~Being at school has been a stressful experience for many students for over one hundred years. As the educational system became more student centered in the 1970s and 1980s, there seemed to be a new wave of stress that began to manifest. Students became empowered to take more of a role in their education, expectations were relaxed, curriculum became...

I would like to thank Eric Mann who contributed his ideas for the curriculum on Managing Stress in the Classroom. His foresight in recognizing the need for an advisory curriculum will be an exceptional resource for teachers and educators to have at their disposal. His work and his contributions will make a difference for many students.

~Understanding stress can be overwhelming and confusing due to its myriad characteristics, symptoms, duration, and treatment approaches. In this chapter a summary is included of the major types of stress.

Students with anxiety disorders experience irrational, excessive, and sometimes insurmountable amounts of anxiety that lead to a crippling amount of stress. Anxiety disorders are very rarely short lived and can last extended periods of time or even a lifetime. Anxiety affects a child’s ability to learn, interact, and feel successful or productive in a school or community environment.

~Trauma is defined as a traumatic event that threatens injury, death, or the physical integrity of self or others and also causes horror, terror, or helplessness at the time it occurs. Traumatic events include sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, domestic violence, community and school violence, medical trauma, motor vehicle accidents, acts of...

~Mental illness originates in the brain and influences all aspects of a child’s life. Mental Illness can be manifested in psychological difficulties such as depression and anxiety. Hormonal or neurotransmitter chemical levels can impact emotional well being. What happens when these levels are disrupted or problematic? What happens when...

We all get angry; it’s a normal emotion. However, some of us handle our anger better than others. Anger is an individual response. How can the same event cause such different reactions? How can an adult help a child or adolescent make sure that the reaction is the calm one, instead of the impulsive one? Subjectivity can make anger difficult to understand and manage. It also highlights that...

Stress reduction is a multibillion-dollar industry. The resources invested in trying to manage stress involves education, healthcare, business, and government. Stress is not a new concept but one that evolves as the human race evolves. New technologies, ideologies, and inventions all create a new way of doing something aimed at enhancing quality of life and above all producing a change.

~This chapter reveals insights about the personal journeys that have been experienced by parents and children throughout their school years. As you read the personal heartfelt stories please reflect upon how this journey could have been different for the child and/or family. The goals of including this chapter is for all individuals reading it...

Managing Stress for School Success (MS3) is a stress awareness and stress management strategy. It is designed as a supportive, insight-oriented prevention strategy for behavioral concerns. When implemented with fidelity and diligence, it can provide a preemptive approach to behavioral repetition or emotional escalation, and can be a tool for promoting self-awareness and...

~The journey of stress awareness and stress management is far from over. As long as there are human beings, situations, relationships, environmental factors and disasters, and people have the ability to think, stress will be an important component of our lives. Stress is often portrayed as a negative coping mechanism but often it is the...

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~Marcel Lebrun is a professor at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. He has thirty-six years of experience in education. He has published twelve books, numerous articles, and presented throughout the world on issues in special education, ethical leadership and advocacy, social justice, and mental health issues in students.