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Anxiety in the Classroom:Developing a toolbox
of practical interventions
Lauren Gehman, LCSW, Middle & Upper School CounselorJen Sciortino, Upper School Assistant Principal
Metairie Park Country Day School
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Read, write, speak, create
Think critically & problem solve
Persevere with grit & humility
Be a caring, engaged citizen
The Educator’s Dilemma
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Objective: To give you the tools you need to support anxious
students, so they can remain in the classroom and continue
learning
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Case Studies
John Age: 15 Grade:
sophomore
Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
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John is often tardy or absent from school. When in the classroom, he appears disengaged, giving the appearance that he does not care. John does not make eye contact, working hard to be invisible. As class ends, he is the first to dart out the door.
JohnAge: 15
Grade: sophomore
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StaceyAge: 18
Grade: senior
Stacey will graduate with a 4.0. When points are deducted for minor errors on a test or paper, she persistently argues in an effort to secure the lost points. Stacey’s response to assigned work, whether simple classwork or a major project, is to immediately shower you with questions. She assumes the work will be difficult, impossible, and her negativity can be frustrating. She spends endless hours on minor assignments, but never feels like her work is complete. When you present the requirements for an assignment, she gets stuck on insignificant details, desperate to ensure she is going to “get it right.” As successful as Stacey is at school, she appears to take very little pleasure in learning.
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TaylorAge: 16
Grade: junior
Taylor’s mood is inconsistent. He abruptly walks out on tests and presentations in a state of panic. Once panic sets in, Taylor often shuts down for the day, asking to go home. Situations out of his control, such as a PowerPoint not working for a presentation, can cause him to become argumentative and angry. Peers consider him unpredictable and moody.
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Anxiety as
worry& fear
is detrimental
The Paradox of Anxiety
Anxiety as
excitement& motivationis beneficial
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Viewing anxiety through a
BIOLOGICAL LENS
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BIOLOGICAL:
Fight or
Flight
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Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
Biological Interventions
Simple breathing techniques
Use stress balls
Quick water break
Teach what’s happening in their bodies
Crossing body sphere:
Exercise 2
Grounding self in the present
moment
Crossing body sphere:
Exercise 1
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Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
Biological Interventions
Simple breathing techniques
Use stress balls
Quick water break
Teach what’s happening in their bodies
Crossing body sphere:
Exercise 2
Grounding self in the present
moment
Crossing body sphere:
Exercise 1
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Viewing anxiety through a
SOCIOCULTURAL LENS
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Diagnoses increased
37% between 2005 - 2014
31.9% of adolescents
have a diagnosed
anxiety disorder
What the Research Says
Females have a
higher rate of anxiety diagnoses
Students are 2x as likely to see a
mental health professional than in the
1980s
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John Age: 15 Grade:
sophomore
Empathy
Routines
Freedom to move
Pre-test mindset
Values in
Action
Stress Balls
GrowthMindset
Sociocultural InterventionsCreate a
supportive classroom
culture
Avoid feeding the anxiety
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Viewing anxiety through a
COGNITIVE LENS
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John Age: 15 Grade:
sophomore
Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
1 Anxious thoughts hijack the brain
2
3
4
It’s about process, not content
Ruminating distorted thoughts continues the cycle
What we thinkdirectly impacts
how we feel and behave.
Learning is interrupted
Cognitive
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John Age: 15 Grade:
sophomore
Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
Disqualifying the positive
Overestimation /
Catastrophizing
All or nothing thinking
(Polarized)
Labeling or mislabeling
Mental filter
“I am terrible at math, so I can’t pass this test.”
“Last time I presented, I
panicked and stuttered, so I
will always panic when I present.”
“I was just lucky when I did well on
that essay. She obviously didn’t
grade it hard this time.”
“I am just stupid.” Teacher: “I like how you supported your
argument with quotes. Let’s work
on wordiness.”Student hears: “You
can’t write. Your essay is terrible.”
Cognitive Distortions
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John Age: 15 Grade:
sophomore
Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
Disqualifying the positive
Overestimation /
Catastrophizing
All or nothing thinking
(Polarized)
Labeling or mislabeling
Mental filter
“I am terrible at math, so I can’t pass this test.”
“Last time I presented, I
panicked and stuttered, so I
will always panic when I present.”
“I was just lucky when I did well on
that essay. She obviously didn’t
grade it hard this time.”
“I am just stupid.” Teacher: “I like how you supported your
argument with quotes. Let’s work
on wordiness.”Student hears: “You
can’t write. Your essay is terrible.”
Think, Pair, Share
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Name it to tame it
Flexibility &
malleability
Normalize it
Cognitive Interventions
Daily affirmations
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John Age: 15 Grade:
sophomore
Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
Check-in Cards
• How do you feel right now? Name the mood and rate it 0-100%
• What was going through your mind just before you started feeling this way?
• What evidence supports this thought?• What evidence does not support this thought?• Balance those two answers with an alternative thought.• Rate the mood now 0-100%
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Action Plan
Turn the worry into a plan• Actions to take• Timeline• Possible obstacles• Strategies to overcome obstacles• Progress• Accountability for progress
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Case Studies
John Age: 15 Grade:
sophomore
Taylor Age: 16 Grade: junior
Stacey Age: 18 Grade: senior
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Case Studies Revisited
Turn and talk○ Symptoms○ Possible interventions
Post-its○ 3 interventions
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3 2 1
Interventions you can use next week
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Ideas or interventions you want to
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Take Aways
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Anxiety in the Classroom:Developing a toolbox
of practical interventions
Lauren Gehman, LCSW, Middle & Upper School CounselorJen Sciortino, Upper School Assistant Principal
Metairie Park Country Day School
PAGE
CitationsDennis Greenberger, & Christine Padesky. (2015). Mind Over Mood. The Guilford Press.
DeSilver, D. (n.d.). The concerns and challenges of being a U.S. teen: What the data show. Retrieved February
28, 2019, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/26/the-concerns-and-challenges-of-being-a-u-s-teen-what-the-data-show/
Free Character Strengths Study at VIA Character. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register
Free Strengths Test | Find Your Unique Talents and Character Traits. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://high5test.com/
Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight | TED Talk. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight?language=en
Teenagers Say Depression and Anxiety Are Major Issues Among Their Peers - The New York Times. (n.d.).
Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/health/teenage-depression-statistics.html
The concerns and challenges of being a U.S. teen: What the data show | Pew Research Center. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 28, 2019, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/26/the-concerns-and-challenges-of-being-a-u-s-teen-what-the-data-show/
