Back to the Classroom: A Game Plan for Reducing Anxiety

For Long Island couple Luis and Monica, getting their daughter Brianna ready to go back to school is usually as simple as picking up school supplies. This year, however, they have much more on their minds than her shopping list. Although she is entering the tenth grade, this is really Brianna’s first year of high school.

“It’s technically my first year of in-person high school, so I’m not sure how it’s going to work out,” Brianna said. Having attended school virtually last year, She now faces a host of questions about what to expect on her first day, such as how to socialize with her peers and what to expect from teachers.

Brianna, like many across the country, spent the last school year in a virtual classroom interacting with other students and teachers only via a computer screen. Going back to in-person learning with potential restrictions only adds to her anxiety.

“We’re facing a lot of challenges,” said Debbie Veras, who teaches high school Social Studies in Manhattan. Among these challenges, she cited the fact that, due to remote learning, many incoming freshmen and sophomores, like Brianna, have never set foot on a high school campus before. She also mentioned the emotional challenges facing students who never even had an eighth-grade graduation but who will now be facing high school expectations for the first time.

“High school is a high-pressure time for a lot of teenagers because they are preparing for a trade school or college,” she said. Such high-pressure situations include confronting academic workloads while simultaneously learning day-to-day essentials, like riding the subway to school.

Parents can play an important role in helping their children to face these challenges, Veras said.

One recommendation that she considers essential is establishing routines. "Kids are very dependent on them, even when they’re teenagers,” she said.

Luis and Monica consider their daughter’s welfare a top priority. Monica, who works three days per week, even arranged to work from home for two of those days in order to be present for Brianna. “I will definitely be on the lookout for any signs of distress,” she said.

Luis, who is himself a high school teacher, acknowledged that Brianna is a “good independent learner.” Even so, he too feels it necessary to “keep the lines of communication open" in order to step in to provide needed support.

While coronavirus variants have stoked pandemic anxieties, Luis and Monica have endeavored not to overlook other challenges their daughter may face.

One of their favorite resources is jw.org, the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses that is free to all. They have especially enjoyed articles on topics like “How to Beat Pandemic Fatigue.” One of Brianna’s favorites is a whiteboard animation video with the title “Virus Outbreaks—What You Can Do.”

“Washing your hands—even though it’s a simple thing, it’s necessary,” Brianna said, commenting on why she found the video useful. She also appreciates that the video “reminds us to pray and meditate, which is something that a lot of people may overlook.” For Brianna, such measures are a cure for anxiety. “We need to maintain inner peace…even though this is a time of stress.”

For more information, please contact Jehovah’s Witnesses United States at (718) 560-5600 or pid@jw.org.