Stressed Schools & Stressed Students: What Should Teachers Know - What Can Teachers Do?

Revised: 23 May 2017

On entering a school in a stressed community with which I was working some years back, I was greeted by the sound of a teacher upstairs screaming so loudly at an older elementary aged child I could hear about every word.

When I went upstairs and walked by, I saw incredible anger and humiliation in the child’s eyes. While an aggressive response by that student would not have been at all acceptable, it would have been understandable. And though I would have intervened to help had the child become aggressive, there wasn't a thing I could do to 'intervene' with that particular teacher.

At another school in a very different stressed community a few years later, I was sitting on a classroom floor talking to a younger elementary aged child who had suddenly become very disruptive in the classroom then rolled herself into a ball on the floor. She lived in a very high stress alcoholic household which apparently had gone through a lousy previous night.

I was slowly settling her down, drawing her back, getting her to talk to me when the school Principal – and a very good Principal – stuck his head in to ask if he could help and/or if he should walk in for a few minutes to participate. I encouraged him to come say ‘hi’ knowing how much he cared about and…about always (almost)…supported his students.

Unhappily, his first statement was a threat to send her home for ‘misbehavior.’

That caused her to sharply re-escalate to include almost uncontrolled crying. When I whispered a reminder of her circumstances to include a point I’d been emphasizing with the child was that the school was her truly ‘safe/trusted place,’ he returned to the very helpful and caring interactive style I’d expected. About a half hour later, she was fully participating with her teacher and classroom once again. 

Sending the child home; in essence, punishing this innocent victim of a high stress environment as if she were to blame would have also only greatly increased the likelihood that same behavior would/will repeat in school very soon.

Teaching is hard; teaching highly stressed and often traumatized students living in stressed communities brings even more challenges. But screaming at, humiliating, giving constant rebukes, reprimands, threats and punishing students is neither ‘best practice’ in education nor components of any existing instructional curriculum or classroom management system of which I am aware.

An often sad reality is that many children live in high stress environments outside of school. Sometimes it is a direct result of family/caregiver behavior. Far more often, however, the child's reality is a result of broader conditions in their communities where parents and caregivers alike are equally victimized while doing the best they possibly can to care for and about their children.

The common denominator is that across each of these conditions, it is the child who remains the one certain innocent victim.

In being disapproving to and of the child, schools unknowingly ‘Blame the Victim.’ The child is then far more likely to live up to such low expectations and constantly confrontational circumstances as the school becomes but one more ‘brick in the (child’s) wall.’

Children will typically live up to the lowest expectations identified. Increase those expectations and children will similarly rise to meet them, instead...

Children living under constant high stress social/environmental conditions frequently replicate key characteristics of PTSD. Bruce Perry (1997; 2001) has identified this as a broader syndrome in children identified as ‘Chronic Neurodevelopmental Trauma (CNT).’ Not only does CNT replicate social/behavioral and environmental aspects of PTSD but, over time, it can directly - very literally - impact and change the child's body (medical) and brain physiology.

One medical example found by Dr. Perry is that children living under persistent stress and trauma often develop and routinely maintain a higher than average heart rate. This can connect to increased agitation, irritability and perceived 'anxiety' responses. Think about conditions which make your own heart rate increase, if temporarily, and how you feel during those periods.

Now imagine that feeling this way is not simply temporal in nature but your new day to day baseline. It is a very uncomfortable way to live and one which can also drive behavioral Negative Reinforcement Cycles (Coercive Cycles as per Gerald Patterson's early 1980s work at the Oregon Social Learning Center).

Such Negative Reinforcement (Coercive) Cycles often bring a routinely increased probability that a so impacted child will engage in cyclical (often more disruptive) behaviors in the attempt to relieve internalized, physiological stressors on their own. It is then up to us, to the school and classroom, whether we inadvertently contribute to the child's internalized and stressed physiology or work hard - and with the child - to relieve it by way of relationship building, understanding, empathy...and authentic, individualized school success.

