In a survey conducted by the Council for Exceptional Children, 60% of the respondents rated work-related stress between 7 and 9 on a 10-point scale. Major causes of stress included too much paperwork, lack of time, attitudes of others, and student behavior. Below are tips to help keep stress manageable.

Organize your time and activities

• Set realistic and flexible professional goals and objectives. Don't set expectations that will be impossible to meet.
• Establish priorities to deal with needs in the order of importance.
• Leave your work at school. Bringing work home after school can cause problems in that it often interferes with personal and family life. One way to break that cycle is to avoid bringing work home.
• Pace yourself. Approaches to help avoid wasting time and prevent procrastination include setting realistic time lines, getting high priority work done early in the day and including time for yourself in each day. Do not try to do everything at once.
• Use available human resources. Use the available human resources to their maximum potential. Take the extra time necessary to train an aide or secretary to handle more responsibilities independently.
• Organize your classroom. Improved classroom organization can save time and increase professional productivity.

Be open to change, innovation and new opportunities

• Change your environment.
• Keep yourself motivated. Seeking out new experiences can be one way to maintain professional interest and prevent stagnation. A special educator can try new instructional techniques, implement alternative programs, or develop new materials.
• Consider career options. There are many alternative career avenues that special educators and special services personnel should consider to diversify their experience or stimulate interest. Career options include placement team coordinator, consultant, and inservice coordinator.
• Seek out personal learning experiences. Professional and personal growth requires that we keep learning. Programs that provide new skills needed on the job or that broaden your base of knowledge are ideal.

Be positive about yourself and your profession

• Allow a 'moment of glory' to accept and acknowledge positive feedback.
• Look for the 'silver lining.' It is often helpful to seek out the "silver lining" in an otherwise dismal situation.
• Become directly involved. In many cases, working directly to deal with the issues that cause problems can be both therapeutic and productive.
• Remember the children you serve. Remember why you have chosen to be a special education teacher or member of the special services staff. Focus on the personal, professional, and philosophical reasons that give meaning to your working hours.

Source: Shaw, S. F., Bensky, J.M. and Dixon, B. (1981). Stress and Burnout-A Primer for Special Education and Special Services Personnel A CEC/ERIC Publication, The Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, VA. (ERIC Digest No.E467)