Whole Class Strategies:

v Build a relationship with the

student
Be a trusting person the student can
talk to about the underlying cause of
the anxiety to guide you in helping the
student further
v Reward efforts to control their
anxiety symptoms
When a student uses their coping
techniques or shows effort in trying to
reduce their anxiety let them know you
have noticed
v Teach them that it is okay to make
mistakes
Praise non-perfectionistic behavior or
have the student create a list on why it
is okay to make mistakes
v Cool down passes

Teaching the whole class about anxiety,

what it is, and how to cope with and reduce
its symptoms can decrease the focus on the
student with anxiety and help all students
learn how to handle different situations

Teach the whole class about positive

self-talk and practice it
o

Create group activities that role-play

appropriate behaviours in various
situations like test anxiety, anger
management, and stress reduction
Teach the whole class about the idea of a
growth mindset and practice its use in
the classroom

Play soothing or relaxing music during

work times and provide students with
regular brain breaks and stretching time
Check out www.gonoodle.com for a
variety of brain breaks!

for references.

ECS: Code 30; Grades 1-12: Code 53

Anxiety disorders are
characterized by an excessive and
persistent sense of apprehension
along with physical symptoms, such
as sweating, palpitations, stomach
aches and feelings of stress. (Learn
Alberta)

Allow students who have anxiety to

have a coloured card that they can
o
place on their desk as a signal that they Chunk instructions for tasks by giving the
have left for a brief break to cool down.
students only a few steps to work on at a
time and giving a visual of those
v Check for understanding often
instructions for students to refer to
Students who have anxiety might be
reluctant to ask questions because of
Post the daily schedule and ensure
the unwanted attention it will bring
students are aware of any changes in the
them. Instead, ask them if they have
routine in advance
any questions one-on-one, check for
understanding, and
ensure they are on the
right track.
Please see my ePortfolio at tamaraconstantine.weebly.com

Helping Students with Anxiety

Tamara Constantine
PSIII Intern
Fall 2016

2
1

Anxiety tends to lock up the brain,

making school hard for anxious kids
- Ken Schuster, PsyD

Anxiety Disorders
Most children with anxiety disorder
start to show symptoms between
the ages of 6 and 8 years and 25%
of children between 13 and 18 will
have an anxiety disorder.
Common anxiety disorders in
children are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Specific phobias
Panic Attacks
Social Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder

How are they presented at school?

If the student exhibits one or more of the following

behaviours, it is possible they are struggling with
anxiety.
v Excessive "what if" concerns/ repetitive
questions
v Inattentiveness and restlessness
v Unwillingness to get started or complete
schoolwork
v Disruptive behaviours or aggression
v Tired or falling asleep in class
v Slow task completion or unfinished work due to
perfectionistic or self-critical behavior
v Avoidance of tasks or participation in class
activities or discussions
v Headaches, stomachaches, and regular
absences and/or lateness

v Poor academic performance in one or more

subjects
v Excessive worrying about coming to school and
leaving guardians

Strategies to Reduce Anxiety

v A safe place
Create a safe place for the student to
go when he/she is feeling anxious and
practice going to that safe place
v The 30-60 second rule
Students who seem unwilling to start
on a task might just be feeling
immobilized by the anxiety. Check in
with the student 30-60 sec after a new
task is presented to assist them in
starting their work with confidence.
v Use a difficulty scale
Have the student rate the difficulty of a
task before and after its completion to
help them replace the negative
thoughts with realistic and confident
ones
v Give them validation and time
Rather than encouraging the student
with a typical Dont worry, youll be
fine, tell him/her you understand and
give him/her time to feel the safety of
the environment.

v Coping techniques
Teach the student how to apply
techniques when feeling anxious
such as deep breathing, belly
breathing, positive self-talk, and
distractions.
v Signals
Use a signal to notify the student
that you will call on him/her next.
Ask closed-ended, opinion
questions, or questions on topics in
which he/she is most confident.
v Stress balls
Teach the student how to make one,
or supply them with one during class
time
v Remove time pressures
Provide the student extra time to
complete tasks or tests
v Music and meditation
Play calming/meditative music
during individual work times.