Importance of a Teacher Essay Example

Importance of a Teacher Essay From â€Å"The Importance of Teacher Self-Awareness in Working with Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders† by Richardson and Shupe, Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2003, pp. 8-13. Copyright 2006 by The Council for Exceptional Children. Reprinted with permission. The Importance of Teacher Self-Awareness in Working With Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Brent G. Richardson ? Margery J. Shupe What are your primary concerns in the classroom? Are you constantly involved in power struggles with some students?Do you yearn for good relationships with all your students? Are you stressed out? This article may help. The frequency and intensity of students’ emotional and behavioral disorders have increased in the past several decades (Bartollas Miller, 1998; Knitzer, 1993; Lerner, 1995; Long, Morse, Newman, 1996). In surveys, teachers consistently reveal that disruptive student behavior and classroom discipline are their primary educationa l ness is particularly important for teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Seldom Management of Disruptive BehaviorOur development as teachers depends on our willingness to take stock of our own behavior. TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 8-13. Copyright 2003 CEC. Teachers revealed that disruptive student behavior and classroom discipline are their primary educational concerns. concerns (Long, 1996a). Teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders can enhance their effectiveness and job satisfaction, mini- mize power struggles, and build more positive relationships with children with disabilities by taking proactive steps to increase their own self-awareness.Gold and Roth (1993) identified teacher selfawareness as a key component for managing stress. Gold and Roth (1993) defined selfawareness as â€Å"a process of getting in touch with your feelings and behaviors† (p. 141). Increased self-awareness i nvolves a more accurate understanding of how students affect our own emotional processes and behaviors and how we affect students, as well. Self-aware- are we unaffected by their behavior. Often, these students reflect the best and worst in ourselves (Richardson, 2001).Our development as teachers depends on our willingness to take risks and regularly ask ourselves which of our own behaviors are helping or hindering our personal and professional growth. â€Å"If we could allow ourselves to become students of our own extraordinary self-education, we would be very well placed to facilitate the self-education of others† (Underhill, 1991, p. 79). This article identifies questions and strategies to help teachers become more self-aware regarding their interactions with students with behavioral and emotional disorders. 8  ¦ COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDRENFive Key Questions to Increase Teacher Self-Awareness 1. Am I taking proactive steps to identify and defuse my own â€Å"emotio nal triggers†? Cheney and Barringer (1995) asserted: â€Å"More than any other group, students with emotional and behavioral disorders appear to present problems that affect staff members on a very personal level† (p. 181). Unfortunately, teacher education does not always highlight the connection between a teacher’s selfawareness and his or her ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships with youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities.Although teachers need to learn how to recognize signs of emotional distress in their students, it is equally important to acknowledge that teachers’ own personalities, learned prejudices, and individual psychological histories have helped shape their attitudes and responses to certain behaviors (Long et al. , 1996). Fritz Redl, a pioneer in working with students with emotional disturbances, emphasized that self-awareness is a key ingredient for succeeding with this population: As teachers we have a room, a g roup, equipment, materials, a curriculum, instructional methods, and grades, but most of all, we have ourselves.What happens to us emotionally in the process of teaching emotionally disturbed kids is the critical factor in determining our effectiveness. (cited in Long, 1996a, p. 44) Helping youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities begins with understanding ourselves, particularly our own emotional processes that occur in the midst of conflict.Although psychological soundness and effective interpersonal skills are essential characteristics for teachers who work with this population (Kaufman, 1997; Webber, Anderson, Otey, 1991), certain students can provoke even the most concerned, reasonable, and dedicated teachers to act in impulsive, acrimonious, and rejecting ways (Long, 1996a). Students experiencing stress have the capacity to locate and activate unresolved issues in our own personal lives. Few of us possess the inner peace to respond in a calm and professional manner wi thout conscious effort.Awareness of our primary emotional triggers improves our chances of making rational decisions based on conscious choice, rather than unconscious emotional conditioning. 2. Am I paying attention to what I need to pay attention to? Helping youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities begins with understanding ourselves, particularly our own emotional processes that occur in the midst of conflict. Further, the psychological fit between a teacher’s need to stay in control and a youth’s inability to maintain control can lead to counterproductive power struggles (Long, 1996a).Long asserted that by taking ownership of â€Å"negative† feelings such as anger, frustration, and disdain, we are more likely to recognize the difference between having feelings and being had by our feelings. Teachers who are aware of their own emotional processes are more likely to minimize the frequency and intensity of these counterproductive power struggles (see bo x, â€Å"Strategy for Identifying and Defusing Emotional Triggers†). Most teachers recognize the power and necessity of using positive reinforcement (Johns Carr, 1995).By consciously noticing and reinforcing positive behavior, the classroom becomes a more positive environment—one in which the recognition of both academic and behavioral accomplishments leads to increased student self-esteem (Fagan, 1996). In an extensive study of effective teaching behaviors for students with disabilities, Larrivee (1982) found that â€Å"giving positive feedback† to be a behavior positively correlated with student performance measures. Johns and Carr recommended that at least 70% of comments teachers give students should be positive.Although researchers have found teacher praise to be linked to improved behavioral and academic outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders, the use of praise in these classrooms is often low (Sutherland Wehby, 2001). Teachers ofte n inadvertently neglect to recognize and build on students’ positive behaviors and strengths. Good and Brophy (1984) found that teachers’ perceptions of students can Strategy for Identifying and Defusing Emotional Triggers Take periodic â€Å"timeouts† before, during, or after both â€Å"positive† and â€Å"negative† interactions with students. Ask yourself: †¢ â€Å"What led me to respond this way? †¢ â€Å"Is this way of responding helping or hurting this relationship? † †¢ â€Å"Is it helping me grow as an educator? † †¢ â€Å"Is it helping the youth make better choices? † It is important to remember that we are often unaware of our primary emotional triggers. Actively seek consultation from colleagues and supervisors regarding behaviors and/or attitudes which are helping or hurting your effectiveness in the classroom. Ask a colleague or supervisor: †¢ â€Å"What do you see as my biggest strength i n working with students with behavioral and emotional disorders? † †¢ â€Å"What types of problems or student behaviors do I find the most difficult? TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN  ¦ NOV/DEC 2003  ¦ 9 affect teaching outcomes. Teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities can become so attuned to problem behaviors and perceived weaknesses, they inadvertently neglect to recognize and build on positive behaviors and strengths. A Minnesota youth poll by Hedin, Hannes, Saito (as cited in Braaten, 1999) revealed that two thirds of respondents believed that they were perceived negatively by the significant adults in their lives. Only 25% believed that adults held positive images of them.Furthermore, a large proportion did not believe the adults’ perceptions of them to be accurate. The researchers concluded that the youths believe that adults do not value or trust them and do not treat them with respect, and this belief increases as the youths grow older. In their study of teacher behaviors, Sutherland and Wehby (2001) found that ongoing teacher self-assessment had a positive impact on teacher praise. The Penny Transfer Technique is one strategy teachers can use to help them Strategy for Shifting Your Focus (The Penny Transfer Technique) Take five pennies and place them in your left pocket.Identify a student in your classroom who regularly needs to be redirected. Ideally, this should be a student whom you find difficult to engage. Every time you are able to verbally encourage that student for something he or she does well, transfer a penny to your right pocket. It is important to avoid phony or superficial affirmations (e. g. , â€Å"I like your new jeans†). Your goal is to move all five pennies to the right pocket by the end of the day. Repeat this exercise each day for 2 weeks. (Note: You may need to use less pennies or extend the timeframe several days if you are only with the student one period. Richards on (2001) noted that professionals who have used the Penny Transfer Technique have found that (a) they began to automatically notice positive behaviors of problem students and (b) they were able to change their perceptions and thus improve their relationships with these youth. 3. Am I using effective strategies to reduce burnout and nurture my own mental health? uated primarily on their ability to help students make tangible, academic improvements (Long, 1996b); yet they are also expected to assume multiple roles, such as model, disciplinarian, surrogate parent, social worker, and counselor.Many teachers find it difficult to perform all these roles in the midst of decreasing budgets and increasing class sizes. Teachers find themselves struggling to find time to adequately cover each of the learning objectives while also attending to the emotional needs of their students. Teacher stress can adversely affect the teachers, their students, and the classroom climate. Cheney and Barringer (1995) found that stress â€Å"can be manifested as (a) a reluc- We must develop effective strategies for regularly monitoring and managing our own stress.People often expect teachers to assume not only academic roles, but also those of instructional model, disciplinarian, surrogate parent, social worker, and counselor. shift their focus to more positive student behaviors and attributes (see box, â€Å"Strategy for Shifting Your Focus†). Teaching students with emotional and behavioral disorders is one of the most perplexing and challenging roles in education (Cheney Barringer, 1995). These teachers are faced with enormous pressures and simultaneous challenges (Cheney Barringer; Pullis, 1992) and report high levels of emotional exhaustion (Male May, 1997).They are eval- Strategy for Reducing Burnout and Nurturing Teacher Mental Health Recognize the difference between productive venting and an unproductive pattern of negativity and complaining. Take time to assess your con versations with friends and colleagues about your classroom and students. Ask yourself whether these conversations are helping to reduce or amplify your stress level. Periodically gauge your feelings and coping skills and seek out positive models. Stop and ask yourself, â€Å"What is your vision for the children and youth that you teach? † If necessary, explore new strategies (e. g. exercising, seeking professional help, reframing student behavior, finding humor in potentially humorous situations, commending yourself for ways you are making a difference) for managing your stress and increasing your own morale. 