0.6 Challenges facing black american principals: a conversation  (Page 14/22)

Career transition evolved as a variable in conjunction with health. Many principals who were married or incommitted relationships, echoed that the transition from one level of administration to a higher level of administration createdstress in communications with their spouses, significant others, and/or their children. Spirituality was described as one of thevehicles to facilitate one through this transition. A former principaland now acting superintendent described his career transition like this:

The way I cope is to work in my garden and yard. I am also an avid reader. I think most importantly, is that Ihave God in my life and I try to work with my wife (a teacher) to bring as little school work as possible home. Home is my ownfamily’s time. By the way, I think women have more problems with bringing the school work to the home environment than men.

Many of the participants noted humor or laughter as a temporary solution to challenges associated with theprincipalship. One principal living in Mississippi described her ability to cope with difficult challenges in the following manner,“I go into my office and laugh and laugh.”Laughter is now being studied for its therapeutic qualities. Laughter can be medicinal.According to Godfrey (2004) there is growing evidence, both scientific and observational, of a clinical association betweenhumor and health. Numerous studies (Goodgrey, 2004; Dziegielewski, Jacinto, Laudadio,&Legg-Rodgriguez, 2004; White&Camarena, 1989) support the benefits of laughter in cardiac rehabilitation, pain perception, discomfort threshold, coping andstress, and immune response. It improves heart functioning, reduces stress levels, has the power to heal relationships, and is greatfor mental outlook. Because of its many health benefits, laughter can indirectly help manage chronic pain and speed recovery frominjury.

Music is another form of coping with challenges provided by survey participants. Again, most of thesurvey participants listed music as a stress reducer to school related challenges. Research by Glantz (2000) recommends apractical, concise, easy-to-read guide for relieving stress,written specifically for educators. Glantz, in a recent book, suggestsarelaxation and energy-enhancing practice with breath-control exercises, an energy-generating form, and concentration(meditation) techniques. An accompanying CD includes 11 relaxation routines set to soothing background music. Educators who weretaught these relaxation and energizing techniques reported overall feelings of well-being, increased self-confidence, less frequentheadaches or bouts of insomnia, and better personal relationships with spouse, children, school employer and colleagues.

This discussion bears a personal note for the use of humor and music. I have a Ph.D. in Education and my sisterholds an M.D. in Internal Medicine. She is also a wife and mother and I am a newly adoptive single mother, so the quality time sharedas sisters is usually when I have returned home from the university and she is driving home from work to pick up her children fromschool as she navigates rush hour traffic while talking on the cell phone. There are very few days that pass when we do not have adialogue about the day’s experience. These experiences usually entail some forms of discrimination that have taken place at herworkplace or mine.