Helping Students Cope with Stress
According to Cherney (2018), men are more likely to try to escape from stress and not exhibit any signs, in comparison to their female counterparts. This may be due to stereotypes such as: men should be tough, show no emotions, be self-sufficient, and not ask for help (to name a few). However, I strongly disagree and believe that it is imperative to teach children at young ages (especially boys) how to cope with stress and have healthy social-emotional skills.
As a result, my eighth grade reading intervention group explored ways that stress can result in success. First, the students grappled while reading Alison Pearce Stevens’ (2015) Stress for Success article. While grappling, the students read the text on their own and wrote the main idea(s) of each paragraph. This gives them the chance to think critically, analyze data, and construct an in-depth understanding of the text before asking the teacher for help. Grappling also provides students opportunities to get comfortable making mistakes, taking risks, and exploring the unknown.
After grappling, students answered multiple choice questions, discussion questions, and then completed an anchor chart during their debrief. While completing the anchor chart, we discussed what causes stress, how stress can be helpful, and ways to cope with stress. Traumatic situations, testing, chaos, drama, the police, and any type of trouble were a few things that the eighth graders noted as stress triggers. In response, I asked what helps them cope with stress and they mentioned relaxation, sleep, music, and breathing techniques. Most people associate stress with negativity. However, we concluded our debrief by discussing how stress can actually be beneficial.
Stress can be beneficial by boosting job/academic performance while increasing alertness. Healthy amounts of stress can also help build relationships and it’s vital for our memory because it allows us to recall consequences of our actions to help us avoid them again in the future.
If you’re interested in learning ways to identify signs of stress, as well as ways to help your student manage stress, please visit the links below: