RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

DeborahDeGennaro
ManagingAnxietyintheClassroom
PostUniversity
2016

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

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Abstract

Thepurposeofthisactionresearchprojectwastoprovidesolutionsforyoungstudentsto
managetheiranxietywithintheclassroom.Itwasdesignedtogiveteachersandschoolsupport
staffinformationaboutanxietyinchildrenandtheeffectsintheclassroom.Italsoprovideda
varietyofstrategiesforchildrenwithanxietyandtheirteacherstousetopreventand/orrelieve
anxietysymptomsintheclassroom.Awebsitewascreatedtoserveasananxietymanagement
toolkit.Thewebsitecontainsinformation,strategies,andresourcesfordevelopingananxiety
managementplan.Thisprojectissignificantbecausethenumberofyoungstudentswithanxiety
isrisingandanxietymakesitnearlyimpossibleforthebraintolearn.

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

ProblemStatement
Anxietyisthemostcommonmentalhealthdisorderamongchildrenandadolescentsand
ithasbecomemoreprevalentinrecentyears.Thenumberofchildrenwithadiagnosableanxiety
disorderhasreached1in4,upfrom1in20thirtyyearsago(Cohen,2013).Theproblemof
anxiousstudentsinschoolnegativelyimpactsthosechildrenandtheirclassroomteachersby
makingstudentsnotavailableforlearningconsistently.Thehigherpercentageofchildrenwith
anxietycouldbeattributedtodoctorshavingabetterunderstandingofhowtodiagnoseanxiety
disorders,butitmayalsobecausedbyahigherlevelofstressinthegeneralsociety.
Thisprojectwillprovideinsightintothetypesofstrategiesthataremosteffectivefor
reducingandalleviatinganxietyintheclassroomsettingandmakingstudentsavailablefor
learning.Thesestrategiesmayincludewaysfortheteachertohelpthestudentandwaysforthe
studenttoselfregulatehisperiodsofanxiety.Manystrategieshavebeenidentifiedalreadyto
avoidincreasinganxietyforstudentswiththedisorder,butmoreguidanceisneededonhowto
assiststudentsinmanaginganxietyduringtheschoolday.Whilesomestudentswithanxiety
haveawealthofstrategiesthattheycanuseasaresultofcounseling,theyoftenhavedifficulty
applyingtheseduringperiodsofanxiety.Techniques,suchasmindfulness,forcalmingstudents
andrefocusingstudentsduringandafterananxietyattackwillbeexplored.Thisprojectcould
leadtosolutionsthatwouldbeapplicableformanyyoungstudentswithanxiety.
Thisprojectwilladdressthequestion:Howcanyoungstudentswithanxietymanage
theiranxietyepisodesintheclassroomsetting?

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

LiteratureReview
Thenumberofyoungpeoplewithanxietyhasgrownoverthepastfewdecades.Thiscan
haveimportantimplicationsfortheclassroom.Studentswithanxietymaybeunavailablefor
learningbecausetheyaresofocusedonhowtheyarefeeling.Thisbehaviormaynotbeobvious
toteachersbecausestudentsmaynotbemisbehaving,buttheyarenotattendingtothelesson.If
ateacherisawareofastudentsstruggleswithanxietyintheclassroom,itmaybedifficultto
reachasupportstaffmembertoprovideguidanceforthestudentduetothehighcaseloadsof
thosesupportstaff.Therefore,theproblembeingresearchedishowyoungstudentscan
effectivelymanagetheiranxietyinaclassroomsetting.Thepurposeofresearchingthisproblem
istocreateananxietymanagementtoolkit.Thetoolkitwillsuggestprovenstrategiesthatwill
empowerstudentstoeffectivelymanagetheiranxietyintheclassroomsetting,either
independentlyorwithminimalteachersupport.Itwillalsoprovideplanningsheetsforteachers
toorganizestrategiesandcreateindividualplansfortheirstudentswithanxiety.
Withinthisproblem,thereareseveralmajorpointsthatmustbeexamined.Thefirstof
thesepointsisunderstandinganxietysymptomsinchildren.Itisimportantforresearchersand
teacherstounderstandthenumerouswaysanxietymanifestsinchildrenbeforeattemptingto
managetheanxietyandprovidesolutions.Thenextmajorpointtobeaddressedinthisresearch
isidentifyingstrategiestomanageanxietywhileremainingintheclassroom,either
independentlyorwiththeguidanceoftheclassroomteacher.Thiswillhelptomaximizelearning
timeasthestudentwillnotneedtoleavetheroomtoseesupportstafforwaitforextended
periodsforsupportstafftobeavailable.Thiswillalsoempowerthestudenttofeelthatheorshe
hassomecontroloverhisorheranxiety.Thethirdmajorpointtoberesearchedisusing

