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In Your Corner, Student Learning
Nine Reminders to Help Students Counter Academic Stress
The press to have students catch up in their learning is a current source of stress for many students. They also feel our stress to have them progress at a rate that puts them back on track. The pressure can feel even greater if major exams and graduation are coming into view.
Meanwhile, life at school is still not what students were accustomed to prior to the pandemic. This has been a year of unpredictability, disruption, and distractions. At the same time, many students are facing stress in other areas of their lives. Uncertainty about the future can add to the “weight” they feel.
Of course, we know that some level of stress can help students focus their energy and do their best work. However, when stress becomes intense and extended, it can have a negative effect on learning and mental and physical health. For many students, the latter state has been their experience for too long.
For some students, the intensity and longevity of the stress they are experiencing means they need more intensive assistance to understand and manage the stress they are experiencing. When we suspect this is the case, we need to connect these students with a school counselor or other professional who can help them. For students who are feeling stressed but just need strategies and reminders to keep them moving forward, there are several ideas we can offer. Here are eight suggestions you can share.
First, students can transform a long list of obligations and expectations into a more manageable form by creating a “to do” list. This time-tested strategy works as well today as it did generations ago. Students can start by listing the tasks they need to complete, assigning priorities and timelines, and focusing on those tasks that may be most urgent and important to their progress.
Second, students can make the best use of their time and energy by creating a schedule for each day and week. Deciding how to use time rather than allowing time to pass uncaptured can make a big difference. Seeing what can be accomplished with the time available can provide a sense of control and confidence that can be lost in the face of anxiety and worry.
Third, students can avoid falling farther behind and adding to their stress by focusing on the moment. Physical presence is important, but mental presence – listening, focusing, and reflecting – helps to process current content and move learning forward. Spending learning time contemplating other obligations and stressors will likely add to the stress students already feel.
Fourth, students can consider breaking projects and tasks into manageable segments and creating incentives for reaching key milestones, such as finishing the reading of a chapter or completing a written assignment. Celebrating even small accomplishments can provide a sense of control and release endorphins that can generate additional momentum.
Fifth, students who habitually over commit can lessen their stress by setting realistic expectations. Not everything will be perfect. Some mistakes and setbacks may occur. Taking a realistic view of what is possible and doable can help students let go of what may be adding stress but is beyond reach under current circumstances.
Sixth, students can counter stress by engaging in regular exercise. As little as 30 minutes of exercise can contribute to a sense of well-being, improve the quality of sleep, and reduce feelings of anxiety.
Seventh, students can balance their academic focus by enjoying some “down time.” Mental breaks can be reenergizing and lead to more effectiveness and efficiency when students return their attention to schoolwork. Rest and socialization can be powerful counterbalances to exhaustion and burnout.
Eighth, students can push back feelings of stress by practicing good sleeping habits. Getting plenty of sleep time is important, but the quality of sleep also matters. Students should avoid doing schoolwork in bed, if possible. The quality of sleep can be enhanced by avoiding activities that involve screen time just before going to sleep. If falling asleep is a challenge, students can practice relaxation techniques such as tensing and then relaxing muscles throughout their body.
Ninth, when students feel especially anxious or stressed when performing academic tasks, they can often find relief by practicing deep breathing. Just expelling air can help to calm panic and relieve momentary stress. Similarly, brief meditation and mindfulness activities can help to clear the mind and refocus attention.
Obviously, we want our students to be able manage the stress they encounter. Stress will likely be with them in some form throughout their lives. The better able they are to manage their stress, the more success they can achieve.
Of course, we, too, are facing significant stress in our work and lives. The same strategies we share with our students can also be a part of our stress management routine.
Communication, In Your Corner
Six Keys to Navigating Emotional Eruptions
These are frustrating and bewildering times for many students. Family routines and living conditions may have changed. Many students have experienced the loss of loved ones. Some students may be the victims of the emotional outbursts and abuse of others in their lives.
Schools can also be places where pressures mount and frustrations build. Not being successful, feeling isolated, and having to comply with expectations are just some of the potential sources of emotional stress students experience.
It is not surprising that the confusion and frustrations students feel sometimes build and may come out in emotional eruptions. Once emotions boil over, controlling them can be difficult, especially for young people who see few options to change and make their lives better. Our challenge is to respond with sensitivity and skill while keeping everyone safe. Here are six keys to navigating these occasions with empathy and professionalism.
First, intervene early. Students often show signs that they are becoming upset and may be moving in the direction of an emotional eruption well before they lose control. We might choose to ignore the student and hope that they are able to manage their emotions. This approach might work with some students under some conditions. However, when emotions continue to escalate, the level of disruption, emotional costs, and time required to respond usually make early intervention the better choice. When students show signs of growing agitation, often a quick check-in to see how the student is doing or offering a short break for self-calming can be enough to deescalate emotions and maintain control. Showing care before the situation escalates can often be enough to avoid a full-blown meltdown.
Second, keep everyone safe. Guiding the student to a space away from other students can minimize the risk that anyone might be physically harmed if the student strikes out in frustration. If the student refuses to move, or moving the student is not practical, we can move other students a safe distance away. However, if it appears that anyone might be in physical danger, including us, we need to reach out for support from another adult resource. Waiting until someone is harmed is too late.
Third, assume a calm and patient stance. If students who are out of emotional control sense that we are panicking, becoming angry, or are impatient, their reaction is often to escalate the outburst. When our emotions are focused on ourselves, we cannot establish an emotional connection with the student. Listening, comforting, and understanding can be our best tools.
Fourth, avoid making threats. When students are in a state of high agitation, processing information is difficult, if not impossible. Threatening actions can make the situation worse. Verbal threats will not likely lead to emotional calm and control, if they are heeded at all. Don’t be surprised if students later do not recall what we said to them during the time their emotions were out of control.
Fifth, delay discussion of consequences and next steps. Once the emotional crisis has passed and the student is calm and can engage, there will be time to discuss what happened and what, if any, disciplinary consequences are appropriate. This discussion needs to be in the context of understanding and finding solutions and strategies to avoid future episodes. Students need to be responsible for their behavior, but they often need us to teach and coach them in how to recognize and manage escalating emotions.
Sixth, tend to the emotions of the class. Emotional outbursts by classmates can be traumatizing experiences. Some students may be frightened. Others may respond by becoming upset and losing control of their emotions. Still others may be angry and resentful in response to the situation. Spending a few minutes processing what happened can help students to make sense of the experience and give us clues regarding who in the class may need more attention and follow-up.
As much as we might wish we could, we cannot protect our students from many of the challenges and frustrations they face in life. We also cannot always anticipate and prevent emotional eruptions. However, we can be there to provide support, guidance, and insight to help students through these difficult experiences. Often it is enough just to be someone our students can trust and count on when they need us.
In Your Corner, Thinking Frames
In Your Corner, Thinking Frames
Climate and Culture, In Your Corner
In Your Corner, Leadership and Change Management
Share Your Tips & Stories
Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.
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In Your Corner, Thinking Frames
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As much as we sometimes want to take control and tell students what they should do when they face a difficult challenge, it usually is best to position ourselves as coaches, reflectors, and supportive advocates.
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