My personal experience of managing destructive emotions in educational context

1. My personal experience of managing destructive emotions in educational context Submitted by TSE, Sing Tak StephenStudent No.: 2004930930

2. This paper is to investigate the stress problems of teachers in their workplace and to explore the interventions for destructive emotions.

3. It is better to be high-spirited even though one makes more mistakes, than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent. ~ Vincent van GoghYour prayer must be that you may have a sound mind in a sound body. Pray for a bold spirit, free from all dread of death; that reckons the closing scene of life among Nature’s kindly boons. ~ Juvenal

4. Background and context Enormous stress arising from workplace, anxiety, depression suicides Psychological problems -- the rapidly divergent and changing educational policy of the HKSAR Government Insufficient counseling service for teachers The demanding workload at school, adjustment difficulties and unemployment are the main causes of their stress. 23% of local teachers have anxiety and depression problems in the Chinese Serveyh.

5. Stress at workplace demanding workload at school, adjustment difficulties students with emotional problems and disruptive behaviors

6. Causes of anxiety Attend courses after school even in holidays Job security Low birth rate in Hong Kong Cut back of public money in education An alarming situation in the teaching profession. Many redundant teachers,

7. Teachers’ Suicides Last year a teacher committed suicide in front of the students in his school. It is just like putting a skeleton in the cabinet in the school . As a result of this incident, the schoolteachers and students suffered from post traumatic stress order (PTSD) for months or even for years. (Schiraldi 2000) Suicides among teachers in Hong Kong have caused concern not only to social workers, but also to psychiatrists and psychologists. (Hong Kong Social Service Emotional support from the school community, family members, friends, relatives and neighbours are found to have a strong moderating effect on the emotional problems reducing depression. (Ibid)

9. Impact of education reform • Education reform undertaken in HK for many years • Provision of quality of quality as part of education reforms • All schools are very competitive striving to be effective schools • Some teachers see the increasing workload and the education • change as making their job more difficult.. • They are under enormous stress because of education reform • Mounting students’ disruptive behaviour and emotional problems at • school.

10. School-based management School-based management has to be implemented in local schools Mandated by the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) since 2000. (ECR 2000) The spirit of the School-based-management (SBM) requires4 the school: (1).To provide schools with greater flexibility in the effective use of resources (2) To encourage schools to take initiatives and achieve better results; (3) To assist and to take appropriate remedial actions where necessary.

11. Exploration and development of different perspectives are to be 2. Theoretical perspectives

12. Quality Assurance Inspectorate Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) is set up to provide a (ECR 2000) Whole-based approach to inspection. Reports of the Quality Assurance Inspection (QAI) for public reference Schools have to make some improvements A great stressor to the Principals, the Deputy Head, Head teachers, teachers and the School Board as well. Unsuccessful and ineffective schools closing sown Many teachers will lose their jobs.

13. Results of destruction emotions uStress at work affectingy affect their daily life. uLengthy exposure to stress likely have adverse impacts on our nphysical, and psychological well-being. uPsychologists (Hallam 1992) emphasized that stressful experiences might not necessarily cause disease, but they would certainly affect one’s daily performance. uToo much hard work with a desire to achieve can develop chronic stress. uDesires and attachments are the causes of pain and stress. (Chan 2004) u“Our emotion can affect our health and we can learn how to control our negative attitudes.” (Chan 2001 P.29) uIf there is no intervention or strategies for coping, it may lead to the burnout of a person.(Hallam 1992; Chan 2001)

14. Growth through stress • Good times and bad times in life. (Chan 2001) • Consider consider stress as a challenge in life and a way to self-growth • Mutual supports, • Positive emotion and broad minder coping stratgies • Ennhance our life quality. (Fredriscson & Jliner 2002) • Quality of life has been increasingly recognized as an imprtant health outcome.’( Huppert and Whittington 2003 P.108) • Supportive network and emotional suppot. can be elicited from family members or close friends. • Self-management is critical for destructive emotions change. (John et al 1999) Individual self-mangement in goal setting is important for behavioral health.(ibid) • Positive coping style is more effective than those with low negative affectvity. (Clark & Watson 1991)

15. Personal experience I used to have chest pain for many years. The result of medical catherization shows no sign of blockage Mild mitral valve Paraxysmal atrial fibrillation. Cause of pain could be arising from chronic anxiety and Negative emotional thoughts or other things that matter. Tugade & Fredrickson (2004) concluded that positive meaning in negative circumstances can a better and speedily cardiovascular recovery.

16. Body-mind-spirit approach • uWestern physician tends to cure the body of patients, such as cardiovascular disease. • uIn traditional Chinese views, the body, mind, cognition, emotion and spiritually are seen as discrete entities. (Chan et al 1997) • uA holistic conceptualization of an individual and his or her environments are to be emphasized for health. (Leung 1988)’. • uSignificant improvements in people’s physical health and mental health have been developed in the discernment of the Eastern body-mind-spirit approach in managing stress. (Chan et al 1998) • uThe negative emotions may affect our health and create a whole range of imbalances inside the body. (Zhang & Guo 1991)

17. Mindfulness stress reduction programme • uPhysical functioning can affect the emotional expression and sense of well being. • uAn individual’s internal systems will have a bearing on his or her moods and emotional states). (Chan 2001) • uEmotional discomforts give rise to imbalances inside the body. . • u. (Zhang & Guo 1991) • uThe balance of yin and yeung is important to our health. I joined The Mindfulness Stress Reduction Program • uAproach to release stress by practicing body scan, Yoga and other skills. • The programme helps people to develop better healthcare and sense of well being

18. Developing pleasant personality uWe are what we were in the past being brought up in cultures Features of one’s unique character influenced by the original family Family is the new people making. (Satire 2001) uWe infer our own attitudes by self-observation. (Reber P.704) uTe matured, we have to keep going to cultivate ourselves adapting to the rapidly changing world. uWe have to learn to change our inner selves in order to be able to survive more happily. There is unlimited love and warmth inside of oneself and life is full

19. Metacognitve beliefs Importance of metacognitive cabilities The more we know, the more we know there is much left to know. Change Confucian sayings from “五十而知天命”to “五十不知天命” Carry on my personal growth with fear and favour Change 退一步海闊天空to 進一步天高地廣 The world is too much with us As I look up to the sky,I think there is a place always fpr in the universe.