Keywords

1 Introduction

Everyone faces pressure in the workplace due to the demands of the job in which they are engaged. Work-related stress has been seen as being a significant concern within today’s professions. This pressure may be deemed acceptable and manageable by one person, keeping them on their toes, challenging them to improve, create, and think outside the box. However, it can wreak havoc in the life of another who cannot keep up with the challenges of those demands. Stress is perceived as one of the most significant factors in human behavior that affects the livelihood, physical and mental health of the individual (Yang et al., 2009).

Compared to other professions, teaching has been seen to have one of the highest levels of stress. It is estimated that between a fifth and a quarter of teachers go through frequent stress (Earp, 2010). A research report done by the Health and Safety Executive confirmed that 41% of teachers reported high levels of job-related stress (Smith et al., 2000).

Increased levels of work-related stress for teachers, over prolonged periods of time can lead to teacher burnout (Kokkinos, 2007). Burnout has been associated with overly physical, emotional and mental exhaustion due to the continuous strain and stress (Blasé, 1982; Geving, 2007). Teacher burnout affects teacher performance and the quality of teaching they provide. It can also affect teacher retention and turnover (Ingersoll, 2001; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015).

2 Definition of Teacher Stress

Stress is the body's reaction to or response when there are changes happening in the life of any individual. For Argyle (1964) an individual’s understanding of matters occurring around them, which cause them to experience stress, may vary greatly from one person to the next.

Stress has been identified as a response to prolonged and amplified pressures that cannot be skillfully controlled by the person's coping mechanisms (Kyriacou, 1987). According to Travers and Cooper (1996), a stressor is thought to be something found in the environment of the person that can act as a stimulus. This can be physical, psychological/emotional, or behavioral in nature.

McGrath (1970) suggests that stress can take place when there is an apparent added environmental burden over and beyond an individual’s coping capabilities to meet those demands. Kyriacou (2001) further defined teacher stress as:

the experience by teachers of unpleasant, negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, tension, frustration, depression, resulting from some aspect of their work as a teacher (p. 28).

From these definitions, it is obvious that stress comes from the demands placed on the individual which prevent them from performing their duties.

3 Causes of Teacher Stress

Teaching has one of the highest stress levels than any other profession (Travers & Cooper, 1996). Dunham (1992) and Upton and Varma (1996) argued that the main sources of teacher stress vary from one teaching subgroup to the other. This is due to the fact that certain subgroups of teachers deal with unique and unrealistic demands that apply to that particular subgroup; private schools vs. public schools, regular schools vs. special needs schools, teaching lower grades vs. higher grades, etc. New technologies, new work procedures and requirements also affect workers’ stress levels and their abilities to cope with that stress. Students’ behavior and motivation also play a pivotal role in adding to teacher stress (Borg, 1990). Moreover, Jarvis (2002) reported that teaching is considered hard, poorly compensated and at the same time, thought of as having low public respect, and regard.

Some other matters that cause teacher stress include the following:

3.1 Teaching the Unmotivated

Teachers sometimes teach uninterested and unmotivated students. Teachers do their best to encourage, motivate and persuade students to be active members in class. However, there are groups of students who are uncooperative and unwilling to do anything in class. They don't bring their books or complete assignments, wasting their time, the teachers’ time and other students’ time. Moreover, these students lack the discipline needed for teachers to perform their jobs (Sutton, 1984; Hakanen et al., 2006). The constant effort by teachers to be alert makes them unable to relax or even think. If teachers aren't attentive even for a second, these students may take the opportunity to have verbal and/or physical confrontations with other students which could lead to serious incidents. Teaching these unwilling and unmotivated students makes teachers feel frustrated and exhausted (Kyriacou, 2000). This emotional, physical and mental exhaustion and drain cause teachers a great deal of stress.

