Tending the Garden: Case Studies in School Stress

KURT W. CLAUSEN and DALE R. PETRUKA

Abstract: Because of the nature of institutional administration, the intrinsic characteristics of the teaching profession, and outside factors, educators may suffer from many stress-related problems such as anxiety, illness, and withdrawal. In this article, the authors offer three case studies taken from field analysis as examples of stress in the workplace. These illustrations are followed by a discussion of the ways scholarship has endeavored to deal with the problem of stress. Keywords: school environment, stress, stress management, teacher burnout he school, like any workplace, is frequently a hub of ailments, maladies, and health problems as a result of job-related stress. Some would argue that because educators are so intrinsically motivated by their work, their well-being and home life may suffer more as they focus so highly on the job at hand. Managing a full class, preparing lessons, and conducting ongoing evaluations are only a few duties on an ever-expanding list that can keep an educator in a constant state of nervous tension. However, is this situation as bleak as it appears? Bolman and Deal (2003), in looking at the needs of each worker, use a horticulture analogy to clarify matters:
A gardener knows that every plant has specific requirements. The right combination of temperature, moisture, soil conditions, and sunlight allows a plant to grow and flourish. Within design limits, plants do their best to get what they need. They orient leaves sunward to get more light or sink roots deeper in search of water. A plants capabilities generally increase with maturity. (116)

Are human beings so different? This was the question that we posed as we began exploring various

school settings to determine what inhibited some teachers from successfully undertaking or completing new projects. After compiling a large number of case studies, we concluded that stress does play a significant role in determining teachers actions and happiness. Stress, however, cannot simply be attributed to long hours, too much work, or a fast-paced lifestyle. Rather, problems seem to appear for individuals when their own needs begin to conflict with the demands of the environment. In most of the cases that we observed, the causes of these problems generally emerged from three broad bases that could be linked to past research in the area of stress: systemic factors that were part of the institutional and political organization, factors that were intrinsic to the teaching profession, and outside factors that affected the vulnerability of individual teachers. When Travers and Cooper (1997) surveyed over eight hundred British and French teachers, they found that participants blamed a lack of government support, too little information about changes in the hierarchy, and the constant push for systemic reform as the causes of their greatest anxiety. These results would not surprise the organizational writer Chris Argyris (1957, 1964). Using Maslows hierarchy of needs as a model, Argyris found that many systemic problems arose from worker stress and strain as they try to meet their personal needs within the business. He noted that these organizational factors were not intrinsic to the nature of teaching but should be seen as part of the larger business of education. In short, he explained that when mature adults are forced to work in any environment where they seem to be losing control, conflict will result. In a teaching job, this stress

Kurt W. Clausen, PhD, is an assistant professor of education at Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Dale R. Petruka, PhD, is a principal for the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board in Brantford, Ontario. Copyright 2009 Heldref Publications
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may then be reflected in a number of ways. Teachers may physically and psychologically withdraw into their classrooms and stop attempting contact with the rest of the school administration. They may try to sabotage the organization, form bases of resistance, or seek promotion as a way out of a stressful situation. At the furthest extreme, some workers may react with panic and paranoia, while others may become obsessive, fatigued, or even clinically depressed. Similarly, more recent studies have shown that teachers who are satisfied with the decisions and degree of support provided by school administrators show more positive attitudes regarding their occupation (Grayson and Alvarez 2008; Hepburn and Brown 2001). Other studies have concluded that anxiety and health problems may also come from the classroom itself. Chorney (1998), for example, asked forty-one teachers to identify the characteristics of a good teacher. Of the participants, 92 percent responded in idealistic, absolute terms that were later associated with high levels of stress. Similarly, Bibou-Nakou, Stogiannidou, and Kiosseoglou (1999) presented four hypothetical case studies of stressful situations to two hundred schoolteachers and then tested their responses with a battery of three Likert-style assessment instruments. The participants potential for burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Many of the responses they received linked the teachers internal attributes (such as a tendency to blame him- or herself for difficulties) to symptoms of burnout. Of particular concern was the teachers nervousness about classroom discipline. These findings reinforce the conclusions of recent studies that show that classroom management and discipline maintenance are two of the greatest sources of teacher stress (Friedman 1995; Geving 2007; Lewis 1999). Finally, while considerably less scholarly research has dealt with this area, many administrators have noted that educators outside lives change their perspective, motivation, and job performance. Anderson (1981) pointed out the stresses that may seep into the workplace when problems at home (e.g., financial, familial, or spousal) become acute. These findings were supported by Seifert and Atkinson (1991) in their examination of three teachers of young children. This study notes that issues outside the school can leave the teacher preoccupied and distracted. While these latter authors called for a redefinition of the term professional at the policy level, immediate questions remained: What should a teacher do when outside life intervenes and his or her perspectives and priorities change? What can be done to regain the balance between work and home life? The following three cases are representative of the fieldwork we encountered in our study. In the following scenarios, all three sources of school stress come

