Anxiety Among Public School Teachers

Evelyn S. Soriano

Explore the work-related, emotional and personal stressors and coping mechanisms of teachers experienced stress that was brought on by hazardous working conditions, a lack of materials and resources to do their tasks effectively. There was a feeling of excessive monitoring and demands for outputs from the administration. This was sometimes compounded by conflicting instructions.

Personal stress was usually triggered by simply being exhausted at the end of the day, sometimes overtly manifested through emotional outbursts. Although stress cuts-through gender and age barriers, everyone devised their own cognitive (thinking-centered) strategies to cope with stress. Public School Teachers, Cause of Stress, Coping-up Mechanisms Introduction Everyone may feel stress when facing certain situations.

When positive like facing challenges as spices of life, or distress when negative that may result in low morale, job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and lower productivity. Environmental stressors are perceived to be a threat to survival. It is innate in the human body to respond to the negative demands of the environment.

The economy is recognized worldwide and developed countries are spending a major part of their budget on education to combat elements that hinder processes of educational effectiveness. Teachers hold a vital position within the educational system of any country. Stress among them is a complex and multifarious phenomenon as they mold the most valued asset of the country. The success of educational institutions is the backbone of the economy is mostly dependent on teachers. Leaders and managers of educational institutions turn their critical and fundamental concerns on the performance of teachers.

Stress is an embedded component in the lives of educators in the Philippines negatively affects their professional performance. This lowers individual and institutional productivity that deeply affect institutions of learning. The need for educational leaders and managers to focus on understanding work related problems of teachers is an emerging urgency. Educational and civil society leaders must provide mutual support and work as a team to ensure sustainable growth of educational institutions for socio-economic development.

The ability of teachers deliver knowledge and skills to the students is affected by the learning environment, assigned tasks, and financial security which further define their levels of professional performance. Teachers are valued assets of any society, they do not only teach in ways that can satisfy the required teaching tasks, but also must manage time, ethics, and discipline. Motivating students, ensuring interaction and maintaining links with the parents. administration while imparting knowledge and skills for the development of the economy is a delicate equilibrium that they must achieve.

Recent educational changes have resulted in new challenges that shaped technological advancements, quality assurance, standardization and cost maximization in education. Educational leaders and academicians are under immense pressure to meet the expectations of internal and external stakeholders. Exposure of teachers to unnecessary stress hampers routine abilities decreased satisfaction and level of productivity that resulted in the development of feeling exhaustion and strain.

When teachers are highly stressed, students have low social adjustments and academic performance overtly manifested in absenteeism, misbehavior, and dissatisfaction .Stress experienced by secondary teachers and their coping mechanisms to lessen the impact on their professional performance is hereby closely looked.

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The author is Master Teacher II at Santa Rita Elementary School, Division of

Pampanga