How safe is your workplace?
The American Federation of Teachers, one of NYSUT's national affiliates, reports that its members often work in institutions where they are exposed to numerous hazards. Teachers, for example, have higher rates of respiratory infections than other workers.
Nurses and other health professionals have higher rates of back injury and lower back pain than construction workers. Mental health professionals, school bus drivers and special education teachers all have some of the highest rates of work-related assaults.
AFT Health and Safety provides information and resources to assist leaders and members in identifying hazards and work toward preventing exposure and improving the environment. Training is also available to AFT affiliates on model district and employer policies and contract language to improve environmental conditions, ergonomic programs and decrease occupational risks.
For more information, contact healthandsafety@aft.org, or call 800-238-1133, ext. 5677.
Putting teens on path to peace
Understanding the causes of teen anger is one way adults can help them manage it.
Peace: The Other Side of Anger, Helping Teens with Anger Management by Dave Wolffe can be used as a resource for teachers, school psychologists and social workers, and school nurses.
The book gives approaches and 64 techniques to help teens deal with anger. According to results from nearly 1,000 youngsters who took part in an Anger Management Power Program, the Top 10 Reasons a teen feels anger are: being lied to, being yelled at, being blamed for something they didn't do, being put down for something, being told to do something over and over again, another person's nasty attitude, being betrayed by a boyfriend/girlfriend, or an adult, having private conversations repeated, being ignored, and being made fun of in front of friends.
Visit www.peacefforts.org/ for more information.