10 COUNCIL FOR tance to consider factors beyond the immediately observable behavior of the student, and (b) a rigid focus on school rules as a way of coping with problematic social interactions† (p. 181). To survive and thrive in the classroom, teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities must develop effective strategies for regularl y monitoring and managing their own stress.Teachers need safe places to express their feelings and frustrations and recharge their emotional batteries. In a survey of special education teachers, Pullis (1992) found that talking with supportive colleagues is one of the most effective coping strategies. In fact, 96% of teachers rated collaborating and talking with special education colleagues as one of their most effective strategies for coping with stress (see box, â€Å"Strategy for Reducing Burnout and Nurturing Teacher Mental Health†). We need to recognize the difference, however, between the need to vent and a pattern of negativity and complaining.Assessing our results will help us make this distinction. Venting is only helping us if we are actually venting pent-up  ¦ EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN feelings. If this process only adds to our stress level and frustration, we might want to employ a different strategy. A pattern of â€Å"unproductive venting† in the teacherâ₠¬â„¢s lounge, in the copy room, at lunch breaks, and at home is often the most foreboding precursor to burnout. We must regularly assess our coping skills and seek out positive colleagues and role models who will engage in supportive, constructive dialogue. . Am I using an appropriate sense of humor to build relationships, diffuse conflict, engage learners, and manage my own stress? They all seem to take themselves and their jobs too seriously. They seem unhappy when they teach. Ironically, while they have very little tolerance for â€Å"acting-out† behaviors, students tend to act out more in their classrooms. On the other hand, â€Å"teachers with a sense of humor are usually happy, relaxed, fun-loving, and reinforcing to others† (Webber et al. , 1991, p. 291). A recent study supported these observations.Talbot and Lumden (2000) found that teachers who were more likely to use humor in their classroom reported lower emotional exhaustion and a higher sense of personal a ccomplishment. Also, many writers have pointed out that an appropriate sense of humor is an effective strategy for engaging students who seem to be disengaged (Johns Carr, 1995; Sommers-Flanagan Sommers-Flanagan, 1997; Webb er et al. , 1991). These authors also noted that humor is also one of the most effective means of de-escalating potential crisis situations. Webber et al. bserved that it is difficult for a student to continue to act aggressively or destructively while he or she is laughing. Crowley (1993) interviewed students with severe behavioral disorders regarding helpful teacher attitudes and behaviors and found that these students repeatedly talked about the relevance of humor in the classroom. Victor Borge, the comedian, could have been talking about educators and students when he said, â€Å"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. † Sultanoff (1999) asserted, â€Å"One of the greatest potential gifts we can provide for children is to present ourse lves as â€Å"humor beings. By living with a humorous perspective, we teach children to effectively manage life’s challenges with far less stress† (p. 2). A number of educators have stressed that an appropriate sense of humor is absolutely essential for long-term success in working with youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (Richardson, 2001; Tobin, 1991, Webber et al. , 1991). These students often are trying to make sense out of a variety of highly charged emotional stressors (e. g. , poor reading skills, changing family structure, parental abuse and neglect) and will likely direct their hurt and frustration at teachers and peers.Students need to be held accountable for their behavior. If we take their actions personally or too seriously, however, we place ourselves at risk for both overreacting and burnout. Teachers want to approach their jobs diligently and sincerely; however, we need to recognize when we are taking ourselves, our students, or our jobs too s eriously. Humor that heals is sensitive, is good natured, defuses difficult situations, and brings people closer together. Having a sense of humor in the classroom is less about telling jokes and more about maintaining a relaxed and upbeat attitude and outlook about our jobs and life’s bizarre twists.Teachers who have an appropriate sense of humor convey to their students that they enjoy their jobs, like their students, relish playful exchanges, and do not take themselves too seriously. Most importantly, they recognize the difference between humor that hurts and Strategies for Assessing Our Ability to Use an Appropriate Sense of Humor An appropriate sense of humor is an effective strategy for engaging students who seem to be disengaged. While working as a high school counselor, one of the authors was informed that 80% of the disciplinary referrals to the assistant principal came from nly 10% of the teachers. When asked if there were commonalities among those teachers, the ass istant principal remarked, To assess whether you might be incorporating an appropriate sense of humor into your classroom, periodically ask yourself the following questions: †¢ â€Å"How often do I laugh as I teach? † †¢ â€Å"Do students seem to enjoy learning in my classroom? † †¢ â€Å"For the most part, do I enjoy working with students with behavioral and emotional disorders? †¢ â€Å"Do I use humor as a technique to defuse difficult situations or avoid potential power struggles? †¢ â€Å"Does humor used in my classroom (by me or my students) tend to bring people closer together or push them further away? † Based on your responses to these questions, it may be helpful to seek consultation or additional resources to more effectively incorporate humor into the classroom. Also, remember that qualifying language was used in these questions (â€Å"for the most part,† â€Å"tend to†). You do not need to inject humor into ev ery lesson plan or difficult situation. An honest self-assessment, however, will likely provide you with direction regarding areas where a change in attitude or behavior may be helpful.TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN  ¦ NOV/DEC 2003  ¦ 11 humor that heals. Richardson (2001) noted that humor that hurts is sarcastic, caustic, and pushes people away from one another, whereas humor that heals is sensitive, good natured, defuses difficult situations, and brings people closer together. As educators, we need to periodically assess our use of humor in the classroom and make adjustments when warranted (see box, â€Å"Strategies for Assessing Our Ability to Use an Appropriate Sense of Humor†). 5. Do I regularly acknowledge significant ways I (and others) are making a difference in the lives of students?Strategy for Recognizing Difference Makers: The Starfish Calendar This technique is similar to the â€Å"Penny Transfer Technique†; however, the objective is to recognize the po sitive behavior of teachers. First, find a calendar. Draw and cut out pictures of yellow and orange starfish. When you recognize another educator making a difference (e. g. , taking extra time after class, encouraging a student to talk to their counselor, using a creative intervention), communicate in some way that you appreciate their efforts. Then, write a brief description of the behavior on a yellow starfish and paste it on the date in your Starfish Calendar.At the end of the day, identify a specific way you made a difference, and paste an orange starfish in the calendar. Make a conscious effort to find one yellow and one orange starfish each day. This should only take a few minutes. If you happen to miss a day, try to find two the following day. tible to this symptom of burnout (Zabel, Boomer, King, 1984). Kaufman and Wong (1991) found that teachers who perceive themselves as having the ability to bring about desired student results are more likely to perceive their students a s teachable and worthy of their attention and effort.One study defined teacher efficacy as â€Å"the extent to which the teacher believes he or she has the capacity to affect student performance† (Bergman, McLaughlin, Bass, Pauly, Zellman, 1977, p. 137). These teachers with a high sense of self-efficacy were also less likely to personalize the misbehaviors of students and more likely to maintain an attitude of tolerance for difficult students. Recognizing ways that they and others are making a difference can affect the teachers’ perceived self-efficacy (see box, â€Å"Strategy for Recognizing Difference Makers†).Although many teachers make a habit of overextending themselves, burnout is just as likely to result from a persistent feeling that they are not truly making a difference. The Starfish Calendar (see box) is one simple way to encourage ourselves and others to be proactive in acknowledging the contributions of teachers. Final Thoughts Many teachers have n ot received adequate training to recognize how their own psychological histories and personalities affect their interactions with youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities.Although the success of educators to reach and teach these young people depends on many factors (e. g. , frequency and intensity of student behaviors, organizational structure, administrative support), this article focused on an important area in which teachers have more direct control— increasing their own self-awareness. Many goals outlined here are challenging and may not be fully attainable. As vulnerable human beings, teachers will never discover all their emotional triggers, build positive relationships with every student, or completely avoid counterproductive power struggles.If teachers make conscious, ongoing efforts to increase their own self-awareness, they will likely enhance their effectiveness and their job satisfaction. Teachers who are willing to take prudent risks and try new strategi es will inevitably make some mistakes. We need to view past conflict and unsuccessful interventions as helpful feedback, rather than personal failure. We must remember that the overall attitude of the teacher and the classroom climate affect students much more than most other techniques or interactions. References Bartollas, C. , Miller, S. J. (1998). Juvenile justice in America (2nd. d. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Bergman, P. , McLaughlin, M. , Bass, M. , Pauly, E. , Zellman, G. (1977). Federal programs supporting educational change: Vol. VII. Factors affecting implementation and continuation. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 335 341) Braaten, J. L. (1999). Self-concept and behavior disorders. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(1), 218-225. Cheney, D. , Barringer, C. (1995). Teacher competence, student diversity, and staff training for the inclusion of middle school students with emotional and behavioralIn conducting workshops for p rofessionals who work with youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities, one of the authors shared the following story of a young boy rescuing starfish on the beach: A young boy was walking along the beach in the middle of a sweltering, summer day. As the tide was retreating, he noticed thousands of starfish washed up on the dry sand. As the boy began throwing starfish back into the ocean, a man was passing by and said, â€Å"Son, look how many there are—you will never make a difference. † Smiling, the boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into the cean, and declared, â€Å"I’ll make a difference to that one. † The plight of students with disabilities is analogous to starfish washed up on the dry sand. It is easy to become paralyzed by the magnitude of the task and fail to recognize ways teachers are making a difference. It is easy to allow negative television newscasts, periodic setbacks, and seemingly unappreciative students and adults to discolor our perceptions and rob us of the idealism that propelled us to be a teacher. It is also easy to become so busy attending meetings and attending to students, we fail to attend to ourselves and our colleagues.Because of professional role demands, teachers of students with behavioral and emotional disabilities are frequently isolated from interaction with colleagues and particularly suscep- 12  ¦ COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN disorders. