Deep Breathing:

During the next two weeks we will be focusing on our deep breathing. When you are starting to
feel stressed out or frustrated in the classroom take a quick moment to take three to five breaths
as needed to help calm down. Note how long it takes you to calm down. In your journal notate
how many times during the day you had to use your deep breathing and how long it took to calm
down if you had to use it. At the end of the two weeks (the Sunday before beginning the next
destressor) please answer the following questions in your journal:

1. How do you feel deep breathing helped you destress? 1 being very little, 10 being a
great destressor.
a. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. Did the amount of times you had to deep breath lessen, decrease, or stay the same
during the two week period?

3. Did the amount of time it took destress decrease, lessen, or stay the same during the
past two weeks?

4. Did you see any differences in the way you reacted to situations in the classroom? If so,
how? Were there any noticable differences in the children’s behaviors/reactions?

5. Is this something you would recommend using to help destress?

6. Is this something you would recommend?

7. Any other thoughts you may wish to share?

Meditation
During the next two weeks we will be focusing on meditation. Chose a time during the day to sit
and meditate, use this time to focus on something that will calm and clear your mind and help
you relax from the day to day stresses in your life, whether it be from home, work, or elsewhere.
Try to set the time to be the same each day where you will have no distractions so that you can
focus. Try to do this for a minimum of about 10 minutes. You may use music, meditation
soundtracks, etc.to help you during this time. While meditating, relax with your eyes closed and
focus on breathing in the good energy and pushing out the bad energy. If any thoughts come
through, acknowledge it and then set it free, freeing your mind. At the end of the two weeks (the
Sunday before beginning the next destressor) please answer the following questions in your
journal:

1. How did meditation help you free your mind?

2. Did the meditation help you become more relaxed?

3. Did being in a more relaxed state help you see things differently?

4. Did you see any differences in the way you reacted to situations in the classroom? If so,
how? Were there any noticable differences in the children’s behaviors/reactions?

5. Is this something you would recommend using to help destress?

6. Any other thoughts you would like to contribute with this destressor?

Daily Journaling
During the next two week we will be focusing on keeping a daily journal. When you are doing
your journal entries, write down your frustrations, good parts of the day, etc. See where doing
this takes you, whether it be ways to solving issues or help you in other ways in your day to day
workings. While you are doing this, if you write names down, please refrain from using the full
names (giving them a code if you need to) to protect identities. Feel free to write anything in the
journal during this time to help you be able to destress. At the end of the two weeks (the Sunday
before beginning the next destressor) please answer the following questions in your journal:

1. How did journaling make you feel?

2. Did it help you solve any problems that you may have been having or at least help you
see them clearer?

3. What did you like/dislike about journaling?

4. Did you see any differences in the way you reacted to situations in the classroom? If so,
how? Were there any noticable differences in the children’s behaviors/reactions?

5. Is this something you would recommend using to help destress?

6. Any other thoughts you would like to contribute with this destressor?

Name______________________ Date___________________
 Initial Survey

1. Rate your current classroom stress levels (1 being the lowest, 10 the highest)

a. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. What do you believe causes your stress on the classroom?

3. What do you currently do to help lower your classroom stress? Do you use any outside
sources to help cope with stress (such as participating in a professional learning
community or meeting up with co-workers outside of work)?

4. How do you believe your stress levels affect your classroom?

5. How do you believe your current way to lower your classroom stress is working?

6. How does stress manifest for you?

Name___________________________ Date___________
 Interview Questions

*Record interviews for later review, recording only voices, not faces

1. What stress relievers have you previously tried before this study?

2. How did they work for you/what were your thoughts on them?

3. What are other factors outside the classroom that are currently adding to your stress?

4. How is the destresser you are using currently going for you?

5. Is the destresser you are currently using one you would suggest to someone else? Why
or why not?
 6. Is there anything you would change or want to include in the study so far?

7. What other destressors would you suggest to use for a subsequent study?

8. Question created during interview:

9. Question created during interview:

10. Question created during interview:

11. Do you have any questions?

Name__________________________ Date________________

Final Survey
Thank you for volunteering to help with this action research study! I greatly appreciate all of your
help!

1. Rate your current classroom stress levels (1 being the lowest, 10 the highest)

a. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. How have your stress levels changed since the beginning of the study?

3. Will you use any of the destressors you have worked with in the future? If so, which
ones?

4. How has working to reduce stress levels affected you?

5. Did you feel like you had enough time in the day to work with the stress relievers?

6. How has working to reduce stress levels affected your classroom? With your interactions
with the children/parents?

7. Any final thoughts you would like to share of your experiences over the past six weeks?