Understand Learning Difficulties

While small amounts of anxiety can be productive and even motivating for students, too much anxiety can interfere with a student’s learning, self-confidence and overall social, emotional, and physical well-being. Here are some signs that a student might be struggling with anxiety or depression.

Meaningful decline in academic performance without another explanation 

Unwillingness to participate in class

Disinclination to interact with other students

Be careful before assuming it is anxiety holding your student back, as the signs of anxiety can resemble behaviors typically associated with ADHD and other learning struggles. Consulting the school counselor or other professional is always the best way to ensure a student is receiving all the right supports.

understand how your child learns

Teachers can help calm an anxious student once they understand the primary cause. While it might take a student time to open up and share their “anxiety triggers”, just knowing there is a caring adult at school can make a world of difference to a student who feels anxious.

Specific supports for anxious students could include

Provide extra time for assignments

Give advance notice before calling on them in class

Allowing them to sit next to a supportive friend (or away from other students who might make them nervous).

Consider mindfulness and meditation in the classroom which can be calming and have positive impacts on academic performance for all students.

get strategies for anxiety

Reported anxiety in adolescents is on the rise. Anxiety can have a negative effect on students socially and emotionally, as well as academically. Adults play an important role in supporting students and helping them feel safe and confident so they are ready to learn. 

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By 3^rd grade, students should have self-control of their words and actions, even when needled by other students. While it is natural and expected for students to make an occasional mistake, chronic misbehavior might signal a student is struggling to control impulses or is experiencing built-up frustration with academic or personal challenges. While it is often appropriate to reprimand a misbehaving student, it is also important to understand why a student is consistently acting out and address the underlying reason.

understand behavior

Students might misbehave or lack self-control for a variety of reasons. These are the most common but it is essential to understand the true why for a student’s misbehavior rather than make assumptions.

Social, personal or emotional struggles

Insufficient sleep or food

Struggling to learn and don’t know how to ask for help

Poor attention or inhibitory control

Weaker flexible thinking

Don’t understand they’re doing something wrong

Can’t handle disappointment

understand behavior challenges

Adults can help students manage their impulses and coach them how to respond appropriately to unexpected or disappointing circumstances. Here are strategies that will help most students.

Weaker Attention, frequent, scheduled breaks provide the opportunity to release excessive energy and prevent the uncontrolled impulse that come when they are asked to sit quietly for longer than they can manage.

Weaker Flexible Thinking Coach them to step back and take a pause; provide advance notice that a change is coming.; Help older students create contingency plans so they are prepared for unfortunate situations.

If you believe a student might be misbehaving because they are struggling to learn it will be important to address the learning issue first.

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It might surprise teachers when some of their brightest students struggle with solving novel problems or trying something new. They might appear stubborn when they are really struggling with flexible thinking. Signs a student is struggling with cognitive flexibility.

Refuses to try more than one way to solve a problem

Resists taking feedback

Gets very upset during transitions or unexpected changes in routines

Frequently disagrees with peers

Understands complex problems but gets stuck with a “twist”

Struggles with unstructured activities

Struggles to make decisions or choose a topic 

understand flexible thinking

Students of all capabilities can struggle with cognitive flexibility. Some of the brightest students might not show signs of difficulties until middle or high school when they face academic challenges for the first time. If you are concerned a student might be struggling, consider an objective screener. If you know a student is struggling with flexible thinking, try these strategies.

Provide coaching to cope with ambiguity and novelty.

Notify students in advance of transitions or unexpected changes

Prepare students with contingency plans

Show empathy, even if their feelings might seem unrealistic to you

strategies to support flexibility

Flexible thinking is a key driver of creative thinking and problem solving in academic and social settings. As students improve their flexibility, they become better problem solvers and get along better with others, key skills for successful lifelong learning and collaboration.  All students will benefit from these strategies to strengthen this critical life skill.

Have them solve problems in multiple ways

Work on problems without a single “right answer”

Allow opportunities debating both sides of important issues

Encourage group work, with the appropriate supervision, to help students adapt to alternative perspectives

strategies to strengthen flexibility