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COURSE TITLE:

HELPING STUDENTS OVERCOME ANXIETY

NO. OF CREDITS:

3 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 2.00 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:  
OREGON PDUs:  
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:  		 30
30
30

INSTRUCTOR:

Suzanne Warner
sw11235@yahoo.com

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Student anxiety is rising at alarming rates, starting in kindergarten with anxiety levels continuing to rise as our students progress through their elementary, middle, and high school years. What can teachers and school personnel do to help these students? In this course, you will learn how to recognize students with excessive anxiety, learn the difference between occasional anxiety v. a chronic anxiety disorder, learn how to talk with parents about your concerns, and most importantly, learn tools and strategies to help students manage their anxieties and succeed in school. This course is applicable to all content areas and all school personnel, K-12.The text, Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety, is about $32 at Amazon.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

1. Learn how to recognize anxious students.

2. Learn how to talk with students about their anxieties.

3. Learn how to talk with parents about their student's anxieties.

4. Learn tools and strategies to help students manage their anxieties and succeed in school

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

 

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

  1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
  2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
  3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

 

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

The text, Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety, is about $32 at Amazon.

(Please note: I do not have any relation to the author - we just simply have the same last name.)

  • Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety: Skills for Academic and Social Success (SASS) (The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series)
    ISBN# 1462534600
    by Masia Warner, Carrie, Colognori, Daniela, Lynch, Chelsea
    The Guilford Press

    Buy from Amazon

MATERIALS FEE

The text, Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety, is about $32 at Amazon.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. 
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

Assignment #1: COURSE FORUM – Recognizing the Anxious Student

1. Read:

2. In 400 -  500 words, briefly introduce yourself. Describe your current teaching situation and answer the following questions:

  • What is anxiety and how does it manifest itself in the students you teach?
  • What are some reason students suffer from anxiety?
  • What are some reasons why school personnel should be involved with students exhibiting anxiety?
  • What are some ways school personnel can identify students suffering from anxiety?

Feel free to add your thoughts to any other posts in this forum.

Assignment #2: Differentiating Between Occasional Anxiety and Chronic Anxiety Disorders

1. Read:

2. Answer the Review Questions

3. In at least 250 words

  • Compare and contrast occasional anxiety v. a chronic anxiety disorder. How are they alike? How are they different?
  • Compare the three types of anxiety levels and describe how each one may manifest itself by a student in the classroom.

Assignment #3: COURSE FORUM – Academic/School Specific Anxiety

There are many times in our students’ lives when they may experience more anxiety at school than other times. Read the following articles of just a few examples of key times when anxiety may peak:

In 400-500 words, describe some of the key times in your classroom when you see anxiety peak. Describe what this looks like, sharing any information you learned from the articles.  (If you found additional article(s), please share the links as well.) What have you done in the past to relieve the anxiety? Given what you’ve learned so far, would you make any changes? Why or why not and if so, then in what way?

Feel free to add your thoughts to any other posts in this forum.

Assignment #4: COURSE FORUM - Promoting Skills for Academic and Social Success

1. Read Part 2: Promoting Skills for Academic and Social Success in the course text Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety. (Some of these chapters may be more counselor-focused than teacher-focused, so pick & choose the areas where you want to focus.)

2. Watch the youtube video about How to Cope with Anxiety (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWloIAQpMcQ)

3. There are a number of strategies and skills describe in the reading and video that can be incorporated in the classroom. Select 3 - 5 that you think would work best for your student population – briefly describe, in a 2 - 3 page paper, the strategy and describe how you would implement in your classroom and/or school.

Feel free to add your thoughts to any other posts in this forum.

Assignment #5: COURSE FORUM – How Can Parents Help?

1. Read:

2. In 400-500 words, briefly summary what you’ve read and answer the following questions:

  • How would you approach a parent with concerns about their child?
  • Why would some parents resist your concerns and what could you say in response?
  • How would you try to educate the parent?
  • What are some home-based interventions parents can try at home?
  • What type of follow-up strategies would you employ?

Feel free to add your thoughts to any other posts in this forum.

Assignment #6: Culmination Assignment

Read the remainder the course textbook Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety. In 500+ words, write a culminating paper describing what you have learned in this course, how you plan to implement what you have learned, share any continuing questions and/or concerns you may have, and how you plan to implement your new knowledge going forward.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. ​Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

 

Assignment #7: Implementation

Either create a plan of action for one student, a few students, or an entire classroom – whatever works best for you – based on what you have learned in this course. Implement for 2 -3 weeks. In a 500+ word paper, describe:

  • What strategies did you implement and the rational for choosing those strategies.
  • What went well? Reflect and describe why you think it went well.
  • What did not go well? Reflect and describe why you think it did not go well.
  • What area(s) needs improvement, if any.
  • What are your next steps to further your students’ success?