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

mindfulnesspracticesasatooltoreduceanxiety.Mindfulnesshasbeenshowntoreducestress,
whichsuggestsitmaybehelpfultostudentswithanxiety.Itcanbepracticedasanindividual,
butitcouldalsobepracticedwiththewholeclassinaclassroomsetting.Researchon
mindfulnesspracticesmayoffersomeinnovativestrategiesforstudentswithanxiety.
UnderstandingFactorsandSymptomsofAnxietyinChildren
Anxietycanmanifestinmanydifferentwaysinchildren.Itisimportantforresearchers
andteacherstounderstandthemosttypicalsymptomsorsignsofanxietyinchildrenbeforethey
candevelopplanstohelpthesestudents.Thisunderstandingwillenableeducatorstoobserve
patternsandhelpthemdeterminewhentheirstudentsneedadditionalsupport.Abetter
understandingofthefactorsthatcontributetoanxietycanalsohelpresearchersandteachers
minimizeanyfactorsintheclassroomthatmaycontributetoincreasedanxiety.Whileanxiety
anditstriggersandsymptomsareuniquetoeachindividual,ageneralunderstandingofcommon
factorsandsignswillhelpresearchersandeducatorsrecognizeanxietyandunderstanditmore
thoroughly.
Worryingisacommonactionbybothchildrenandadults,butanxietyisamore
persistentfeelingofuneasinessornervousnessthatgoesfarbeyondnormalworrying.Some
typesofanxietyareanormalpartofinfantandtoddlerdevelopment,butwhenthisheightened
stateofanxietycontinuesintotheschoolyearsofchildhood,itcanbecomeproblematicand
disruptiveofdailyliving.Childrenwithanxietymayexhibitarangeofsymptoms,someof
whichmaybeobviousintheclassroomandsomeofwhichmaynotbeasapparent.Some
physicalsignsmayincludesweating,dizziness,weaknessinthelegs,drynessofthemouth,
difficultybreathing,vomiting,andpalpitations.Thesesymptomswouldbeidentifiableina

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

classroom,butiftheteacherwasnotalreadyawareofastudentsanxiety,thesesymptomsmay
bemisinterpretedasillness.Childrenwithanxietymayalsosufferfrompanicattacksand
depression.Inthiscase,childrenmayalsodisplayunexpectedperiodsofintensefear,fatigue,
difficultysleeping,socialwithdrawal,crying,andupsetstomachs.Childrenwithanxietymay
alsomisinterpretsituationsbybecomingparticularlyfocusedonpotentiallythreatening
situationsorinterpretingneutralsituationsinanegativeway(Noggle,Trammel,&Singh,2011).
Thesesymptomsmayalsobeobservableintheclassroomandwouldcertainlyhaveaneffecton
astudentsabilitytoperformintheclassroom.Itisalsoworthnotingthatyoungerchildren(ages
79)mayreportsymptomsdifferentlythanolderchildren(ages1013).Olderchildrenseemto
bemoreintunewiththeirsymptoms,astheirdescriptionsmoreoftenmatchtheirparents.
Youngerchildrenseemtohavedifficultyarticulatingthesameanxietiesthattheirparents
observe(Jarrett,Black,Rapport,GrillsTaquechel,&Ollendick,2015).Anxietyorstressmakeit
difficultforthebraintoacquire,process,andstorenewinformation(Minahan&Schultz,2014).
Simplyput,anxietymakesitimpossibletolearn.
Thereareanumberoffactorsthatcontributetochildhoodanxiety,boththedevelopment
ofthedisorderandastriggersforfeelingsofanxiety.Itisdifficulttopinpointonesinglefactor
thatwillleadtoachilddevelopinganxiety.Researchsuggestspossibleconnectionstobiological
factors,neuropathologicalfactors,orenvironmentalfactors.Researchalsosuggeststhatcertain
temperamentsmaybemorelikelytodevelopananxietydisorder,specificallythosethatare
inhibitedorfussy(Noggleetal.,2011).Theseriskfactorsmaynotbepresentinachild
diagnosedwithanxiety,orseveralfactorsmaybepresent.Unpredictabilityisafactorthathas
beenlinkedtoincreasedlevelsofanxiety.Itissuggestedthatlackofcalmandroutinesinthe

