Easing Classroom Anxieties

These are anxious times for our kids.  A few weeks into the new school year, they are now settling into their routines and getting on with learning.  However, they are still getting used to new teachers, new classrooms, new rules and, in some cases, new classmates.

Our daughter entered grade 4 three weeks ago.  When picking her and a couple of friends up from school yesterday, the topic of the day and a cause for complaint was the morning one-page math worksheet they now complete.  To parents, the new teacher, has introduced this as an exercise to get the brain going every morning.  However, as it is marked, the students believe this to be a test – and it takes place every day.  The worksheets come home every day, marked and with a letter grade, for parents to sign.

One of the girls told us how that morning she had been so nervous that she’d completely forgotten how to work through the questions.  She felt really bad about it and was dreading taking the incomplete worksheet home to her parents. 

It’s normal for us all to feel anxious when we have to get out of our comfort zone.  I’m sure we all have memories of exams, presentations or performances at which we experience the sweaty palms, the pounding heart, the shaking hands and worst of all – the trouble remembering what you had learned.

A high level of anxiety in difficult situations can interfere with several aspects of cognition that are critical for successful learning and performance:

• Paying attention to what needs to be learned
• Processing information effectively (e.g., organizing or elaborating on it)
• Retrieving information and demonstrating skills that have previously been learned

Anxiety is especially likely to interfere with such processes when a task places heavy demands on either working or long-term memory—for instance, when a task involves problem solving or creativity. In such situations learners may be so preoccupied with doing poorly that they can’t get their minds on what they need to accomplish.

So what can we parents do to help alleviate these anxieties in our kids?  Some of this advice is pure common sense, but good to reiterate.

• Create and maintain a home environment that will help your children be well rested during regular school days and during the week of testing. In that same vein, make sure they also maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly.  You’d be surprised how much a bit of exercise helps.
  Evaluate your children's academic progress over a period of time rather than on one single test score.
• Be proactive: talk to your teachers and  administrators about your child’s anxieties and any concerns you have about upcoming tests, classroom presentations or performances. 
• avoid cramming, develop good study habits and good test taking skills.

Talk with your children.

•  Encourage them to do their best.
• Help them learn about test and presentation preparation: be be aware of time allotted for the test or presentation, read directions carefully, and for time management purposes leave questions blank that they are not sure of and attempt to answer them later.  Also help them with techniques for settling their nerves: taking deep breaths to regain composure when anxiety levels rise.
• Don’t let them compare themselves to other students.