Managing Stress through Positive Thinking

At the 2004 SCASA Conference, Dr. Marcia Tate of Developing Minds, Inc., gave a great presentation on managing stress in education. We will be using her book as reference guide. The following points apply to teachers of our school.

1. Surround yourself with a calming environment. Colors, lighting, aroma, and music can affect they way that a teacher and a student reacts to a situation.

2. Handle stressful situations proactively. Think positively and avoid negative feedback. When a person is placed in a confrontational situation, push the “pause button” because the brain is not working at its top performance. Use humor when ever possible.

3. Stay within your circle of influence and not in your circle of concern. We may be concerned about a policy passed by the legislature, but there is little that we can do about it. In our circle of influence, we can affect how it is implemented on our school level.

4. Stay active and have a purpose. Teachers need to constantly be growing in the profession or else they will die professionally.