Stress Prevention and Management: A Workshop Approach

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical rationale for a workshop on stress prevention and management and describes the "Stress and the Classroom Teacher" workshop as an approach that has applicability in various counseling settings, including those outside the educational field. The goals of this workshop include reducing participants' sense of isolation, increasing their selfawareness of the causes and effects of distress, identifying job-related successes and strengths, and formulating a tenative plan and action steps to prevent or alleviate the distress: workshop activities are outlined. Several conclusions are drawn regarding the value and significance of this intervention mold.

The Challenge Process: A Group Problem-Solving Technique

“…An example from a "Stress and the Classroom Teacher" workshop (Sparks & Ingram, 1979) will serve to illustrate this technique. In this workshop classroom teachers spend several hours identifying the sources of their distress and learning a number of stress management strategies (e.g., meditation, vigorous physical exercise, modifying expectations, and irrational ideas, etc.).…”

Preventing and managing job related stress.

“…Two typical stress management workshop programs were described by Sparks and Ingram (1979) and Baron and Cohen (1982). The first was developed for teachers, the second for help-line telephone counselors.…”

A comparative study of stress related factors in the work environment of the student personnel administrator

“…Their work definitely has high potential and occurrence rate for burnout. Sparks and Ingram (1979) indicated that the literature on burnout in the field of education has been very extensive, however, the focus has been mainly upon the public school administrator and teacher. Because of this fact, more research is being proposed that will focus on the higher education setting.…”

“…It may be produced by pleasant stimuli as well as unpleasant experiences. Sparks and Ingram (1979) maintained that while some indi viduals (turtles) require a quiet relaxing environment for healthy func tioning, others (racehorses) are happiest with a more stimulating.…”