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homeleadstounpredictabilitybeliefsinchildrenthatarelonglasting,whichmeansthatone
believestheworldisunpredictableandleadstoaheightenedlevelofanxiety(Ross,Hood,&
Short,2016).Thesefactorsarebeyondthecontrolofeducators,butitisimportantforeducators
tounderstandthattheremaybebiologicalfactorsatworkandtonotassumethattheanxietyis
duetoatraumaticeventorpoorparenting.
Anxietydisordersareoftencomorbidwithotherdisorders,withAttentionDeficit
HyperactivityDisorder(ADHD)beingoneofthem.WhenanxietydisorderandADHDcoexist,
theyarelinkedbyinattention,irritabletemperament,anddisruptivebehaviors.Itissuggested
thatanxietyinyoungchildrenmaycauseinattentioninschoolbecausethechildissofocusedon
hisanxiety,whichmaypresentasADHDsymptoms(Baldwin&Dadds,2008).Anxietymay
alsoproducenegativebehaviorsasameansofprotectionfortheanxiouschild,butthese
behaviorsmaybeinterpretedbyadultsasdefiantorADHDlikebehaviors(Minahan&Schultz,
2014).YetaccordingtoaoneyearstudybyBaldwin&Dadds(2008),anxietydoesnotpredict
ADHDandADHDdoesnotpredictanxiety,eventhoughthetwooftencoexist.Instead,thetwo
disordershaveoverlappingsymptoms.Theirresearchalsofoundthatthecomorbidityofanxiety
andADHDmayhavesomeeffectonthetreatmentofeachdisorder,butmoreresearchisneeded
inthisarea.ADHDisadisorderthathaswellknownimpactsforstudentsintheclassroom,but
anxietycantakeanevengreatertoll.Studentsmaybeunabletofocusduetotheiranxietyormay
needadditionalsupportoutsideoftheclassroominordertodeescalate.
StrategiesforManagingAnxietyintheClassroom
Manystrategieshavebeenidentifiedtohelpchildrenwithanxietytoavoidorminimize
situationswhichelevateanxietyortodeescalatewhenexperiencinganxiety.Somechildren

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receiveoutsidetherapywhichhelpsthemdeveloptheseskills,butsomeschoolbasedtherapy
programshavebeenexplored.Whileclassroomteachersarenottheindividualsproviding
schoolbasedtherapy,itwouldbehugelybeneficialtobothteachersandanxiouschildrenifthe
teachercouldprovideappropriatesupportwithintheclassroom.Thiswouldpotentiallyminimize
timespentoutsideoftheclassroomandincreasethechildscomfortlevelintheclassroomby
realizingthattheteacherispartoftheirsupportsystem.Schoolbasedtherapyprogramsand
classroombasedstrategiesthatateachercanimplementforstudentswithanxietycouldhavea
greatimpactonstudents.
Cognitivebehavioraltherapy(CBT)haslongbeenfavoredasatreatmentforchildren
withanxietyinanindividual,clinicalsetting,yetithasrecentlybeentransferredtoschoolsina
groupsetting.ThepotentialbenefitsofschoolbasedCBTareoverwhelming.Thistypeof
therapyishighlyeffectiveinclinicalsettingsanditsexpectedthattheeffectivenessmaytransfer
overintoschoolsettingsforavarietyofreasons.Classroomteachersmayhavebetter
relationshipswithstudentsthanschoolcounselors,aswellasabetteradulttostudentratiothan
counselors.Schoolisanaturalsettingforchildren,whereatherapistsofficemaynotbeas
comfortable,andaschoolwidepreventativeapproachmakesthedeliveryconsistentandoffers
opportunitiesforpeersupport(Miller,Short,Garland,&Clark,2010).Ametaanalysisof
researchconductedbyMychailyszyn,Brodman,Read,&Kendall(2012)foundthat
schoolbasedCBTinterventionprogramsaimedatreducinganxietyweremoderatelyeffective.
Thissuggestsgreatpromiseforschoolbasedprograms,butfurtherresearchmustbeconducted
todeterminewhichelementsaremosteffective.However,someoftheseschoolbasedCBT
programsareimplementedbyoutsideclinicians,whichnegatessomeofthepotentialbenefits

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listedabove.AstudybyGalla,Wood,Chiu,Langer,Jacobs,Ifekwunigwe,&Larkins(2012)
indicatedthatover70%ofstudentswhoparticipatedintheirschoolbasedCBTprogramrunby
cliniciansdemonstratedapositiveresponseoneyearaftertreatment.Thisstudyshowsthe
effectivenessofaCBTprograminaschool,butitonlyprovidesaminimalamountoftraining
forteachers.
Teacherswithanxiousstudentsintheirclassroomsmustbeproactivetopreventperiods
ofhighanxietyandnegativebehaviors.Asimpletechniqueforteacherstoemployistostudy
patternsaroundanxiousepisodesandcollectdata.Thiswillhelptheteachertoidentifysituations
thatmayproduceanxiety.Whilethesesituationsmaynotbeavoidable,itwillhelptheteacherto
understandthecauseofsomeofthenegativebehaviorsanddevelopaplanforthosebehaviors.
Performingprivatecheckinswithanxiousstudentsregardingtheirmoodempowerstheteacher
totailorinterventionsorpreventionmethodstothestudentsspecificneeds.Thiscanbedonein
abriefwrittenreflectionorresponsesheet,orastudentmayhaveaspecialsignaltotheirteacher
toindicatetheyarefeelinganxious.Abandoningatraditionalrewardsandconsequencessystem
isanothereffectivestrategyforminimizinganxietyintheclassroom.Thesesystemsreward
consistentlyregulatedbehavior,whichistheskillthatstudentswithanxietylack.Studentswith
anxietymayperceivethistypeofsystemasthreateningandbeinaconstantstateoffightor
flight.Abettersolutionforstudentswithanxietyistofocusonteachingthenecessary
behavioral(oracademic)skilltoenablethestudenttohaveamoreconsistentperformance
(Minahan&Schultz,2014).Examplesofbehavioralskillsthatwouldbebeneficialtoteach,
particularlytostudentswithanxiety,areselfcalmingstrategiessuchasdeepbreathingor
mindfulness.Whenastudentwithanxietyisabletocalluponthesestrategiesindependently,

