Childhood Anxiety in the Classroom

Anxiety is easily recognizable in the classroom in some circumstances. We are all familiar with test anxiety or stage anxiety. Other times it appears like:

upset stomach
disruptive or angry behavior
ADHD
Learning disorders

Because it can look so differently, it can be tough to identify in kids in the classroom. Some behaviors you might see:

Some kids may ask a lot of questions and generally talk constantly
Others may be aggressive, which is quite common for boys who experience anxiety; they may hit teachers, other students, throw things in the classroom, kick things etc. when they are feeling out of control of their body
Lots of absences

Statistically, 1 in 10 children will experience anxiety. When a person experiences anxiety, the brain gets ”stuck”. Neurologist and former teacher Ken Schuster, PsyD, stated that anxiety “tends to lock up the brain.” This makes school difficult for these kids.

Some types of anxiety kids may struggle with in a school setting are:

Separation Anxiety
Social Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety
Specific Phobias

Children who are anxious tend to function better in quiet, calm, supportive, organized, predictable environments. It is key for adults to be empathic and firm when a child experiences anxiety. Creating a classroom with visual schedules and keeping to a routine can help.

Sometimes, being still and quiet can be scary to a child who has a lot of anxiety. Remember this when you see a child struggling to use a relaxation technique or coping skill. They may need to first learn they are ok when their body gets quiet and calm.

Things NOT to do:

Do not provide excessive reassurance. We want to help our kids when they feel anxious but remember: Less is More! When an adult talks the child through the entire event, the child is not learning to manage his/her own anxiety. Talk to them, give them a few short prompts, and let them use the skills they have been taught. If a child is used to receiving a lot of reassurance from adults, it will take time to reduce their dependence on the external support. That’s ok. Begin now to be aware of the reassurance you provide and intentionally reduce it. Choose a few key phrases that you can consistently use and let them begin to take care of themselves.

What can you do in the classroom?

Strategies:

Designate a “safe” person. This is a person whom the child can go to anytime they feel anxious.
Never tell a child to stop being silly when they are experiencing anxiety. Allow them to experience it without judgment. Allow them to utilize a coping skill that has been identified to help them. Research has shown that validating emotions has an immediate soothing effect.
Teach children how to identify and label their emotions. This can be done with pictures that represent different emotions. Play a game and have the children identify the emotion and tell about when a person might feel that way. The more emotions are normalized and not criticized, the less anxious children will feel when they experience a strong emotion.
Use a relaxation exercise in the class where everyone participates. Multiple times throughout the day, use whatever key word or name you have given the exercise and call it out. Everyone in class will immediately stop what they are doing and do the relaxation exercise instead.
Plan to reduce the amount of time given to a negative behavior for attention stemming from anxiety. This relates to the behavior, not the anxiety. Choose one behavior at a time to target. Once a child has been taught appropriate ways of dealing with their anxiety, when they use a problem behavior to exhibit their anxiety, slowly reduce how much time you give to the behavior while providing them with key phrases that direct them on what they need to do.
When reassuring a child who is experiencing anxiety, your directions should be clear, succinct, and specific. Here again, remember: Less is more.
Children are great at picking up on examples. Model for them how to handle anxiety. Instead of telling the child to take a deep breath, you take a deep breath (perhaps a bit exaggerated); they notice. They are learning all the time from modeling around them.
Working with children who suffer from anxiety requires an extra helping of patience. Perhaps it will take them longer to complete a task. That’s ok.
Boundaries and discipline are essential. When we as adults don’t maintain boundaries and enforce discipline out of fear of causing distress for a child, we are not doing them any favors. It isn’t always fun to enforce a boundary or discipline a child, but it is exactly what they need. When setting boundaries, make sure they are reasonable, and then don’t be shy about enforcing them.
Just as boundaries are important, consistency is even more so. In the beginning, they will push against boundaries to test if they are still there and if you are serious; don’t give in, not even once. You must enforce boundaries immediately and Every Time. A child won’t learn where the boundary is if discipline and reinforcement are not consistent: meaning it is immediate and every time.

For specific training for your school, please feel free to reach out. I would be happy to talk with you about your school needs and provide a training that fits your goals.

Namaste

God bless

School Anxiety: Helping Children Succeed

Childhood Anxiety in the Classroom

Anxiety is easily recognizable in the classroom in some circumstances. We are all familiar with test anxiety or stage anxiety. Other times it appears like:

upset stomach

disruptive or angry behavior

ADHD

Learning disorders

Because it can look so differently, it can be tough to identify in kids in the classroom. Some behaviors you might see:

Some kids may ask a lot of questions and generally talk constantly

Others may be aggressive, which is quite common for boys who experience anxiety; they may hit teachers, other students, throw things in the classroom, kick things etc. when they are feeling out of control of their body

Lots of absences

Statistically, 1 in 10 children will experience anxiety. When a person experiences anxiety, the brain gets ”stuck”. Neurologist and former teacher Ken Schuster, PsyD, stated that anxiety “tends to lock up the brain.” This makes school difficult for these kids.

Some types of anxiety kids may struggle with in a school setting are:

Separation Anxiety

Social Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety

Specific Phobias

Children who are anxious tend to function better in quiet, calm, supportive, organized, predictable environments. It is key for adults to be empathic and firm when a child experiences anxiety. Creating a classroom with visual schedules and keeping to a routine can help.

Sometimes, being still and quiet can be scary to a child who has a lot of anxiety. Remember this when you see a child struggling to use a relaxation technique or coping skill. They may need to first learn they are ok when their body gets quiet and calm.

Things NOT to do:

What can you do in the classroom?

Strategies:

Designate a “safe” person. This is a person whom the child can go to anytime they feel anxious.

Never tell a child to stop being silly when they are experiencing anxiety. Allow them to experience it without judgment. Allow them to utilize a coping skill that has been identified to help them. Research has shown that validating emotions has an immediate soothing effect.

Use a relaxation exercise in the class where everyone participates. Multiple times throughout the day, use whatever key word or name you have given the exercise and call it out. Everyone in class will immediately stop what they are doing and do the relaxation exercise instead.

When reassuring a child who is experiencing anxiety, your directions should be clear, succinct, and specific. Here again, remember: Less is more.

Children are great at picking up on examples. Model for them how to handle anxiety. Instead of telling the child to take a deep breath, you take a deep breath (perhaps a bit exaggerated); they notice. They are learning all the time from modeling around them.

Working with children who suffer from anxiety requires an extra helping of patience. Perhaps it will take them longer to complete a task. That’s ok.

For specific training for your school, please feel free to reach out. I would be happy to talk with you about your school needs and provide a training that fits your goals.

Namaste

God bless