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 3(3), 174-182. Crowley, E. P. (1993). Reflections on â€Å"A qualitative analysis of mainstreamed behaviorally disordered aggressive adolescents’ perceptions of helpful and unhelpful teacher attitudes and behaviors. † Exceptionality, 4(3), 187-191. Fagan, S. A. (1996). Fifteen teacher intervention skills for managing classroom behavior problems.In N. Long, W. C. Morse, R. G. Newman (Eds. ), Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. , pp . 273-287). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Gold, Y. , Roth, R. A. (1993). Teachers managing stress and preventing burnout: The professional health solution. Washington, DC: The Falmer Press. Good, T. L. , Brophy, J. E. (1984). Looking in classrooms (3rd. ed. ). New York: Harper Row. Johns, B. H. , Carr, V. G. (1995). Techniques for managing verbally and aggressive students. Denver: Love. Kaufman, J. M. (1997). Characteristics of behavior disorders of children and youth (6th ed. . Columbus, OH: Merrill. Kaufman, J. M. , Wong, K. L. (1991). Effective teachers of students with behavioral disorders: Are generic teaching skills enough? Behavioral Disorders, 16(3), 225237. Knitzer, J. (1993). Children’s mental health policy: Challenging the future. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 1(1), 8-16. Larrivee, B. (1982). Identifying effective teaching behaviors for mainstreaming. Teacher Education and Special Education, 5, 2-6. Lerner, R. M. (1995). America’s youth in crisis : Challenges and options for programs and policies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Long, N. 1996a). The conflict cycle paradigm on how troubled students get teachers out of control. In N. Long, W. C. Morse, R. G. Newman (Eds. ), Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. , pp. 244265). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Long, N. (1996b). Inclusion of emotionally disturbed students: Formula for failure or opportunity for new acceptance. In N. Long, W. C. Morse, R. G. Newman (Eds. ), Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. , pp. 116-126). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Long, N. , Morse, W. C. , Newman, R. G. (Eds. ). (1996).Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. ). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Male, D. B. , May, D. (1997). Stress, burnout and workload in teachers of children with special education needs. British Journal of Special Education, 24(3), 133-140. Pullis, M. (1992). An analysis of the o ccupational stress of teachers of the behaviorally disordered: Sources, effects, and strategies for coping. Behavioral Disorders, 17(3), 191-201. Richardson, B. G. (2001). Working with challenging youth: Lessons learned along the way. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge. Sommers-Flanagan, J. , Sommers-Flanagan, R. 1997). Tough kids, cool counseling. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Sultanoff, S. M. (1999). President’s column. Therapeutic Humor, 13(4), 2. Sutherland, K. S. , Wehby, J. H. (2001). The effect of self-evaluation on teaching behavior in classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The Journal of Special Education, 35(3), 161-171. Talbot, L. A. , Lumden, D. B. (2000). On the association between humor and burnout. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 13, 419-428. Tobin, L. (1991). What to do with a child like this? Inside the lives of troubled children.Deluth, MN: Whole Person Associates. Underhill, A. (1991). The rol e of groups in developing teacher self-awareness. English Language Teaching Journal, 46(1), 71-80. Webber, J. , Anderson, T. , Otey, L. (1991). Teacher mindsets for surviving in BD classrooms. Intervention in School and Clinic, 26, 288-292. Zabel, R. H. , Boomer, L. W. , King, T. R. (1984). A model of stress and burnout among teachers of behaviorally disordered students. Behavioral Disorders, 9(3), 215221. Brent G. Richardson, Associate Professor; and Margery J. Shupe, Assistant Professor, Education Department, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.Address correspondence to Brent G. Richardson, Education Department, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH 45207-6612 (e-mail: [emailprotected] edu). TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 8-13. Copyright 2003 CEC. Available from CEC Teaching Kids With Learning Difficulties in the Regular Classroom Susan Winebrenner Testing Students With Disabilities Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use to Challenge and Motivate Struggl ing Students Start using this book on the first day of school with the first chapter on making all students welcome in your class!More than 50 reproducible pages of useful forms will make your job easier. Winebrenner, a skilled classroom teacher, also gives concise explanations of various learning differences you may encounter in your inclusive classroom and presents proven techniques for dealing with diverse learning styles, language, literacy, science, math, social studies, behavior problems, and much more. 1996, 248 pages. ISBN 1-57542-004-X #S5188 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29. 95 Practical Strategies for Complying With District and State Requirements, 2nd Edition Martha L.Thurlow, Judy L. Elliott, James E. Ysseldyke This guide explains how to decide which tests students with disabilities should take; what assessment accommodations are, their purpose, and who is eligible for them; how to blend the assessment process wi th the student’s IEP; and more. Two sections give very useful reproducible forms and suggestions for staff development. 2002, 344 pages. ISBN 0-7619-3809-5 #S5578 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49. 95/CEC Members $34. 95 TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN  ¦ NOV/DEC 2003  ¦ 13 Importance of a Teacher Essay Example Importance of a Teacher Essay From â€Å"The Importance of Teacher Self-Awareness in Working with Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders† by Richardson and Shupe, Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 36, No. 2, 2003, pp. 8-13. Copyright 2006 by The Council for Exceptional Children. Reprinted with permission. The Importance of Teacher Self-Awareness in Working With Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Brent G. Richardson ? Margery J. Shupe What are your primary concerns in the classroom? Are you constantly involved in power struggles with some students?Do you yearn for good relationships with all your students? Are you stressed out? This article may help. The frequency and intensity of students’ emotional and behavioral disorders have increased in the past several decades (Bartollas Miller, 1998; Knitzer, 1993; Lerner, 1995; Long, Morse, Newman, 1996). In surveys, teachers consistently reveal that disruptive student behavior and classroom discipline are their primary educationa l ness is particularly important for teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Seldom Management of Disruptive BehaviorOur development as teachers depends on our willingness to take stock of our own behavior. TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 8-13. Copyright 2003 CEC. Teachers revealed that disruptive student behavior and classroom discipline are their primary educational concerns. concerns (Long, 1996a). Teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders can enhance their effectiveness and job satisfaction, mini- mize power struggles, and build more positive relationships with children with disabilities by taking proactive steps to increase their own self-awareness.Gold and Roth (1993) identified teacher selfawareness as a key component for managing stress. Gold and Roth (1993) defined selfawareness as â€Å"a process of getting in touch with your feelings and behaviors† (p. 141). Increased self-awareness i nvolves a more accurate understanding of how students affect our own emotional processes and behaviors and how we affect students, as well. Self-aware- are we unaffected by their behavior. Often, these students reflect the best and worst in ourselves (Richardson, 2001).Our development as teachers depends on our willingness to take risks and regularly ask ourselves which of our own behaviors are helping or hindering our personal and professional growth. â€Å"If we could allow ourselves to become students of our own extraordinary self-education, we would be very well placed to facilitate the self-education of others† (Underhill, 1991, p. 79). This article identifies questions and strategies to help teachers become more self-aware regarding their interactions with students with behavioral and emotional disorders. 8  ¦ COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDRENFive Key Questions to Increase Teacher Self-Awareness 1. Am I taking proactive steps to identify and defuse my own â€Å"emotio nal triggers†? Cheney and Barringer (1995) asserted: â€Å"More than any other group, students with emotional and behavioral disorders appear to present problems that affect staff members on a very personal level† (p. 181). Unfortunately, teacher education does not always highlight the connection between a teacher’s selfawareness and his or her ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships with youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities.Although teachers need to learn how to recognize signs of emotional distress in their students, it is equally important to acknowledge that teachers’ own personalities, learned prejudices, and individual psychological histories have helped shape their attitudes and responses to certain behaviors (Long et al. , 1996). Fritz Redl, a pioneer in working with students with emotional disturbances, emphasized that self-awareness is a key ingredient for succeeding with this population: As teachers we have a room, a g roup, equipment, materials, a curriculum, instructional methods, and grades, but most of all, we have ourselves.What happens to us emotionally in the process of teaching emotionally disturbed kids is the critical factor in determining our effectiveness. (cited in Long, 1996a, p. 44) Helping youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities begins with understanding ourselves, particularly our own emotional processes that occur in the midst of conflict.Although psychological soundness and effective interpersonal skills are essential characteristics for teachers who work with this population (Kaufman, 1997; Webber, Anderson, Otey, 1991), certain students can provoke even the most concerned, reasonable, and dedicated teachers to act in impulsive, acrimonious, and rejecting ways (Long, 1996a). Students experiencing stress have the capacity to locate and activate unresolved issues in our own personal lives. Few of us possess the inner peace to respond in a calm and professional manner wi thout conscious effort.Awareness of our primary emotional triggers improves our chances of making rational decisions based on conscious choice, rather than unconscious emotional conditioning. 2. Am I paying attention to what I need to pay attention to? Helping youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities begins with understanding ourselves, particularly our own emotional processes that occur in the midst of conflict. Further, the psychological fit between a teacher’s need to stay in control and a youth’s inability to maintain control can lead to counterproductive power struggles (Long, 1996a).Long asserted that by taking ownership of â€Å"negative† feelings such as anger, frustration, and disdain, we are more likely to recognize the difference between having feelings and being had by our feelings. Teachers who are aware of their own emotional processes are more likely to minimize the frequency and intensity of these counterproductive power struggles (see bo x, â€Å"Strategy for Identifying and Defusing Emotional Triggers†). Most teachers recognize the power and necessity of using positive reinforcement (Johns Carr, 1995).By consciously noticing and reinforcing positive behavior, the classroom becomes a more positive environment—one in which the recognition of both academic and behavioral accomplishments leads to increased student self-esteem (Fagan, 1996). In an extensive study of effective teaching behaviors for students with disabilities, Larrivee (1982) found that â€Å"giving positive feedback† to be a behavior positively correlated with student performance measures. Johns and Carr recommended that at least 70% of comments teachers give students should be positive.Although researchers have found teacher praise to be linked to improved behavioral and academic outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders, the use of praise in these classrooms is often low (Sutherland Wehby, 2001). Teachers ofte n inadvertently neglect to recognize and build on students’ positive behaviors and strengths. Good and Brophy (1984) found that teachers’ perceptions of students can Strategy for Identifying and Defusing Emotional Triggers Take periodic â€Å"timeouts† before, during, or after both â€Å"positive† and â€Å"negative† interactions with students. Ask yourself: †¢ â€Å"What led me to respond this way? †¢ â€Å"Is this way of responding helping or hurting this relationship? † †¢ â€Å"Is it helping me grow as an educator? † †¢ â€Å"Is it helping the youth make better choices? † It is important to remember that we are often unaware of our primary emotional triggers. Actively seek consultation from colleagues and supervisors regarding behaviors and/or attitudes which are helping or hurting your effectiveness in the classroom. Ask a colleague or supervisor: †¢ â€Å"What do you see as my biggest strength i n working with students with behavioral and emotional disorders? † †¢ â€Å"What types of problems or student behaviors do I find the most difficult? TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN  ¦ NOV/DEC 2003  ¦ 9 affect teaching outcomes. Teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities can become so attuned to problem behaviors and perceived weaknesses, they inadvertently neglect to recognize and build on positive behaviors and strengths. A Minnesota youth poll by Hedin, Hannes, Saito (as cited in Braaten, 1999) revealed that two thirds of respondents believed that they were perceived negatively by the significant adults in their lives. Only 25% believed that adults held positive images of them.Furthermore, a large proportion did not believe the adults’ perceptions of them to be accurate. The researchers concluded that the youths believe that adults do not value or trust them and do not treat them with respect, and this belief increases as the youths grow older. In their study of teacher behaviors, Sutherland and Wehby (2001) found that ongoing teacher self-assessment had a positive impact on teacher praise. The Penny Transfer Technique is one strategy teachers can use to help them Strategy for Shifting Your Focus (The Penny Transfer Technique) Take five pennies and place them in your left pocket.Identify a student in your classroom who regularly needs to be redirected. Ideally, this should be a student whom you find difficult to engage. Every time you are able to verbally encourage that student for something he or she does well, transfer a penny to your right pocket. It is important to avoid phony or superficial affirmations (e. g. , â€Å"I like your new jeans†). Your goal is to move all five pennies to the right pocket by the end of the day. Repeat this exercise each day for 2 weeks. (Note: You may need to use less pennies or extend the timeframe several days if you are only with the student one period. Richards on (2001) noted that professionals who have used the Penny Transfer Technique have found that (a) they began to automatically notice positive behaviors of problem students and (b) they were able to change their perceptions and thus improve their relationships with these youth. 3. Am I using effective strategies to reduce burnout and nurture my own mental health? uated primarily on their ability to help students make tangible, academic improvements (Long, 1996b); yet they are also expected to assume multiple roles, such as model, disciplinarian, surrogate parent, social worker, and counselor.Many teachers find it difficult to perform all these roles in the midst of decreasing budgets and increasing class sizes. Teachers find themselves struggling to find time to adequately cover each of the learning objectives while also attending to the emotional needs of their students. Teacher stress can adversely affect the teachers, their students, and the classroom climate. Cheney and Barringer (1995) found that stress â€Å"can be manifested as (a) a reluc- We must develop effective strategies for regularly monitoring and managing our own stress.People often expect teachers to assume not only academic roles, but also those of instructional model, disciplinarian, surrogate parent, social worker, and counselor. shift their focus to more positive student behaviors and attributes (see box, â€Å"Strategy for Shifting Your Focus†). Teaching students with emotional and behavioral disorders is one of the most perplexing and challenging roles in education (Cheney Barringer, 1995). These teachers are faced with enormous pressures and simultaneous challenges (Cheney Barringer; Pullis, 1992) and report high levels of emotional exhaustion (Male May, 1997).They are eval- Strategy for Reducing Burnout and Nurturing Teacher Mental Health Recognize the difference between productive venting and an unproductive pattern of negativity and complaining. Take time to assess your con versations with friends and colleagues about your classroom and students. Ask yourself whether these conversations are helping to reduce or amplify your stress level. Periodically gauge your feelings and coping skills and seek out positive models. Stop and ask yourself, â€Å"What is your vision for the children and youth that you teach? † If necessary, explore new strategies (e. g. exercising, seeking professional help, reframing student behavior, finding humor in potentially humorous situations, commending yourself for ways you are making a difference) for managing your stress and increasing your own morale. 10 COUNCIL FOR tance to consider factors beyond the immediately observable behavior of the student, and (b) a rigid focus on school rules as a way of coping with problematic social interactions† (p. 181). To survive and thrive in the classroom, teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities must develop effective strategies for regularl y monitoring and managing their own stress.Teachers need safe places to express their feelings and frustrations and recharge their emotional batteries. In a survey of special education teachers, Pullis (1992) found that talking with supportive colleagues is one of the most effective coping strategies. In fact, 96% of teachers rated collaborating and talking with special education colleagues as one of their most effective strategies for coping with stress (see box, â€Å"Strategy for Reducing Burnout and Nurturing Teacher Mental Health†). We need to recognize the difference, however, between the need to vent and a pattern of negativity and complaining.Assessing our results will help us make this distinction. Venting is only helping us if we are actually venting pent-up  ¦ EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN feelings. If this process only adds to our stress level and frustration, we might want to employ a different strategy. A pattern of â€Å"unproductive venting† in the teacherâ₠¬â„¢s lounge, in the copy room, at lunch breaks, and at home is often the most foreboding precursor to burnout. We must regularly assess our coping skills and seek out positive colleagues and role models who will engage in supportive, constructive dialogue. . Am I using an appropriate sense of humor to build relationships, diffuse conflict, engage learners, and manage my own stress? They all seem to take themselves and their jobs too seriously. They seem unhappy when they teach. Ironically, while they have very little tolerance for â€Å"acting-out† behaviors, students tend to act out more in their classrooms. On the other hand, â€Å"teachers with a sense of humor are usually happy, relaxed, fun-loving, and reinforcing to others† (Webber et al. , 1991, p. 291). A recent study supported these observations.Talbot and Lumden (2000) found that teachers who were more likely to use humor in their classroom reported lower emotional exhaustion and a higher sense of personal a ccomplishment. Also, many writers have pointed out that an appropriate sense of humor is an effective strategy for engaging students who seem to be disengaged (Johns Carr, 1995; Sommers-Flanagan Sommers-Flanagan, 1997; Webb er et al. , 1991). These authors also noted that humor is also one of the most effective means of de-escalating potential crisis situations. Webber et al. bserved that it is difficult for a student to continue to act aggressively or destructively while he or she is laughing. Crowley (1993) interviewed students with severe behavioral disorders regarding helpful teacher attitudes and behaviors and found that these students repeatedly talked about the relevance of humor in the classroom. Victor Borge, the comedian, could have been talking about educators and students when he said, â€Å"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. † Sultanoff (1999) asserted, â€Å"One of the greatest potential gifts we can provide for children is to present ourse lves as â€Å"humor beings. By living with a humorous perspective, we teach children to effectively manage life’s challenges with far less stress† (p. 2). A number of educators have stressed that an appropriate sense of humor is absolutely essential for long-term success in working with youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (Richardson, 2001; Tobin, 1991, Webber et al. , 1991). These students often are trying to make sense out of a variety of highly charged emotional stressors (e. g. , poor reading skills, changing family structure, parental abuse and neglect) and will likely direct their hurt and frustration at teachers and peers.Students need to be held accountable for their behavior. If we take their actions personally or too seriously, however, we place ourselves at risk for both overreacting and burnout. Teachers want to approach their jobs diligently and sincerely; however, we need to recognize when we are taking ourselves, our students, or our jobs too s eriously. Humor that heals is sensitive, is good natured, defuses difficult situations, and brings people closer together. Having a sense of humor in the classroom is less about telling jokes and more about maintaining a relaxed and upbeat attitude and outlook about our jobs and life’s bizarre twists.Teachers who have an appropriate sense of humor convey to their students that they enjoy their jobs, like their students, relish playful exchanges, and do not take themselves too seriously. Most importantly, they recognize the difference between humor that hurts and Strategies for Assessing Our Ability to Use an Appropriate Sense of Humor An appropriate sense of humor is an effective strategy for engaging students who seem to be disengaged. While working as a high school counselor, one of the authors was informed that 80% of the disciplinary referrals to the assistant principal came from nly 10% of the teachers. When asked if there were commonalities among those teachers, the ass istant principal remarked, To assess whether you might be incorporating an appropriate sense of humor into your classroom, periodically ask yourself the following questions: †¢ â€Å"How often do I laugh as I teach? † †¢ â€Å"Do students seem to enjoy learning in my classroom? † †¢ â€Å"For the most part, do I enjoy working with students with behavioral and emotional disorders? †¢ â€Å"Do I use humor as a technique to defuse difficult situations or avoid potential power struggles? †¢ â€Å"Does humor used in my classroom (by me or my students) tend to bring people closer together or push them further away? † Based on your responses to these questions, it may be helpful to seek consultation or additional resources to more effectively incorporate humor into the classroom. Also, remember that qualifying language was used in these questions (â€Å"for the most part,† â€Å"tend to†). You do not need to inject humor into ev ery lesson plan or difficult situation. An honest self-assessment, however, will likely provide you with direction regarding areas where a change in attitude or behavior may be helpful.TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN  ¦ NOV/DEC 2003  ¦ 11 humor that heals. Richardson (2001) noted that humor that hurts is sarcastic, caustic, and pushes people away from one another, whereas humor that heals is sensitive, good natured, defuses difficult situations, and brings people closer together. As educators, we need to periodically assess our use of humor in the classroom and make adjustments when warranted (see box, â€Å"Strategies for Assessing Our Ability to Use an Appropriate Sense of Humor†). 