ABSTRACT
This chapter is not meant to scare you. However, teaching is a challenging profession and it is likely that you will feel stressed at some point – either during your newly qualified teacher (NQT) year or later in your career. You will not be alone, as many teachers experience stress at some point (see, for example, Burke et al., 1996; Dunham, 1994; Gold and Roth, 1993; Hart and Hurd, 2000; Mills, 1995; Phillips, 1993; Schamer and Jackson, 1996). There are many causes of stress:
Teachers complete paperwork, prepare for their classes, plan and prepare for future instruction, evaluate students, remain up-to-date in their teaching areas and maintain their instructional programmes. They regularly encounter both positive and negative interactions with students, colleagues, school administrators, support staff, parents and other community members.
