Recognizing and Managing Anxiety in the Classroom: Worksheets, Videos, and Resources
Overview
This collection offers a course and resources to support teachers in identifying the early signs of anxiety, supporting students through stressful situations, and next steps to helping students find.
Courses
Recognizing and Managing Anxiety in the Classroom
This course is designed to help educators navigate the nuances involved with recognizing and addressing anxiety and stress in K-12 students. John Piacentini, PhD, ABPP, Director, Center for Child Anxiety Resilience Education and Support (CARES) joins his colleagues, Monica Wu, PhD, Kate Sheehan, LCSW, and Emily Ricketts, PhD in discussing common manifestations of anxiety. Video vignettes engage the learner to better understand various ways in which anxiety may thwart a child’s academic, emotional, and social development. Practical strategies for individual and classroom use are offered ...
Printable Tools
Anxiety Checklist (blank)
This checklist builds awareness and control of the triggers, physical symptoms, behaviors, and coping skills associated with anxiety.
Anxiety Checklist (Liam)
This example of a middle school student's completed checklist builds awareness and control of the triggers, physical symptoms, behaviors, and coping skills associated with anxiety.
Box Breathing
This handout provides instructions on how to practice mindful breathing using the skill “Box Breathing.”
Brave Behaviors Rewards Chart (blank)
This worksheet encourages teachers and families to watch out for brave behaviors and reward them so they are more likely to happen again.
Brave Behaviors Rewards Chart (Matteo home)
This worksheet encourages families to watch out for brave behaviors and reward them so they are more likely to happen again.
Brave Behaviors Rewards Chart (Matteo school)
This worksheet encourages teachers to watch out for brave behaviors and reward them so they are more likely to happen again.
Butterfly Breath
This handout provides instructions on how to practice an all-ages mindful breathing skill called “Butterfly Breath.”
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Tips
This handout outlines the description, symptoms and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in childhood.
Getting to the Green
This handout provides a list of activities that could help adults, parents, children and teens to manage their emotions.
Grounding, Orienting & Resourcing Tips
This handout explains when, how, and why to use grounding and orienting skills when stress or anxiety are overwhelming.
Growing Up Healthy and Happy
These handouts provide a list of developmental milestones and ways parents can support their child’s physical, emotional, and social growth at different stages of their child’s life (i.e., birth-18 months, 18 months to 3 years, 4-5 years, 6-11 years, 12-14 years and 15-18 years).
Healthy Sleep Habits
This handout provides tips for health sleep habits for all ages.
My Anxiety Toolkit (blank)
This worksheet guides anyone of any age to identify their own anxiety warning signs and successful coping skills.
My Anxiety Toolkit (Sophia)
This example of a high school student's completed worksheet shows how one teen might identify their own anxiety warning signs and successful coping skills.
Noticing Anxiety Tracker (blank)
This worksheet encourages kids and teens to track their anxiety by noticing the triggers of an anxiety response, the symptoms of an anxiety response, and what helped get through it.
Noticing Anxiety Tracker (Liam)
This example of a middle school student's completed worksheet shows how one kid might recognize their own triggers of an anxiety spiral, their own symptoms of anxiety, and their successful ways to manage that anxiety.
Scaffolding Plan for Kids (blank)
This worksheet shows how to help kids get through their anxiety one step at a time.
Scaffolding Plan for Kids (Matteo home)
This example of an elementary school student's completed worksheet shows how he works towards overcoming his big fears one step at a time.
Scaffolding Plan for Kids (Matteo school)
This example of an elementary school student's completed worksheet shows how he works towards overcoming his school fears one step at a time.
Scaffolding Plan for Teens & Tweens (blank)
This worksheet offers a step by step guide to achieving one's goals, despite anxiety.
Scaffolding Plan for Teens & Tweens (Maya)
This example of a middle school student's completed worksheet shows how she might move through her stress or anxiety step by step to achieve her goals.
Selective Mutism Tips
This handout provides an overview of the symptoms and ways to treat selective mutism.
Separation Anxiety Tips
This handout defines separation anxiety, lists common symptoms and identifies best treatment options.
Soothing with Our Senses
This handout provides instructions to soothe anxiety or distress with our sense of smell, sound, touch, taste, or sight.
Test Anxiety Tips for Parents
This handout provides practical tips for parents to help their child manage test anxiety.
Test Anxiety Tips for Students
This handout provides practical tips for students to manage test anxiety.
Test Anxiety Tips for Teachers
This handout provides practical tips for teachers to help their students manage test anxiety.
