Tuesday, October 15, 2019

How to help students who struggle with anxiety



Let’s be honest - everyone is talking about anxiety.  You cannot turn on the TV or listen to any talk show without hearing about how someone is suffering from anxiety.  When I sit back and think about it, I think there are a few major reasons behind this phenomenon.

  1. People were never meant to be THIS connected.  Do y'all remember the days when you went home from work/school and you didn’t hear from or talk to those people you saw throughout the day again UNTIL THE NEXT DAY? GASP! I miss actually having to remember to tell my mom that really crazy thing that happened in class when I’m at the dinner table instead of texting her AS SOON AS IT HAPPENS.  We’re overwhelmed with connections. I’ve gone exactly eleven minutes without reloading my email, I’m wondering what my favorite fashion blogger is putting on her Instagram stories today, and I’m texting my BFF who lives across the country all while typing this blog post. Isn’t that a little much?
  2. We have too many options and too much stimulation.  When’s the last time you watched a TV show without scrolling through Pinterest? Does it not make your skin crawl to have to sit through a movie at the theater and only.sit.there? We can Google any information at the second’s notice, we can receive any level of education on the internet, we can play games on our phones while at our children’s dance recitals...but we cannot be still.  We are a society that is uncomfortable in the silence and restless in relaxation. We preach “self-care” yet glorify “busy”. It is overwhelming.
  3. People over-diagnose themselves when they feel uncomfortable. Anxiety is NOT feeling worried or uncomfortable. In fact, it’s one of those things that is often self-diagnosed. Don’t get me wrong, I FULLY BELIEVE ANXIETY IS VERY, VERY REAL. I’ve been a worrier my whole life - that’s NOT anxiety.  Anxiety is debilitating, crippling, and all-consuming. It wasn’t until I had the Epstein-Barr virus (Mono) as a 25-year-old adult that I knew what anxiety meant. It’s like the virus “woke up” something horrible in my brain (there’s actually some interesting articles out there connecting Mono with anxiety.) that I could NOT shut off.  I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t hold a regular conversation, I couldn’t see a way out. When you suffer from real, live anxiety - YOU KNOW IT. You will do anything for relief. 



With all of this being said, rest assured that the classroom is plagued with anxious children.  You seriously WOULD.NOT.BELIEVE. Some of the things that children in your own neighborhood or backyard are struggling with.  Our students are coming to school every single day thinking ALL the thoughts, asking ALL the questions: Where am I going to sleep tonight? Where will my next meal come from? Will my mother hit me today? Will my father ever be released from prison? Will my sister be picked up by the police tonight? How much __________ can I sell to pay our power bill this month? Will my ACT score get me into any college? How am I going to work 40 hours this week and do my homework? Will she post my outfit on Snapchat and make fun of me today? Will he spread that rumor about what didn’t happen last weekend? Then, there’s alwayssss time to go down the rabbit hole of what if’s and made up stories our brains start believe...IT TRULY NEVER STOPS. 

Through my own struggle with anxiety and “dark thoughts”, I’ve really focused on how I can help students who struggle with the same things.  It’s definitely not easy. There is not a quick, overnight fix. However, I’ve started a few habits within my own class that have helped to alleviate some of the anxious struggles by stopping triggers before they start. 

1. Zone in on Structure

* Make a seating chart: Hear me out on this, I know that I’m in the minority but I FIRMLY believe in making and consistently sticking with a seating chart in secondary classrooms.  Yes, I’ve read all the research and ALL of the BEAUTIFUL blog posts on the power of student choice and flexible seating.  

I just simply don’t think it works.  In a perfect world, it would.  This world/classroom is anything but perfect.  When students come in knowing where they will sit each day, it eliminates worry.  Students won’t have to think about who will/will not want to sit with them, who will take their seats, if anyone will want to be in their group for a project, etc. Seating charts really do work, and believe it or not, most students crave routine and structure.

I definitely do not advocate for leaving students in the same spot all semester or sitting them beside someone who makes them uncomfortable.  It takes a reflective teacher to make seating charts work because they should be evolving and changing often.  Pay attention to your students’ needs: Does someone need to move closer to you to remain focused? Does someone need a peer helper to keep them on task? Is there anyone who is above grade level that can be seated with like-minded peers to increase productivity? For more information on how to craft a really freakin’ amazing seating chart, check out Maneuvering the Middle’s Post - I only wish I could’ve crafted something this great. :) Her post is about middle school, but it would also work well in a high school setting. 


* Remain consistent - no matter what: We all know that classroom disruptions and distractions can be anxiety-producing.  No matter the time or place, someone is going to try to buck the system and someone is going to be really dang mean.  Those are just facts of life.  

