Counseling Teachers to Enhance Resilience and to Manage Behavioral Problems at School: Data from an Intervention Program

Abstract

Teachers face many challenges in a wide range of areas, mainly related to student behavioral problems, dealing with parents’ demands/expectations, educational/teaching practices, as well as personal/professional development opportunities. International research indicates the high rates of young teachers’ drop-out. Stress/burnout, lack of adequate training, and support are the most common reasons why young teachers quit the profession. This paper will present findings from a counseling teacher program based on the theory/model of Resilience, Communities of Practice (CoP), and psychodynamic-systemic perspective, insofar as the teaching process involves a strong emotional/relational component. The program was implemented over a two- year period in two groups of teachers of all grades. The program aimed to enhance teachers’ understanding of the psychology of “problematic” students (professional knowledge), teachers’ psychosocial skills (personal development/resilience), and the development of techniques and methods (professional gain) through collective processes for the management of critical situations. The evaluation of the intervention was based on pre- and post-intervention measures, using the Teacher Resilience Scale (individual motivation, ability to associate with colleagues), the Burn-out Scale, and an open-ended questionnaire. The data show a positive impact of the program on all teachers, as well as significant personal gains (resilience).