Student resilience is the ability to adapt, recover and bounce back. If students have good resiliency, they are more likely to stay motivated, learn new skills, and handle challenges like bullying or disappointing grades. The following are five ways to promote resilience in your middle school or high school classroom.
Teach Students Cope Skills
Your students will benefit from being taught how to cope with difficult situations. Teach them skills like deep breathing and actively listen to their feelings. Please encourage your students to talk about their feelings, problems, and challenges without judging them or saying things that can hurt their feelings.
Stress management techniques can help your students deal with stress better. Teach them relaxation techniques like stretching and deep breathing to reduce anxiety. They will feel less stressed and more focused when they calm themselves down.
Encourage Participation With Guidance Counselor
Students are more likely to open up to adults they can trust and feel comfortable with. You can tell them about your experience as a teacher, advise them about what you do when you feel stressed or overwhelmed, or point them in the direction of someone who can help them better, as their school counselor or guidance department.
Ensure You Have a Comfortable Classroom
Promote a positive classroom environment by having comfortable and inviting materials available, including good lighting and quiet areas. Ensure the classroom stools are comfortable for students to sit on, and remind them to get up and move around if they don’t feel comfortable or have a lot of energy.
When you create a more positive classroom environment, the students will be more likely to embrace positivity and express themselves with ease. They will be more open to sharing their feelings when they are not afraid of being judged, shamed, or reprimanded. The most important thing you can do is show your students you support them by accepting them as they are.
Have Your Students Take Time for Self-Care
When students feel emotionally upset or stressed because of challenging events, they may not realize it. Please encourage your students to take time for themselves by permitting them to take a break from class. Model putting away work and taking a break in your classroom, so they will see they don’t have to act as if everything is okay all the time. Emphasize the importance of taking care of themselves by reminding them that they need to rest and be well-rested when they get through their work every day.
Be Supportive of a Student’s Learning Team
Students learn better and are more resilient when they feel supported. Help foster a positive learning environment in your classroom by being positive, encouraging, and supportive of all students. Emphasize positivity with statements like “I’m proud of you” or “You did a great job working together to get that project done.”
Students who work more effectively as a team are more likely to be resilient when they have each other’s support. Encourage teamwork by allowing pairs or groups to practice working together and sharing ideas.
In Summary
Promoting student resilience will make them more able to overcome challenges and work through difficult times. Resilience is a skill that can help students stay motivated, learn new skills, and handle difficulties like bullying or disappointing grades. Showing young people respect by accepting them, promoting mindfulness in the classroom, and creating a positive learning environment can help your students learn resilience.
