Making your classroom stress free.
As an instructor making the classroom stress free is important. I make sure the students don't talk too much about their personal problems in the class room and also to respect each other to avoid conflict which can cause stress to the other students.
That is a great way to maintain a less stressful environment. I have the same group of students for 2 different courses and I ask the students to do a mini introduction on day 1. The personal connections formed on Day 1 keep classroom discussion material interesting and more personable for each student.
I agree with your point Ms. Georgia. When a student(s) are stressed,it can be felt as soon as th instructor walks in the room! It even makes me feel a bit anxious. I encourage all the students to get along with each and often pair up students who might otherwise choose not to sit next to each other. Even so, there are students who sometimes need to be pulled outside of class and try and resolve an issue that may be causing conflict and thereby stress.
i tend to have the same students for many classes, so we get to know each other a bit, usually i know if they are married with children, some info about their home life, etc. i try to keep the classroom for discussion of material and try to keep stories on point. creating the personal connections, tho, i think helps build student confidence and makes for a less stressful environment.
I've found that allowing students to open up really encourages peer learning though. I choose to limit conversations to non-offensive topics though. I feel that it is a good exercise in social networking that will be important for the students later on in their careers. Still, I understand why you restrict you classroom to non-personal conversation, as it can get intense. Just not my method for minimizing student stress.
