TM4T Stress Armoury - Stress Management for Teachers

This is the TM4T Stress Armoury.

Before delving into the techniques themselves, please make sure that you understand the metaphor involved.  We call this an 'armoury', not the 'toolkit' beloved by some training providers.   This nuance is important.  Toolkits are great in some situations: when something needs fixed, you just open up yer toolbox, rummage around, and hope that you come up with something to fix the problem. Hunky-dory - but you don't necessarily know which tools are lurking in your box, you don't always know exactly which tools you need (until something goes wrong), and you don't always have time to dip-in and choose tools when things get tough. Armouries are different: you don't wait till you need protection, and then pop back to the armoury - you sort things out beforehand, arm yourself accordingly, and your defence is deployed in advance.

The notion of the Stress Armoury is that it represents a basic set of techniques and foreknowledge. This is stuff you learn to use before you wade into the stress machine. Of course, you can use it as a toolkit if you have no choice. If you are nearing burnout and someone has suggested mindful meditation, then dive right in.  That is not, though, the best way to do things.  You should know how to practice mindful meditation before you hit the chalkface, before you get near to the statistical likelihood of stress.

So: you should really read all these 50 techniques before you complete your teacher-training.  In an ideal world, and all that.  There is a serious reason for this. You may have encountered - if only via a TV screen - one of those annoying martial arts experts who tell us that they used to be a hell-raiser before they took up Judo (or Karate, Aikido, etc) and how now they're a bundle of tranquility; you may even have heard someone muse that bullies don't pick on him much now that he's got his black belt...   Well, that's kind of how stress works.  If you are pre-armed and prepared for stress, then you are much less likely to be affected by it.

This page is still under development, but almost all the techniques are described.  Here is the List....