3.2 Lack of Communication and Input

Communication is a key aspect in every work environment. Teachers want to know what is going on around them in their department, school or district. Lack of communication or poorly communicated policies and procedures, or expectations affect teacher level of stress (Blasé, 1986; Travers & Cooper, 1996). With little or no communication taking place, teachers tend to get upset and over time, this turns to anger, and anger turns into rage and rage turns into frustration and stress (Brown & Ralph, 1992). Furthermore, lack of input in matters that concern teachers and their students, can make life difficult for teachers. Teachers know the best ways to teach their students, what suits their abilities and what helps them do well. Teachers become stressed out when they aren't consulted about their students’ welfare and the ways they can help them.

3.3 Lack of Clarity and Objectives

Teachers need clarity about expectations, extracurricular activities, feedback and evaluations. They need to have direction and logic behind expectations. Once their road is clear ahead of them, goals have been set with their input, teachers accept them. When the mission and the objectives are laid out for them, they have a road map of things to do.

However, lack of clarity means that anyone can come in and dictate things last minute. When this happens, teachers who are inundated and overwhelmed with work may not be able to handle last minute changes to schedules, teaching load, assignments, etc., adding to the already overworked teachers, causing them increased and unwarranted stress.

3.4 Lack of Resources

Teachers require a great deal of resources. They need teaching materials, supplies and technical gadgets; hardware and software. These tools have significant effect on the work satisfaction of teachers. Teachers cannot work, or their work is hindered without such resources (Yang et al., 2009; Aldrup et al., 2017). In order for teachers to have what they need for their classes, they often use their own money for much needed supplies. This burdens teachers whose salaries are not that great in the first place. This adds to the many problems teachers face, leading them to feel pressure that can mount to unmanageable stress.

3.5 Lack of Training/Professional Development

Teachers need to better themselves through continuous training and development because of the rapid advances in technologies and teaching practices. Teachers need to network with other same minded individuals who can help them find resources, tools and ideas to help manage the pressure of work (Aldrup et al., 2017). They require training on how to deal with troubled or unmotivated students, and on how to work with special needs students. If teachers lack such training, they feel that they cannot compete in their fields, feeling lost and unable to keep up with practices and developments that their students need. This leads to teacher frustration and lack of contrast, ultimately leading to stress.

3.6 Lack of Compensation

Teachers do a lot of extra work marking papers, preparing lessons and answering emails or WhatsApps from their students, fellow teachers, parents and administrators. They participate in extracurricular activities, hold parent-teacher conferences and attend department meetings as part of their work. Teachers are poorly paid compared to what they do in the process of helping educate generations of students (Popa, Laurian & Fitzgerald, 2015). If teachers are not compensated for at least some of the extra things they do, teachers feel resentment and apathy which can ultimately turn into intolerable stress.

3.7 Promotional Feedback and Evaluation

Teachers are evaluated and monitored constantly by their school administrators, colleagues and parents. At times, teachers’ formative or summative performance evaluations take place without giving teachers any feedback. Reports are written, evaluations and promotions are made behind closed doors without consultations with the teacher. The teacher is surprised with the results and has no say in the final outcome, with remarks being placed in their permanent record. Moreover, improper feedback is given without regards to the circumstances behind the teachers’ performance. This frustrates teachers, making them feel unappreciated and undermined, leading to stress and anxiety.

3.8 Lack of Decision Making

Teachers know their subject matter very well, know what suits their students and how to deliver the subject matter in a way that is most conducive to learning. However, with all that knowledge, teachers are not permitted to make decisions about their classes. When there is lack of decision making, stress levels increase in teachers (Travers & Cooper, 1996). Because teachers are told what to do and when, without being involved, and are unable to make vital decisions about what is happening in class, they become extremely agitated and stressed out.

4 Symptoms of Stress

The above sources of stress cause teachers to exhibit symptoms that indicate they are stressed out. Some of these symptoms are either physical, psychological/emotional or behavioral/attitudinal. According to Kyriacou and Pratt (1985), different teachers have different responses and reactions to stress and how they deal with it. Many teachers get stressed out, but this goes unnoticed until the symptoms become too obvious to ignore. Teachers may not even notice these symptoms until someone like a colleague, a school administrator or a family member points it out. Some of these symptoms of stress are as follows.

