Education Boutique’s Top 3 Tips for:
Educational Destressing Activities:
This year marks my 15th year of teaching and during these 15 years I have regularly had parents contact me when they are struggling (aka at their wits end) to get their child/ren to do their homework. I have always replied with the same response – stop. Stop the homework. Homework should only ever be a consolidation of what has been taught in class and if for some reason your child is struggling with the task, this needs to be discussed with your child’s teacher.
Studying or revising for exams is a bit of a different matter and while it obviously needs to be done, we need to ensure our children’s mental health is a priority. So, are there activities we can do when it is all getting too much but are still educational? Yes there are. Here are Education Boutique’s top 3 tips:
- Focus on your strength/s. Is literacy your favourite subject? Read you favourite book, write a book review or an alternative ending or construct a list of questions you would ask the author if you were given the chance to interview them.
Perhaps maths is your thing? You could do some practical activities: bake /cook and measure out ingredients, convert from grams to ounces, record measurements as ratios; jog/walk and record distance and time; go for a walk and record how many different types of birds you see and then draw a graph to record this information.
- Peer sharing. Chat to friends about what you are thinking and how you are feeling. Discuss topics of study together or study together if possible – peers study groups can be very beneficial. Do you have an older friend or relative who may have studied this subject? Perhaps you can ask them to help you and talk through your study notes, sharing their expertise.
- Educational apps. As educators we typically discourage screen time during periods of study and homework, however if studying is making you feel anxious or stressed and you still feel like you want to keep yourself focussed, why not try some educational apps? Even mind puzzle type games like solitaire and sudoku can be relaxing while keeping your mind focused and stimulated.
Brooke McClure, Lead Resource Teacher at Education Boutique