into play, along with questions regarding the best ways to deal with its management. All names and places have been changed to protect confidentiality. Case #1First-Year Offensive In his first year of teaching, Mike was already regretting his decision. He was overwhelmed to the point where he was ready to quit and go back to his old job as a customer service representative at a major bank. Teaching had become such a time-consuming profession for him that he had not seen his friends in months. He used to swim and lift weights for exercise but had not made it to the pool or gym since September and it was May! He now watched television to relax but usually fell asleep before the show ended. Things were different when Mike went through his Bachelor of Education program. Scoring As and Bs in all of his courses, he enjoyed both the coursework and practice teaching. His associates comments were good and gave him no indication that he might not be suited to the profession. When he was immediately hired in his own hometown, everyone remarked how lucky he was. Why, then, had his first year of teaching been so stressful and unrewarding? Mike was assigned a Grade 6/7 class with thirty-two studentsfive were identified as exceptional, and there were four or five more that he identified as at-risk. He initially felt that he had fairly good classroommanagement skills, but now he struggled to keep his students focused. Sometimes he became so frustrated with them that he would yell to get their attention. After nine months in the classroom, he began to realize that he was woefully ignorant in the areas of parent-teacher communication, micro-administration (e.g., collecting money for pizza days, book orders, and trips), and how to effectively teach students with abilities ranging over eight grade levels. Mike began to feel that he was spending hours every night working, planning, and markingjust to keep up. For help, the principal had assigned Mike a mentor at the beginning of the year, but the two never seemed to click. Prep period would have been a good time to meet, but their periods were scheduled at different hours during the day. Mike tried the professional development days but found them either a repetition of what he already knew or so overwhelming that he took away only a portion of what was being taught. It then occurred to Mike to ask his colleagues for suggestions and teaching tips. He found the special education teachers suggestions helpful, but she was too overworked to be very supportive. The principal was also very busy, and Mike was afraid he might seem incompetent if he approached her for help. He felt very aloneat sea, without a life raft, and going down for the third time. If this was what teaching was like, he would rather work at the bank.

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Questions: What can the school board, administration, principal, mentor, and other staff members do to help beginning teachers adjust to their new profession? What can be done to make the mentor program more effective? As a first-year teacher, what can someone do to reduce stress? Case #2Undone by the Past Lisa had been teaching at Southside Elementary School for five years when she and her husband decided to have their first child. Teaching was a busy profession, but she had enjoyed it immensely. She always devoted a lot of time to her students and felt rewarded by their enthusiasm and her colleagues respect. Her sense of approval was affirmed as she was departing on her maternity leave when her principal handed her a going-away present: her last teacher appraisal. Greatly pleased and satisfied, Lisa read the report:
Lisa is an exceptional teacher who puts 100% into her work. She sees teaching as a vocation. She adjusts her teaching methods to meet the needs of the child so that all of her students experience success. Lisas daybook and records of student achievement are models that could be used by all teachers. The bulletin boards in her room are used as tools for learning and beautiful displays of student work. She has an excellent rapport with students, parents, and staff members. Lisa communicates constantly with parents in the form of newsletters, written comments in the agenda, telephone calls, and interviews. She is involved with many extracurricular activities of which special note needs to be given to the coed volleyball team which she led to win the district championship and the musical production which she directed for the school.

