level support as a way to improve teacher self-efficacy, school psychologists can improve the school on a larger scale.
As discussed in Robert Klassen’s (2010) article, teaching is not practiced in a social or cultural vacuum. Job satisfaction and motivation are influenced by teachers’ interactions with colleagues and students, but these two factors may also be influenced by cultural milieu and cultural values. Swartzer and Hallum (2008) stated that by strengthening teachers’ optimistic self-beliefs along with improving teaching skills, intervention can be a preventive measure to avoid the downward spiral of self-efficacy. Therefore, by addressing teacher stress at a systems-wide level, school psychologists can potentially increase teacher self-efficacy and thus improve the relationships and trust between students and teachers.
Principle 2 of the NASP Practice Model mandates that the professional climate facilitates effective service delivery that allows school psychologist to advocate for and provide appropriate services. In order to properly advocate for the best interests of the child, the school psychologist must first address the needs of teachers and staff experiencing high levels of stress and/or adversity. School psychologists seeking to remediate a stressful school climate should first conduct a needs assessment with teachers in order to locate needs and whether or not teachers will be receptive to a stress management program.
Planning a Stress-Management Program
Some questions to ask prior to beginning the process pertain to the overall school climate and teacher stress level. These questions, as provided by Kipps-Vaughan (2013, p.15) include: Are the teachers experiencing any stressors beyond the norm of an educational work place? Is there a level of teacher stress that is affecting the classroom learning environment? Additionally, will a teacher wellness program communicate to staff members that they are valued and help promote an environment of social support?
A valuable tool to address these questions and for identifying the need for health and wellness services is a needs assessment. By ensuring that responses display sensitivity and responsiveness to staff needs, a needs assessment is critical to providing effective intervention (Nardi, 2003). Adhering to Principle 6 of the NASP Practice Model will ensure that individual school psychologists and school systems create professional development plans annually that are both adequate for and relevant to the service delivery priorities of the school system. Since school psychologists are trained to develop, administer, and analyze needs assessments, they should work with administrators to develop an appropriate plan for their school.
Interest in an intervention should also be gauged prior to the implementation of the program. Without high interest, the efficacy of the intervention could be lessened due to inconsistent or poor participation rates. In a 2013 article by Debi Kipps-Vaughan, after-school stress management sessions led to positive outcomes and the teachers feeling supported and appreciated by the principal. Since the principal also attended the sessions, he also benefitted from new knowledge and skills for managing stress. In addition, teachers voiced excitement about participating in a training that was designed to promote their emotional well-being (p.12). By including administration in a stress management program, school psychologists can help to facilitate a positive and supportive school climate.
In addition, teachers may exhibit a reluctance to take part in the program because it requires they participate in something for themselves. As teachers often focus on taking care of others, it may be difficult for them to acknowledge the importance of the training or to find time in a busy schedule. School psychologists can encourage teachers to take part in these programs by providing verbal encouragement, explaining the positive outcomes of stress-management programs, and possibly even offering incentives for the completion of the training.
Stress management programs can cover a variety of topics that best suit the needs of the school staff. Some of these topics include: positive thinking, relaxation and mindfulness techniques, communication skills training, conflict resolution, and problem solving skills. Overall, the goal for the school psychologist is to increase the awareness of participants and to help them to increase stress management strategies and self-regulation and coping skills.
Discussion of Positive Outcomes
Brown and Uehara (1999) found that stress management intervention programs have a wide variety of positive outcomes, which include improved peer support, reduced levels of somatic complaints, decreased work pressure and work ambiguity, enhanced feelings of personal accomplishment, and improved job satisfaction. Effective stress management programs that have been effectively utilized in the schools include interventions such as stress awareness, physiological training, environment adjustment, and cognitive coping strategies (Brown & Uehara, 1999).
Framing the stress-management intervention appropriately is crucial to success, and “should not be offered because teachers are stressed and need help, but because teaching is one of the most stressful occupations and there are helpful techniques and strategies available” (Kipps-Vaughan, 2013, p.16). After determining which approach is most appropriate, school psychologists should present the program in a positive manner that entices and encourages teachers and school staff to participate.
For school psychologists in a continually evolving career, professional development becomes more critical as the roles and responsibilities of school psychologists change over time (Dickison, 2009, p.21). By establishing oneself in a school leadership role, the school psychologist can work to ensure that they are relied upon in the future as an invaluable resource for systems-wide school development.
Conclusion
Although school psychologists and administrators typically maintain a very busy schedule, it is important to be aware that sometimes the most important time to attend to the stress of the teachers in your building is when you feel that you have enough time for it. Practicing school psychologists often spend time in more than one building and do not have the resources allotted to dedicating a full work week to one school. However, in order to build a positive and supportive relationship, additional time may need to be invested up front in order to begin systems-level change. Suggesting a stress-management program and providing mental health resources and support can be enormously beneficial to teachers and staff in a number of ways. The school psychologist has a distinct skill set and training background that can be utilized to make the building climate more positive, which in turn will help students to achieve meaningful gains in school and in life.
In addition to improving the interpersonal relationships of colleagues and coworkers, the practitioner may also benefit from practicing stress management techniques. According to a 2009 article by Dickison et al., the areas of greatest job satisfaction include the opportunity to serve others, stay busy, work independently, and to establish professional relationships with co-workers (p.20). These findings suggest that by implementing more systems-level interventions, specifically those that help to improve interpersonal relationships between co-workers, school psychologists are likely to find their work more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Future Directions
- As discussed in an article by Lambert (2009), although teachers are widely recognized as vulnerable to stress given the high demands of their occupation, the existing literature does not yet provide a clear pathway for interventions designed to reduce the harmful effects of stress in educators. Therefore, additional research should be completed within the school setting to explore possible interventions for a variety of professional and personal needs.
- The harmful effects of stress exact an individual toll on teachers finding it hard to cope with the demands of their profession and a collective toll on society as a whole when talented professionals leave the field due to fatigue, health problems, and low morale (p. 986). Research in this area could help to remediate some of these societal concerns and to allow teachers to shoulder the burden of accountability measures while remaining psychologically healthy.
- While in practice, school psychologists should continue to seek out up-to-date research and resources on coping with teacher stress and to advocate for these methods by providing professional development within their scope of influence.
- School psychologists should continue to be aware of adult community mental health services and more intensive therapeutic resources to refer teachers and staff appropriately.
References
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Erin McClure, M.A., is currently a fourth year doctoral student in School Psychology at the Ohio State University who works as an independent Behavior Consultant and as a university Graduate Associate. As a behavior consultant, Erin provides in-home behavior management services, individual counseling, and provides therapy and social skills groups for children and families. Prior to her work as a Graduate Associate, Erin taught Psychological Perspectives on Education to preservice teachers at Ohio State and was employed as a direct care provider at the Buckeye Ranch residential mental health treatment facility. Erin's research interests include the provision of mental health services in urban schools, effective school and counseling supports for English language learners, teacher cultural competence practices, and social justice.