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aftermuchguidedpracticeandindependentpracticeduringperiodsofcalm,thenstudentsmay
experiencelessperiodsofanxietyandexhibitfewernegativebehaviors.
Whileschoolbasedinterventionsforstudentswithanxietycanbeveryeffective,those
samechildrenwouldbenefitgreatlyfromamoreinternalizedwayofmanaginganxiety.Thisis
increasinglymoreimportantasstudentsgetolder.Theyaremorelikelytohaveseveralteachers
throughoutthedaywhomaynotunderstandtheanxietyonthesamelevel.Theyarealsomore
likelytobecomeawarethattheiranxietyisuncommonandfeelthatitmakesthemstandout.

MindfulnessasanAnxietyReducingTool
Mindfulnessisanawarenessofonesownmind,thoughts,emotions,andthe
environmentaroundoneself.Mindfulnesspracticeshaveshownmanypositivebenefitsfor
individualsyoungandold.Someofthebenefitsthatareespeciallynoteworthywhendiscussinga
studentwithanxietyandattentiondisordersareincreasesinemotionalregulation,calming,
resilience,andattention.Thiscasestudyisparticularlyfocusedontheimplicationsof
mindfulnessinschoolsandasatoolforstudentstocalmthemselves.Thewebsite
Mindfulschools.orgboaststhatmindfulnesscanbeaneffectivetoolinovercomingmoodand
mentaldisorders,suchasanxietyandADHD(ascitedinHornichLisciandro,2013).
Mindfulnessenablesoneselftofocusonthepresentmomentandallowsoneselftocreate
mindspaceforadifferentwayofthinking.Mindfulnesspracticesteachstudentstoslowtheir
breath,slowtheirthoughts,andfocus.Thesepracticeswouldsurelyhelpcalmmostpeopleand
wouldalsoincreasetheskillsnecessarytobeastudent,suchaslisteningandfocusing.With

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regularpractice,theseskillsbecomemoreautomaticandapartofstudentseverydaylives.
Mindfulnesscanbeusedatschool,home,sports,orworkandcanallowstudentstogaincontrol
overtheirthoughtsandbeabletobetterorganizethemselves(HornichLisciandro,2013).
Teacherscanguidestudentsthroughpracticesinclassandmayeventuallydelegatethetasktoan
enthusiasticstudent.Regularpracticeatschoolcouldprovidemanybenefitsforstudentswith
anxiety.
Schoolsacrossthecountryhaverecentlybeguntoembracemindfulnessprograms.These
programsoftenincorporateanexplanationofhowthebrainworksandhowstudentscanuse
mindfulnesstotakecontrolovertheirthoughtswhenmoreprimitivepartsofthebrainmaybe
causinganxietyorstress(DeUrquiza,2014).Mindfulnessexercisesteachchildrentofocustheir
thoughtsonaspecificobject,sound,ornarrationandcontroltheirbreathingandattention.
DeUrquiza(2014)suggeststhatmindfulnesscandoneasanopeningactivityeachdaytocalm
studentsandcanbedoneinaslittleasfiveminutes.ResearchbyLawlor(2014)foundnumerous
positiveeffectsoftwomindfulnessprograms(TheMindfulnessinSchoolsProject(.b)and
MindUP)thatwereusedwithadolescents.Findingssuggestthatstudentswhoparticipatedin
theseprogramshadsignificantreductionsinstressanddepression,greatersenseofwellbeing,
increasedsociallycompetentbehaviors,andincreasedoptimism.Thefindingsalsonotethat
teacherswereabletoimplementthecorebreathingpractice,afoundationoftheMindUP
program,withgreatfidelitybecauseofitssimplicity.Fidelityofimplementationofa
schoolbasedmindfulnessprogramisanimportantfactortoconsider.Iftheprogramistoo
complicatedorifteachersarenotproperlyeducatedonthebenefitsofmindfulness,then
educatorswillnotimplementitregularly.Teachersneedtounderstandthatmindfulnessisnot