The Feeling Thermometer
This handout explains the Feeling Thermometer for noticing how (and how much) we are feeling. Includes a guide to using it alone or with your family to help build communication around our emotions.
Understanding Your Child's School Reticence, Avoidance, or Refusal
This handout addresses anxiety's interference with attending school.
Understanding Your Child's Selective Mutism
This handout provides information on the symptoms, causes, and treatment of selective mutism in children.
Warning Signs of Anxiety in Elementary School Children
This handout identifies common warning signs of anxiety in elementary school children. The warning signs are broken down into what kids with anxiety might do, think (or say) and feel. The handout offers useful questions to ask to determine whether your child’s anxiety may be beyond a manageable level.
Warning Signs of Anxiety in Teens and Tweens
This handout identifies common warning signs of anxiety in teens and tweens. The warning signs are broken down into what adolescents might do, think (or say) and feel. The handout provides useful questions to ask to determine whether your teen’s anxiety may be beyond a manageable level.
Videos
Box Breathing Anywhere
This short video explains how to practice mindful breathing using the anytime/anywhere skill “Box Breathing.”
Bullying & Anxious Kids
This video explains ways in which children with anxiety disorders may be at greater risk of being bullied or harassed.
Butterfly Breath in the Classroom
This short video explains how to young children can practice mindful breathing anytime/anywhere using the skill “Butterfly Breath."
Common Patterns of Anxious Thoughts
This short video provides an overview of common patterns of thinking caused by anxiety.
Examples of Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety
CARES Director Dr. John Piacentini demonstrates some simple ways to relax the tension that anxiety creates.
Feel, Think, Do
This short explainer video shares the tripartite model of anxiety: a way to understand how our thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviors effect each other.
Feel, Think, Do [Animation]
This short animation explains how our anxious thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviors effect each other.
How to Use a Feeling Thermometer at Home
This short video provides an example of how a parent and child use the Feeling Thermometer as an anytime/anywhere check-in to communicate how they are feeling.
How to Use the Feeling Thermometer in the Classroom
This short video provides an explanation of how to use the Feeling Thermometer in the classroom as a way to help kids track and communicate their Feeling each day.
Negative Reinforcement Cycle
This short animation explains what a negative reinforcement cycle is and how it drives anxiety.
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
This short animation explains common physical symptoms of the fight/flight/freeze response as it relates to anxiety.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation at School
This short video provides an example of a classroom teacher guiding students through a progressive muscle relaxation skill.
Social Anxiety: Feel, Think, Do
This short video provides an example of the feel/think/do anxiety cycle in a child with social anxiety.
Soothing with our Senses at School
This short video provides an example of how a teacher uses the skill of “Soothing with our Senses” in the classroom.
The Anxiety Burden on Kids
This short animation explains how anxiety can get in a child's way.
The Difference Between Stress, Fear, & Anxiety
This short video explains the difference between stress, fear, and anxiety and how each show up in our bodies and minds.
Using Getting to the Green at School
This short video provides an example of how a teacher uses the Feeling Thermometer with Getting to the Green in the classroom to help students identify their own coping strategies.
When Back to School Anxiety Lingers
This video provides an overview of symptoms of school anxiety along with practical skills for parents supporting an anxious child.
Articles
Day of Anxiety Tips
The day of your test is here and with it comes a good amount of anxiety. Use these tips to care for yourself when your body enters fight/flight/freeze mode lower anxiety both immediately before and during the exam.
How Can I Help My Child Cope with Back-to-School Anxiety?
This blogpost answers a parent’s question about their son’s back-to-school anxiety, offering practical tips for parents on what to say and do in these situations .
Low Anxiety Desk Space
Do you find yourself avoiding your desk because all you associate with it is anxiety and work? Use this printable tool to redesign your desk space to minimize anxiety and maximize mindful productivity.
My Sixth Grader is Anxious About School. What Can I Do?
This blogpost answers a parent’s question about their daughter’s anxiety regarding schoolwork, offering practical tips for parents on what to say and do in these situations .
Navigating New Schoolyear Fears
This article provides an overview of how parents can help their child navigate fears about returning back to school.
Sensory Toolkit and Sensory Kit on the Go
Approaching tasks can be difficult when anxiety is getting in the way. Having a sensory toolkit nearby can help lower levels of anxiety so that you can regroup to approach the task at hand. Use this printable tool as a guide for creating your own Sensory Toolkit organized around the five senses.