Stress Management

Creating support systems to promote staff well-being

scameron — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:20:23 +0100

During recent years, schools have rightly focused upon the development of social and emotional aspects of learning, and as a result there has been a significant increase in the focus on pupil well-being. When quoting from the Office of National Statistics (2000), Young Minds, a charity committed to improving young people’s mental health and well-being, noted that more than 10% of 5-15 year olds are affected by mental health problems.

Helping students to manage stress

scameron — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:39:39 +0100

The word is subjective in the sense that it is person specific, similarly to words such as happiness, failure or success. Regardless, experiencing tensional stress is a normal part of everyday life for everyone. It is when young people experience too much stress that they become anxious, exhausted and tired and unable to function appropriately, both in the learning and social context.

Helping teachers cope with stress

scameron — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:51:41 +0100

The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it.
Anonymous

The future of SATs

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:00 +0100

First published in May 2008

What are SATs?

Workplace stress: protect staff and avoid litigation

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:00 +0100

Stress is one of the most serious problems facing teachers today, according to the NUT. Teaching is an increasingly demanding job, with escalating pressure levels. Research shows that teachers now face greater occupational stress than most other employees. One union leader has even referred to 'Ofsted-related stress', which he said was the cause of two teacher suicides.

The Health and Safety Executive defines work-related stress as 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them'.

Meditation as an aid to wellbeing

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:59 +0100

Like many other teachers, I am fed up with most of the ‘initiatives’ we are asked to undertake. Too many of them seem to come around again and again, contradicting the other things we are doing and having very little impact. But some recent initiatives are different. These recognise that a child is body, mind and spirit. It has always been so, of course, but the need to recognise it has become urgent.

Why now?

Children's stress and anxiety

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:50 +0100

A review from Cambridge University, reported early in October in 2007, suggests that too much pressure on today’s primary school children is leading to stress and anxiety. The independently funded Primary Review is based in the university’s faculty of education and is an interim report which will be followed by a further 31, before the final, full report in 2008. What we have is a small part of the whole, but the words ‘anxiety’ and ‘stress’ should set alarm bells ringing. Is this what primary education is about?

Coping with stress: working with children who have suffered abuse

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:38 +0100

Named persons for child protection have to be on the management/leadership team. The level of decision-making involved in the role demands a high-level response. Often in primary schools it is the head who takes on the role and I know many heads who say they do not want to put other members of staff in the role because it feels unfair to expect others to take it on.

Coping with stress: situations and contexts

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:36 +0100

Each of us interacts with our working environment differently and perceives it differently: a certain stressor may or may not cause a stress reaction in a particular individual. It follows that we cannot label specific aspects of work, such as workload or deadlines, as inherently stressful. Some aspects of work will cause stress for some people and others will thrive on them.

Coping with stress: school leaders

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:31 +0100

In previous articles I have detailed exactly what is happening to our bodies when we are under stress. An understanding of the physiology of stress is vital if we are going to survive in a sector that is regularly in the top three of most stressed employees. Building on this foundation of scientific knowledge it is time to ask: What can we do about it?

Coping with stress: the physical and mental effects

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:27 +0100

Stress has been called ‘the epidemic of the 21st century'. Stress is everywhere these days and we are particularly aware of it in schools. Stress management is a multi-million pound business so why, if we are spending so much money on preventing it, through medication or meditation, are we all still victims of the condition?

Coping with stress: the long-term impact

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:27 +0100

In a previous article I described in detail what happens to your body when you find yourself in stressful situations. My assertion is that understanding this process can help us cope with it better. Uncontrolled stress can lead to physical and mental burnout; understanding how this comes about will benefit headteachers.

Coping with stress: the body's responses

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:23 +0100

Stress has been called ‘the epidemic of the 21st century’. Stress is everywhere these days and we are particularly aware of it in schools. Headteacher posts remain unfilled because aspiring staff are well aware of the stress the role brings. Every headteacher knows a colleague in another school who is off work with stress related illness. Headteachers are dieing in-post. Maybe epidemic is an understatement!

Student mental health and wellbeing in further education

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:14 +0100

The 14-19 Education and Skills white paper and initiatives such as the Increased Flexibility for 14-16-Year-Olds Programme have meant that colleges of further education are working with greater numbers of young people from a wider range of backgrounds.

Teaching through dark feelings

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:13 +0100

Half-term has come and gone, the clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and this morning the first frost settled on the fields. This is the toughest part of the year for me. When the mornings are dark and I come out of the windowless drama studio as the sun sinks, my heart often sinks with it.

Impactful feelings

Helping children to cope

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:07 +0100

Many children experience frighteningly high levels of stress and difficulty. In a recent workshop, I asked the Year 6 children taking part to write down a current worry. My expectation was that they would focus on SATs tests and the upcoming move to secondary school. In fact, very few of them mentioned these topics and some said things like:

Keeping your staff safe

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:59 +0100

During a discussion about the retail business on Radio 4, one manager, when asked ‘Who are the most important people in your shop?’, answered ‘The staff’. His rationale was that if the staff weren’t happy, then they wouldn’t provide a good experience for the customers. This could equally well be applied to your setting. We know that the children are important, but if you don’t have the right staff with the right attitude, then the education and care those children receive will be less effective.

No more stress for pupils

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:45 +0100

A couple of years ago, I was asked by my ex Headmistress if I would speak to her pupils about managing stress and exam pressure. 'What a fantastic idea and what a forward thinking head mistress' I thought.

Managing stress in 5 minutes

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:39 +0100

The following is a technique that people have used successfully to address this situation. Firstly, find a quiet place (e.g. an empty classroom or office, your car in the school car park, even the loo!) and sit down, making yourself comfortable. Try the following exercise:

Dealing with stress

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:21 +0100

By Nancy Scott-Cameron

Anyone who is at all familiar with Alzheimer's disease knows the immeasurable stress any carer is under. How this daughter had cared for her father for 12 years single-handedly is a mystery. The up side of this true story is that she realised she was at the point of snapping and acted before she committed a murder for which she would never have forgiven herself. The down side is that, for the sake of her own health, she should have taken action sooner.

Stress in pre-historic times