  1. 1.

    Physical

Some of the physical symptoms of stress include exhaustion or fatigue. Teachers feel tired because they are overworked. Teachers cannot sleep well because of the constant worrying about outcomes. Insomnia sets in, and over time, leads to medical problems. Teachers start experiencing headaches or migraines and over time these medical issues linger and lead teachers to depression (Sandilos et al., 2018), leading to gastrointestinal problems and ulcers and other health issues (Wiley, 2000; Sorenson, 2007). Guglielmi and Tatrow (1998) point out that having an elevated stress level may cause the person to eat unhealthily, causing them to either lose or gain weight. Unscheduled meals in the middle of the night because of lack of sleep or loss of appetite because of the worries about what tomorrow will bring cause fluctuations in weight. Hypertension, high blood pressure and heart problems start surfacing, making teachers more prone and easily susceptible to high risk chronic diseases.

  1. 2.

    Psychological/emotional

When teachers are not being heard or consulted, they feel underestimated and unappreciated, so they start not caring about what is going on around them. Loss of concern and apathy sink in and turn the teacher into someone who has no feelings toward their students, turning them into being negative, pessimistic and cynical (Srivastava & Adams, 2011).

Moreover, teachers would feel a sense of futility and low morale, making them feel that nothing will work no matter what they do. They become irritable and easily angered, by being bitter and impatient with everything at work and in their own personal lives.

Finally, teachers feel that they are failures, making them feel guilty for the lack of achievement. This feeling of failure creates paranoia, making them suspicious of every person around them, creating and spreading gossip so as they can explain their feelings of failure and loss. These can ultimately cause them to become emotionally detached from everything and everyone around them.

  1. 3.

    Behavioral/attitudinal

When teachers are frustrated, they become angry at any and everything. If they are asked to perform a duty, they criticize and create problems instead of being part of the solution. They become angry at those making demands whether it be the students, colleagues or administrators. This criticism is also self-directed. Angry teachers criticize themselves for putting up with everything. They become easily explosive at any minor or inconsequential issue.

Moreover, stressed out teachers start taking risks by procrastinating. They start being late in writing reports, inputting attendance, and meeting with parents or administrators, lacking the focus needed for the job, lacking purpose and the assignment of priorities. Their absenteeism rate increases (either due to lack of sleep, indifference or apathy), reducing their involvement and commitment to their work (Klassen et al., 2012). They start losing enthusiasm because nothing is enticing anymore. All of these could also lead to a major decrease in communication and withdrawal from their work community.

Finally, excessive reactions to occupational stress may lead teachers to drug use. This starts with legal drugs to help with headaches and migraines, insomnia and gastrointestinal problems to using illegal drugs, which could lead to addiction, and using drugs at home, in the streets or even at work.

5 Preventing and Treating Stress

Teachers need to be aware of their environments by knowing what is realistic and what is not. They know what they are capable of doing well, and what they are trained for. For those reasons, teachers need to accept challenges and changes in their lives. If teachers follow certain steps, they can reduce stress and cope with matters arising which were not planned for. The following suggestions can help teachers alleviate some of the stress they experience.

5.1 Set Realistic Goals

Teachers need to set goals which can help them organize their daily, weekly, monthly and annual work. They need to set realistic goals that they can achieve at or before the deadlines. Teachers should also set priorities as to what has the highest importance and what has the least by making lists of tasks to be accomplished first and which can wait to a later time. Teachers can use the time management matrix introduced by Stephen Covey to plan and prioritize their time effectively. This allows them to recognize what is urgent/important, urgent/not important, not urgent/important and not urgent/not important (Mueller, 2019). Moreover, good planning and ample preparation assists teachers in being a step ahead, allowing them to deal with the most arduous tasks that need more immediate and urgent attention. Good planning also gives teachers more time and energy to deal with emergencies arising.

