These economic times can have anyone’s nerves on edge. As a teacher, you may wonder if you will have a job next year. In fact, a report into the scale of occupational stress in 2000 found that the groups in the UK reporting high stress (in order) were teaching, nursing, management, professionals, other education and welfare, road transport and security. In all these groups at least one in five reported high stress. For teachers it was two in five. The University of Missouri agrees that is the case here in the U.S. as well.
Your kids may also be reflecting the anxiety many of their families may be having because of financial difficulties or loss of a parent’s job. The renowned brain researcher, Robert M. Sapolsky, has shown that sustained stress can damage the hippocampus , the part of the limbic brain which is central to learning and memory. To maximize learning, everyone needs a break. Research has even shown that engaging in a group activity is often seen by students as a way to reduce anxiety.
Will a temporary escape fix everything? Hardly. But with a break from stress and pressures, with a short trip to another world, we all have better coping skills.
Before you sit your students down for another of the eternal assessments or a less than engaging lesson, take a few minutes to charge their batteries and yours with a good book. We don’t often include a mechanism to deal with anxiety in our purposes for reading. But, I know from personal experience so much strength and wisdom can be gained from someone else’s words, in stepping away from what stresses us most, at least for a little while. Understanding that every person has to face their own challenges from time to time can help us feel less alone and foster an "I can get through this" attitude.
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
Don’t forget to read books that make you laugh out loud. Medical researchers at the Mayo Clinic say that laughter can:
Stimulate your organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs, brain and muscles, and increases endorphins.
Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response. It brings a good, relaxed feeling.
Soothe tension and stomachaches. Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation, which helps reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
After you’ve read one of these titles to your students, let this exercise be the beginning of a community-building tradition in your classroom. Take a break from read-alouds with a strict academic purpose behind them and just enjoy the book. While you are doing this, your students will gain many academic skills, without even realizing it:
Exposure and scaffolding to a richer vocabulary
A strong concept of story and print
Exemplification of proper grammar and language use
Introduction to a variety of rich literature, even those beyond the reading abilities of students
Reinforcement of letter sounds and blending (how our language works)
Opportunities to practice prediction and sequencing
Background knowledge and schemata
A chance to practice comprehension and listening skills
Exposure to and modeling of fluency
Increased attention span
Increased ability to summarize, and retell
Excitement about learning and reading
You probably have your own list of "books that comfort" and books that "help us get a perspective". Pull those out, dust them off and share them with your students. It will help you de-stress, relax, and your students just might learn a thing or two.
