Stress-reduction at school
As an avid yoga practitioner (and newly christened yoga instructor) in my life outside The Sun, I took particular interest in today's New York Times story, "A Principal Who Cracks Down on Stress." The article looks at Needham High School in the Boston suburbs, where the principal asks teachers to schedule homework-free weekends and yoga is required of all seniors. The goal is to combat a culture of such high achievement that students put their health, physical and mental, at risk. The stress-reduction initiative at Needham High began after a spate of student suicides.
Check out this site about a non-profit working to bring yoga into Baltimore's schools. Covering the city schools, I often wish I could teach yoga to the kids I meet to help them deal with the overwhelming stress in their lives outside the classroom.
Educators and parents: How do you see the effects of stress manifesting in your students? What, if anything, are your schools doing to help? And do you think it's a school's place to have stress-reduction initiatives?
Categories: Around the Nation, Baltimore City
Comments
Stress is less about reduction and more about how you handle it. A school or workplace can't often let off the throttle all that much, but what such places CAN do is offer better ways to deal with the stress beyond a total meltdown.
My kids' elementary school has a Homework Helpers program in place after school three days a week to assist in one of the more stress-inducing activities of that age range, in addition to a pretty spectacular guidance counselor working the classrooms day in and day out.
It's a fine balance, controlling the heat and redirecting the steam.
Posted by: steegness | October 29, 2007 8:48 PM