Establish boundaries and expectations on the very first day and CONSISTENTLY follow those expectations.  On day one, I tell my students what irritates me to no end: cell phones and sass.  I tell them straight up that I am not going to do anything to purposefully make them mad or uncomfortable, so they should not do that to me or anyone else.  When someone, no matter who they are or who their momma is, breaks these expectations there ARE consequences.  It hurts so much when a sweet angel child has a little slip-up and you have to discipline them just like the “friend” who is always sassing and throwing fits.  However, when you remain consistent, it takes the guesswork out of the equation. Students do not have to worry about what will happen and how badly they’ll be embarrassed by a classmate.  I actually wrote a blog post on how to tame many of these issues in a previous blog post that you can find here

2. Music is your friend - use it!

Crank up that Spotify: For years and years and years I avoided music in the classroom at all costs.  It actually kind of irritated me.  I HATE when students have in their earbuds, so I just automatically connected music with irritation in my head.  All of these negative Nancy thoughts about music changed for me last year.  I had a class of 30 children that simply did.not.talk. It was so eerie. I always felt as if they were picking me apart with their eyes and silent judgment.  The saying about silence being deafening is TRUE. I COULD HEAR THE CLOCK TICKING. 

In the middle of researching where this new breed of children came from, I had an epiphany- maybe they don’t hate me and the entire world...maybe they’re just afraid to speak. They literally would not ask any questions or answer any questions in class. They were so anxious about being judged that they simply would not talk. 


Therefore, I tapped into my inner Maniacs in the Middle and created a Spotify playlist. Josie is basically a teacher-classroom DJ extraordinaire and actually wrote a whole blog post (and does some pretty stellar professional development) where she advocates for the use of music in the classroom.  


As soon as I started playing music in my silent classroom, I noticed a HUGE transformation.  While the music was playing, students would call me over and ask me questions.  If a song ever changed, they would actually stop speaking until the song came back on.  I experimented again by playing music during their group work - YA’LL, THEY ACTUALLY TALKED TO EACH OTHER. It’s like the background noise took the pressure off and made them feel more at ease. We even bonded over common favorite songs! By “filling the gaps” with soothing or fun music, my students’ whole attitude changed. It was just the right amount of distraction to erase some anxiety and help promote the confidence to speak up!

You can check out my own personal Classroom Spotify Playlist Here. Keep in mind, you need to know your own demographic and always preview songs before you use them in your classroom. I teach 16-year-olds all day from very diverse backgrounds.  Also, remember that I love Jesus and I feel like a little not-so-obvious worship song never hurt anyone. 


3. Know it’s coming and build in breaks. 

* Transitions: I know that every school district varies as far as class time goes.  Personally, I have 4, 90 minute class periods a day. It’s TOUGH to keep a squad of 16-year-olds busy and in place for an hour and a half.  My college classes weren’t even that long! 

I’ve found that many students start getting anxious, overwhelmed, or let their minds wander when they sit too long OR focus on one task for too long.  I like to plan AT LEAST 3 activities for each class period so their brains don’t become stagnant and start to race other places.  When their minds are engaged and occupied, anxiety can be interrupted - which is a good thing. I’m not looking through rose-colored glasses enough to think that staying busy will scare away all anxiety all of the time. However, I do try to think about how I can keep their anxiety under wraps by pushing them to jump into multiple activities in each class period.  

These multiple activities increase transition time which is such a great time for students to decompress.  Taking 2 minutes to take out a notebook, cut a sheet of paper, and glue it in a certain section really does do wonders for the brain!  Choosing multiple activities per class period doesn’t have to be crazy difficult or creative, it just takes a little planning to consider timing. I may start the class with a literary element matching game, then transition to a mini-lesson with a foldable on analyzing symbols, and finally, wrap up with gluing in the foldable and practicing the new concept with a fresh read in a small group setting.  

The precious minutes in between activities give the students a break, but also keeps them on their toes when it comes to engagement and learning. 

* Ask a student to do a task: There WILL be a time when a student has noticeably had “too much” and may be edging dangerously close to an anxiety attack. When you know your students, you know their triggers.  However, there will also be days where it’s just simply a bad, nervous, day.  We have to be okay with this and really try to avoid frustration with the student. I promise you that the student does not want to feel this way.  

When I notice one of my babes acting abnormally distant or displaying anxious behaviors (irritability, trembling, rapid breathing, holding head or head down, meltdowns, restlessness,  etc.), I go to one of my tried and true methods:

- Tell them to go get water, take a lap (reasonably and safely) down the hall and back, tell them to go in the hall and text mom/dad/someone who makes them feel comfortable, etc. 

