The Educator Magazine U.K. Jan-April 2024 issue - Magazine - Page 60
Three strategies to help
children address anxiety head on
One in five children and young people in
England aged eight to 25 had a probable
mental health issue in 2023 according to
NHS England.
where the child feels happier about coming
in and content about staying, even for
shorter periods to begin with, can build up
to longer days over time.
• Address social anxiety
Whole-school support for mental health
and wellbeing is essential to improving
outcomes for children, both academically
and emotionally.
• Explore self-help techniques
Welcome students in person as they come
into school in the morning and greet them
as you pass them in the corridors and
playground. A quick question about their
favourite band or the weekend cricket score
reminds them you are interested in them,
helps them to feel valued and gives them a
sense of belonging.
But these three strategies can also help
pupils manage anxiety independently and
find more enjoyment from being at school
and making friends.
• Be flexible
Small steps can reduce anxiety over time
so let the child explore different options
for coming back to the classroom. Rather
than launching straight into busy lessons,
they might settle better if they head to the
library on arrival or focus on work relating
to their favourite subjects first in a quiet
area, with a familiar adult present.
You could then build resilience by
encouraging them to become part of a
small study group, change the location of
leaning sessions or start the day working on
different subject each day.
If timetabling allows, the pupil could come
into school later or earlier than everyone
else, when the corridors or playground are
quieter too. Creating the environment
It can be useful to chat to the child about
which part of the school day makes them
anxious. This will help them understand if
it’s certain lessons, the journey from one
part of school to another or anxiety about
public transport.
Get them to write or draw their worries in
a notepad as this can help them explore
the issue more deeply – are they anxious
because classmates often behave badly
in maths lessons? Or are they concerned
about forgetting the equipment they need
for PE. Knowing the triggers gives them a
sense of control over the situation. You can
then help the pupil shape self-help techniques to identify and overcome whatever
it is that makes them anxious.
A child worried about managing homework
could benefit from support to draw up a
manageable timetable they can use to keep
on top of their workload. You could encourage them to prepare for things not turning
out as expected too, such as having a plan B
to go into the library at break time if they’ve
been unable to catch up.
For some children, worries about
friendships can spill over into social anxiety
but there are ways to help here too.
You can help when friendships break down
too by encouraging everyone involved in
an argument or incident to explore the
solution and identify where harm was done.
This helps students to think about what
steps they could take to fix the harm, and
what strategies they could follow to make
sure the incident does not happen again
Teachers can be valuable guides to help
children figure out and deal with their fears
and anxieties as part of the wider
experience of learning. With the right
help and the tools to manage their own
emotions, young people can feel safe and
supported, free to enjoy all that school life
has to offer.
Carnegie Centre of Excellence for
Mental Health in Schools has published
the How to tackle student anxiety guide.
Get your free copy here.