First Week of Class

http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/

I looked up the MindUp organization after it was mentioned in class yesterday. The Foundation seems like an interetsing and successful establishment, but I am not sure how if at all it is implemented in high schools. From the Curriculum page I gathered that they are trying to instill: Let's Get Focused; Paying to Our Senses; It's All About Attitude; and Taking Action Mindfully. These are of course great topics, but I am considering how to make a simplistic topic like "being optimistic" appeal to a high school student. Just from being a student myself and from observing the high school students I teach ACT prep to, I am all too aware that stress and anxiety is a serious and prevalent issue. But the question is, how can I address and resolve these issues while coming across at their grade level? I am sure MindUp has specific approaches, but since the website did not go into too much detail I began brainstorming on my own.

There is a fine line that each student must discover between taking school seriously enough to study and care about his or her grades, and taking school so seriously that any bad grade or perceived failure deeply affects the student's mood and stress level.  I believe that before test anxiety or stress can even be addressed, a teacher needs to establish the idea that learning will MATTER in this class. This will be different for each student, as one could understand that concept immediately and others will need to be praised continually for performance or questioned and challenged about their apathy.  I have observed students who need their view of the meaning of education wholly flipped on its head.  As an example, there was a group of three boys who were on the wrestling team that started coming to the ACT prep program because of their friends that came. It seemed like it was merely a social event for them, so I was surprised when I discovered that in one-on-one tutoring sessions, I could tell they each had a secret craving to improve their test taking skills, probably because of fear of taking the ACT for the first time and making a shamefully low grade. As soon as they were in a group setting, though, a different dynamic was established. If someone raised his hand and answered the question correctly, the other two boys smirked and made comments about him trying to act so smart or sucking up. It was clear that the attitude, at least in front of peers, was that school is not to be taken seriously and "nobody should care about the ACT." I don't believe that a program like MindUp would necessarily mean anything to or affect these boys, for their view of learning and school is the deeper root of the problem!

I realize that this was a post of questions and no answers, but I am still in the process of trying out my own ways to motivate, combat stress, and implement CARE for school.