Schedules, Time Pressures, and Constraints

• Advocate for and insist on timely action and appropriate funding for general maintenance and repairs. Staff members who are aware of issues must be vigilant about reporting and asking for basic maintenance issues. • Request tables and chairs that allow for flexible seating to enhance student interactions. Classroom furniture should be arranged to meet students’ needs rather than the needs of the custodial staff. Teaching staff should ask to be included in selections of new furniture.

• In the classroom, display symbolic objects that remove uncertainty about whether one’s social identity will be accepted. These displays can help reduce racial and gender achievement gaps and improve the achievement of students of color and female students of all backgrounds. Teachers can create these safe classroom contexts even with limited resources. Cultural responsiveness, at a very basic level, ensures that all students see their culture reflected in the curriculum and classroom materials.

• Maximize the effectiveness of safety drills by having extensive staff training that results in staff members who inspire calmness and confidence in students. Students model their reactions on adult behaviors.

• Ensure that participation in drills is appropriate to students’ individual development levels; take into consideration prior traumatic experiences, special needs, and personalities. • When conducting safety protocols, make sure school-employed mental health professionals are involved in every stage of drills and lockdowns and they are available to meet with upset students at the completion of the event.

Our brains experience less stress when we know the schedule, routines, and expectations. When daily routines suddenly change without warning, such as a schedule change on the day of a high-stakes test, we might have a reflexive response. Time pressures and constraints can also be stressful enemies. Any disruption to a known pattern or an expectation can trigger an upset. Many students can get quite anxious about time limits when working on a task or when taking a test. Helping students understand what is going on in their brains when there are time changes may relieve some of the anxiety.

The following sections will further discuss how schedules, time pressures, and constraints may trigger stress for students: (1) schedule changes and new routines, (2) time limitations and inflexible schedules, (3) anticipatory anxiety, and (4) unfinished assignments and tasks. I will also offer body- and brain-friendly strategies to reduce stress related to schedules, time pressures, and constraints.

Schedule Changes and New Routines

The brain likes patterns. When a schedule or routine is in place, our brains and bodies get into a comfortable rhythm. A lot of our daily actions are automatic, and our brains like being on autopilot. The brain detects patterns and then creates and stores them as mental programs.

People begin to learn a routine by determining the probability of an event happening after another event. They are learning patterns and developing rules that guide their decisions and next steps (Ohio State University, 2018). Humans find security in being able to recognize a pattern and automatically respond with an appropriate program. We feel more confident when we are able to anticipate the next steps. When students know what the school schedule and the classroom routine are, they feel secure and less anxious and can focus on learning. The brain thrives best with consistency.

When we don’t know or are just learning a new routine, we may feel fearful and unsure. When a schedule or routine suddenly changes, it disrupts our brain patterns, and many of us feel off-balance. Frequent schedule changes can be stressful for many students. During test days, students’ daily routines are often adjusted. When students arrive at school and discover schedule changes, it can upset them.

Time Limitations and Inflexible Schedules

While consistency is comfortable for their brains, unreasonable time limitations or inflexible schedules can cause students a lot of stress. Time stress is a well-known form of stress in the fast-paced, multitasking 21st century environment (Albrecht, 2010). Not making the due date for a school assignment or project can lead to stress—more important, students commonly worry about a lack of time for the expected completion (or possible incompletion) of tasks. Trying and stressing to finish a task on time can have a negative effect on the work’s final quality because the assignment was rushed.

Battling to meet even a reasonable deadline or trying to work within a dictated schedule can leave students feeling exhausted and frustrated. Many high-stakes tests have time constraints that contribute to student stress during the exam and may inhibit performance. Time stress is real.

Anticipatory Anxiety

Anticipatory anxiety describes the stress that one feels when thinking about a future event or task. Worrying about an upcoming presentation or test, experiencing anxiety regarding a looming social situation, being fearful of making someone mad or disappointed, and fretting about when something is going to take place are all examples of anticipatory anxiety—worrying about what will happen next and when it will happen. Some students are known for arriving to class and immediately asking the teacher about what will happen that day—“When are we going to give our presentations?” or “When will we get to go to the assembly?” Their inquiries may be just needing a simple response, but often these types of questions indicate that the student is experiencing stress.

This type of stress and anxiety can be about specific future events such as upcoming tests, but it can also be an overall sense of dread. Many students anxiously think, What might go wrong? What will people think? What if I can’t do it? or What if people find out I’m not smart? no matter the classroom situation. Many times, the students showing the most anxiety might be some of the brightest and most gifted. They often overthink and get spun out about possibilities. As the Summer Institute for the Gifted (2020) explains:

Because gifted children experience the world intensely, they may show a heightened level of behaviors that are associated with anxiety. Children who are acutely aware of the world around them may develop anxiety over worrying about global and local problems, perfectionism in themselves, and general fears regarding situations out of their control.

Unfinished Assignments and Tasks

Many students often have difficulty finishing assignments. They may be slow workers, or there simply might not be enough time scheduled. When taking tests, the time limits may really trigger some students as they run out of time. This kind of situational stress may get triggered at the last minute when students realize that they didn’t plan ahead and didn’t anticipate how much time the task would take, and they begin to panic. This is often a result of a lack of executive function. Making goals, planning the steps needed, and managing time effectively are all relatively higher-level thinking skills. For some students, difficulty completing this process begins with a lack of motivation or relevance. For others, it may be procrastination and an inability to actually start the process. No matter the cause for not getting something done, the body still may react with a stress response.