ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS STRESSED OUT.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

High levels of job-related stress affect 93% of elementary school teachers, according to researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Classrooms with highly stressed teachers tend to have the poorest student outcomes, such as lower grades and frequent behavior problems.

"Its no secret that teaching is a stressful profession," says Keith Herman, professor in the College of Education. "However, when stress interferes with personal and emotional well-being at such a severe level, the relationships teachers have with students are likely to suffer, much like any relationship would in a high-stress environment."

Herman found that teachers with low levels of stress and high coping ability are few and far between. "It's troubling that only seven percent of teachers experience low stress and feel they are getting the support they need to adequately cope with the stressors of their job.

"Even more...