5. Do I regularly acknowledge significant ways I (and others) are making a difference in the lives of students?Strategy for Recognizing Difference Makers: The Starfish Calendar This technique is similar to the â€Å"Penny Transfer Technique†; however, the objective is to recognize the po sitive behavior of teachers. First, find a calendar. Draw and cut out pictures of yellow and orange starfish. When you recognize another educator making a difference (e. g. , taking extra time after class, encouraging a student to talk to their counselor, using a creative intervention), communicate in some way that you appreciate their efforts. Then, write a brief description of the behavior on a yellow starfish and paste it on the date in your Starfish Calendar.At the end of the day, identify a specific way you made a difference, and paste an orange starfish in the calendar. Make a conscious effort to find one yellow and one orange starfish each day. This should only take a few minutes. If you happen to miss a day, try to find two the following day. tible to this symptom of burnout (Zabel, Boomer, King, 1984). Kaufman and Wong (1991) found that teachers who perceive themselves as having the ability to bring about desired student results are more likely to perceive their students a s teachable and worthy of their attention and effort.One study defined teacher efficacy as â€Å"the extent to which the teacher believes he or she has the capacity to affect student performance† (Bergman, McLaughlin, Bass, Pauly, Zellman, 1977, p. 137). These teachers with a high sense of self-efficacy were also less likely to personalize the misbehaviors of students and more likely to maintain an attitude of tolerance for difficult students. Recognizing ways that they and others are making a difference can affect the teachers’ perceived self-efficacy (see box, â€Å"Strategy for Recognizing Difference Makers†).Although many teachers make a habit of overextending themselves, burnout is just as likely to result from a persistent feeling that they are not truly making a difference. The Starfish Calendar (see box) is one simple way to encourage ourselves and others to be proactive in acknowledging the contributions of teachers. Final Thoughts Many teachers have n ot received adequate training to recognize how their own psychological histories and personalities affect their interactions with youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities.Although the success of educators to reach and teach these young people depends on many factors (e. g. , frequency and intensity of student behaviors, organizational structure, administrative support), this article focused on an important area in which teachers have more direct control— increasing their own self-awareness. Many goals outlined here are challenging and may not be fully attainable. As vulnerable human beings, teachers will never discover all their emotional triggers, build positive relationships with every student, or completely avoid counterproductive power struggles.If teachers make conscious, ongoing efforts to increase their own self-awareness, they will likely enhance their effectiveness and their job satisfaction. Teachers who are willing to take prudent risks and try new strategi es will inevitably make some mistakes. We need to view past conflict and unsuccessful interventions as helpful feedback, rather than personal failure. We must remember that the overall attitude of the teacher and the classroom climate affect students much more than most other techniques or interactions. References Bartollas, C. , Miller, S. J. (1998). Juvenile justice in America (2nd. d. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Bergman, P. , McLaughlin, M. , Bass, M. , Pauly, E. , Zellman, G. (1977). Federal programs supporting educational change: Vol. VII. Factors affecting implementation and continuation. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 335 341) Braaten, J. L. (1999). Self-concept and behavior disorders. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(1), 218-225. Cheney, D. , Barringer, C. (1995). Teacher competence, student diversity, and staff training for the inclusion of middle school students with emotional and behavioralIn conducting workshops for p rofessionals who work with youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities, one of the authors shared the following story of a young boy rescuing starfish on the beach: A young boy was walking along the beach in the middle of a sweltering, summer day. As the tide was retreating, he noticed thousands of starfish washed up on the dry sand. As the boy began throwing starfish back into the ocean, a man was passing by and said, â€Å"Son, look how many there are—you will never make a difference. † Smiling, the boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into the cean, and declared, â€Å"I’ll make a difference to that one. † The plight of students with disabilities is analogous to starfish washed up on the dry sand. It is easy to become paralyzed by the magnitude of the task and fail to recognize ways teachers are making a difference. It is easy to allow negative television newscasts, periodic setbacks, and seemingly unappreciative students and adults to discolor our perceptions and rob us of the idealism that propelled us to be a teacher. It is also easy to become so busy attending meetings and attending to students, we fail to attend to ourselves and our colleagues.Because of professional role demands, teachers of students with behavioral and emotional disabilities are frequently isolated from interaction with colleagues and particularly suscep- 12  ¦ COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN disorders. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 3(3), 174-182. Crowley, E. P. (1993). Reflections on â€Å"A qualitative analysis of mainstreamed behaviorally disordered aggressive adolescents’ perceptions of helpful and unhelpful teacher attitudes and behaviors. † Exceptionality, 4(3), 187-191. Fagan, S. A. (1996). Fifteen teacher intervention skills for managing classroom behavior problems.In N. Long, W. C. Morse, R. G. Newman (Eds. ), Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. , pp . 273-287). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Gold, Y. , Roth, R. A. (1993). Teachers managing stress and preventing burnout: The professional health solution. Washington, DC: The Falmer Press. Good, T. L. , Brophy, J. E. (1984). Looking in classrooms (3rd. ed. ). New York: Harper Row. Johns, B. H. , Carr, V. G. (1995). Techniques for managing verbally and aggressive students. Denver: Love. Kaufman, J. M. (1997). Characteristics of behavior disorders of children and youth (6th ed. . Columbus, OH: Merrill. Kaufman, J. M. , Wong, K. L. (1991). Effective teachers of students with behavioral disorders: Are generic teaching skills enough? Behavioral Disorders, 16(3), 225237. Knitzer, J. (1993). Children’s mental health policy: Challenging the future. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 1(1), 8-16. Larrivee, B. (1982). Identifying effective teaching behaviors for mainstreaming. Teacher Education and Special Education, 5, 2-6. Lerner, R. M. (1995). America’s youth in crisis : Challenges and options for programs and policies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Long, N. 1996a). The conflict cycle paradigm on how troubled students get teachers out of control. In N. Long, W. C. Morse, R. G. Newman (Eds. ), Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. , pp. 244265). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Long, N. (1996b). Inclusion of emotionally disturbed students: Formula for failure or opportunity for new acceptance. In N. Long, W. C. Morse, R. G. Newman (Eds. ), Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. , pp. 116-126). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Long, N. , Morse, W. C. , Newman, R. G. (Eds. ). (1996).Conflict in the classroom: The education of at-risk and troubled students (5th ed. ). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Male, D. B. , May, D. (1997). Stress, burnout and workload in teachers of children with special education needs. British Journal of Special Education, 24(3), 133-140. Pullis, M. (1992). An analysis of the o ccupational stress of teachers of the behaviorally disordered: Sources, effects, and strategies for coping. Behavioral Disorders, 17(3), 191-201. Richardson, B. G. (2001). Working with challenging youth: Lessons learned along the way. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge. Sommers-Flanagan, J. , Sommers-Flanagan, R. 1997). Tough kids, cool counseling. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Sultanoff, S. M. (1999). President’s column. Therapeutic Humor, 13(4), 2. Sutherland, K. S. , Wehby, J. H. (2001). The effect of self-evaluation on teaching behavior in classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The Journal of Special Education, 35(3), 161-171. Talbot, L. A. , Lumden, D. B. (2000). On the association between humor and burnout. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 13, 419-428. Tobin, L. (1991). What to do with a child like this? Inside the lives of troubled children.Deluth, MN: Whole Person Associates. Underhill, A. (1991). The rol e of groups in developing teacher self-awareness. English Language Teaching Journal, 46(1), 71-80. Webber, J. , Anderson, T. , Otey, L. (1991). Teacher mindsets for surviving in BD classrooms. Intervention in School and Clinic, 26, 288-292. Zabel, R. H. , Boomer, L. W. , King, T. R. (1984). A model of stress and burnout among teachers of behaviorally disordered students. Behavioral Disorders, 9(3), 215221. Brent G. Richardson, Associate Professor; and Margery J. Shupe, Assistant Professor, Education Department, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.Address correspondence to Brent G. Richardson, Education Department, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH 45207-6612 (e-mail: [emailprotected] edu). TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 8-13. Copyright 2003 CEC. Available from CEC Teaching Kids With Learning Difficulties in the Regular Classroom Susan Winebrenner Testing Students With Disabilities Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use to Challenge and Motivate Struggl ing Students Start using this book on the first day of school with the first chapter on making all students welcome in your class!More than 50 reproducible pages of useful forms will make your job easier. Winebrenner, a skilled classroom teacher, also gives concise explanations of various learning differences you may encounter in your inclusive classroom and presents proven techniques for dealing with diverse learning styles, language, literacy, science, math, social studies, behavior problems, and much more. 1996, 248 pages. ISBN 1-57542-004-X #S5188 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29. 95 Practical Strategies for Complying With District and State Requirements, 2nd Edition Martha L.Thurlow, Judy L. Elliott, James E. Ysseldyke This guide explains how to decide which tests students with disabilities should take; what assessment accommodations are, their purpose, and who is eligible for them; how to blend the assessment process wi th the student’s IEP; and more. Two sections give very useful reproducible forms and suggestions for staff development. 2002, 344 pages. ISBN 0-7619-3809-5 #S5578 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49. 95/CEC Members $34. 95 TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN  ¦ NOV/DEC 2003  ¦ 13