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justanotherrequirementbeingthrownatthem,butthatmindfulnesshasthepowertohave
tremendousimpactsonstudentsperformanceintheclassroomandgeneralwellbeing.
Mindfulnesspracticeshavealreadybeenproventoreducestressoranxiety,butrecent
researchhasexploreddeliberatelyusingmindfulnessasatooltoreduceanxiety.Thisresearch
hasimportantimplicationsbecauseitspecificallyexamineshowmindfulnesscanhelpan
anxiousmind,insteadofthesubjectsimplyreportingtheyfeellessstressed.Onestudysuggests
thataspecificmindfulnessbasedtechniquecalleddecentering,whichinvolvesviewingemotions
orthoughtsaspsychologicaleventsandtakingonanewperspective,canbemosteffectiveat
reducingsymptomsofGeneralizedAnxietyDisorder(Hoge,Bui,Goetter,Robinaugh,Ojserkis,
Fresco,&Simon,2015).Thispracticeisamorespecifictechnique,and,althoughitiseffective,
itisnotaslikelytobetaughtinageneralclassroomaspartofamindfulnessprogram.
Decenteringmaybeatechniquethatachildwithanxietymaypracticeindividuallyorwitha
counselor.Anotherstudyfoundthatmindfulnessmeditationsignificantlyreducedanxietywhen
specificpartsofthebrainwereactivated,yetwhenadifferentpartofthebrainwasactivated,
patientsreportedgreateranxietywhichreflectedaninabilitytoregulatetheirthoughts(Zeidan,
Martucci,Kraft,McHaffie,&Coghill,2014).Thissuggeststhatmindfulnessmeditationwould
reduceanxietyformostchildren,butsomemayrequiremorepracticeinordertoincrease
regulationoftheirthoughtsandreapthebenefitsofmeditation.Thisevidenceprovidesastrong
argumentforaschoolbasedmindfulnessprogramthatisimplementedregularlyandwith
fidelity.Anotherstudysuggeststhatmindfulnessiseffectiveatreducinganxietyrelated
symptomsamongchildren(Semple,Reid,&Miller,2005).Althoughthesamplesizewassmall
andthisprogramwasconductedinasmallgroupsettingratherthanwholeclass,allchildren

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improvedinatleastonearea(academicfunctioning,internalizingproblems,orexternalizing
problems).Itwassuggestedthatstudentsinnateabilitytopayattentionseemedtohavean
impactontheeffectivenessofthemindfulnessprogram(Semple,Reid,&Miller,2005).This
providesaninterestingimplicationforchildrenwhoarediagnosedwithbothanxietyandADHD,
whicharecommonlypresenttogether.Thisinferenceisbasedonjustonestudentoutoffive
involvedinthestudy,andthelackofeffectivenesscouldbeattributedtoanumberofother
factors.
Conclusion
Thisliteraturecontributesbackgroundinformationaboutanxietydisordersinchildren
andmindfulness.Ithighlightssomeofthefactorsthatcontributetoanxietyaswellassomeof
thecommonsymptoms.Itprovidessomestrategiesformanaginganxiety,focusingmainlyon
cognitivebehavioraltherapymethodswithintheschoolsetting.Italsoprovidesanabundanceof
informationaboutmindfulnessineducationanddatafromstudiesaboutmindfulnessasatoolto
reduceanxiety.Thereisawealthofinformationaboutmindfulness,whichisnoteworthybecause
itisarelativelynewtopicineducation.Severalofthestudiesareaboutchildreninelementary
schoolormiddleschool,whichisthegradelevelsofteachersinthetargetedaudience.Ithas
beendiscussedthattheageofthechildwithanxietycanhavesomeimpactonthewaythe
studentarticulatestheiranxiety,sothisclosealignmentoftheliteraturewiththepopulationwith
whichthetargetedaudienceworkscouldbeverybeneficial.Theliteraturesuggeststhatthere
maybebenefitsfromestablishedmindfulnessprogramsaswellasindividualmindfulness
practices.

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ResearchDesignandMethodology
Thisactionresearchprojectwastargetedatteachersandschoolsupportstaff,particularly
attheelementarytomiddleschoollevel.Theproblemwasidentifiedasanincreasingnumberof
studentswithanxietybeingunabletolearnatschool,duetotheirmoodorrequiringsupport
outsideoftheclassroom.Researchwasconductedaboutanxietyinchildren,thewayitpresents,
andanyknownriskfactorsortriggers.Thisresearchuncoveredfascinatinginformationabout
howthebrainisaffectedbyanxietyandhowotherdisordersmaybecomorbidwithanxiety.The
researchalsoexaminedeffectivestrategiesforhelpingstudentswithanxiety.Informationwas
alsogatheredaboutmindfulnessandhowitcanbeusedasananxietyreducingtool.Mindfulness
wasalsofoundtohavecleartiestothescienceofthebrain,whichmadelogicalconnectionsto
previousinformationaboutthebrainandanxiety.
Theinformationaboutanxietyinchildrenwasexaminedtofindthemostpertinent
informationforteachersandschoolstaffinthetargetaudience.Thismeantthatfinding
informationaboutstudentsinelementaryschoolormiddleschoolwasessential.This
informationwaslookedatcloselytodeterminewhichpiecesofinformationweremostimportant
forteachersofstudentswithanxietytoknow.Thiswasthenwritteninaneasytoreadmanner,
withbulletedlistsofsomeofthesignsofanxietythatateachermaywitness.
Thestrategiesforanxietyinstudentswereanalyzedtodeterminewhichwouldbemost
applicableforyoungerstudents.Theeaseofimplementationwasalsoconsideredinselecting
strategies.Theultimategoalwastocreatealistofstrategiesthatateachercouldeasily
implementwithintheclassroomandthateventuallycouldbeusedindependentlybythestudent.
Mindfulnessexerciseswerealsoanalyzedtodetermineiftheywouldbeeasytoimplementand

