Why is this blog about “How to help a child with anxiety in the classroom” important? When his students seemed overwhelmed by negativity or mired in anxiety, he’d encourage them to reread their journals.”, according to Elementary school teacher Karen Nelson, also Senior Editor at Weareteachers.com. Another strategy is having students take time to acknowledge their phobias and anxieties. Please feel free to comment in the comments section below! Safe Person: this can be anyone in the school who can provide an understanding and calming presence for the student, someone who understands the student's worries and anxieties is best. There are many causes associated with child anxiety, for example, loss of a loved one, medical conditions, being neglected or abused, being bullied or humiliated, among many others. Enjoyed this article? Don’t avoid things just because they make a child anxious. Sometimes school anxiety is easy to identify — like when a child is feeling nervous before a test at school. This can help distract them from their worries. Homemade Playdough with Scents to Calm Anxiety, 8 Myths About Anxiety in Children and Teens, 10 Not So Obvious Signs of Anxiety in Children, 10 Things I Wish I Knew Earlier About How to Help a Child With Anxiety, Facebook Group: Helping Children with Anxiety Succeed at School. It’s important to remember that anxiety is silent too. They might appear to be quiet or disengaged, but really their brains are consumed with worry. Practice Deep Breathing Techniques. According to Jill Kiedaish from Weareteachers.com, “many teachers will include glitter jars, headphones, books, or other items to help kids take a break and decompress. In my last post I talked about how anxiety can affect our students and how to help students identify when it is affecting them. If a child is feeling anxious in the classroom make sure they practice deep breathes and slow their breathing completely down. Recognizing and being aware that a child in your classroom is feeling anxious can help us to do an early intervention in helping them and teaching certain techniques or strategies to manage their anxiety. When you validate the child’s feelings and emotions you are acknowledging what they are feeling and avoid being judgemental or how they should feel. With exercise comes the release of endorphins which are known to boost our mood and make us feel happy. As they face their fears then the anxiety will be reduced over time. Your email address will not be published. Anxiety and Mental Health Problems: Anxiety is at an All-Time High. Assistance in the Classroom. “How to help a child with anxiety in the classroom?” is a question that most teachers ask themselves. How can you reduce anxiety in the classroom? You can find out more information about supporting the anxious child in the classroom by reading. The ultimate goal here is to manage their anxiety and not eliminate it, not removing the stressors from them or them away from the stressors but learning how to tolerate their anxiety. This will serve 3 main purposes, it will distract them from the situation, they will have a chance to explain what is going on in their own words and it will get the blood pumping so their anxiety can be reduced significantly. 5 Reintroduce your child to school gradually if their anxiety is severe. These three branches of student anxiety can be caused by any number of factors and are usually a sign of a deeper anxiety … If you see one of the kids in your classroom is struggling with anxiety, you can take the class and continue outside. Childmind.org: classroom anxiety in children. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'optimistminds_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',151,'0','0'])); According to youngminds.org.uk, there are some things that can help your child with school anxiety: u003cbru003eu003cbru003e Tackle it early: the longer the anxiety about school persists, the deeper and more difficult to manage it becomes. Talk to them while walking side by side looping around the playground area. That’s why phrases like “relax”, "cut it out" or “calm down” aren’t always going to help. If you are looking to start a blog as a source of income or to help your community then view our how to start a blog guide. Also, help them recognize the fears that are unrealistic and help them face those that are real such as the possibility of failing a test. This is an update of a post originally from A Special Sparkle. It is an automatic response from our nervous system and can often feel like our emotions are out of control. Rather than singling out your anxious student, get the whole class involved. Running around at play times, rocking or swaying, swinging their legs under a chair in class, or performing through singing and dancing, can help release this energy. The Child Mind Institute gives us a great example as follows:eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'optimistminds_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',154,'0','0'])); “So if a child is terrified about going to the doctor because she’s due for a shot, you don’t want to belittle her fears, but you also don’t want to amplify them. In Clinical