A neurological example includes children who can have overdeveloped brainstem & midbrain regions due to persistent, long term high social stress and trauma conditions. This can then directly interfere with the increasingly expected, developmentally appropriate ability to better self regulate over time combined with increased social reactivity and ‘explosiveness,’ hypervigilance and cognitive misattributions (distortions).

Hypervigilant children can often tell the teacher who just walked by the classroom door in the hallway and what they were wearing, what selected peers are doing at any given time or the color of the car which just drove into the parking lot (if they sit by that window) but don’t have a clue what the teacher just asked the class to do.

Though too often so identified, this is not ADHD.

Next…how many of teachers, social workers and clinicians have or have had students/clients who will suddenly engage in out of context, sometimes dangerous social/physical behaviors then, when asked why, offer up what seems to be otherworldly explanations?

For instance, when asked ‘why did you suddenly jump up and throw your book at ______ who was sitting two rows over doing his schoolwork’ the student might very seriously say ‘When I saw _______ look up just before, I knew he was waiting for you to turn your back so he could run over and hit me.’

This becomes an example of the cognitive ‘misattributions' (distortions) also identified as part of CNT in children. Realize, too, that the particular child is not at all 'lying' but truly believes what he/she is saying. As a result, more reprimands, attempts to convince the child otherwise and/or direct punishment will more often trigger additional escalation, disruption and a self sustaining teacher/student negative interactive cycles.

Environmentally/socially impacted children also often come to school less prepared academically and less ‘ready’ to learn. The literature identifies ‘instructionally-created’ learning disabilities (Mercer & Mercer, 2005); that is, where a blend of low teacher expectations, negative interactive cycles or 'Coercive Cycles' (Patterson, 1982) and significant disconnects between teaching strategies/methods and child learning needs/preferences combined to create the appearance of learning disabilities which can also lead to sometimes significant disruptive/interfering behavior in the classroom.

In that one of the strongest predictors of classroom behavioral disruption is this exact disconnect between teaching strategies and classroom structure as compared to child learning styles and preferences, child resistance and escape related, interfering, behaviors become that much more likely throughout any given school day. 

Children of families locked into a cycle of intergenerational poverty (McLoyd, 1998) often have greatly reduced vocabulary development which then becomes more pronounced and academically relevant as they get older (Hart & Risley, 1995). By third grade, many of these overlooked children have fallen so far behind they become increasingly likely to be incorrectly referred for special education services.

Such unnoticed and/or discounted social and academic struggles by children which can include regular reprimands and demeaning references by teachers and others in school settings (‘you’re just lazy…’) may lead to still more deeply internalized frustration. Such sustained frustration then triggers more persistent and higher intensity classroom behavioral disruptions in order to avoid classroom conditions and expectations where the child has already learned that he/she will be unsuccessful.

Think about how many times children are punished in school setting for reasons connected only to their need for more help; more understanding; because they lack specific social and 'learning readiness' skills; are not at grade level or because they are coming to school already stressed, sad, tired and/or hungry. How often are students 'punished' only because they can't produce at a particular point in school time; that they need additional academic and/or social support and instruction?

And in such actions, a given child may then only cement in that their school setting is no different than other external settings which bring and hold onto their deep stress and frustration. It is up to us - to the schools - to break into this cycle with the specific goal of making the school always a truly safe, secure, trusted and, above all, successful space for every child.

Unfortunately, there is not usually much we can do to manage outside of the school root social and primary environmental issues as classroom teachers, as school administrators or as school clinical support specialists. But we cannot use this as an excuse for child failure or, more specifically, for the school’s inability to be more effective and able (willing) to create academic and social success based on child realities.

We also need to see social stress, academic struggles and related behavioral need in students as a 'Crisis of Instruction' in order to better target and directly teach relevant and individualized behavioral, social/educational, learning readiness and instructional objectives.  

We also must think far more about how we interact, respond, present and model ourselves, build trust and rapport, build a positive school culture and, above all, teach EACH student towards THEIR success.

I know...this all sounds good and sounds reasonable. But how does this translate into more effective real time instructional and behavioral educational practice in a large, active classroom?

