Book Description

The purpose of this dissertation was to design and document a program to support teacher stress management and development of efficacy within the classroom for full-time, K-8th grade teachers. The process followed Maher's (1999) model to ensure the relevancy, practicality and defensibility of the program. Relevant research revealed that teacher stress comes from multiple sources and has a proven effect on teachers' health, classroom effectiveness, and student outcomes. The bidirectional relationships between stressful environments, negative feelings, and behavioral responses to stress contribute to the overall cycle of stress and the inability to cope with future events. The current social context does not recognize the importance of teacher stress management, which only contributes to teacher stress. However, effective stress management programs support teacher well-being and effectiveness and positive student outcomes. Twenty-three elementary and middle school teachers from two schools located in a suburban district in New Jersey completed the needs assessment to help clarify the needs of the target population, support the research, and guide the program's purpose and goals. These teachers were more stressed and had lower levels of perceived efficacy than typical teachers, experienced stress from multiple sources, and perceived negative effects of stress on their teaching. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between stress and sense of efficacy among the respondents. Information was then gathered about evidence-based stress management and efficacy-building programs and techniques. This review revealed that techniques to promote mindfulness, positive psychology concepts, self-care activities, and the problem-solving process support stress management and development of efficacy. Successful programming should also include teacher input, administrative support, structured communication, and ongoing monitoring and support. Following completion of the needs assessment and the review of current programs, a 16-session program was designed using the results. Phone interviews were conducted to assess if the context could support the program as designed. The context assessment revealed that most of the elements of the program were supported, with the main concern being that teachers are already overwhelmed. The final program was documented and an evaluation plan was developed to support future decisions about the program's effectiveness and generalizability.