Classroom Behavior and Teacher Stress

The number one classroom management strategy a teacher should follow should be how to manage STRESS. As an educator for over 20 years and having taught in elementary, middle, and high school, let's face it, teachers are on the frontline to control and manage student behavior in addition to teach their curriculum. Behavior management of your classroom starts at the beginning of the year if you want it to be successful. However, a good management strategy at the beginning does not guarantee a great middle or ending.

When the behavior strategies do not work, this is when the stress begins. STRESS is what we feel when we are overloaded emotionally. There are three types of stress; episodic acute, acute stress and chronic. I'm going to focus on chronic stress. Chronic stress tears at your body physically. It can result in a heart attack, stroke, or produce cancer among other diseases.

As any teacher has learned, you are to set your standards and boundaries at the beginning, such as your class rules and procedures. How do you want questions answered, how are students to line up to leave the room and how to respect others in the class. As with those procedures you have established in your classroom, you are to establish procedures for yourself to help you eliminate the stress of managing your classroom's behavior. You do not want to die trying to manage your classroom.

Let's face it, no matter how much you thought and worked with your team on your classroom discipline rules and procedures, there will be at least two or three students that are just not going to conform to the rules that you have in place. These two or three students whether in elementary school, and you have them all day, or in middle and high school and they are per class or scattered throughout your day, they are there and they are not going anywhere.

When the bell rings and the classroom is finally empty, you sit in your desk and reflect on your day and you look at the desk that the student that has caused your head to hurt, your shoulders to ache and your feet to hurt, you realize you have stress. As a teacher, to be of a purpose to your students you must practice relieving your stress. One major thing you need to do is to immediately let that day go. Do not take it home. The day is done and it cannot be relived. On your way home, listen to something that is relaxing, such as a book you've wanted to read or music, and create in your mind a better day tomorrow. When you leave the school door, leave it there.

Practice preventive techniques to replenish yourself for your class the next day. Plan ahead what you may need to do differently the next day. Ask yourself, is it something that I can do to prevent the behavior tomorrow? Is the behavior something that is preventing learning and disruption, then you will need to correct this immediately as other students are at risk of not learning.

Talk to others. Ask how you can correct the situation in your classroom. You see, the key word here is talk and ask questions. Not complain. Complaining is NOT going to solve anything. Remember, you are in the right place at the right time. Obviously, you are to give some of your self to your students. Behavior management is not just for the students, but for the teacher as well. The way you handle the stress of managing the behavior in your classroom will allow you to be a better teacher.