High Stress Students
What is the best way to deal with students with high stress?
I like this comment and agree with most of the above statements as well.
I too have found that there is an underlying reason when a student is not performing to standards. This is especially true when the student is a good student. I think that it is necessary when observed to conduct an intervention. It could be enough to only having a talk with them or even asking about her to her friends or family. I think it is often that they are simply stressed out due to a loss of confidence. This can be often remedied by asking to form a study group and make sure the student is in a group of confident and skilled students. Set them up to succeed and not to fail! Now, they can take care of our mothers!
Bonnie, the more engaged you can get your students within the overall curriculum the less stress they will experience because they are active participants versus passive participants. The sage on the stage is an outdated form of education and we are not focusing on the guide on the side and getting students to actively participate in their education.
James Jackson
That was a great example Michelle. If we relate the behavior to real life scenarios it can help keep the student in check as well. I find we have bullying in our classrooms from time to time. I remind the students that the penalty in the work place for this behavior is often termination. Our school also has a zero tolerance so it makes them think twice.
I have found high stress students to be very volatile. I like to give them duties, such as passing out papers or checking on a job I have delegated. I also allow them time to add to a lecture if it is pertinent and try to give them praise. For me, treating them with respect and acknowleging their good points tend to bring about more good behavior.
Michelle, well stated and exactly on the mark. Show compassion but be a good steward to your industry. One great example is would you want one of your students providing a service to you that you trained them to perform? If not, what are you doing to change your own mind? Stress in students tends to come from a lack of confidence in their skill and knowledge of a subject matter. Our role as instructors is to build a bridge of knowledge to a level of understanding and skill that allows our students to be successful.
James Jackson
I think it is very hard to deal with students with high stress. I am a very relaxed and easy going person and I have to realize that not everyone is like that. I have to respect that not all students are alike and others may require more attention then the rest.
I do however have to prepare my students for real world situations. I had a student who said that he just didnt like surprises. I asked him how he would handle it if one of his patients coded while he was with them. I have empathy for the students but I also have to make sure they can handle an emergency should it arrise while on the job.
What I have found in dealing with students who are in high stress situations, is giving them some one on one time. Guiding them to prevent the blow up. I had one student, that I felt perceived situations oddly. To prevent a stressful situation between her and other students, after having a one on one conversation about her, I would check in with her to be sure she was comfortable in the class on a weekly basis.
Linda, well stated. On way to lower stress with our students is to teach them some time and project management skills. Such techniques may be simple and common sense to us but may be powerful tools for our students.
James Jackson
Dennis, stress can be imposed and can also be from clinical conditions. If you notice some of your students seemed more stressed than their peers, you may want to share with them some techniques to combat stress. We as instructors are not licensed counselors but we can always make recommendations to assist students in looking for resources to assist them deal with stress.
James Jackson
I agree with you Dennis that students that have a high level of stress are usually taking on too much in their everyday life.
I usually try to have the student prioritize and make a list of what needs to be done. This usually makes things easier to look at and digest rather than looking at everything all at once. Sometimes the whole is too big and needs to be broken down into smaller pieces in which the list would help with this process.
From my experiences I have found that students with High stress are OCD, work an or have family issues and or responsibilities other than school. They try to balance their schedules and usually results in High stress. Dennis
John, what is the cause of their "high stress"? Have you turned the tables and simply asked your students what solutions they feel would be most appropriate? The very act of them talking about the root causes of their stress can be somewhat calming. Interested in your thoughts here.
James Jackson