Here are a few ideas to start...

• I knew one teacher who tried to at least say hi to each and every family at their home at the start of every school year. For those with whom doing so wasn’t possible, she at least drove through each student's neighborhood to look around, better understand and have familiar things about which she could talk with her students.
• Develop a positive rapport with your students and, when possible, families/caregivers. Relationship building matters.
• Students downtown are not likely to actively engage math story problems about farms just as ethnically diverse students are less likely to respond to reading activities which have no relevance to their experiences and, in some circumstances, may even directly oppose their cultural reference frame and understanding.
• With this, truly differentiated lesson planning which actively considers individual student reference frames is imperative. Be knowledgeable of and use culturally and ethnically relevant teaching materials and perspectives.
• Understanding, respecting and responding to culturally driven and locally held common systems and styles of communication is also very important.
• Do not reward the non-occurrence of problem/interfering behavioral events since this also violates the ‘Dead Man Rule;’ that is, a ‘Dead Man’ will never throw things or use profanity. A 'No Profanity' rule, therefore, will have less relevance than believed. Instead, expectations (rules) should target the occurrence of very specific (and teachable) learning, learning readiness and social behaviors which are more likely to predict success and/or are able to effectively replace problem/interfering behaviors.
• Have clearly and positively stated classroom learning, social and behavioral expectations and classroom/school routines which are always consistently applied and directly taught to your students....early on then given 'boosts' through the school year.
• Identify, directly teach, shape and reinforce key non-academic and 'learning readiness skills.' This can range from classroom transitions, waiting one's turn, being able to organize and access personal learning materials, moving in the hallways and how/when to ask for teacher assistance to group learning, use of the bathroom and expectations for assemblies and school-wide activities.
• Be sure to provide positive attention to and support for student effort and not just specific successes.
• Be firm and clear as/when necessary but without being negative...without yelling or using reprimands as an 'instructional strategy' then returning to positive instruction/interaction quickly.
• Do not ‘discuss’ interfering and otherwise disruptive behavior beyond a needed redirect/interrupt as this is far more likely to reinforce the undesired/interfering behavior thereby giving it far more ‘power’ than was probably intended.
• Emphasize positives at a ratio per student of at least around 1:5/6; that is, five or six positives to one needed redirect/interrupt.
• Adult mentors in the school and from across the whole school staff; ‘natural helpers’ from the community, can be a powerfully positive addition to school settings.
• Consider the use (carefully!) of peer ‘buddies,’ mentors and tutors whenever possible.
• Teachers and other adults must model and present the behavior that you want your students to present in return. Yelling and reprimanding when you are not happy with a child only 'teaches' the child to then yell and reprimand (insult) in return when they are not happy.
• Remember that it takes at least two persons to have an argument!
• Use different teaching strategies to include a mix of active and passive; higher and lesser preference activities to draw in all students and take advantage of all the learning styles and preferences of your students. Make classroom activities and learning more naturally engaging and reinforcing in itself to include activities consistent with student background and personal experiences. This also can help reduce the often 'traditional' model that uses 1:1 reinforcers.
• Get students participating in their own way. Consider the different types of curricular adaptations...there's far more than one way for children to learn and demonstrate that learning. At the elementary level in particular, I really like rotating Center based classroom learning strategies which actively mix different types of learner preference and strength....think about Gardner's 'Multiple Intelligences.'
• Talk with your students. Give them a chance to engage and talk with you and one another…to tell their own stories...to answer, to ask and to think things thru...to elaborate and extend their conversation and conversational skills. Help students build vocabulary while letting them know what they have to say is important and valued.
• Use Active Supervision; look around, walk around; talk with kids and check in.
• Higher need students need not all be clustered around the teacher's desk and/or in their own little and more isolated 'cubbies' when such Active Supervision and student engagement is prioritized.
• Give your students information; let them know what is happening and what is/will be expected up front.