When Lisa got home at night, she was usually so tired from the day that she could barely carry on a conversation with her husband, and she began to believe that she was offering only half-hearted attempts at parenting. To add to her stress, parents were asking her when she was going to start rehearsals in earnest for the play and why they had not been receiving a weekly newsletter. Staff members were commenting on the fact that they had to pick up the slack. Which, she thought to herself, was only there because of my overachieving in the first place! Lisa used to work out at the gym to help manage day-to-day stress, but now she couldnt even muster the time for that. She felt terrible and would have quit if she and her husband didnt need her wages to pay the mortgage and bills. What was she to do? Questions: What can Lisa do to help manage her stress? As her colleague, how can you help her get through this difficult time? As Lisas principal, what can you say in a conversation with her upon her return to school? What support can you give? Are there any organizational changes that can be made to Lisas school system that might aid her transition back? Case #3Heart Healthy Choice Bev reflected on her career as she sat in the principals office. She had been a teacher for twenty-five years and until recently had always loved the profession. As a young teacher, she would stay up late into the evening, sitting at the kitchen table, marking student work and planning wonderful lessons for the children. She had thought about, studied, and researched ways of making every lesson fun and all forms of learning interesting. When the principal said that she needed an undergraduate degree to continue at the school, she earned it part-time by taking evening and summer courses at a university an hour and a half away. She did not mind the commute or the extra work because she felt the education made her a better person and a better teacher. As Bevs career progressed, her love of teaching children never waned, but her tolerance of the education system lessened. Her beloved mentor retired and was replaced by a number of caretaker principals who enforced rules and methods that she thought were a waste of time. After years of debate and protest, Bev finally became tired of the internal politics of teaching. She had paid her dues. On top of it all, a new government was elected to office and began promoting initiatives that made her, and most teachers, feel unvalued and disrespected by the public. Eventually she did not even want to admit to people that she was a teacher. As times got tougher for teachers, Bev mulled over the fact that it never rained but it poured. She felt that all her supports had been pulled out from under

Unfortunately, these words of praise began to turn into impossible standards when she returned to the job one year later. Day care did not start until 8 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m., and she immediately realized that she could not come to the school at 7 a.m. and leave at 6 p.m. anymore. This change was, of course, reinforced by the guilt she felt for being away from her baby if she stayed at school any longer. Looking at her schedule, she continued to make modifications and cuts to those activities that went past this time. She could no longer coach volleyball, and the only way she could direct the school play was if rehearsals were held at lunchtime. Lisa also had to take all of her marking and planning home to do late in the evening once her baby went to sleep. After restless nights when the baby was teething or had a cold, she often was tired and felt like she could not teach to the best of her ability. Other changes were also reflected throughout the school day. Her bulletin boards were not the displays that had once filled her with such pride. She was more easily upset by the students misbehavior and sometimes snapped at the children with behavioral problems.

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her, one by one. She had never had a close-knit circle of friends but had relied on her family for company. Then, four years earlier, she lost her mother to a heart attack. She tried to comfort her father, but he slid quickly into depression and apathy and died within a year of burying his wife. Bev thought about the last few years. True, now that she ate out for most meals, she had gained some weight and was sixty pounds heavier than she had been before her mother died. She also smoked a pack of cigarettes a day to soothe her nerves. She could not admit to herself, however, that she was seriously depressed. Her new principal, Alice, had suggested that she take advantage of the school boards free counseling services for employees, but Bev had always been skeptical of psychologistswhat had they done for her father in his hour of need? She knew, however, that something was wrong. Her Grade 7/8 students had become such a handful for her that she had agreed to Alices suggestion that she move out of the classroom and into the full-time prep position for the school. Unfortunately, most teachers at the school assigned the prep teacher to their physical education and health classes. Bev chuckled to herself. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would wind up as a gym teacher. However, when she accepted the prep position, she realized that while she was no longer the effective teacher she had once been, at least she was no longer in a position in which she could do much harm either. Even though her retirement date was approaching, she had no intention of retiring any time soonwhat did she have to look forward to when she left teaching? As she fidgeted in her chair, Bev scanned Alices desk. A number of newspaper clippings and magazine articles littered the top, each dealing with child obesity and the decrease in childrens physical activity. She knew that this literature came from one of the school boards pet projects. Recently, because of pressure from the administration, Alice had removed all carbonated beverages from the school and the student shop no longer sold chips and chocolate bars. What will be next? Bev thought to herself as the door swung open. Alice, tall and thin, entered the room and sat behind her desk. As she straightened her suit, she noticed the clippings and immediately swept them into a waiting drawer. Her eyes rose to Bevs and she paused momentarily to think. The local Health Unit had just approached Alice about helping the school become Heart Healthy. This distinction meant that students and teachers would be encouraged to eat healthier and become more active. Alice was still hesitating to accept the challenge because the person who would teach the majority of the nutrition and health lessons would be a depressed, overweight, cigarette-smoking, snack food junkie. Even though Bev sat right in front of her, Alice

