Resources on Managing Stress
Learn about types of stress, discover how stress can affect the learning brain, and find ways to help young people understand and better manage stress and its effects.
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The Science on Stress and Learning
- Can Stress Help Students: Review the research on stress to learn about both positive and negative stress, and explore several strategies to apply takeaways from the research with students. (Edutopia, 2015)
- The Neuroscience Behind Stress and Learning: Learn how brain-based teaching strategies can reduce classroom anxiety and increase student connection to lessons. (Edutopia, 2014)
- Strategies to Prevent the Neurotoxic Impact of School Stress: Discover how stresses such as boredom can create undesirable physical changes in the brain, and find ways to prevent this from happening by boosting relevance and helping students build executive functions. (Edutopia, 2013)
Teaching Stress Management
- Supporting Students Who Act Out the Stress of Poverty: Bookmark several short tip lists to help identify the signs of chronic stress in students, make changes to the school environment to mitigate this stress, and empower students by increasing their perception of control over their environment. (ASCD, 2011)
- Helping Students Manage Stress, Set Goals, and Feel Connected: Find out how to mitigate the stress students bring with them to school through mindfulness exercises, goal-setting activities, and group identity-building. (Edutopia, 2012)
- Help Students De-Stress for Success: Explore a few simple stress-reduction techniques that can be used with students. (Edutopia, 2012)
Downloads and Examples From Schools That Work
Edutopia's flagship series highlights practices and case studies from K-12 schools and districts that are improving the way students learn. Below, find downloads used by practitioners at featured schools, and dive into real-world examples of stress-reduction approaches.
Learn about a Quiet Time intervention in place at Visitacion Valley Middle School that helps students relax, promotes well-being, and fosters more positive interactions; then explore four steps to implementing a meditation program at school and find tips for getting started. Check out even more resources by visiting "Resources and Downloads for Meditation in Schools."
Dialogue circles, arts programming, and team-building activities create a positive school culture and support academic growth at Glenview Elementary School. Discover how stress management factors into the school’s social and emotional learning program by examining a featured tool from this school:
- Stress-Reduction Handbook: Find nine practical and fun classroom activities that promote stress-management skills for students.