Stress inhibits learning – it’s a fact supported by
neuroscience.
But, as a teacher, you didn’t need the research to tell
you that did you?
Your classroom experience backs up the science. Here’s
why and what you can do about it…
STRESS AND LEARNING
Have you ever tried to focus in a meeting, sit for a test
or concentrate on reading a book
when you are feeling upset, angry or stressed out? Did you
notice what happened?
M’reen: http://bit.ly/1xgbhcJ
Naturally, you would have found it extremely difficult to
focus or concentrate on the task at hand while you were feeling stressed out.
It’s a fact.
Research demonstrates that stress inhibits concentration
and is detrimental to learning.
In response to fear, stress or a perceived threat in the
environment,
the brain releases two hormones – cortisol and
adrenaline.
This activates the blood vessels and the heart for
lifesaving ‘flight or fight’ action.
If a human being is in ‘danger’, there is no need for
learning or thoughtfulness.
All that is needed is to get the heck out of there! To
stop and think could endanger your life
and therefore, Mother Nature has designed our physiology
to respond appropriately,
instinctively – all the brain’s energy is diverted into
self-protection and survival mode.
This was a great evolutionary advantage when our
ancestors needed to escape a lion
or fight a rival tribe! However, in our modern
classrooms, these stress hormones,
are getting in the way of effective learning.
Cortisol and adrenaline actually turn off the parts of
the brain that allow us to focus attention, understand ideas, commit
information to memory and reason critically.
Stressed out students are not learning effectively. It’s
as simple as that.
STATISTICS
Now, our students are not fighting lions nor protecting
their clans but nevertheless,
they are experiencing modern day stress. The
following statistics, from Youthbeyondblue[i],
paint quite a shocking picture of the inner world of our
young people here in Australia
and give us an idea of the numbers of students whose
learning is impaired by stress:
One in four young Australians currently has a mental
health condition
Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians
and accounts for the deaths of more young people than car
accidents
One in sixteen young Australians is currently experiencing
depression.
One in six young Australians is currently experiencing an
anxiety
The top three issues that young people are most concerned
about are coping with stress,
school or study problems.
A quarter of young Australians say they are unhappy with
their lives.
In 2013, almost one in four young people (24.3%) said
they were sad, very sad
or not happy when asked to report how happy they were
with their life as a whole.
These are sobering statistics that is for sure!
It seems pretty clear that given the effects of stress on
the brain’s ability to learn,
it is foolish to attempt to teach anything at all
until we have addressed the emotional well being and
mental health of our students.
STRESS BUSTING STRATEGIES
The good news is that once recognized, stress can be
dealt with and transformed.
Extensive studies show that the optimal mental state for
learning is relaxed alertness. This means that our students need to
feel safe, calm and balanced emotionally in order to learn effectively.
relax the body and mind and make it far easier to learn
Sadly, there are some students in your classroom whose
learning is compromised by stress,
worry or anxiety.
Children are not born with practical coping skills. Some
students will be better at coping than others. For those not coping well, it is
an essential part of our job as educators to help our students deal with the
stressors in their lives. Developing the mind is important, learning is
important and yet it won’t happen if we ignore the emotional well being of our
students. We have a moral and ethical obligation to help young people cope with
stress, anxiety and to develop their emotional well being, to give them
practical strategies to support their learning and their journey through life.
Here are some ideas:
Simple relaxation exercises with abdominal breathing or
heart breathing techniques can work wonders for students. Breath work is
relaxing and helps to balance the autonomic nervous system, bringing a student
out of ‘flight or fight’ mode and back into a state of calm and balance within
the nervous system. Chemicals like dopamine are also released within the body
and this helps to activate the brain for optimal learning.
you relax into the focussed state of learning and this
means that you have more relaxing alpha waves in your brain that the active,
chatty beta waves.
Breathing techniques can also teach students the skill of
staying in the present moment.
Sometimes anxiety is caused when the mind wanders off
into future possibilities
and worrying about things that have not even happened
yet.
Deep breathing can help a student to come back to the
present moment
and just manage the next small step, rather than feeling
lost in the overwhelm of a bigger picture.
If a student is in overwhelm, teach them how to break
things down.
For example, teach them how to break a large task down
into smaller, more attainable tasks. Although this might seem simple to us as
adults,
it doesn’t necessarily come naturally to a young person.
If a student reaches out to you and wishes to talk, one
of the best gifts you can give them
is to simply be present with them and provide a listening
ear. Just being able to talk to an adult
who cares can alleviate a lot of the stress a young person
might be feeling.
Studies show that students at risk who are supported by
one adult outside the family
unit are less likely to harm themselves.
Teach young people about the importance of what they put
into their bodies
and how it can affect their mental health. There is a
considerable amount of research
being shared now about gut health and psychology –
particularly in relation to ADHD, autism, aspergers and other issues affecting
many of our students.
Questions about healthful, regular eating are not only
relevant but important in the classroom. Filling up with junk like sugar and
fast foods means that the body and mind
are not going to perform efficiently.
For anxious students, particularly those in Year 11 and
12, check on the amounts of caffeine
being consumed. Caffeine can heighten feelings of
agitation and anxiety.
And it’s also important to make sure the body is
sufficiently hydrated
– are they
drinking enough water? Water intake will affect brain function
and given that the body is 75% water, it’s actually a
very important factor to consider.
Exercise can be a wonderful way for students to deal with
stress. There is nothing better than blowing off steam by running, playing
footy or a good session with a punching bag!
Teach students how to articulate feelings and speak up
for themselves.
For example, “I feel angry when you yell at me” or
simply, “Please stop yelling.”
Compassionate communication is important to avoid a tendency
to ‘stuff things down’ inside
the body – which can result in blow-ups.
Negative self-talk can be a factor that affects young
people.
Help your students to become aware of how they speak to
themselves in their minds.
Are they kind to themselves? Are they patient and
considerate of themselves
as they would be to a friend? Or are they hard on
themselves and self-critical?
Once a person is aware of their own self-talk and how it
is affecting them,
it can be transformed into more positive ways of
thinking.
The field of Positive Psychology has wonderful tools for
this.
Taking a break from stressful situations can also help.
Engaging in activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, doing
something creative like drawing or writing,
or even spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
These kinds of activities will also produce dopamine,
important for well-being and learning.
Making connections with friends and building a network of
supportive friends
who can help the student cope or just be there as a
listening ear in times of trouble.
Join Louise Gilbert to learn more at her TTA workshop,
“Transformational Teaching Tactics
– A 5 Step System for Quality Teaching with Effective
Learning Outcomes” on March 20th 2015.
http://www.youthbeyondblue.com/footer/stats-and-facts
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember
what I’ve read.
I can TCR an informational book around 20 times faster and
remember what I’ve read.
Introduction to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
How
to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?
Perhaps
you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com gives many ways
for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com which takes
advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com
just for fun.
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Your opinions, experience and questions are welcome. M'reen