From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
It is back-to-school time in the United States. Back-to-school stress is different for different ages. Younger children may feel scared to leave their families. Making new friends and dealing with bullying can also cause stress for students. Older students may stress about their appearances, grades and getting into college.
School events and programs can help reduce stress
Many schools have events and programs that can help to cut down on student stress. Some offer open houses. At these events, parents can meet the teachers and see where their children are learning.
At the start of a school year, many schools invite students and their families to orientations. These events give everyone a chance to become more familiar with the environment. Families can practice their school commute. Students can find out where their classrooms are located.
The American Psychological Association says parents can better help their children if they meet teachers and classmates and know the daily routine and school environment.
For younger children, seeing their parents in their classroom can help make it seem more familiar. And even older students can benefit from events and activities that make the school seem like a friendly place.
Making connections in the classroom
Many schools have mentoring programs. In these programs, older students help younger ones understand the rules and culture of the school.
Communicating with students is also good advice for teachers.
Mary Anne Aidala began teaching in the New York school system in 1962. She retired 39 years later, in 2001. Ms. Aidala suggests that teachers share details about themselves.
These personal conversations can help to create meaningful connections in the classroom. They can also reduce nervousness and stress among the students. Ms. Aidala adds that teachers should also invite children to talk about their families and describe what they did over the summer.
“Well, the teacher has to be very open. The teacher has to tell them something also about herself, so they feel a connection. And then you can ask them if they want to share some of the things that they did in July and August with their families or friends, or camp experiences, activities that they were in and places that they might have visited.”
The American Psychological Association also reminds parents to talk to their children. Ask them what they liked about their past school experiences. And then find ways to have similar experiences in the new school year.
The APA adds that, sometimes, stress of the school year is too much for you and your child to handle on your own. If that happens, find a mental health professional to talk to.
Don’t schedule to many activities for your children
Carrie Anne Tocci is an educational consultant who has worked with families to help their children to succeed in school.
Ms. Tocci advises parents to:
- not over-schedule your child with extracurricular** activities
- use technology to remind you of events and to keep schedules organized
- and to set clear goals
“Well, starting the new school year, we want to be mindful about not overloading our schedule. So, only the extracurricular activities that are mandatory. I also recommend using technology when it’s helpful, you might want to use the reminders app on your phone and your child’s phone, maybe Google Calendar, sync your phone with Google Calendar … and to have specific goals and to visualize those goals with your child.”
Ms. Tocci also suggests that if someone in the family has a learning style close to that of the student, that person could help with homework. This relationship may help cut down on stress.
Take a break!
Everyone needs a break from work. Family meals and outings can help everyone relax. A family game night or walk in a park together can give parents and children a chance to have fun as a family.
Education adviser Carrie Anne Tocci also reminds parents to let their children take a break while doing homework. She says if a student has hours of homework to complete, taking several 10-minute breaks can reduce stress.
Ms. Tocci adds that taking breaks while studying can help a student remember, or retain, what they have learned.
“It’s really, really important to take breaks. If you don’t take breaks, we’re more likely to create more stress. And research shows you’re more likely to retain information that way.”
The teenagers who responded to the APA survey listed the ways they like to unwind or relax. The top most common ways are:
- listening to music (67%)
- playing video games (46%)
- going online (43%)
- spending time with family or friends (43%)
- exercising or walking (37%)
And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
I’m Anna Matteo.
If you are a student, teacher or parent, how do you reduce your stress during back-to-school time? Let us know in the comments sections.
Anna Matteo wrote this piece with reports and surveys from the American Psychological Association and other websites. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.
Words in This Story
open house - n. an event in which an organization (such as a school or company) invites the public to visit in order to see the things that happen there
orientation - n. the process of giving new and returning students (and sometimes their families) training and information about the school environment, rules, process and expectations
mentor - n. someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person
extracurricular - adj. extra activities that are not part of the regular schedule of school classes
mandatory - adj. required by a law or rule
specific - adj. precise or exact
visualize - v. form a mental picture; imagine
retain - v. to keep something in your memory especially for a long period of time