ABSTRACT
It considers the importance of stress and time management and the ways in which school leaders can improve the handling of these.
INTRODUCTION
Teachers often feel a sense of panic about the amount of work that has to be done and the lack of time in which to do it. Time management is of course a misnomer. We can’t really manage time, except by managing ourselves in relation to time. Put the two together, however, and there is a link between stress and time management. We all know that a certain amount of pressure can be stimulating and that deadlines often have a remarkable effect on getting a job completed. In fact they can often make us draw on reserves of strength and stamina in an energetic and stimulating way. If we are under too much pressure, however, it is often the case that individuals are incapable of working efficiently. Stress may be caused by many aspects of what happens in school and at home. It may be caused by the individual teacher’s own internal pressures or by how the school is managed. When this is the case, it is the duty of all headteachers and senior teachers to make sure that the demands made on teachers and the level of stress are managed effectively. If not, the school will not be as effective as it should be.
