Session Eight

Understanding & Guiding Whole-person Development

Home > Contents > Session Eight

Session Eight: Stress management

How might teachers support learning by helping students understand and manage stress?
- Identifying the sources of stress that are common for teens. Stress symptoms
- Understanding that sources of stress can be different for different people
- Learning that stress is a normal part of everyone's life
- Learning positive strategies for handling or reducing stress
- Designing a class guidance activity to help students develop stress management skills

Learning Outcomes

At end of the session, the participants will be able to:
  1.  Refer to theories and concepts while dealing with school-related adolescent problems
  2.  Evaluate the threats of the school performance that adolescents encounter
  3.  Comprehend the nature of self-concept and its relationship to students' academic achievement and personal and social 
       development
  4.  Identify the sources of stress, and the stress symptoms, that are common for teens
  5.  Understand that sources of stress can be different for different people and learn that stress is a normal part of everyone's life
  6.  Learn positive strategies for handling or reducing stress
  7.  Design a class guidance activity to help students develop stress management skills
  8.  Apply theories and give sufficient rationales for any intervention plan
  9.  Develop different skills (e.g. communication, helping, critical thinking and problem-solving skills) to tackle novel 
       situations and ill-defined problems

Task: Students' concerns (see above)

Example: (The task below is just selected from those tasks assigned in the Learning Guides.)

Here are some students' responses to the question "which social issue concerns you the most?"

Student A: The pressure faced by students concerns me the most. We have to tackle exams, tests and homework, and we 
                  face a lot of pressure to excel at school.

Student B: I'm concerned about the adverse effects of the education system. To impress parents and teachers, students have 
                 to perform well academically. Many students lead stressful lives. I get a headache when I'm under pressure.

Student C: Campus violence is my biggest concern. Sometimes, my classmates argue over trivial matters. My classmates 
                 fight only occasionally - most students at my school are well behaved. But some schools in my neighbourhood 
                 have a problem with violence. I've heard that there are frequent fights in those schools.

Student D: I'm very worried about teenage suicide. I often read about teenagers jumping off buildings. They take their own 
                 lives because of study pressure, or love affairs or family problems. I feel very sad every time I read or hear such 
                 news.

Student E: I'm concerned about teenage violence in my neighbourhood. I am sometimes bullied by my classmates and I 
                 see shady characters waiting outside our school to pick up their friends. Teenagers are easily influenced and can 
                 fall prey to triads.

(Source: South China Morning Post, 22/2/2007)

-  Discuss the significance of the stressors described by the students above. How may they impact on the students' lives?

-  What are the implications for teachers? And for parents?

References (see above)