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effectivewithyoungerstudents.Alistofstrategiesproventobeeffectivewascompiledand
sortedintostrategiesforstudentuseandstrategiesfortheteacher,allofwhichcouldbecarried
outintheclassroom.
Auserfriendlywebsitewascreatedthatcontainsinformationaboutanxietyinchildren
andtheresearchbehindstrategies.Thesesectionsofthesiteweredesignedtobeeasytoreadfor
teachersaccessingthesitesotheycouldeasilypickoutthemostimportantpiecesofinformation.
Multipleplanningsheetswereembeddedintothewebsitetobeusedbyteacherswhencreatinga
planforastudentwithanxiety.Thisplancouldbealistofstrategiesforstudentstotrywithinthe
classroomtohelpreducefeelingsofanxiety,oritcouldbeaseriesofstrategiesusedinaspecific
orderwithdifferinglevelsofsupport.Multipleplanningformatswereincludedtoencourage
teacherstonotethateachstudentwithanxietymayrequireadifferentapproach.Amenuofthe
selectedstrategies,withadditionalresourcesandlinkswhenapplicable,wasincludedonthe
website.Eachstrategywasbrieflydescribedandsometimesillustratedwithphotos,video,or
linkstoexamples.
Feedbackwascollectedfromeducationprofessionalstorefinethewebsite.Teachers,
schoolsocialworkers,andaprivatesocialworkerwereaskedtoreviewthewebsiteandprovide
feedbackonwhetherspecificobjectivesweremetandwhetherthewebsitewasuserfriendly.
Thispanelofexpertswasalsoaskedtoselectastrategythattheythoughtmightbemosthelpful
andwhetherthatstrategywouldbeeasytoimplementintheclassroom.Theinformationfrom
thispanelwasusedtorefinetheinstructionsontheplanningpagestomakeiteasierto
understand.Ideally,additionalfeedbackwouldbecollectedonceteachershadtheopportunityto
usesomeofthestrategieswiththeirstudents.

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EvaluationandAssessment
Sincethisprojectisfollowingthenonimplementationtrack,anassessmentoftheproject
wasconductedbyapanelofexperts.Thepanelwascomprisedofseveraleducation
professionals,includingaclassroomteacher,aspecialeducationteacher,andtwoschoolsocial
workers,alongwithaprivatesocialworker.Theywereaskedtoreviewtheanxietytoolkit
websiteandprovidefeedback.Overall,thepanelfeltthetoolkitwaseasytouse,butadditional
navigationbuttonswereaddedtoincreaseeaseofusepertheirsuggestions.
Thepanelfeltthattheobjectivesofunderstandingsignsofanxietyandselectingpossible
interventionsweremetwiththetoolkitwebsite.Theybelievedmoststrategieswouldbeeasyfor
classroomteacherstoimplementandwerelikelytobeeffective.Fourofthefivepanelmembers
selectedamindfulnessstrategyasmostlikelytobeeffective.
Panelmembersdidnotagreethattheobjectiveaboutcreatingaplanforaspecificstudent
wasmet.Theirfeedbacksuggestedthatitwasunclearhowtocreatetheplanusingtheplanning
sheets,mainlybecausethestrategieswerenotyetintroduced.Thesectionofthetoolkitdedicated
tothisobjectivewasreorganizedanddirectionswererevisedforclarity.
Theselfevaluationshowedauniquecontributiontothefieldofeducationasthereare
manyresourcesforhelpingchildrenwithanxiety,butveryfewarefocusedondevelopingaplan
forastudentinaclassroom.Thefinalreportisthoroughandprofessional,followingAPA
guidelines.TheShareFairpresentationforthePLEisclearandeasytofollow.Whiletheproject
meetsseveralofPostUniversitysM.Ed.programoutcomes,theevidencemaybeunclearsothis
ledtorevisionsofthedeliverable.

