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Stressful kids: Why teachers need to learn childhood psychology

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schoolStress in school age children is becoming a problem, and some teachers may not be ready to tackle it.

Most people link stress to adults rather than children, but it seems that more kids are dealing with this issue, which is usually linked to their school work. This is the reason it is important for teachers to learn a new set of skills that could help kids cope with stress.

The reason teachers need to learn more about stress management and child psychology is because children sometimes lack the coping mechanisms to deal with the pressures of their daily lives. It should be pointed out that children are prone to serious problems if stress is not addressed. Some kids may experience some of the following:

  • Excessive worrying, which could interfere with their daily activities
  • Unexplained physical symptoms, such as stomach pains and vomiting
  • Sleep problems that could affect mood and even memory
  • Poor appetite, which may manifest as overeating or undereating
  • Child may have trouble controlling their emotions
  • Behavior that is unbecoming, such as isolation

It is easy to see that these issues can negatively affect a child’s ability to learn and be excited about school. Children having trouble controlling their emotions may have trouble concentrating on their school work. Kids who are constantly dealing with physical issues may end up missing class often, making it hard for them to catch up with class work.

There is no doubt that individuals planning to receive their diploma of school age education and care want to help kids reach their full potential, but this obstacle needs to be addressed.

Training AU points out that 88.9 percent of their graduates are happy with their education in school age education, so it is clear that the passion is there, but there is a little hiccup that deals with the number of students seeking further education; these people need education that will help prepare educators to deal with kids suffering from stress. Training AU points out that only 22.1 percent of graduates seek further education.

Part of the reason some students do not seek further education could be because they are unaware of this need. As mentioned earlier, most people do not think children are suffering from stress, so the key is to get more educators to take notice of this growing problem.

Educators need to learn how to help students by not only being trained to recognize signs of stress but also create more supportive class environments. These environments can be created by including stress-relieving exercises, some of which are quite common amongst kids, such as regular play though there are other tools to consider like visualization. This exercise helps kids imagine a world of their own where they can take a breather from the things that stress them out.

Teachers should also learn more about emotional learning, which gives children the ability to recognize their stress levels and the tools to cope with them. Some of the tools kids can use are the same tools adults use to deal with stress, such as breathing or even meditating for a few minutes a day.

Of course, teachers can also give students the opportunity to express themselves more often throughout the day. Self-expression is a good way to cope with stress, which can be easily nurtured in a classroom through art, sport, and music just to name a few outlets. Teachers should also learn how to ensure that kids feel free to express their feelings to adults.

There is no telling how big of an impact a trained teacher in childhood psychology could have on their students, but it is clear that something needs to be done.

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