Teen stress is a growing problem in American schools. The American Psychology Association conducted study. They found that 34% of teens have felt their stress levels rise every year. A further 42% claim they aren’t doing enough to handle their stress. Students at Walter Johnson find themselves under the same type of excessive stress.
“I’m quite stressed, mostly because I want to do well in my classes,” sophomore Malhaar Nair said. “My primary stressants are projects and tests, because I really want to do well in school.”
Some teachers are understanding of the issues plaguing some of their students. They sympathize with stress getting in the way of completion of school work.
“There’s a general pressure to excel in everything,” AP U.S. History teacher Nathan Schwartz said. “Sometimes, it’s okay not to excel. Unfortunately, some people don’t see it like that.”
Stress continues to be pervasive throughout the school. Yet some teachers don’t sympathize with their anxiety ridden students. Chemistry teacher Dr. Terri Ravick never experienced the same quagmires as modern students.
“I’m not sure teens understand what stress is,” Ravick said. “When I was growing up, it was not something that was focused on. We played outside, took public transportation, and went to the library.”
Opinions on teen stress diverge at a certain point. But the general consensus is that teens must alleviate their stress .
“Every person should try to get rid of all the stress in their life,” Nair said. “For students, that means they have to focus on getting their work done, and not procrastinating. If they find that they have too much work, they should stay calm.”
Despite the clashing opinions on teen stress, everyone wants to address it. Whether the onus is on the teachers or the students is a topic of debate.
“Students today are not resilient. I know the school tries to help, but most of the students’ stress and anxiety is self imposed. They need to be focused on participating in the process of learning, and being a citizen of the world,” Ravick said.