5.2 Ask for Help When It is Needed

An Arab expression says “one hand doesn't clap. You need two.” This means that people depend on each other for support. It is not a shame to ask for help when needed. It is a sign of strength of character. Teachers should develop a personal and an academic support system where they can ask others for assistance when needed or by delegating tasks to other more capable teachers. If there is something that a teacher cannot perform, he/she can ask someone else to help them, either by showing them how to do it, or by having others do it for them (Kyriacou, 2000). Finally, when you believe that you have limitations in task performance, you feel that it is not a sign of failure. Once we recognize that, we can easily say “I really don't know how to do it. Perhaps someone else has the ability to do it.”

5.3 Maintain an Active Social and Personal Life Outside of Work

Teachers should have each other's backs. Outside work, teachers should maintain active social lives where they can mingle with others from other walks of life. This would take the teachers’ minds off teaching and allow them to diversify their experiences. It would help them enjoy the world around them away from work. This helps keep their sanity and makes them feel that they are part of the community and part of something that is less stressful. One can go away for the weekend to a healthy environment to help them forget the troubles of the job. A well-balanced individual can feel secure and more able to deal with various situations more easily.

5.4 Maintain a Regimen of Proper Nutrition

When teachers maintain proper nutrition and food intake, weight fluctuation is controlled. The right food eaten at the right time, and a suitable physical exercise program should be followed. Exercising regularly keeps the body and mind healthy, reducing the stress of a long day's work. Finally, consulting with the school nutritionist about healthy eating and what healthy food to eat helps build a healthy individual. Avoiding eating fast food or eating on the run can also help keep one fit and healthy.

5.5 Accentuate the Positive

If you accentuate the negative, negative thoughts and ideas dominate your mind. There are some things that cannot be changed. Once you accept that, you will recognize that some things are out of your control and there’s nothing you can do about them. Don’t overreact to things! Find the support you need from the people around you to achieve your goals. Being positive allows you to efficiently and creatively deal with issues you encounter. Boekaerts (1993) describes it as the individual's ability to move from the “coping mode” to the “mastery mode.” By controlling their emotions, teachers can become better at mastering the way they can handle stress. It isn't coping only, but also being masters at lowering their stress levels.

5.6 Avoid Confrontations

Butting heads with people around you, students, colleagues, and administrators, is not a good way to solve problems. Teachers need to think creatively and outside the box for solutions to help them avoid confrontations. When you confront people directly, they become resentful and may make things more difficult. Try to discuss matters with them in a civilized manner. If you have to, write your feelings down so that you can feel better about what you are doing. Moreover, try to communicate better with others by choosing your words carefully. Using clear directions while communicating with everyone around you can help in avoiding ambiguities and misunderstandings. Generalities open doors to varied interpretations based on the person's perspective and perceptions. Clear language use eliminates all that confusion and misunderstandings.

6 Implications for Administrators

Administrators are responsible for taking care of their teachers by keeping things together to help make everyone happy and productive. The role of administrators is to facilitate the flow of work in the smoothest way possible. Administrators are the glue that holds teachers, students, parents and the community together, running things with the least amount of stress and problems.

Administrators are supposed to take steps that help reduce teachers’ stress. Some of the things administrators can do are.

6.1 Provide Teachers with Professional/Personal Development Opportunities

Teachers require continuous and lifelong learning opportunities so that they learn new things in order to implement the best educational methods and practices (Mizell, 2010). They want to network with others in the same teaching field so that they can compare notes on how to develop materials and teaching techniques to improve learning. Providing teachers with workshops and professional training, helps teachers perform better in the classroom. Furthermore, administrators need to provide personal development opportunities to teachers (Neves de Jesus et al., 2014; Sandilos et al., 2018). Workshops on personal financial planning, relaxation training, time management workshops, nutrition, exercise and coping skills training help teachers improve their mental, physical and behavioral abilities. When teachers are balanced personally, they become balanced professionally.

