Navigating Student Distress
By: Heather Kretschmer
It was a typical group presentation. The students came prepared with their talking points, notecards, and a flash drive with their PowerPoint. They got off to a good start, expressing their ideas fluently and in an easily understandable manner. All was proceeding smoothly.
But then, one group member faltered and seemed to lose her train of thought. We waited while she visibly gathered her thoughts and resumed speaking. Everyone breathed a silent sigh of relief.
And then, she froze a second time. Again, we gave her the space and time she needed. She was able to pick up where she left off and finish her part of the presentation. From my perspective, this fell within the normal range of behavior of students honing their public speaking skills. I ascribed this student’s behavior to nerves.
But it wasn’t nerves, or at least not entirely. After class, this student told me privately that someone close to her had passed away the day before.
This experience served as a powerful reminder to me that students may be dealing with difficult situations that make it hard or even impossible for them to focus on their schoolwork. Succeeding academically may be the least of their worries.
It’s important for us to remember that when our students enter the classroom, they can’t always leave negative emotions and experiences at the door. And as we well know, what our students experience during class may also not be sunshine and rainbows. What’s more, students may tell us about their problems, but often they don’t. Therefore, I invite you to continue reading to learn about experiences inside and outside the classroom that cause students to feel one of our most negative emotions–distress. At times you may find yourself, as I did, moved to tears. But the picture is not hopeless as each author points to ways we can support students.
Heather Kretschmer teaches English at the University of Göttingen, Germany.