Fear in a Classroom Setting

The "downward spiral" effect

Good grades leads to a good college, leads to a good job making good money, which greatly affects one' personal happiness and ability to support themselves

Knowledge vs Effort

"If I give my very best effort and fail, then I'm dumb, but if I don't try that hard and fail, then I'm not dumb, I can just try harder next time"

Different dispositions

Fear surrounding being called on in class, around social interaction, around others not seeing us as good enough

"Compare and Despair"

The fear that one will never compare to the standard that is set for them- that they will be seen as less intelligent in the eyes of their peers and teachers

Fear about my major and what other's will think of it: I chose nursing for the longest time because I thought it would make my parents proud; then when I switched to psychology, I feel like I had to explain why to every person I told, because it was a major that wouldn't make much money. Now I'm an art education major, something I feel like I've been fighting for years, While people always seem to have

Fear that I will be seen as stupid if I get lower grades

Fear that teachers and other students won't understand my ADHD or mental health issues, and will instead think I'm lazy

Fear that I'm getting to old for this- I'm 25 and I have nothing to show for it

Fear that I'll be in debt due to student loans for most of my life; fear that I won't have enough money to pay for school; fear that my chosen career path will never allow me to make back the money I owe

D&C 38:30

"if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear"

Lesson plans are a big deal! So is a sense of structure and consistent expectations in a classroom

1 John 4:18

"perfect love casteth out fear"

If we as educators truly care about our students, we will be much better equipped to cast out fear in our classrooms

D&C 6:33

"Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward"

The Lord will bless our efforts; we can't hope to cast out fear without putting in the hours

2 Tim 1:7

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind"

Keep a calm mind, care about students, and trust in your stengths

Moses 4:14

"Adam and his wife went to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden"

Hiding is not the proper response to fear. Unless we acknowledge the problem and seek help, we can't improve the situation

Structure and clear expectations

This will allow students to not stress and have fear about ever-changing rules. Structure creates predictability and eliminates surprises

One-on-one interaction

This allows us to both assess each student's fears/needs, and to show students that we see them as an individual- they are valued and cared about.

Help students understand the purpose of grades

When grades are the all-encompassing culmination of a course, we are doing students a disservice. Grades are a measuring tool, and we need to explain that better. We need to help students understand that certain grades mean they are excelling, others mean they need to work harder to learn the material, and still others mean they are doing well even if that grade isn't an A+. If we can move some of the focus from grades to learning, this will certainly help remove some of the fear students feel about their grades.

Other motivators

Rather than trying to use fear as a motivator for students, teachers need to find alternative methods. These methods may require more effort and creativity, but they are necessary

Addressing personality types

If a child is naturally shy and fearful, we can give them advanced notice about class participation (in order to remove the fear of on-the-spot questioning). We can also measure their understanding individually or in smaller, less-pressure groups.

Eliminate bullying

Be aware of students and how they interact with one another. Know the signs of bullying; know your students; care about them and how they treat each other

Teacher accountability

Teachers should receive training that explains why fear is not a healthy or effective motivator for students. Then they need to be kept accountable, through administrator-led teacher evaluations and anonymous teacher evaluations that students fill out every semester.