Effective School Management

Symptoms
People react in different ways to excessive stress; symptoms can be
behavioural, emotional, mental or physical. Surveys among teachers identify
the main symptoms as feelings of exhaustion, reduction of contacts outside
school, frustration at lack of achievement, apathy, irritability, displaced
aggression and a wish to leave teaching. Others are listed in Figure 8.1. Each
symptom may have other causes, but if you find you have several, they could
be due to stress. Experience will tell you which you usually evince and help
you recognize the onset of stress. Self-diagnosis is important, so that you know
when to deal with the condition. Some of the symptoms are observable and
may help you to discern when a colleague needs support.