6.2 Improve Work Conditions

Teachers have great work demands. When possible, administrators should improve the working conditions of teachers by hiring extra staff or use volunteers to supervise school activities or extracurricular activities. By doing this, teachers would have more time to dedicate to teaching. Administrators could reduce the workload, support teachers in dealing with behavior problem students, provide proper resources and have clear job assignments. Administrators can also provide a better communication system to avoid confusion, misunderstandings and misinterpretation of teacher assignments. Finally, administrators can assign mentors and coaches to help novice teachers learn the ins and outs of the school, helping them understand processes, policies and procedures. They can help them with matters related to entering grades, attendance, writing reports, KPIs, etc. Mentors can help their mentees implement the best teaching practices, how to deal with discipline issues and how to motivate students.

6.3 Involve Teachers in Decision-Making

One of the top issues that cause teachers’ stress is their inability to participate in the decision-making process when it comes to their classrooms and school. When teachers are kept in the dark, and when they think that their opinions don't matter, teachers become indifferent and uninvolved in the teaching process. However, when teachers are involved in the decision-making process, they feel their worth and feel they have a say in what is going on around them. They feel that someone cares to hear what they are thinking, becoming happy that someone is listening to them. Administrators feel that their teachers are more contented and less resistant to the decisions made.

6.4 Deal with Compensation Matters

Teachers’ salaries are not that high, and when they pay out of their own pockets for supplies or attend conferences at their own expense, they feel the crunch. Administrators should compensate and reimburse teachers who work extra hours, use their own money to pay for supplies or attend conferences. If teachers don't have to worry about the burden of money, this would be one less thing they don't have to worry about. They wouldn't worry about getting another job or moonlighting to get more money. They would have more time to dedicate to their students, schools and to themselves. Stress would be tremendously reduced and the pressures of life would be more tolerable.

6.5 Reward and Recognize Teacher Efforts

Teachers do many things beyond the call of duty and their job descriptions. Teachers ought to get the recognition and acknowledgement they deserve. Too often times, when teachers do good things, they are not mentioned or appreciated. However, when they slip once, it is written in their permanent record. Teachers’ efforts and achievements should be highlighted and appreciated. The whole school community and the general public should be involved in such efforts. Recognition could be done during school announcements, teacher meetings, parent-teacher conferences, school assemblies and in newsletters. This can be as simple as mentions in meetings, thank you notes, certificates, plaques, small gifts or any other symbolic gesture. Giving teachers what they deserve greatly and positively affects the teachers’ attitudes, performance and achievements.

6.6 Be Fair to All Teachers

Administrators should be fair to all teachers, treating them equally. All teachers contribute to the education process. Some do more than others for one reason or another. As long as administrators account for that, and teachers are aware of it, then there are no speculations about one person being treated differently from the other.

Equity among teachers regardless of gender, race, age or status allows teachers to see that everyone is on the same par with others. By having school wide policies that apply to all helps teachers feel they are part of the team and that no one is better than the other.

Teacher evaluation and feedback should follow suit by judging all according to the same criteria. Equity in terms of workload, extracurricular activities, committee assignments, conference attendance, overtime pay and others should be followed.

7 Conclusion

Stress can be positive for some, but highly chaotic to others. Teachers face many challenges when dealing with unmotivated, disinterested and students with behavior problems. They have to deal with students, parents, colleagues and school administrators. They have to work with school and district policies that can be favorable or policies with a lot of red tape.

Teachers like to see transparent communication with clear objectives and clear mission declared. They need to have fair and unbiased feedback and evaluations. They also want training and career and personal development so that they can improve their skills. Teachers want to have proper compensation for what they do beyond their job assignments. Unfortunately, some teachers feel that they are mistreated, undermined and unsupported. All of the above, if not taken care of, can result in stress taking over and many physical, psychological or emotional and behavioral problems can occur.

Finally, school administrators can alleviate some of the stress factors that affect teachers by being available for them anytime they require support. They can improve working conditions, by providing personal and professional development opportunities, recognizing teachers’ efforts and by treating everyone equally.

8 Discussion Questions

  1. 1.

    What are the top 5 stressors in your life?

  2. 2.

    What are 5 things (not mentioned in this chapter) that administrators can do to reduce your stress level?