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DiscussionandReflection
Theanxietymanagementtoolkitprojecthasmetseveralofthelearningoutcomesstated
forthePostUniversityMEdprogramandtheTeachingandLearningconcentration.Thefirst
outcomethatwasmetistodevelopavisionforthefutureofeducation,apersonalcriticaland
creativeperspectiveonissuesandchangesineducation,andseveralmeanstoadapttofuture
realities.Thisoutcomewasmetbyidentifyingthegrowingpopulationofstudentswithanxiety
anditsimpactontheclassroom,alongwithaplantokeepstudentslearningandmovingpast
theirstruggles.Thenextoutcomewastoapplytheprinciplesofcognitivesciencetoteaching&
learningtopositivelyaffectlearningandimprovethepracticeofteaching.Thiswasachievedby
identifyingtheeffectanxietyhasonthebrainandhowspecificstrategiescanovercomethe
brainsimmediatereaction.Thethirdoutcomemetbythisprojectistodevelopanddemonstrate
leadershipthinkingincriticalareasofinterestwithinthefield.Thiswasmetbycreatingatoolkit
withinnovativestrategiesforothereducatorstouse.ThefinaloutcomemetisfromtheTeaching
andLearningconcentration,anditistouseselectedadvancedinstructionalstrategiesappropriate
forspecificlearningoutcomes.Thiswasachievedthroughtheanalysisofstrategiesfor
managinganxiety,asmanyofthesestrategiesarecloselyalignedwithSocialEmotional
Learning.SocialEmotionalLearningisanadvancedinstructionalstrategy.
Thisprojectcontributeduniquelytothefieldofeducationbecauseitprovidedaonestop
resourceforteacherstolearnaboutandplanforstudentswithanxiety.Thereisanabundanceof
informationaboutanxietyonlineandincurrentresearch.Thereisalsoagrowingamountof
informationaboutmindfulness,particularlyineducation.However,theanxietymanagement
toolkitwebsiteprovidedoneresourcewhereeducatorscanlearnaboutanxietyinyoungchildren,

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learnaboutstrategiesthathavebeenproventobeeffective,andselectstrategiestocreateaplan
forstudentsthattheyteach.Theinformationandresourcesareorganizedinauserfriendly
manner,makingiteasyforteacherstoquicklyfindwhattheyrelookingfor.
Thisprojectcausedalotofselfreflectiononmyteachingpractices,particularlyoverthe
pastyearwhenIhadastudentwithsevereanxiety.WhileIvealwaysconsideredmyselfa
patient,understandingteacher,IrealizedthatIdidnotfullycomprehendmystudentsanxiety
andconnectionstobehaviorsforthemajorityoftheyear.Iamexcitedtostartanewschoolyear
withawiderviewofstudentsmentalwellbeing.
Idiscoveredmindfulnesslastyearandhavebecomepassionateaboutteachingothers
aboutitsbenefitsafterconductingresearchforthisproject.AsIbegintostartajobinanew
district,Ihavealreadyofferedtosharemyknowledgeaboutmindfulnesswithmynew
colleagues.TheMEdprogramhaspushedmebeyondmyownanxietiestobecomea
teacherleader.Ihavegainedgreatconfidencethroughtheprogramandthisprojecthasadded
tremendouslytothat.IfeelthatIhavebecomeanalmostexpertonthetopicsofanxietyand
mindfulnessinschools.IamconfidentthattheinnovativeideasIhavetoshareonthesetopics,
aswellasotherslearnedthroughouttheprogram,supportmeasaprogressiveteacheronthe
forefrontofthefutureofeducation.

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

21
AppendixA

ProjectManagementPlan
ProblemStatement
Expertsreportthatasmanyas1in4childrenhaveadiagnosableanxietydisorder.Anxiety
disorderscanhaveasignificantimpactonchildrensschoolexperiences,makingitdifficultforthemto
focusortakingthemoutoftheclassroomwhiletheyseekguidancefromoverburdenedschool
supportstaff.Thisprojectwillexaminemethods,includingmindfulnesspractices,thatcanhelp
studentsandteachersbyansweringthefollowingquestion:Howcanyoungstudentswithanxiety
managetheiranxietyepisodeswithintheclassroomsetting?

Learners
Theaudienceforthisprojectismainlyteachersandschoolsupportstaff.Thiswillbeof
primaryinteresttoteachersandstaffworkingdirectlywithstudentswithanxiety,yetitwouldbe
beneficialtoallteachersandsupportstaffastheyarelikelytointeractwithastudentwithanxietyat
somepointinthenearfuture.Teachersandstaffattheelementaryormiddleschoolmaybeableto
applythestrategieswiththebestsuccess.Thelearnersforthisprojectshouldbewillingtomake
changestotheirteachingpracticeinordertoincorporatestrategiesifnecessary.

