VIEWS & OPINION
Is mindfulness meditation the answer for student exam stress?
Comment by MARCEA ECKHARDT, High School and University Counsellor at ACS Hillingdon
We will soon be entering the exam season with International Baccalaureate Diploma, A Level and GCSE exams dominating May and June. Stress levels are certainly heightened during exams with 96 per cent of students, who completed the Childline National Exam Stress survey, revealing that they felt anxious about their exams and revision. Over half of the 1300 participants also said they experienced pressure from their parents to do well, while six in ten claimed they have never received any support in dealing with exams.
The research results suggest that more than ever before, students need mindfulness training to combat anxiety.
As part of ACS Hillingdon’s Wellness Week, each student spent ten minutes every day practicing a guided meditation in class. And while mindfulness can sometimes be perceived as ‘new age mumbo jumbo’, over the course of the week, ACS teachers witnessed calmer classes whilst students claimed to be re- focused and less stressed.
Studies show that mindfulness meditation is anything but ‘mumbo jumbo’, with students practicing mindfulness benefiting from improved cognitive functioning. According to a Mindful Schools study, 83 per cent of teachers saw improved levels of focus amongst students who had undertaken mindfulness training; while 89 per cent also saw better emotional regulation; 76 per cent more student compassion; and 79 per cent increased engagement in the classroom.
Mindfulness helps students develop a more considered thought process, rather than simply just ‘reacting’ to situations. Through meditative exercises, students learn how to focus their full attention on the present moment, acknowledge what they are feeling and experiencing, and accept it without judgement. The goal is to quiet the mind and heighten awareness. Sometimes students are simply looking for a quiet space to refocus, others
are looking for practical assistance; here are four straight forward tips to help students deal with exam stress:
1. Revision is a common form of student tension which can be tackled by devising a ‘chunkable’ revision schedule. Help students prioritise their weakest subject areas and use this as the basis for a revision timetable. Students feel more in control of their own learning with a well thought out plan.
2. Encourage students to spend ten minutes a day on a creative activity, such as sculpting with play-doh or colouring intricate patterns. Colouring is a form of meditation, creating a sense of rhythm, which the brain craves. Students build confidence by slowly completing the designated pattern. 3. Guide students through a meditation. Meditation inspires students to concentrate on their senses and breathing, clearing headspace to think and regulate their emotions. I’ve compiled a playlist of five popular YouTube guided meditations which can help students deal with exam pressures:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqb66TZVXjjAFh6LUvmIcZs5uvhG WwAM9
4. Similar to the guided meditations, a three-minute breathing exercise will help students re-focus their attention rather than succumb to exam panic. The ‘Five Senses Drill’ is a simple breathing exercise; after two deep breaths, meditators silently note three things they see, hear, feel and note what they smell and taste, before finishing the exercise with two more deep breaths.
Ultimately mindfulness meditation helps students centre their thoughts and stay calm. Two minute -breathing exercises can even be used mid-exam, allowing students to maintain focus and create thinking space when it matters most.
Votes mean prizes!
Comment by MARK BENTLEY, Online Safety & Safeguarding Manager, London Grid for Learning
In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a General Election on 8 June, and one topic is already dominating the headlines. As political activism gets trendy again for a few weeks, why not take the opportunity to engage in a bit of campaigning of your own – on behalf of the not-yet-voters you look after?
Are EU safe?
In the build-up to the coming election, we aren’t likely to hear much about anything other than Brexit. When we do – a bit of immigration here; some schools and hospitals there – it’s likely to be seen through a Brexit lens. So maybe this is a good time to remind our elected representatives about issues that matter to us, through a short and a long-term lens. Take a look at
theyworkforyou.com to find their details.
Taking the fun out of funding
I don’t want to wade into party politics, but whether you support Brexit or not, and whatever party you vote for, there are challenges ahead and not much cash in the kitty. Candidates to be your local MP know which side their bread is buttered, so let them know that you exist, that you care passionately about keeping children safe, and find out how they and their parties plan to tackle certain issues.
Brexit, Schmexit!
EU funding is a complex beast and wonderful or terrible depending on which paper you read, or on which day of the week it is. But there are a whole raft of internet safety charities, for example, which are heavily
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www.education-today.co.uk
reliant on EU funding. Why not ask those campaigning for your vote to outline how their party would make up for this funding, and see how committed they are to online safety and safeguarding issues.
Home Guard
Fortunately, not everything needs to be seen through the Brexit lens, so if you would rather take an approach that is focussed a little closer to home, another suggestion would be to use one of the NSPCC campaigns as a basis for your communications with candidates. Safe Internet Explorers, for example, is all about lobbying the government for change on new digital laws to make the internet safer for children. Have a read!
Growing up digital
Would you want to be ‘Growing up Digital’ at the moment? The Children’s Commissioner released an excellent report in January on the digital ‘state of the nation’ that had clear recommendations for steps that would make the online world a safer place for children. I looked for a government response to the report and its proposals, but didn’t find one. Why not see if the prospective parliamentarians in your area have plans to push that agenda and drive a government response?
No vote, no voice
Generally, if you don’t have a vote, you don’t have a voice. Children tend to be under 18(!), so that means if we want them to have a voice, it is down to us to act in their interest. It doesn’t matter who you want to win in the General Election – just be that voice!
May 2017
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