A grassroots understanding of well-being can be an effective approach to meeting the needs of children in low-resource settings. Due to this, evidence on how to sustain such approaches is needed. "Successful Pathways for the Well-Being of Black Students" addresses a long-standing need for a book that focuses more on strength over…

Research indicates that mental health social workers risk being confronted with fatal and nonfatal client suicidal behaviors during professional practice. Although reactions to client suicidal behavior have been documented, there is little empirical evidence about coping behaviors and available supports following client suicidal behavior. This…

Investigated burnout levels and coping strategies of 162 superintendents of public residential facilities for mentally retarded persons. Results indicated that mean overall burnout scores tended to be lower than those reported for other human service employees. Superintendents tended to favor direct/active strategies for coping with stressors.…

Captures the shock, pain, and disappointment of a superintendent who was abruptly fired by his board president. Advice hinges on bettering one's bargaining position, developing an action plan, and learning to anticipate people problems before they arise. Lacking meaningful employment, the former superintendent has become a writer and house…

Humor cannot solve every problem facing school administrators, but it can reduce the psychological gap between boss and staff, create camaraderie, increase problem-solving abilities, and help people cope. Administrators can look for humor, find a model, develop perspective, get support, revamp the office environment, start a "funny" file, swap…

Offers nine questions to enable camp directors to assess personal level of individual, interpersonal, and/or institutional burnout. Provides suggestions to overcome burnout: understand self and take corrective action; realize tribulations, pressures, and responsibilities are inherent in camp administration; be positive; be innovative; and maintain…

Describes how one first-grade classroom dealt with the tragedy of the Challenger explosion. (MD)

One of a series of practitioner-oriented newsletters, the document provides elementary school principals with tips for dealing with stress. Because principals spend approximately 80 percent of their workday in face-to-face interchanges (with staff, faculty, parents, and others), the article gives warning signals indicative of too much stress. A…

Examines (1) a simple model of the origin, development, and effects of stress; (2) the 12 most important causes of stress found in a survey of Oregon school administrators; (3) coping strategies used by the administrators surveyed; and (4) management skills as a potential coping technique. (MCG)

Four major areas (office traffic, the telephone, organization, and discipline) consume much of a school administrator's time. Because principals of small and rural secondary schools do not always have adequate personnel support, planning a daily calendar, setting priorities, and delegating to other administrators and staff are essential…

Pulling up stakes is seldom the best way to handle difficult people at work, because they exist everywhere as bullies, "yes" people, whiners, nonentities, know-it-alls, or "no" people. This article examines these six personality types and tells how administrators can avoid being victimized. (MLH)

University department chairs need to manage stress to their advantage. Myths pertaining to stress include: (1) stress is harmful; (2) stress should be avoided; (3) stress correlates with level of responsibility; (4) stress is predominantly a male phenomenon; and (5) there is one appropriate coping method. The Chair Stress Cycle provides a broad…

This manual provides a brief framework of organization that serves as a response tool for a wide spectrum of crisis circumstances encountered by schools. It is meant to be a generic guide for school teams and should be customized by each school that uses it. Even with emergency procedures in place, each crisis at a school needs to be evaluated as…

Suggestions on how to navigate the difficult transition from teacher to administrator are presented in this book. Chapter 1 discusses the stages of change that translate into the stages of grief and loss and the sense of unpreparedness new administrators face. New communication patterns are explored in chapter 2, followed by a discussion of time…

Among 17 suggestions for supervisors trying to prevent discipline related teacher stress and burnout are developing clear, decisive guidelines for disciplinary action; making memos meaningful; following up on staff requests; permitting the teacher to control the class; providing demonstration teaching; and organizing a meaningful staff development…