LearningObjectives
Bytheendofthisproject,thelearnerwillbeableto:
Identifycommonsignsandsymptomsofanxietyinchildren
Identifyandevaluatestrategiesformanaginganxietyinaschoolsetting
Analyzeclassroomroutinesandstrategiesthatcanminimizethelikelihoodofperiodsof
anxietyforstudents
Applymindfulnesspracticestotheclassroomsettingtominimizeand/ormanageanxietyin
students
Designandevaluateaplantohelpstudentswithanxietymanagetheiranxietywithinthe
classroom

ProjectCalendarorTimeline
Week1

ResearchtowardsFinal
Product

StrategiesformanaginganxietyWITHINthe
classroom
Mindfulnesspractices

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

22

Week2

DraftEvaluation&
Assessment

DesignselfassessmentrubricalignedtoM.Ed
outcomes
Identifypanelofexpertsforreview
Designevaluationforpanelofexpertsto
complete

Week3

DraftFinalReport&
EvidenceofProduct

AddremainingsectionstoFinalReport
ReviseanynecessarysectionsofFinalReport
draft
Outlinevarietyofmanagementstrategies
Furtherdevelopcasestudy
Designanxietymanagementplanforclassroom
use

Week4

ReviseFinalReport&
EvidenceofProduct

ReviseanynecessarysectionsofFinalReport
ContinuetowriteFinalReport
Continuetoworkonproduct
Reviseanxietymanagementplanas
needed
Createtemplatesforteacher/student
use

Week5

EvidenceofProduct

Finalrevisionsofanxietymanagementplan
Ensurealltemplatesandsupplemental
materialsareaccessible

Week6

Evaluation&Assessment,
FinalReport&Presentation

Week7

Evaluation&Assessment,
FinalReport&Presentation

Reviseallsectionsoffinalreportasneeded
Ensureallmaterialsareinappendices
Createpresentation

Week8

FinalReport&Presentation

Finalrevisions/editsoffinalreport
Finalrevisions/editsofpresentation
Post/publishpresentationforShareFair

Completeevaluation&assessmentportion
Completediscussion&reflectionsection
Determineformatforpresentation
Outlineofpresentation

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

23
AppendixB

SelfEvaluation

Exemplary

Satisfactory

Developing

Inadequate

3points

2points

1points

0points

Deliverableisa
substantial,
unique
contributionto
thefield

Productisthe
evidenceofa
significant
amountof
professional
workand
providesanew
approachto
topic

Productshows
anabove
averageamount
ofworkand
providessome
newideasabout
topic

Productshows
anaveragelevel
ofworkand
mayprovide1
or2newideas
abouttopic

Productshowsa
belowaverage
levelofwork
anddoesnot
provideanynew
ideasabout
topic

Deliverable
meetsatleast3
M.Ed.
competencies

Productmeets4
ormoreM.Ed.
competencies
withclear
evidence

Productmeets3
M.Ed.
competencies
withclear
evidence

Productmeets3
M.Ed.
competencies
butevidenceis
notclear

Productmeets
lessthan3
M.Ed.
competencies

FinalReportis
Reportcontains
professionaland allportionswith
thorough
anextensive
levelofdetail,
discussion,and
reflection

Reportcontains
allportionswith
somedetail,
discussion,and
reflection

Reportcontains
allportionsbut
maybelacking
indetail,
discussion,
and/or
reflection

Reportmaybe
missingportions
and/orlacking
significantlyin
detail,
discussion,and
reflection

Professional
levelofwriting
&APAcitations

Writingis
professional,
clear,errorfree,
andcontains
propercitations

Writingand/or
citationsmay
contain13
errors

Writingand/or
citationsmay
contain47
errors

Writingand/or
citations
containsmany
errors

PLESharing/
Presentation

Clear,easyto
understand,
thorough

Maybehardto Lackingclarity
understandin
and/ordetails
someparts,may
belessthorough

Missing

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

24

NonImplementationAssessment
Theanxietymanagementtoolkitisnotpresentlybeingimplemented,butanassessmentis
beingpresented.Apanelofexpertswouldbeaskedtoreviewthetoolkitandcompletethe
includedquestionnaireinordertoprovidefeedbackonthetoolkit.Thispanelofexpertswould
includeschoolsocialworkers,schoolpsychologists,classroomteachers,andprivatepractice
socialworkers.Theirresponseswouldprovidedataabouttheeffectivenessofparticular
interventionsandthefeasibilityofimplementinginterventionsinaclassroomsetting.These
responseswouldalsoshowwhethertheobjectiveshadbeenmet.Theassessmentforthe
expertstocompleteisincludedbelow.

AssessmentofAnxietyToolkitforClassroomUse
Whatisyourrole(socialworker,psychologist,teacher,etc.)?_____________________
Whichinterventiondoyoubelievewillbemostbeneficialtostudentswithanxiety?Whydid
youchoosethisparticularintervention?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Doyoubelievethisparticularinterventionwillbeeasyforclassroomteacherstoimplement?
Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Doyoufeelthatthetoolkitiseasytounderstandanduse?Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Howwelldoyoufeelthatthetoolkitmeetsthefollowingobjectives?

MeetsObjective

Unclear

DoesNotMeet
Objective

OBJECTIVE

Understandhowtoidentifycommon
symptomsorsignsofanxiety

Identifyandselectpossible
interventionsthatmaypreventor
alleviateepisodesofanxiety

Developaplanforaspecificstudent
withanxietytoalleviateorreduce
anxietywithintheclassroomsetting

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

25
AppendixC

RunningHead:MANAGINGANXIETY

26
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