Minority and Women Entrepreneurs

Minority and Women Entrepreneurs Introduction In the bid to enhance collective growth for all industries by encouraging the development of entrepreneurship culture, governments develop policies that ensure equitable access and evaluation of contract bids that are placed by different firms irrespective of their size or ownership.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Minority and Women Entrepreneurs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main criterion for selection of the firm or business enterprise that wins federal government contract in the US principally rests on the capacity of the firm or enterprise to deliver on the scope of a given contract as postulated in the terms and conditions of a contract. The United States government leads across the globe in terms of purchasing of various goods and services. According to American Express (2010), it spends an average of 500 billion US dollars annually. 23-percent (US $115) of contracts for supply of the goods and services are allocated to small firms. This observation suggests that federal contracting encompasses an essential avenue that is utilizable by small firms to grow. Five percent of the total US government’s spending is on small firms owned by minority and women. This makes these two groups of people important for consideration in the discussion of challenges and opportunities in the US federal procurement. This paper seeks to answer the question of whether minority-owned and women-owned small businesses work harder than their peers do to get the same amount of contracts. The paper is divided into three sections. The first section discusses equality in terms of the effort of minority-owned and women–owned small businesses to successfully bid for a contract from federal governments. The second section discusses how minority-owned business strategies differ from the strategies for majority owners. The third section reflects on these differences to examine w hether minority-owned and women-owned firms and enterprises that engage in federal contracting encounter more hardships, hence requiring working harder in successful contracting. Equality in Success for Minority-owned and Women-owned Business The 2008-2009 global financial crisis produced negative impacts in the employment sector in the US. Estimations for employment forecasts conducted by Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) (2009) indicated that the global recession led to the loss of about 25 million jobs.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Failure of economic recovery to pick momentum made unemployment rise to 57 million (Ernst Young, 2011). This situation revealed the significance of creating more employment through small businesses as part of the US government’s agenda to prevent and manage higher unemployment rates as the economy struggled to re cover from the crisis. In the context of the minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses, the two have an incredible share for the provision of employment in the US. In 2007, women owned 7.8 million small businesses, which accounted for 30 percent of all small businesses (Blank, 2010). The businesses reported sales and/or receipts of US$ 1.2 trillion. Those with paid workers employed 7.6 million people in total (Blank, 2010). According to American Express (2010), about 65 percent of small businesses engaged in federal contracting and secured their first contract, reporting sales of over $ 1 million each. This figure includes 63 percent of all prime small business contractors owned by women and 63 percent of prime small business contractors owned by people of color (American Express, 2010). Organizations such as a division of minority and womens business development (DMWBD) are established in response to the challenge of enhancing the capacity of the women-owned and the mino rity-owned small businesses to offer solutions to the challenge of unemployment. The organization aims at promoting â€Å"equality of economic opportunities for MWBEs and to eliminate barriers to their participation in state contracts† (DMWBD, 2013, Para. 1). This suggests that DMWBD fosters fair allocation of contracts to women-owned and minority -owned small businesses. Amid this effort, equality in the success for minority-owned and women-owned businesses requires working harder to secure the first contract. Minority and women-owned small businesses acquire equal achievements in business growth, which is driven by procurement market place variables that come at equal levels to that of their peers after securing their first contract. American Express (2010, p. 2) supports this affirmation by asserting â€Å"once they become active prime contractors, women and minority-owned small businesses match the average small business contractors both in terms of business size and wit h respect to the total value for federal contracts†. However, the research organization partly agrees and partly disagrees with this assertion. It posits that even though minority and women contractors have acquired similar levels of contracting in comparison with their peers, persons of color (who also constitute the minority) who win their first contract have to pay an extra price. Small businesses owned by people of color invest 35 percent more in comparison with an average minority business to seek a contract with the federal government (American Express, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Minority and Women Entrepreneurs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Statistical evidence indicates that small businesses owned by men dominate in federal contracting. For instance, American Express (2010) confirms that even though small businesses owned by women and engaging in contracting for supply of goods and services to federal agencies are successful, they have not attained similar levels of success compared to men-owned small businesses. This observation is evidenced by 42 percent of women who are actively engaged in federal contracting reporting $1 million in sales compared to 47 percent small businesses owned by men reporting equal amounts of sales (American Express, 2010). This inequality creates the necessity for investigating the differences between small businesses owned by women and minority groups compared with their peers in a bid to establish the points of disparity or parity in awarding of federal contracts in the US. Differences between Women and Minority-owned and Majority-owned Businesses Data derived from the US Census Bureau in 2009 depicted a close relationship between small business populations’ racial and gender characteristic. According to the data, women represented 28 percent of all active contractors. This figure corresponded to 28 percent in their to tal share for population of people engaged in small business prime contracting or subcontracting with federal governments (American Express, 2010). From the context of minority groups, the data from the same organization showed that persons of color accounted for 24 percent of all active small business contractors against their population of 20 percent in the small businesses’ overall population. This data indicated that small business owners have equal opportunities of winning a federal contract irrespective of gender or racial demographic characteristics. However, considering the characteristics of the population of those who have applied for federal contract without success, inequalities in successful federal contracting are evident. Data from the US Census Bureau in 2009 shows that about half (48 percent) of the business population that applied for contract with the federal agencies without winning a prime contract (non-contractors) were minority-owned small businesses wh ile 39 percent were owned by women (American Express, 2010). This finding shows that minority and women-owned small businesses constitute the largest proportion of small businesses seeking to secure the first contract with federal agencies. A skeptical explanation for this difference may require claiming out that more minority and women-owned small businesses seek opportunities in contracting with Federal agencies.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nevertheless, while noting that 10% of the federal agencies’ contracts are reserved for women and minority-owned business, higher inequalities in winning contract among these two groups of small business under normal market dynamics would even be higher. This assertion invalidates a claim that setting 10% stake in contracting for women and minority-owned business (each 5%) encourages more minority and women-owned businesses to seek contracting opportunities with federal states so that they constitute the highest population for non-contractors in comparison with their peers. Ernst and Young (2011) contend there are inequalities between small businesses owned by women and those owned by men. The organization reckons that by 2011, women-owned businesses’ revenues accounted for only 9 percent of the total US economy in comparisons with the 36 percent contribution from the revenues generated by men-owned small business enterprises. This suggests that in case women would rai se their revenue objectives to equalize with small businesses that are owned by men, they are likely to make a bigger economic impact. However, a scholarly question emerges on how exactly this mission can be accomplished. Trechiel and Scott (2006, p. 52) suggest that women owning small businesses lack adequate â€Å"negotiating, assertiveness, and decision-making skills†. Considering that these skills are important during contracting negotiations, a possible mechanism of reducing the number of women non-contractors is through the creation of programs for their empowerment. In support of this claim, Ernst and Young (2011, p. 22) insist, â€Å"treating women entrepreneurs as a homogeneous group is unlikely to yield positive results, as women’s experiences in cultural backgrounds, education, and life circumstances vary widely†. Therefore, normalization of the incapability of women to manage and execute a contract to deliver its objectives as prescribed by contractu al terms and conditions may reveal the prevalence of women small businesses in the non-contracting category of small businesses in the US. Minority-owned businesses face the challenge of negative representation of their ability to deliver the deliverables of a contract similar to the women-owned small businesses. Indeed, according to Samuels, Joshi, and Demory (2008), they encounter challenges that are articulated to business formation together with equal engagement in government contracting with their peers. In the effort to ensure the businesses overcome the challenge of formation, the US government has created policies such as affirmative action to increase the number of small business firms owned by minorities applying for government contracts. For instance, the government has established a policy requiring reservation of 5% of all contracts awarded by federal governments to minority-owned small businesses (Trechiel Scott, 2006). Nevertheless, such policies do not necessary tra nslate into increasing the number of small businesses owned by minority and engaging in government contracting. Minority-owned small businesses engage in government contracting in the effort to offset limitations that the private sector imposes on them. This does not imply that minority-owned small businesses have a better play in government contracting compared to their peers. Coleman (2005, p. 154) state, â€Å"barriers embedded in the contracting process itself can impede minority firms from winning government contracts†. For instance, the government may not view as appropriate breaking down various contracts into small fragment to allow minority-owned small businesses to bid competitively. Challenges of ineffective screening to eliminate false minority disguise together with bid shopping also constitute important impediments to equality in the participation of minority-owned small businesses in government contracting. This suggests that for minority-owned and women-owned small business to engage competitively in government contracting in comparison with their peers, they have to work extra harder as discussed in the following section. Hardships in Contracting Ability of Minority-owned and Majority-owned Business Winning federal government contracts is significant to both minority and women-owned small business. A research conducted using a sample of 1,508 participants by American Express (2010) found out that women and minority small business owners work harder to win federal contracts for three main important reasons. 