Stressors and Stress Management Mechanism Among First Year Principals Essay

Stressors and Stress Management Mechanism Among First Year Principals - Essay Example Therefore, they need to be adequately prepared intellectually, physically, and psychologically for these tasks. When principals are mandated to run a new school, these challenges are exemplified by the fact that they are still new to the work environment. Meeting all the above obligation in a new school is indeed challenging particularly in the first year when they have not adapted to the new work environment. Assisting them adapt swiftly and smoothly into the new school environment will greatly reduce the stress levels and therefore enable them expedite their duties as principals in an efficient and effective way. Once they have a good start, then it becomes possible to run the institutions effectively and efficiently thereby meeting the rising demands of higher academic standards. This research will therefore investigate the following: First year principals face many challenges due to the demands of a new institutional environment. The transition period to the new work environment predisposes the principals to new and unique set of stressors such as high levels of expectation on performance, new set of institutional values and traditions, uncooperative teachers, dealing with failed school performance especially when transfer was made to resuscitate the school, among others. Lack of adequate preparedness, support and empowerment causes stress and in extreme cases, burnout. No matter the cause of transition from one school to another, challenges are always present. This calls for an investigation into the problem of transition of principal ship with the aim of coming up with a new set of more efficient coping mechanisms. Being new in a school set up presents a set of stressors that are otherwise not present when the principals have worked on the school for quite some time. The new work environment has different cultural, economic, social, and