was still not sure how to help her or what actions would be in the best interest of the students. Questions: As the principal, what choices does Alice have? Should she take on the challenge of helping her school become Heart Healthy? If the school does accept the challenge, will this encourage Bev to become healthier or cause her even more stress? Was placing Bev in the role of a health and physical education teacher wise in the first place? How can Bev be helped now? Conclusions These three cases highlight some of the innumerable stressors that may emerge from factors related to organizational design, the teaching profession, and outside issues distinct from the job itself. As we sorted through the large number of case studies that we had performed, we noticed that every person we had interviewed could be an example of work-related stress. However, as we continued to examine the transcripts, it became important to separate the teachers who were merely under pressure from those who were in a state of distress or near incapacitation. We found that if a teacher was experiencing stress in one of the previously mentioned areas (e.g., a conflict with administration), he or she could still reasonably perform their job. Teachers only approached burnout when there was a prolonged period of exposure to the stress or a combination of stressors emerging from various sources. This conclusion was recently explained by Dr. Esther Sternberg of the Integrative Neural Immune Program at the National Institute of Mental Health:
When youre at peak performance, just the nerve cells needed for the response are firing. But in protracted or very stressful situations, too many nerve cells fire at once. Thats when you freeze. . . . And a whole lot of small hassles can have the same effect as a major stressor. (Clearing away brain fog 2008, 4)

In dealing with the three examples above, therefore, two critical issues come into play for relieving those who suffer from distress. The first is pinpointing the source(s) of the stress and understanding its basis. The second is locating people and structures within the school environment that can alleviate or remove the stressor. One may immediately jump to the conclusion that individuals should be in charge of mitigating their own problems. However, we found that to deal with issues effectively, a more multilayered response should be undertaken: stress frequently emerges from areas beyond each teachers immediate sphere of recognition, and teacher burnout often affects the whole school climate. There are a number of things a teacher can do at the individual level to work out stress-related tension. We noticed that the teachers who could efficiently handle the pressures of their job were those who understood the challenges that surrounded the school system and

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knew that some of societys expectations were out of reach. Alternatively, the teachers who had problems were the ones who could not distinguish between the core issues of schooling and more fleeting changes. We also observed in the three case studies that as each teacher became more burned out, his or her routine of daily physical activity and proper diet dissipated. Perhaps the key to de-stressing is making more time in the schedule for these aspects, rather than sacrificing them to catch up on work. In many cases, however, the educator may be the last person to identify the exact causes of the stress-related problems affecting their performance or ways to overcome them. In all three cases, we observed that the collegial networks were not functioning in favor of the teachers well-being. Instead, colleagues seemed indifferent or implicitly hostile to what was perceived as individual weakness. Unfortunately, little can be done to change an entire school ethos to help one burned-out teacher. Still, informal aid can be added without any wholesale reform. Ruth Botwinik (2007) suggests that groups of teachers form within the school to share concerns. She concludes that although it is not guaranteed they can help you, just talking out your problems and knowing that others feel the same way can be a relief (271). Even a buddy system could help someone share ideas, vent, or seek solace (although, as in Mikes case, a mentor would actually have to be available on a regular basis). Many administrative experts promote a more topdown approach to wellness (both physical and mental) through organizational design, and we see definite merit in their proposals. Recommendations have been made to create formal channels that encourage participation (Argyris and Schn 1996), a team-based approach (Pfeffer 1998), and teacher empowerment through redesigned work schedules and increased authority (Short, Greer, and Michael 1991; Stimson and Appelbaum 1988; White 1992). Howard and Johnson (2004) commented that an environment should be created in which teachers feel free to disclose their stress to administrators as an important first step in targeting and reducing teacher burnout. Further interventions, including schoolwide initiatives targeting student misbehavior and encouraging more collaborative relationships between parents and teachers, might also be helpful (see Grayson and Alvarez 2008). However, it should be noted that these systemic changes are not typically afforded to schools, and particularly not to those facing the very stressors that dispose teachers to higher burnout. When it comes to the balance of stress and wellbeing, therefore, the initial question remains: Who

should tend the garden? We concluded that perhaps Hanna and Oh (2000) may be on the right track in their description of community gardens:
Community gardens provide access to fresh produce and plants as well as access to satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment. (209)

Substitute mental health for fresh produce and we see little difference in approaches: while we all must look out for our own small plot of sanity to see that the fruits of our labor do not wither on the vine, it is important for all members of a school to understand the symptoms and help provide support and relief.
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