The Teacher's Ultimate Stress Survival Guide: 77 Proven Prescriptions to Build Your Resilience Book

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xv

About the Author xvii

Part I Understanding the Real Causes of Your Stress 1

1 How Stress Can Kick the Health Out of You 3

Learning Objectives 3

Tales of a Saber-Toothed Tiger 8

The Incredible Mind-Body Connection 10

Physiological Symptoms Associated With Stressors Inherent in Teaching 12

Some Stress Is Actually Good for You 14

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 17

References 18

2 How Life Events and Changes Can Impact Stress and Illness 19

Learning Objectives 19

Your Recent Life Changes Score and Its Interpretations 24

Low LCU Score (0 to 199) 24

Moderate LCU Score (200 to 299) 24

Elevated LCU Score (300 to 449) 25

High LCU Score (450 and higher) 25

The Life Event Stressors Inherent in Teaching 27

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 32

References 33

3 How to Recognize the Real Culprit: Your Internal Critic 35

Learning Objectives 35

The Origins of Our Belief Systems 36

Our Self-Talk and Our Emotions 40

Expose and Dispose of Your Internal Critic 43

Common Negative Self-Talk Patterns 43

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 53

References 54

4 How to Thrive Despite Being Genetically Wired With Stress-Prone Personality Traits 55

Learning Objectives 55

Two Personality Types That Promote Stress 57

You Can Start Modifying Some of Your Type-A Behaviors Today! 62

How to Use Active-Listening Skills 73

You Can Start Modifying Some of Your People-Pleasing Behaviors Today! 74

How to Assert Yourself 75

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 83

References 84

5 How to Deflect Stressors: Carefully Planned Plus Warp-Speed Techniques 85

Learning Objectives 85

Recognize Your Thinking Patterns 86

The ThinkingPattern Worksheet (TPW) 90

A Thought-Stopping Technique 94

A Calming-Breathing Technique 94

Write-It-Down Technique 95

Worry-Time Technique 95

Make a Contract With Yourself 96

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 97

References 98

Part II Prescriptions for Building Your Psychological Immunity to Stress 99

6 How to Harness the Power Within and Inoculate Yourself Against the Impact of Inevitable Stressors 101

Learning Objectives 101

How to Begin the Inoculation Process 102

How to Build Resilience to Stress: The Three Cs of Stress Hardiness 103

Commitment 103

Control 104

Challenge 104

The Critical Challenges of Keeping Order in the Classroom 105

How to Build a Sense of Self-Efficacy 106

How to Use the Power of Goal Setting to Stay Focused Despite Stress Provocations 108

The Power of Desire, Imagination, and Expectation 110

How to Use the Power of Positive Affirmations to Develop the Three Cs and Accomplish Your Goals 111

Commitment 112

Control 113

Challenge 113

Goals 113

Change 113

Confidence 113

Believing in Myself 113

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 114

References 115

7 How Fun and Laughter Can Inoculate You: Jest for the Health of It! 117

Learning Objectives 117

The Legacy of Norman Cousins 118

The Legacy of My Dad, Bill Singer 119

What Do You Really Get Out of Laughing? 121

Today's Upsets Are Tomorrow's Laughs 122

Lighten Up Your Classroom 123

Make Your Classroom a Place to Have Fun While Learning 125

Consider Starting Each Day With the Joke of the Day 126

Intersperse Your Curriculum With Fun Activities That Encourage Group Identity 126

Allow the Students to Generate Laughs While They Work on Projects 126

Fill Your Classroom With Joke Books 126

Have Dress-Up Days 126

Use Improvisation Games to Anchor Learning Points 127

Lighten Up Both Your School and Your Life 127

First and Foremost, Make a Humor Commitment to Yourself 128

In Your School, Have a Positive Party Funded by Negative People 128

Sneak a Humorous Item Onto the Agenda of Every Serious Meeting 128

Provide Popsicles for the Teacher, Administrator, or Staff Person Who Put Up With the Most Heat During the Day 128

Start Bad Days With an Improvised Song 129

Start a New, Fun Practice at the School: When People Are Having a Bad Day, They Can Ask for a Standing Ovation 129

Have Your Own Personal Stress-Survival Kit 129

Make Goofy Faces Every Time You Are in Front of a Mirror 129

At Least Once a Week, Make Contact With a Friend Who Makes You Laugh 129

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 131

References 132

8 How to Become and Remain a Resilient Person 133

Learning Objectives 133

Learning to Become Optimistic 134

How to Bring More Joy and Happiness Into Your Life 142

More Behavioral Prescriptions to Build Resiliency 144

Proven Personal Prescriptions 144

Proven In-School Prescriptions 146

In Closing . . . No . . . This is Actually Your Beginning! 148

Action Plan for Stress Mastery 150

References 151

Resource A Glossary of Acronyms 153

Resource B 77 Behavioral Prescriptions to Master Stress and Build Your Reslience 155

Resource C A Deep-Muscle Relaxation Technique 163

Resource D Web Site Resources on Classroom Management 169

Index 173