• Do something different; break the pattern; change how the request is given; ask students being disruptive/who are obviously disengaged to respond to a question/comment rather than responding directly to the disengaged or potentially interfering behavior. Shift attention/distract...then return to the primary activity rather than engaging more 'stops and starts.'
• Tell students what they should be doing rather than what they are doing wrong or incorrectly.
• Consider that behavior ‘problems’ far more often reflect specific instructional needs by the child (a 'Crisis of Instruction') making effective, differentiated instruction and instructional practice an optimum and primary behavioral 'intervention' strategy.
• Use a Response to Intervention model which focuses more on each child's academic success...where ongoing classroom assessment, both formal and informal, helps drive subsequent lesson planning and instructional strategies.
• Recognize specific trigger and higher probability behavioral conditions towards an always more effective response.
• Smile and say ‘hi’ in the morning; ask your students individually and together how things are going. Talk to your students...!
• Help students understand that the school is their 'safe/secure place;' a place they can trust - always.
• Consider when to slow down your teaching pace while increasing the rate/pace of student/teacher interactions around a given subject or topic. This can take a bit of practice but can, also, be a powerfully effective instructional (and behavioral )strategy!
• Do math word problems and reading comprehension questions/problems out loud to share how you are getting them done; say what you are doing out loud asking individual children to participate as appropriate and when they will be successful.
• Use ‘Think Alouds’ especially for harder concepts overall.
• Teach students organizing/metacognitive strategies they can learn to use independently.
• Always remain facing your students even when working 1:1 with a single student.
• The teacher should be able to fully see all of every student all of the time anywhere they are in the classroom. Bookshelves, beanbag chairs and the like should never interfere with a teacher’s ‘Classroom Vision.’
• Consider seating and classroom arrangement; know which students should, or should not, be sitting next to one another; where students should sit in the classroom…know who should be closer to the teacher.
• Always try and respond to students with raised hands even if you cannot follow through at that moment. Recognize the raised hand, thank the student and let them know when you can respond/come over to them.
• 'Classroom Vision!'
• Reduce constant classroom transitions based on far too many ‘starts’ and ‘stops’ during class time to include ‘stopping’ to give extended reprimands and/or discussion of interfering behaviors.
• Students should ALWAYS have something to do, clearly stated and defined choices whether it be those who get their work done sooner than peers or during break/free times. Telling students, and especially younger students, to ‘find something to do’ can be a very risky proposition! Students of the best classroom teachers I've watched always have something to do; always know what's happening and always know what they should be doing next.
• Develop, teach and reinforce non-verbal cues to communicate both success and needed redirection/correction/interruption.
• Set up a comfortable and quiet place kids can go to relax rather than always thinking they are in trouble. If children think they are ‘in trouble,’ they are more likely to be in, and stay in, trouble
• Allow adequate time for routines and class activities. Consider that children, and younger children especially, may get really frustrated if not able to finish something you and they’ve started. It can be better to give a little less to do and get it done then give too much and not be able to get closure.
• Know what increases the likelihood of success for your students and actively incorporate those strategies and conditions.
• Recognize that 'Success' is the best instructional strategy we have available.
• Last but hardly least…remember that while parent/caregiver engagement and participation is valuable and worthwhile, parents/caregivers are not paid school staff and are not required to follow school directions.

One of my all time favorite school cartoons is on this last point.

In it, a small girl tells her teacher that ‘my mom said she’d be happy to volunteer an hour twice each week if you would help her cook, clean, do laundry, go to the store, run errands, take my older brothers to their athletic practice, watch me and take care of my twin baby sisters.’

It is so very easy to get locked into negative, counterproductive cycles especially when stress levels are already high for all. A key is to step back and self assess; identify if students are having and enjoying success and if not; why.

Above all, assess for and recognize what creates 'Success' for students and classrooms. 'Success' is, after all, probably the best instructional strategy available.

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I provide online BCBA/BCaBA supervision and Telebehavior services through my website: https://www.drlousandler.com/

I will help you pass your BCBA/BCaBA exam. 

I can help with challenging behavioral/structural needs in homes, community and classrooms towards positive and generalizable change; Qualify of Life outcomes.

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