This review of literature on stress among teachers in urban schools examines the stress concept as it is defined in medicine, psychology, and teaching; causes of teacher stress; the nature of the stress response in teachers; ways of coping with stress and the effects of various stress reduction techniques; economic and educational costs of teacher stress; and the impact of teacher stress on students and on society. Among the sources of stress identified are pupil misbehavior; environmental factors such as poor working conditions, poor organizational management, and non-participation in decision-making; personality characteristics; life experiences; interpersonal relationships; and structural variables such as school location, school racial composition, and students' socioeconomic status. The ways in which teachers are observed to respond to stress include illness and other physiological symptoms, burnout, and nervous breakdowns. It is suggested that teacher stress may lead to high anxiety and negative behavioral and learning outcomes among students; that high stress is concentrated in urban areas of low socioeconomic status; and that lowering teachers' stress levels may result in positive educational outcomes for students and favorable effects on society in general. (MJL)