One of the greatest challenges faced in today’s classroom is how to deal with stress. Most course work is geared toward the basics and does not provide for varying learning levels, and must be approached as such; it also does not provide for the emotional well being of the student or teacher. Dealing with stress in the classroom is very important for the teacher and the student. Stress level is a major factor in a student’s cognitive learning ability. It also can be the cause of a student being a discipline problem that disrupts and entire class. The emotional well being of the student is directly intertwined with stress levels. So, students’ learning potential and manageability are often correlated with a student’s stress level.
For simplicity, a universal approach must be taken in designing an educational structure to help this situation. This unit will provide an easy way to begin to deal with some of the stress that occupies the adolescent’s mind.
This unit will borrow from all the current findings, combine them with drama, and take a form that can be easily used in the classroom to help students cope with stress. It will supply a light in the darkest part of the tunnel. It will produce laughter, tears, and hope. The unit will only need one hour of classroom time a week.
(Recommended for any classroom setting, grades 7-10)
Key Words
Stress Adolescence Drama Exercises Performances Psychology Self-Awareness
