As principal of Goodrich Academy I am tasked with the intake interviews for all prospective students. In effect, I have to screen for students whose needs we cannot meet and also get an idea of the learning needs of the students we accept. Except in rare cases we take most students who apply.
What I notice more and more is the sheer number of students who want to come to my smaller, more placid school because of their anxiety. It is troubling that so many young people are unable to function in school because of how nervous they get (about crowds, about reading aloud, about math, about failure). And, the anxiety has taken over their ability to succeed.
I get it that I am from one of the "just get dressed and go to school" generations, so the numbers from when I was in school are very skewed. But, it seems that anxiety is a growing concern rather than a consistent one in education. For example, most schools can calculate the percentage of bullies they will probably have to deal with in a given year. They can take a pretty close guess at the number of fights, drug issues, drop outs and medical leaves they will have. IEP and 504 numbers tend to stay the same over time. Retention rates are steady. But, anxiety has momentum.
I am enormously gratified that students, parents, and counselors have taken anxiety seriously and worked to address it. I have seen the results of people trying to repress things, and they can be disastrous. But, where is it all coming from? Why is anxiety so common today?
What I do know is that whatever it is we do here, it works. Students come in their first day tense and generally leave smiling. We have small classes and responsive teachers. We give students an appropriate course load, tailored to that individual. We remove a lot of the areas of high school drama (no cafeteria, very small hallways). We work to give students control over their own education and the direction it follows. I think as students can gain control over their education, a lot of their anxiety is abated. Having regular conversations about how they are doing helps as well. In a school with 170 students, this is all possible.
Why is the anxiety out there?
What are ways to help students through it?
What I notice more and more is the sheer number of students who want to come to my smaller, more placid school because of their anxiety. It is troubling that so many young people are unable to function in school because of how nervous they get (about crowds, about reading aloud, about math, about failure). And, the anxiety has taken over their ability to succeed.
I get it that I am from one of the "just get dressed and go to school" generations, so the numbers from when I was in school are very skewed. But, it seems that anxiety is a growing concern rather than a consistent one in education. For example, most schools can calculate the percentage of bullies they will probably have to deal with in a given year. They can take a pretty close guess at the number of fights, drug issues, drop outs and medical leaves they will have. IEP and 504 numbers tend to stay the same over time. Retention rates are steady. But, anxiety has momentum.
I am enormously gratified that students, parents, and counselors have taken anxiety seriously and worked to address it. I have seen the results of people trying to repress things, and they can be disastrous. But, where is it all coming from? Why is anxiety so common today?
What I do know is that whatever it is we do here, it works. Students come in their first day tense and generally leave smiling. We have small classes and responsive teachers. We give students an appropriate course load, tailored to that individual. We remove a lot of the areas of high school drama (no cafeteria, very small hallways). We work to give students control over their own education and the direction it follows. I think as students can gain control over their education, a lot of their anxiety is abated. Having regular conversations about how they are doing helps as well. In a school with 170 students, this is all possible.
Why is the anxiety out there?
What are ways to help students through it?
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