70-percent of the sample claimed that winning a prime federal contract was essential for growth of the businesses. Indeed, 37 percent of the sample contended that seeking business growth opportunities was the prime reason for engagement in federal contracting (American Express, 2010). In all minority and women small business owners, 74 percent cited growth as the main reason they pursue federal contracts. The research by American Expr ess (2010) also indicated that women have higher probabilities of engaging in government contracting in the quest to acquire personal leadership together with management skills. Women of color cited the development of the ability to increase their contributions to wellness of the communities as another major driver into engaging in federal contracting (American Express, 2010). The results of the study provide evidence of the willingness of women and minority small business owners to invest more in making bids for contracts and even in ensuring compliance with their businesses to statutory requirements that are essential for successful bids. The main question is, ‘how hard do they work and at what cost?’ Seeking a response to the above query formed the basis for the American Express (2012) study that deployed a sample size of 740 participants who were drawn from small business owners’ population in the US. The organization’s findings indicated that 35 perce nt of all active small businesses owned by women won contracts worth US $1 and above in 2011. 15-percent reported having won contracts worth US$10 million and above. 37-percent and 20 percent of minority-owned small businesses reported having won contracts with the federal government worth US $1 million and above and 10 million and above respectively. These findings evidence that women-owned and minority-owned small business were fairing equally in terms of achievement in federal contracting. However, equality only occurs when equal achievements correspond to equal inputs in terms of the effort required to successfully bid for a federal contract. Different amounts of efforts to win federal governments’ contracts nullify equality in contracting achievements for different small businesses in the US. Samuels, Joshi, and Demory (2008) further claim that women and minority small business invest both energy and time seeking federal governments’ certifications together with a dditional designations for them to qualify either as a prime contractor or subcontractor. Some of these certifications include women-owned small business certification, registration with GSA, minority-owned small business certification, designation for acceptability in the 8(a) program category of businesses, and veteran-owned small businesses among others. While it is important for small businesses owned by minority and women to seek more than one designations, such an endeavor is non-beneficial to the enterprise when it does not increase the probability for successful bidding for a contract. This suggests that increased successful contracting opportunities as discussed by American Express (2012) have an extra effort attached to them in comparison with their peers. Putting extra energy in seeking a designation of 8(a) business category or acquiring the designation for ‘service-disabled veteran-owned business’ proves effective in enhancing contracting abilities of minor ity-owned small businesses. American Express (2012) agrees with this postulation by reporting that 64 percent of the sample studied embraced ‘service-disabled veteran-owned business’ designation as an important extra effort incorporated by minority-owned small businesses in the bid to enhance their competitiveness in winning federal contracts. Similarly, women-owned businesses benefit from seeking registration with GSA. 41-percent of the sample of women-owned small businesses studied by American Express (2012) held that GSA registration was ‘very important.’ Consequently, it is sound to infer that compared to the peers, small businesses owned by women and minority in the US require an additional mechanism of enhancing their competitiveness in winning bids for the federal government contracts. Although this effort does not require financial inputs, winning contracts in some isolated cases requires higher monetary investments compared to their peers. The cont racting process involves expenditure of business financial resources. In 2010, the expenditure for small businesses that were actively seeking federal contracts averaged at US $103,827 (American Express, 2012). However, minority-owned small businesses had to invest more than the industry’s average contracting investment. They invested US$139,709 (American Express, 2012). This figure was about 35 percent higher than the industry’s average. Compared to women-owned businesses who only invested an average of US$86,643 (17-percent less than the industry’s average), this high commitment of business financial resources meant that minority owned-small businesses were the ones required to work harder to secure a federal contract. Thus, equal achievement in contracting for women-owned small businesses and minority-owned small businesses do not necessarily reflect equality in the overall benefits accruing from contracting. A similar comparative analysis may also apply to b oth women and minority-owned business when compared to their peers. Considering the time required to bid successfully for a federal government contract, women and minority-owned small businesses require working harder to secure the first contract. Average small business contractors take lesser time than women and minority-owned small businesses to secure their first contact. According to Ernst and Young (2011, p. 43), â€Å"it took minority business owners an average of 1.7 years (20 months) and 6.1 unsuccessful bids before they notched their first victory in procurement in 2011† (p.43). Comparably, a small business average contractor took only 16 months (1.3 years) to secure the first contract. This was accompanied by 4.4 failures for successful bidding. Women-owned businesses did not require working harder than average small businesses to a win a bid successfully. They only used 1.2 years with only four failures in successful bidding (Ernst and Young, 2011). However, the sa ved amount of energy may have been utilized elsewhere, for instance, in seeking registration with GSA to increase probabilities for success in contracting. Although women and the minority-owned small businesses face several challenges requiring them to work harder than their peers do, it does not imply that the peers do not also face higher expenditure in securing contracts with federal governments. The costs of living in many nations across the globe have been on the rise since the end of the global financial crisis experienced in 2008-2009 (Ernst and Young, 2011). This situation has resulted in the general increase in costs of doing business including contracting. Amid this challenge, minority-owned small businesses increased their investments in seeking contracting opportunities in federal governments by 29 percent between 2009 and 2010 compared to 21 percent industry average and 23 percent of the investments made by women-owned small businesses (American Express, 2012). Therefor e, despite the rise in investments in financial resources together with the time required for securing the first contract across all small business enterprises, this growth was more pronounced amongst women and minority-owned small businesses in comparison with their peers. Conclusion A government has a noble mandate to ensure equitable distribution of resources and business opportunities with a nation. This concern resulted in the establishment of policies for ensuring that particular disadvantaged groups of small business in the US acquire a share in accessing federal governments’ contracts. One of such policies was the allocation of 5% of total contracts awarded by the federal government to women-owned small businesses and an equal share to minority-owned small businesses. These two groups of businesses also possess the freedom to engage in bidding for the remaining 90% stake of contracts awarded to small businesses. To win a contract in this stake, especially where a smal l business seeks to bid successfully for the first contract, the paper revealed that women-owned and minority-owned small businesses have to worker harder than their peers do. Working harder encompasses commitment of more financial and time resources in the contracting process. It also entails spending time and other resources in seeking multiple designations or certifications to enhance the competitiveness of a women-owned business enterprise or minority-owned business enterprises to win the first bid. After winning the bid, such firms acquire an equal ability to contract similar to their peers without necessarily having to work harder. Reference List American Express. (2010). Women and Minority Federal Small Business Contractors: Greater Challenges, Deeper Motivations, Different Strategies, and Equal Success. New York, NY: American Express. American Express. (2012). Women and Minority Small Business Contracts: Divergent Paths to Equal Success. New York, NY: American Express. Blank , R. (2010). Women-Owned Business in the 21st Century. New York, NY: US Department of Commerce, Economic and Statistics Administration for White House Council on Women and Girls. Coleman, S. (2005). Constraints Faced by Women Small Business Owners: Evidence from the Data. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 7(2), 151-174. DMWBD. (2013). Minority and Women Business Development. Retrieved from https://esd.ny.gov/doing-business-ny/mwbe Ernst, J., Young, H. (2011). Scaling Up: Why Women-Owned Business can recharge the Global Economy. New York, NY: Ernst Young. OECD. (2009). Policy Responses to the Economic Crisis: Investing in Innovation for Long-Term Growth. Paris, France: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Samuels, L., Joshi, M., Demory, Y. (2008). Entrepreneurial Failure and Discrimination: Lessons for Small Firms. Service Industries Journal, 28(7), 883-897. Trechiel, M., Scott, J. (2006). Women-Owned Businesses and Access to Bank Credit: Evidence from Three Surveys since 1987. Venture Capital, 8(1), 51-67.