Neuropsychology from Bangor University. If you can teach them how to trigger positive thoughts, in some cases you can distract them from their anxiety. Do not worry about having the magic potion to eliminate a child’s anxiety. The most important thing you can do as a teacher recognizes that your student is struggling with anxiety. There are many different kinds of anxiety that can manifest in the classroom, which is one of the reasons that makes it difficult to identify. Try to find an association between the topic you are teaching to something in the scenery outside. Here is 10 suggestions of how to help a child with anxiety in the classroom: Talking/explaining: discuss and explain the situation to the child This will naturally calm the physical side effects of anxiety. Your class shouldn’t just be about copying from a whiteboard and asking questions. In this brief guide, we will cover how you can help a child who has anxiety in the classroom. Don’t offer to take them to the park during school hours or take them out to lunch for their favorite meal. Well, here we name some of them: Here we will present some tips that can help you as a teacher to help a child with anxiety in the classroom. Side Note: I grew this blog to over 500,000 monthly pageviews and it now finances our charitable missions. Many children experience anxiety in the classroom or at home. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'optimistminds_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',132,'0','0']));Express and communicate confidence that they are going to be ok and that they actually have the power to manage it. Additionally, she owns a private practice where she provides neuropsychological evaluation for children and adults, and treatment for mood disorders, anxiety, couple therapy, among other conditions. And then it might seem out of the blue. Being out of the normal classroom environment can help to calm an anxious brain. If you notice one of your students struggling with anxiety, deep breathing exercises can help. How to help a child with anxiety in the classroom. When teachers and parents are aware and trained in providing various interventions, you can take a proactive approach to managing anxiety. Avoid child choice in a classroom when groups are being formed, teachers can appoint or use ‘counting off' or some other technique to eliminate the ‘last person chosen' situation. Encourage them to observe their surroundings, to feel the sun in their skins, the breeze or how many forms can they see in the clouds. Be aware of physical symptoms of anxiety and provide activities to distract the child. Anxiety presents in a variety of contexts within the classroom setting, but is often silent. While your brain is busy creating positive thoughts stemming from gratitude, it is incapable of producing negative thoughts at the same time. While helping children cope with anxiety at home is important, it is equally vital to implement strategies to reduce their symptoms while at school. We have discussed what anxiety is, how to recognize it and many strategies so your children can stop struggling with anxiety and instead, understand and acknowledge it exists and how to tolerate and manage it. All of these ideas are ways to help children with school anxiety begin their school day with less anxiety. This can be providing five to ten minutes for the child to prepare their papers … Anxiety is a primary human emotion. Usually student anxiety observed in children and teens from kindergarten to 12th grade manifests in three different forms: school refusal, test anxiety and social anxiety. Offer a space in the classroom or a “cool-down pass” … One anxiety strategy for children is to teach them how to slow down and steady their breathing. Knowing these keys aspects of how to help a child with anxiety in the classroom will make your job more successful while ensuring that your students are emotionally and academically empowered. When people slow down their breathing, they slow down their brain’s functioning. How to help a child with anxiety in the classroom? Sometimes just a change of scenery is what makes the difference. The message you want to send is, “I know you’re scared, and that’s okay, and I’m here, and I’m going to help you get through this.”. It’s not uncommon for students who learn and think differently to also struggle with anxiety.They might worry a lot or be withdrawn at school. 5 Ways Teachers Can Help Students with Anxiety in the Classroom. Here are, The most important thing you can do as a teacher recognizes that your student is struggling with anxiety. Set Clear Expectations Let Your Child Worry Avoid Avoidance Practice Reframing Help Them Build a Coping Kit Get Back to Basics Empathize Often When childhood anxiety is heightened, it’s natural for parents to go into protection mode. Talk to your child’s teacher to see if you can organize this before/after the school day when there are fewer children present and the environment is less overwhelming, and help your child explore everything the classroom has to offer. Children with anxiety enter a fight or flight response when triggered. 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