Chaos and Confusion

Everyone reacts to situational stress differently. When taking a test, some students may become angry and show their frustration (fight). Others may try to avoid the confrontation and hide or withdraw (flight and freeze; Gregory & Kaufeldt, 2015). For some, it is the perfect opportunity to blame the limited time allotment as the reason for their lack of success. During class assignments, when students realize that they are not going to make a deadline, some will claim that the teacher didn’t give correct directions or didn’t provide enough time or materials. Others will blame their partners or teammates for ruining everything. The response becomes “I could have done this, but . . . .”

Strategies to Reduce Stress Related to Schedules, Time Pressures, and Constraints

Students will feel less stressed when they can count on schedules and routines. If changes occur, there are some prevention strategies teachers can employ that will help ease the disruption.

• If there will be schedule changes during the test day, rehearse the changes several days in advance. Post, review, and practice the new routine that will be used on test day. Multiple rehearsals will create mental programs of expected protocols. • In the weeks leading up to the test, orchestrate some classroom tasks that students complete independently and with a time limitation. Give students opportunities to experience what forty minutes of quiet work time feels like. Elementary students, who may be used to a flexible schedule, can especially benefit from practicing with a limited chunk of time to get a sense of how much time it is.

• If the test will be conducted in a different location, practice going there with students and setting up where they will be sitting. Check seating and desks for correct adjustments ahead of the test day. (Desk and chair height should be measured to optimize comfort.) • Throughout the year, start classes with a daily agenda to help students understand the game plan for the day or class. Post and review a calendar to provide a visual of when big events, such as tests, will be happening.

Surprises. Not the brain’s favorite thing. Although the brain positively responds to novelty—something interesting, curious, or fun—new changes that may appear as

confusing can trigger the reflex response (Kaufeldt, 2019; Willis, 2009). Our brains also can become stressed when there are too many new things introduced at once.

The following sections will further discuss how chaos and confusion may trigger stress for students: (1) new school, new class, or new teacher; (2) unclear goals and expectations; and (3) student disorganization. I will also offer body- and brain-friendly strategies to reduce stress related to chaos and confusion.

New School, New Class, or New Teacher

Benchmark transitions for students include moving to a new school, leaving kindergarten, going into middle or high school, and so on. Going into a new class or school for the first time can be exciting and intimidating for students, and even for new or experienced teachers. Many students have a nervous excitement that manifests as hyperactivity, silliness, and talkativeness. For other students, the stress of going to a new place, meeting new people, and figuring out the new systems may be quite paralyzing. These students are often worried, quiet, and emotional and may even try to avoid the new situation.

New schools and classrooms pose the possibility of unknown perceived threats. Much anxiety stems from encounter stress (Albrecht, 2010), which keeps students worrying about the people they will need to interact with in the new classroom or at the new school. To alleviate this encounter stress, some teachers start the school year very seriously to establish a no-nonsense tone in an attempt to tamper down the excited students. (My master teacher in 1977 unfortunately advised me to not smile until Christmas. He said that if I let the students see that I was “fun” or too friendly, they would try to take advantage of me.) On the other hand, some teachers may try to be exciting and upbeat, hoping to engage students and distract them from their stress.

Encounter stress may also develop as students anticipate their seat locations, various group designations, and the inevitable getting-to-know-you activities. If the first days of the class include lots of planned student interactions, some students may begin to experience contact overload. Common symptoms for contact overload include crankiness; fatigue; and an impersonal, disrespectful, or rude demeanor (Albrecht, 2010). Recovery is one of the most important aspects of the stress cycle. Being able to bounce back from a stressful period and being able to return to a state of equilibrium are essential. Many students who experience stress may take many hours to reboot. Parents may encounter evidence of the stress and contact overload when students get home from school (USQ Social Hub, 2019).

Unclear Goals and Expectations

The brain works most efficiently, and learning is optimized, when it understands the expectations and recognizes clear patterns for how to achieve those goals. Professor of Education John Hattie (2009), through his research and meta-analysis of extensive data, uses effect sizes to identify what works and what doesn’t with regard to education strategies and initiatives. (An effect size is a measure of the contribution an education intervention makes to student learning.) He determines that the benchmark or standard that represents an average or typical effect size of one year of schooling is 0.40 and calls this the hinge point, which means the typical student made one year’s academic growth in one year of class time. Any effect size lower than 0.40 indicates a poor strategy generating low achievement. Strategies with effect sizes of 0.50 and above are strong indicators of successful methods. In Visible Learning: Feedback, John Hattie and Shirley Clarke (2019) offer an updated list of factors for achievement, noting:

• The effect size for high expectations is 0.40. Teachers develop and maintain a culture of high expectations for all students by setting challenging learning goals. • The effect size for setting learning goals is 0.68. Lessons have clear learning intentions with goals that clarify what success looks like. • The effect size for teacher clarity is 0.75. Learning goals are presented clearly so students know what they are intended to learn.

When students don’t know the game plan, don’t get their questions answered in a timely fashion, and are unclear of the desired outcomes, many will experience stress (Hattie & Shirley, 2019). When teachers aren’t crystal clear about the purpose of a lesson, with whom students may work, what materials students should use, and how much time they have to work, many students may experience anxiety. This generates lots of student questions to clarify the following.

• “How much time will we have?”

• “Can we use the computers?” • “Can we work with a partner?” • “What if my book isn’t here?” • “How many points will this be?” • “What should we do when we’re finished?”

In addition to providing clear instructions, teachers simply stating procedures for all expected behaviors (such as the procedures in table 3.1) can help reduce students’ anxiety. Positive prompts will help students understand with whom they can work, where they can go, what materials they can use, and what they can do if they need help.

TABLE 3.1: Procedures for Small-Group Work and Presentations

Procedures for Small-Group Work Procedures for Presentations

Stay in your group’s area. Do your part of the task. Offer to help others. Share materials and resources. Listen and watch. Stay in your seat. Raise your hand to share or ask questions. Participate when asked.

Student Disorganization

Teachers know that organization is a key to success. Students who continually lose books, assignments, and the like can get quite frustrated and stressed. Organization and management skills should be integrated into every lesson. Many teachers may assume that students learn these skills at home or in earlier grades. Just as classroom clutter can influence students’ stress levels, so can messy desks, lockers, backpacks, and so on (National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, 2018).

Students who struggle because of a lack of organization often experience failure and frustration. Students’ disorganization can lead to poor performance because students are missing out on valuable instructional time. Rather than participating in class activities, taking notes, or contributing to class discussions, students are often searching for their lost assignments or missing materials. Students can get into a cycle of always trying to catch up. When students lack organizational skills, they are at a disadvantage because they are often late, unprepared, and seem to be behind the rest of the class. Mental clutter can be just as stressful for students, maybe even more stressful than physical clutter. When students are attempting to multitask and juggle many different assignments and responsibilities in and out of school, their brains may begin to experience high degrees of mental stress.

Strategies to Reduce Chaos and Confusion

When teachers do a little organizational work ahead of instruction, their students will benefit. Positive protection strategies, such as daily agendas and clear procedures, will help all students know what to expect and reduce confusion.