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Statment of purpose - Personal Statement Example applications, I have envisioned honing my professional acumen through higher education through an MBA degree from your prestigious institution, the John Hopkins Carey Business School. As indicated in my Curriculum Vitae, my interest in MBA was initiated by my readings in this field of endeavor. There is this burning desire to specialize in a highly professional and attractive career, where MBA professionals are deemed to be very scarce in Saudi Arabia. It is my personal goal to be instrumental in filling that professional gap in the Saudi work market with the expertise I hope to achieve at John Hopkins. As I briefly reviewed the vast opportunities offered by the Carey Business School of John Hopkins, I am more determined and enthusiastic to enroll in one of the programs that would fit my personal requirements. I am most interested in developing personal and professional skills that focus on leadership, conflict resolution, design of strategies, and to address various business problem scenarios in the contemporary global environment. I was most impressed with the John Hopkins’ statement towards the commitment â€Å"to help you develop into an ethical, informed business professional—a capable leader who is culturally literate and entrepreneurial in spirit. You will know how to roll up your sleeves to get the job done, how to capture and articulate a brilliant idea, how to inspire others, how to lead and how to follow† (John Hopkins Global MBA, 2011, par. 9). The statement comprehensively defines the fulfillment of my personal goal to be an active contributor in m y native country of the knowledge, skills and abilities that would be improved through a multidimensional approach. If the opportunities would permit, I also plan to apply the business skills in other global markets to enable me to widen my experience and gain substantial expertise on a global scale. Ultimately, my goal to become an entrepreneur, a leader, and a manager of global perspectives would be

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Causes of Occupational Stress Occupational stress can be referred to the physical pressure such as weary as well as body pain (Beehr et al., 2001) ( cited in Nazim Shahid Jan, n.d., p.292) and mentally pressure such as weary, anxiety, depression, insomnia, incurred by oneself occupation or job (Millward, 2005) ( cited in Nazim Shahid Jan, n.d., p.292). There are two types of stress, which are eustress and distress. Eustress, is a positive stress, can motive one to achieve oneself goals whereas distress negatively influences oneself behavior, physical and mental condition (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 139). In fact, there are a number of factors which cause occupational stress. Firstly, employees usually feel pressured when there are overload work tasks to be completed by them (Swaminathan Rajkumar, 2013, p.86). For instance, when an employer distributes a number of difficult tasks to his or her employee to be completed within a short period of time, the employee will usually feel stressed due to the fact that completing the task within a short period of time is beyond the employee’s capability. This can be related to MARS Model where Motivation, Ability, Role perception and Situational factors are considered (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 46-49). The employee may have the motivation and ability as well as a good role perception to perform his or her task, but due to situational factor such as limited time, he or she will feel stressed. For instance, in most of the secondary school, a teacher is responsible for teaching many subjects and the overload work task will definitely make the teacher feel stressed (It takes two: how schools are in vesting in staff teaching additional subjects 2013). Besides, the relationship among employees or between employees and employers also contributes to occupational stress (Causes of work-related stress 2009). This problem commonly happens when a new employee enters into a new job or position. He or she may not be able to get used to the new environment, especially the relationship with new colleagues. New employees will usually feel ignored by his or her colleagues and this problem makes them feel depressed (Common causes of stress at work n.d.). Very often, new employees will also have problem in communicating with new colleagues because of incomprehension of personality to each other (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 345). In Model of Communication, communication barriers are the obstacles, which include perception, filtering, language and excessive information that disturb communication among people (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p.356-358). For instance, sometimes when new colleagues make fun of a new employee such as kidding with the new employee, the new employee may convert the message received in a wrong way due to his or her perception, different language spoken, excessive information received and so on, in which the employee will think that the new colleagues are trying to insult him or her. Moreover, some employees, who do not have a good communication and relationship with their superiors or employees, are even bullied and suffer from harassment such as sexual harassment by their superior and end up feeling pressured (Tehrani 2002) (cited in Ongori Agolla 2008, p.124). The employees or victims are unable to communicate well or feel shy to communicate with people in a company will usually be the target of bullying by their superiors or colleagues. For example, in Nike company, there is a number of employees has suffered from insult and sexual harassment by their superiors (Nike workers suffer harassment, claims report 2001). Consequently, these victims will end up suffering from stress or feel very pressured whenever they work in their workplace. Job insecurity is also not an exception to be one of the main factors contributing to occupational stress and thus reducing the productivity of employees (Babatunde 2013, p.76). In the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the most important need of human is physiological, followed by security such as job security, socialization, esteem and self-actualization (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 170-171). It is, therefore, clear that job security is necessary for a person. This problem worrying about job insecurity is most commonly faced by employees who are in debts, confront financial liability and difficulties. These employees are usually worried about the problem of unemployment that may occur on them in the future as their current job is very important for them for shouldering certain liabilities or responsibilities such as raising a family. In fact, the problem of employee’s dismissal commonly happens during economic recession, in which the economic is under a bad cond ition (Sandilands n.d.). Therefore, employees’ worries about dismissal usually arise during economic recession. Due to the fact that most of the companies have insufficient revenue to cover their expenses, the companies therefore dismiss some the employees who are not productive in order to reduce their expenses (Windermere n.d.). For example, Nike has planned to dismiss about 1750 workers in order to reduce its expenses by $225 million (Rogoway 2009). Not only that, some of the employees is also worried that their salaries will get deducted as well as being treated unfairly. For instance, the majority of the employees in United Kingdom are most worried about the problem of their salaries reduction, followed by the problem of being unemployed and treated unfairly (Osborne 2013). Therefore, job insecurity is truly undeniable to be one of the major factors which may lead to the occupational stress (Unemployment ‘can lead to depression’ 2011). In actual fact, occupational stress has indeed brought advantages to employees. One of the most common advantages is that a low level of occupational stress can help to improve the working performance of an employee. When an employee has suffered from stress such as a reasonable work submission deadline, he or she will be more initiated or committed to try the very best to complete a task or come out with a well-done output. For example, after Apple company has released its new smartphone, iPhone 5S, Samsung Company then declares that it will also come out with its new smartphone product, Samsung Galaxy S5 which also has the same level of processor (The Fierce Competition Between Samsung And Apple is Still Ongoing n.d.). It is clearly shown that stress has actually motivated Samsung company’s employees to create come out with a good way to compete with Apple Company. Occupational stress, on the other hand, does also incur a number of negative impacts. The typical disadvantage is that occupational stress may harm oneself health condition in term of physical and mental. It is commonly known the symptoms of being overstressed are headache, insomnia, high blood pressure and so on (Hamlett n.d.). In fact, these symptoms also implies that oneself suffer the risk of health problems. If the overstressed issue persists, the employee will get sick and end up reducing his or her productivity. Not only that, the employee will also be unable to fully concentrate on performing his or her tasks as he or she will be distracted by worries at most of the time (Hamlett n.d.). In addition, the issue of occupational stress harming employees’ mental health condition is now increasing at an alarming rate. The mental illness or stress suffered will get serious if it is not cured as soon as possible and will end up causing fatal to the patient such as committing s uicide (Omelas Kleiner 2003) (cited in Ablanedos-Rosas et al. 2011, p. 555). For example, a nurse in Britain committed suicide due to the vicious slander brought by his patient (Work Suicide n.d.). In order to reduce stress temporarily, many people choose to smoke and end up addicted to smoking (Smoking and Mental Health n.d.), consequently increasing the chances of getting lung cancer (Lung cancer risks and causes n.d.). In other words, occupational stress has indirectly led some of the employees to the risk of getting lung cancer. In addition, if the level of an employee’s stress is too high and beyond the capabilities of the employee to control it, adverse effects such as frustration or anxiety may occur and will subsequently lead to a low productivity (Cevizci et al. 2014, p.42). Path-goal theory comprises of four types of leadership style, which are directive, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 464). The leader of a company should be supportive and considerate to his or her employee. ASA theory consists of 3 ways, which are attraction, selection and attrition. Attraction is that a person is attracted by the culture of a company as the culture company is his or her preferred culture. Selection is that a company selects workers which are able to adapt the culture of the company. Attrition is that a company dismisses the workers who does not adapt to the culture of the company (Mcshane, Olekalns Travaglione 2010, p. 555-556). ASA theory can be us ed to reduce or avoid stress of employees through allowing workers to choose company which are suitable to them, selecting people who can work under stress and dismissing employees who are unable to meet company’s target.