- Create a fake errand and have them perform the task. “Can you take this folder to Ms. _____________ for me?” “Would you please go to the library and check out ______________ book for me?” “Can you go make 10 copies of this paper for me?”  Sometimes taking a mental break from the classroom and adding a little time for movement and breathing can make all of the difference!

- Simply ask them: What can I do to make you feel better today? Is everything alright? Would you like to talk about it? Would a snack make you feel better? 


* Buddy system: I am constantly amazed by the kindness and compassion that students show to each other on a daily basis.  Many times, a student will recognize another student’s struggle with anxiety and sense a need for help.  Play into this! If a student is feeling anxious and asks to go get water/take a break/etc., consider asking the kind student: Will you go check on __________ and make sure she’s okay? This may sound creepy, but most of the time it really works well.  I’ve also sent my anxious student and the helper student on an errand together.  This gives them an opportunity to talk and decompress without being in front of an entire classroom.  The sweetest thing is when I have students come in and privately tell me that another student “isn’t having a good day.”  This signals to me that their friend may need a little extra love and help on that day. 

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It’s important to keep in mind that these interventions are only suggestions. They’ve worked in my own personal classroom, but they may not work in yours. Your school counselors are GREAT resources for getting ideas and strategies on how to help students who struggle with anxiety.  I always appreciate a strategy that doesn’t take away from learning or reduce rigor. I’m a huge advocate for finding a way to make anxiety work in your favor. 

 Always let students know that they are not alone or an outcast in their suffering. Remember that anxiety can surface in so many ways and for so many reasons.  Check out this fantastic article which offers way more details and insight: Classroom Anxiety in Children. Also, Edutopia and WeAreTeachers.com are bosses and both have articles on student anxiety that are SUPER interesting. You can find those HERE and HERE


Now I’m interested: How do you help students in your own classroom who struggle with anxiety? How can I help these students to feel even safer and more comfortable at school? I had a student tell me once that, “anxiety is just the stories we tell ourselves.” Let’s work together to eliminate the overwhelming worry that our students struggle within the tales of their own lives and encourage those children to tell stories of power, confidence, and hope. 



Monday, January 14, 2019

Easy, Healthier Alfredo Meal Prep


This week, I really wasn't feeling doing a huge grocery store run so I used 90% of what I already had at home.  However, if you're looking to make a grocery trip "from scratch", here's what I used for 4 breakfasts and 5 lunches! 


Breakfast
- Rolled Oats (3 cups)
- Apple Sauce (1 cup)
- Eggs (2)
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Canola Oil
- Baking Powder
- 2 Golden Delicious apples
-  Brown Sugar (OPTIONAL)
- Cinnamon
- Yogurt (4) They were out of my usual Yoplait, so I tried the vanilla Chobani from locally sourced milk.  It's a Greek yogurt which made me nervous, but I LOVED it!
- Cupcake Liners

Lunch
- Vegetable enriched pasta (this is my FAVORITE- You'll get 3 servings of veggies per 3.5 oz. serving! Woo!)
- Fresh broccoli (I used 2 large heads of broccoli just for myself - but I do love broccoli with all of my heart so I'm a little biased and you may want to use less.)
- 1 lb. lean, white-meat, ground turkey breast (This is my favorite and I use to 93% lean.)
- Alfredo Sauce (I use 1/3 cup per lunch.) Here is my favorite sauce to use.
- Italian Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Chia Seeds (Optional, but read about all the cool things these babies do HERE.)
- Olive Oil
- Salt + Pepper

Snacks
- Baby carrots
- LARA bars 


Like I said, my husband can literally do a keg stand on a jar of Alfredo, so I've learned to make it a staple in our household.  We LOVE it so I've tried to make a semi-healthier version of our favorite pasta dish!


Now, on to the important stuff!

1. I decided to make some baked apple oatmeal muffins to have with my yogurt this week.  I followed this recipe that I found here: To-Go Baked Oatmeal Cups with your Favorite Toppings.
I really don't love sweets, so I totally left out all of the brown sugar that the recipe calls for.  Instead, I peeled and diced 2 Golden Delicious apples. I decided to mix the apples into the batter and see what happened. 

These things were freakin' DELICIOUS.  If you like super sweet things, then you'll definitely want to add the sugar. You'll probably think they're bland if you're expecting an apple pie flavor.  I'm sure the sugar would spice it up quite a bit!  You could also always go by the suggestions in the recipe, as well: chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts, etc.!
Side note: These muffins baking made my house smell like God's kitchen.
Here they are fresh out of the oven!


