Student Stress
I see that "outside the classroom stress" is a bigger influence than the "classroom stress". My students want to be here, they want to do well, but it's the outside stuff, the everyday life stuff, that brings them down more than the classroom.
By making the classroom a fun learning experience helps the student to relax and enjoy the classroom atmosphere and for maybe for a brief moment can enjoy a time-out from the normal everyday stress.
I agree that at times the class room is the best part of the day. As an instructor I believe that he/she can allow ten minutes of the class time to let a student vent if the instructor suspects something is wrong. One of the goals is to keep the attention of the student and promote healthy learning. We have to become more creative in how we respond to students and how to communicate to them about a situation.
One way to help students deal with stress is to throw in some fun activities now and then. If you have a message therapy program in your school have one of the instructors come in and show the students how to relieve stree while sitting or working at your desk while at work,or do some excerises at your desk.
Another thing that you can do is some ice breakers or silly games during class and just let them know that you are human and the you are there to help them. That you want to see them succeed.
I agree. Outside "stressors" play a big part in both academic success and attendance. Many students are single parents with full time jobs trying to make ends meet, which may impede on study time and attending classes
I teach the Career Development classes and one thing that we do once a week is share at least one positive that happened. It could be anything. It could be as simply as a friend telling us a ggod joke that really made us laugh. I have found that this helps to offset the "outside stresses" and the students always look forward to the positive affirmation.
You are right, a lot of students have a lot of problems that make them blind to the opportunities that an education will bring to them. I think that as instructors sometimes by listening to their problems and making them see some of the options they might have to resolve the problem rather than trying to resolve it for them. In a way you want the student to start looking at solutions rather that just getting stuck on the problems.
Many students come to school with alot of "excess baggage." What I mean by this is they come with many outside problems that we, as teachers, never see. We think that school is the only activity these students have. In reality, they have to juggle jobs, deal with their children and the difficulties of their home life.
I think the instructor can help by staying positive and upbeat, even trying to to joke a little with the student to get their mind off of the cause of the stress while they are at school.
We also have resources to help the students solve stress issues so they can focus on class.
I think the best way to accomplish this is to let the student know they are in a "safe" haven by being in class. Let their stress float away as they enter the safe haven of the classroom. Make the most of what is happening in the classroom, should help them be better prepared to handle that outside stress.
We can have an affect if we are are aware of this outside stress we can use our other campus resources and direct the student to where he can get help for these outside issues. then we can refocus him in the classroom.
I do not beleive the instructor can insulate the student from external influences and the stress associated with everyday life, however he (the instructor) can re-focus the students attention to the current project and remind the student how his success in the classroom will benefit him/her in the future.
For some the class room is the best part of the day. What is the instructor's role in helping insulate the student from the outside stress?
