Full Description
"As I read this book, I found aspects of myself—my personal and professional behavior—on almost every page! I was able to put the coping strategies in the book to immediate use with little effort and great results! A must when our time is so limited."
Kaye L. Peery, Administrator
Springer Municipal Schools
Springer, NM
"School leaders are subjected to stress in all aspects of their work. Brock and Grady present a realistic approach to dealing with stress that can benefit every school leader."
Ron Joekel, Executive Director Emeritus
Phi Delta Kappa International
Much has been written on teacher stress and how to cope with it . . . but now best-selling authors Barbara L. Brock and Marilyn L. Grady turn their expert attention to administrator burnout in this unique and powerful new "how-to" book.
Avoiding Burnout presents real-world success stories from individual school administrators across the country. How do they handle stress and burnout? What can be learned from their individual challenges and solutions? Principals at all levels will learn a great deal about:
The nature of stress
Stress triggers and response mechanisms
Capitalizing on work stress
Effective time management and interpersonal skills
Career renewal
Caring for yourself
. . . including a set of comprehensive resources that offer additional tools for self-assessment and taking action.
A unique and useful new guide that offers school leaders at all levels an important opportunity for professional development and personal reflection.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
1. Meeting the Dragon: Getting Acquainted
Good and Bad Stress: A Matter of Perception
Stress Tolerance
Common Sources of Stress
Normal Stress
The Burnout Syndrome
Burnout and Rustout
Summary
2. Provoking the Dragon: Stress Triggers
Internally Generated Stress
The Contributions of Gender to Stress
Ethnicity and Stress
Workplace Factors
Summary
3. Confronting the Dragon Within: Mental Restructuring
Planning for Life's Journey
Charting a Course
Getting Rid of Perfectionism
Slowing the Pace
Adjusting the Lens
Discarding Trivial Stressors
Putting Worries in Perspective
Focusing on Success
Summary
4. Housebreaking the Dragon: Altering Personal Behaviors
Taking Care of Yourself: Health and Spirituality
Feeding the Spirit
Sharing Time With Friends
Maintaining Good Health
Summary
5. Harnessing the Power: Capitalizing on Work Stress
Recognizing Excess Stress
Adapt to the Setting
Laugh and Encourage Laughter
Summary
6. Shrinking the Dragon: Using Time Effectively
The Time Crunch
Work Overload
Train Office Staff
Do Important Things First
One Bite at a Time
Summary
7. When You're the Dragon: Learning People Skills
A People Business
Personal Power
Develop Communication Skills
Conflict
Summary
8. Changing Dragons: Career Renewal
Career Stress
Professional Renewal
Revising a Career
Changing Careers
Summary
9. Making Friends With the Dragon: Taking Care of Yourself
Realizing Your Importance
Summary
Resource A: Responses to Stress
Resource B: Realities and Possibilities
Resource C: Stress Reduction--An Outline for Personal Change
Resource D: Model Action Plan
References