2. While the muffins were baking, I prepped my lunch. First, I washed and chopped 2 heads of broccoli into bite-size pieces.   You'll want to chop your broccoli before you do anything else because I have a secret for cooking it!  You'll need it prepped and ready before you cook your pasta.

3. Next,  I LOVE THIS PASTA! I cannot say it enough.  It doesn't taste like veggies AT ALL BUT LOOK AT ALL OF THAT VEGGIE GOODNESS IN EACH SERVING.  I literally just follow the instructions on the box to cook my pasta al dente (8-ish min.).

4. Now, here's when my favorite trick comes in.  When your pasta finishes cooking, pour the excess water off.  I don't use a pasta "drainer".  I simply place the lid a little "off center" on the pot and get rid of the water.  Then, while the pasta is still steaming, I add all of my broccoli to the pot of pasta, give it a good stir, and place the lid back on the pot.  I literally just let it sit (lid on) while I cook my meat.  This steams the broccoli PERFECTLY.  It doesn't get too mushy (since you'll be cooking the broccoli a little more when you reheat it during the week), and yet it's still not crispy like fresh broccoli.  It's broccoli perfection.

5. While my broccoli is steaming, I grab my ground turkey breast from the fridge.  I add a little olive oil (about a tablespoon) to my cast-iron skillet.  I saute' the turkey breast with about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and a teaspoon of garlic powder.  I add in a dash of salt and pepper just to bring out all the flavor.  I make sure to crumble the meat as it cooks. 


6.  Assembly is my favorite part because I get to see everything come together! When my broccoli has been steaming for about 10 minutes in the pasta bowl, I set up 5 containers for my 5 lunches.



I add the pasta + broccoli mixture, then I pile on the ground turkey breast!  I top it all off with a drizzle of Alfredo sauce.  A little bit goes A LONG way so I use a 1/3 cup measuring spoon to make sure I'm not drowning my pasta with sauce. I also like to sprinkle some Chia seeds on top of my sauce.  I've totally hopped on the magical chia seed bandwagon.  This is completely optional, but I've convinced myself I'm doing my body a favor by adding them.





That's it! All I had to do was pack my breakfast muffins in individual bags (I saved 12 for the week and froze 12 for next week!) and grab my carrot sticks. 


Let me know what you think about this week's menu! What are ya'll making and prepping?! I need ideas for next week...I'm thinking about a nice, warm crockpot soup since it's basically ALASKA in North Carolina this week. ha!

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Meal Prep for Teachers



Over the past few years, I've really become serious about leading a healthy lifestyle.  About 2-3 years ago, I had some intense health issues - like take a year to recover, consider taking a semester off work big issues. I had to take some time to learn about what I could do to help myself along with my best-doctor-ever working to help me.  I found out that what you put into your body will truly be a direct reflection of how good you feel.  The right foods at the right times are definitely not magic wands, but being mindful about how you're fueling your body gives your immune system a fighting chance.  At this point, I've not had a soft drink in 3 years and the thought of fast food turns my stomach - and all this coming from the girl who used to double fist Wendy's double cheeseburgers and wash it down with a handful of Dunkin' Donuts cinnamon sugar munchkins.  I am ashamed.

Now, let me honest for a second...I do NOT restrict myself or eat twigs and berries every meal of every day.  I eat WAY more than most girls (the waitress still brings my dish to my hubs and hands his salad to me) and I've been known to eat a taco or six on Saturday nights, but during the week I go all gas no breaks 24/7 and need to make sure my tank is full of the good stuff so I don't end up stranded on the side of the road a.k.a super cranky, sick, hangry, run-down.

If you're leery about meal prepping, DON'T BE.  I am NO COOK. In fact, I've actually had to throw away two pots because I tried to cook rice.  Yep, we literally had to pitch the pot and fan the smoke detectors for 20 minutes.  I HATE grocery shopping, and I only had an apple slicer for a week until I nearly had to go to the emergency room pinky-less and my husband hid it from me.  

That being said, I make a grocery list for five days of breakfasts and lunches each Friday, I go to the grocery store on Saturday morning, and I meal prep on Sunday afternoons.  I NEVER spend more than an hour prepping my lunches and breakfasts for the week and I switch it up from week to week so I rarely get bored with what I'm eating.  

My goal is to share my lunches each week so that maybe I can help you to feel better, quit wasting time (and money) on making/buying lunches each week, and feel fueled and ready to kick booty all day. 

