In this blog I will talk about some of the strategies that schools have been implementing to reduce stress for their students. Schools all over the country are obviously experiencing the same problems of academic-induced stress. So, the examples I will list come from many different schools. One of them being at Lexington high school in Massachusetts. The school decided to respond immediately following a suicide. The superintendent of the school, Mary Czajkowski, decided to change the cultural mindset of her students. Understanding that Lexington high school is just ten miles from Harvard and MIT, Czajkowski wanted to implement a workshop that helps students cope with the pressure of admission. The school gathered the students with their parents and taught relaxation techniques. The school provided knowledge about mental health issues. Lastly, Lexington high school also eliminated class rankings. They did this to de-emphasize academic competition between classmates (Kominiak). Another school that emphasizes the importance of mental health is Roosevelt high school in Seattle.

At Roosevelt high school, the teaching staff is now trained to educate students on living in the moment. Twenty minutes a day for every day of school, free time is allocated just for students. During this time students can work on homework, reach out to teachers for academic assistance, and simply sleep/relax. Also, every Thursday the teachers are required to use the twenty minutes to educate their students on “mindfulness.” The idea is for students to become aware of their own feelings and thoughts in a given moment. The school hopes that students think about other things besides academics and will enjoy their experiences at school more. Teachers at the school have already reported that they see their students act more calmly and friendly with one another (Kominiak). The overall vibe at the school appears to have become more relaxed. A last tactic I will talk about is the very unique program that a high school in downtown Houston has adopted.

Before retiring, Superintendent Terry Grier added a special program at his school for his students. He has started yoga sessions during the school day. At these sessions, the instructor emphasizes the importance of deep breathing and clearing the mind. This program transformed from one school in Houston to over twenty-six different campuses. Over fourteen thousand students participate in the yoga classes (Kominiak). It clearly seems that yoga can be a great method for some students to alleviate the pressure they feel from school.          

With the issue of school stress reaching the national scale, it’s important for schools to find creative ways to encourage students to be more relaxed and less stressed. Hopefully other schools adopt these ideas too.

Kominiak, Todd. “Stress Relief: Schools Get Creative to Reduce Student Anxiety.” Trusted, 22. May 2018, www.k12insight.com/trusted/stress-relief-schools-get-creative-to-reduce-   student-anxiety/.