Note – If you do not have your own classroom or access to students, you are welcome to simply write a plan of implementation, if that better suits your needs.  You can also implement with non-students – children, friends, yourself – whatever may apply.  Also, please contact me if you need other accommodations or have any ideas of your own that you’d like to do for this assignment.

Assignment #8: Mentoring

Mentor another teacher (or friend, parent, etc…) in the methods and information from this class and observe her/him in the classroom. Write 400-500 words summarizing your observation, results, and reflection.

Note - If you currently are not in your own classroom or have access to someone with anxiety issues, you are welcome to do a different assignment, such as: interviewing 2 – 3 teachers, create a blog describing what you’ve learned in this class, or with instructor approval, you may create an assignment that better fits your needs. Again, please contact me if you need other accommodations or have any ideas of your own that you’d like to do for this assignment.

Assignment #9: (500 Level ONLY)

In addition to the 400 level assignments, complete one of the following:

Option A)
Conduct additional research via periodicals, online articles or videos on student anxiety in the classroom, and document the key points you learned in either a mind map or 2-page paper. Include an analysis of how this research supports or contrasts with the course text and assignments, and a bibliography of your sources.    
                                                                                         OR
Option B)
Create a 15-20 minute PowerPoint presentation that could be used as an in-service to parents and/or colleagues in your community and/or school that describes what you have learned in this class.
                                                                                         OR
Option C)
Another assignment of your own design with the instructor’s prior approval.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #10: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

  1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
  2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
  3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
  4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
  5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Suzanne Warner, M.S., received her Masters Degree in Education from the University of Rochester, New York.  She has taught mathematics in the middle school, high school, and college settings, most recently in Oregon. Suzanne has been lauded by administrators, colleagues, students and parents regarding her teaching and classroom management skills. Her students enjoy learning in a respectful, productive environment, where each student is in control of her/his own learning and behaviors. She strongly believes that all students want to do well, and creates a teaching environment for them to succeed. 

When not in the classroom, Suzanne enjoys spending time with her family reading, hiking, backpacking and traveling.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

HELPING STUDENTS OVERCOME ANXIETY

Cooper, Hattie C., Thriving With Social Anxiety: Daily Strategies for Overcoming Anxiety and Building Self-Confidence, Althea Press, 2015, ebook, 208 pages, ASIN: B012V8HW6I

Hattie Cooper knows anxiety. She has lived with Generalized Anxiety Disorder for years. Reading this book is like getting advice from a friend who has been there. Hattie shares immediate, easy-to-use strategies for tackling your Social Anxiety Disorder and creating healthy habits. Featuring expert advice from foreword writer and registered psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald, the tools in these pages will help you beat your anxiety and reveal your most confident self.

Earlstein, Frederick, Anxiety Disorder Explained: Anxiety Disorder Types, Diagnosis, Symptoms, Treatment, Causes, Neurocognitive Disorders, Prognosis, Research, History, Myths, and More! Facts & Information, NRB Publishing, 2017, ebook, 138 pages, ASIN: B06XRYG799

Anxiety Disorder Explained by Frederick Earlstein brings together many of the current information, news and research that we have regarding diagnosis, symptoms, treatment methods, types, and causes pertaining to Anxiety Disorders. The aim is to spread information about this disorder so that ultimately, the appropriate treatment will be provided for those individuals who are in need of it.

Lowenstein, Lisa, Creative CBT Interventions for Children with Anxiety, Champion Press, 2016, paperback, 168 pages, ISBN: 0995172501

Packed with innovative cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help child clinicians engage, assess, and treat children with a variety of anxiety symptoms and disorders. Therapeutic games, art, stories, and other creative activities address the key components of CBT: Psychoeducation, relaxation, affective expression, cognitive coping, exposure, and parent training. Includes practical strategies for overcoming common clinical challenges plus interventions and handouts for parents. An invaluable resource for mental health practitioners seeking creative ways to make CBT engaging and child-friendly. Geared to children aged 4 to 12.

Merrell, Kenneth W., Helping Students Overcome Depression and Anxiety, Second Edition: A Practical Guide, The Guilford Press, 2008, paperback.265 pages, ISBN: 1593856482

This bestselling guide provides expert information and clear-cut strategies for assessing and treating internalizing problems in school settings. More than 40 specific psychoeducational and psychosocial intervention techniques are detailed, with a focus on approaches that are evidence based, broadly applicable, and easy to implement. Including 26 ready-to-use worksheets, in a large-size format with permission to photocopy, the second edition has been updated throughout to ensure its currency and clinical utility.

HELPING STUDENTS OVERCOME ANXIETY REV 4/6/24