11. Calm Classrooms: Lesson Plans and Practical Strategies for Managing Anxiety. 2024

Are you concerned about the rising number of students struggling with anxiety in your classroom and school? Do you feel unequipped to provide the support these students need? We understand that many schools have limited access to psychology services, and it can be difficult for teachers to implement individual interventions or programs for each student. This workshop will equip you with practical strategies and insights on anxiety from a psychological perspective, which will help you to better understand your students and provide them with the support they need.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Here is a list of the modules in this course, with the learning outcomes of each. We also build in School Self Evaluation into all courses, making the SSE Process as smooth as possible:

Module 1: What is Anxiety? Participants will learn:

• about the key psychological theories related to anxiety.
• how to recognise various presentations of anxiety in the classroom.
• common strategies teachers use that don’t work and why.

Module 2: What does works? Participants will:

• Learn a variety of strategies and techniques to effectively support a student experiencing anxiety.
• Explore the impact supporting distressed students can have on teachers’ wellbeing.
• Explore the value of reflective and self-care practices.

Module 3: Calm, Connected Classrooms. Participants will:

• explore a range of strategies and activities to create a calm, connected and safe classroom environment.
• explore a series of lesson plans to explore and normalizing anxiety in the classroom.

Module 4: Responding to more complex/severe anxiety. Participants learn:

• the symptoms and signs of anxiety disorders.
• practical principles to apply in managing more entrenched or complex anxiety in the classroom.
• Explore parents’ experiences and how to work with parents and other external supports.
• Reflect on the impact supporting highly distressed students can have on teachers.

Module 5: Puling it all together. Participants:

• Learn how to implement strategies at a whole school level.
• Practice using tools and resources to gather evidence for evaluation.