Grocery list for the week:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Olive Oil
- Chicken Breasts (2 lbs.)
- 2 large heads of broccoli 
- 2 small sweet potatoes
- Italian seasoning 
- Garlic powder
- Vanilla Yogurt

Menu:
Lunch: BBQ shredded chicken, charred garlic broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes
Breakfast: Yogurt Parfaits with Protein granola

1. One thing that I usually have on hand for meal prep is shredded chicken.  I only shop at Food Lion because I like their rewards program that best.  I ONLY buy the all natural organic chicken breasts and I love to stock up and freeze them when I find a "manager's special" pack. I use THIS crockpot recipe for my shredded chicken.  It's a great base recipe and you can add ANY sauce to the finished product to use it in tacos, casseroles, soups, etc. I'll make small batches (2 lbs. of chicken breasts) and freeze it. I just label my bag and pop it in the freezer.  I sit the bag in the fridge the night before I'm ready to prep! That's what I did this week to make my meal prep even easier!

2. I LOVE veggies - I promise you that after you start to understand how to cook them AND you realize how much better you feel once you ditch the fries and pick up a carrot, you won't be sorry.  This week, I picked up two heads of broccoli - MY FAV. VEGGIE.  I could literally eat broccoli instead of candy.  You cannot make it so that I do not like it! One of my favorite, fastest ways to meal prep broccoli is by doing a garlic broccoli roast.  First, I pre-heat my oven to 415 degrees.  I wash and chop my broccoli into bite-size pieces. 

Then, I use a non-stick sheet pan (or line a sheet pan with foil) and spread my broccoli out over one side (if I'm cooking another veggie with it like I will be this week).  Drizzle olive oil over broccoli and sprinkle liberally (I freakin' love garlic) with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt + pepper.

I've found that "eating the rainbow" is basically the key to the Holy Grail of health. For more info on what every color does for your health, check out this website.

3. For my final lunch veggie I like to whip up some sweet potatoes whenever I get the chance. I looooooove those sweet potato fries sprinkled with powdered sugar from the fair (also known as manna from Heaven) but sometimes I have to settle for roasted sweet potatoes which are ALMOST as amazing. 

I chop up the sweet potatoes into slightly smaller than bite-size pieces.  I find that two small sweet potatoes are the perfect amount to divide for myself for a week of lunches. 


Once my sweet potatoes are chopped, I add them to the other side of the pan with the broccoli.  I simply drizzle them with a little olive oil and add salt.  My mom likes to add cinnamon to hers, but I think that a little sea salt is my favorite.  I'm that weirdo that prefers the peeling left on all my veggies - I slightly peel my potatoes, but I still like to leave a little on to add texture.

4. Once I've prepared my pan of veggies (YUM!) it goes into the oven for 15 minutes.  I've found that this is the perfect time for my garlic charred broccoli.  You may want to check your broccoli after ten minutes if you don't like yours as charred as I like mine. 

At the end of 15 minutes, I take the broccoli off of my pan completely to cool.  I give my sweet potatoes a good stir and place the pan back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes. 


5. Once my potatoes are finished and my broccoli is cool, I sit out my five Tupperware containers and divide each veggie + chicken between the five.  Lastly, I like to drizzle my "liquid gold"/Trader Joe's Carolina Gold BBQ sauce over the shredded chicken. A little goes a long way! 



6. While my potatoes and broccoli are roasting, I make up a few yogurt parfaits for breakfast.  I buy Yoplait vanilla yogurt, KIND granola in the Almond Butter protein flavor, and whatever fruit sounds good that week. If you know me, you know that I really do not like fruit and never have.  Everyone thinks I'm crazy but it just doesn't do it for me.  However, I know that vitamin C is VITAL to the immune system being big and strong and the potassium a lot of fruit offers is super great for workout recovery.  This week, I grabbed a few bananas and apples.  I chopped them up really small (to try and fool myself) and threw them into a tiny Tupperware container with a serving of Yoplait vanilla (Make sure your yogurt has active cultures in it to support gut health!).  

I take a small container or bag of the KIND granola to work with me...if you add it before you're ready to eat it'll get too soggy and I like a good crisp! 

I'll probably toss in a few bags of carrot sticks or LARA bars for snacks before the gym, but overall it only took me 45 min. to make 4 breakfasts (I eat at Dunkin' Donuts on Friday mornings) and 5 lunches for the week! 


That's it for this week! I'm thinking about doing a veggie pasta with ground turkey and alfredo next week! (My hubs swears he could chug a keg of alfredo ha!) Do you meal prep for a busy work week? What are your favs? I'm always looking for new ideas so leave a comment and help a sister out! :)