Mechanisms for Coping with School Stress
It is important to engage in various group discussions about a given topic. While having a presence in a specific area, a facilitator is required to alternate the event while the audience gives their responses about the matter. An experienced facilitator gives an opinion about what they have in their minds concerning the topic they are discussing. It is not easy to be a perfect facilitator. Still, the person in charge of such roles must be critical enough to demonstrate proficiency in handling issues at hand for the mutual benefit of the group (Zastrow & Hessenauer, 2019). This paper aims to give a reflection on a support group presentation on the copying mechanism with school stress.
Preparation
While preparing for this discussion, I had to plan in my mind what I had to say. The key area to cover for this group is the mental disruption due to academic issues. The main aspect of this matter is how to cope with school stress. To prepare cognitively enough, I had to get incidents that led to stress while in school. Therefore, I researched issues such as the pressure to complete assignments, the time-lapse due to other engagements, and the self-goals of getting a high grade, among other possible stressors (Zastrow & Hessenauer, 2019). Some of the factions that I had to bring in the presentation were my observations because I am schooling while at the same time handling family affairs.
During my preparation, I had to consider how I would present my supporting elements in coping with stress. First, I had to ensure that I introduced the background of stress in the learning environment, which means the specific components that foster stress in someone. Second, I took some notes on the entire issue and had to present it to the group to have a linear flow of talking (Osteen et al., 2016). There were other preparations, such as grooming well, eating enough to sustain my capability when standing, and taking water with me to prevent the development of a rough voice, among other considerations.
Group Goals
The group’s main goal was to highlight ways in which stress from the academic environment can be combatted. Other goals included the possible issues that drive someone to have stress in school. Additionally, it was essential to know the effects of school stress on productivity in class, unity with family members, and relationship with other individuals (Lucier-Greer et al., 2018). The last goals were to establish strategies that could be put in place to lower the school stress levels for the group already affected by the mental issue.
Session Goals/Objectives
The session goals included fully understanding the issue in a broad and meaningful way. This was possible by sharing experiences from various group members and the invited fellows who came to learn about the matter. The other session’s goal was to grasp important points from other people’s experiences, which pertain to multi-tasking while someone is schooling. The other goal was to challenge ourselves to present matters critically in a calculative and logical way. As a facilitator, I had a duty to fulfill to myself: having confidence as I stood before others in explaining the topic. Other session goals were to interact and learn more about each other’s personal lives and copy the notable elements for self-gain.
Exercises
While coordinating the group, I had to develop some exercises that would make the group lively. The first part was giving a chance for people to share their experiences with stress. This would enable the group to reveal school stress issues by getting the appropriate points that are being discussed (Osteen et al., 2016). The other exercise had loud applause by clapping after a member completed their submissions about the issue.
For example, while facilitating the matter, I realized that most group members had that distinct element of stress linked to family or personal growth initiatives. A member said that they had strict schedules with their time since her husband would work at night, leaving her to be doing all the requirements for their children. Sometimes, she would lack time and get stressed about handling it alone since their house help had vacated some weeks earlier that month. The other exercise was to note whatever they had learned from the discussion and say it in the session.
The exercises were important in realizing the group goals in a significant way. First, through sharing personal experiences, one may notice that their stress level is to a given extent. Additionally, when a member shares what they do to prevent that from happening, it becomes a lesson for the other members who are in the same capacity (Zastrow & Hessenauer, 2019). The exercise of appreciating others would motivate someone to feel confident enough and bring their points more undoubtedly. Clapping for a participant means that a person feels valued and has a high probability of producing the desired outcome from a given setting.
Leadership Plan
The leadership plan was centered on a non-directive strategy which means that I had to lead others by facilitating what would be said and how it was said and alternating the programs while allowing them to give their opinions (Osteen et al., 2016). The choice of the plan was to enable various elements such as the setting of the stage, making resources available, and ensuring that I did not directly dictate what others had to say. To be a functional leader, one must put their ego aside and listen actively while deriving an impotent point. Therefore, the plan would lie under supervision and consultation for the group to be productive.
Evaluation and Self-reflection
The exercises facilitated groups in attaining their goals in several ways. First, providing a stage for everyone to talk highlighted important concepts about stressful issues while one is schooling. Individual stories would shed light on causes, effects, and ways to cope with the mental problem. The group responses to the exercises were encouraging as they positively embraced the model of doing the work and the leadership style.
Most of the members were motivated to talk since it was an open discussion. By accommodating each other’s concepts, it was bringing points clear and concise for everyone in the group. When people are given the liberty to say what they have in mind, it becomes easy to grow a given topic comprehensively that would be of mutual benefit to everyone. Thus, everyone needs to embrace this facilitating model as it may serve them to their required capacities.
References
Lucier-Greer, M., Quichocho, D., May, R., Seibert, G., & Fincham, F. (2018). Managing stress and school: The role of posttraumatic stress in predicting well-being and collegiate burnout. Emerging Adulthood, 7(5), 342-351. Web.
Osteen, L., Guthrie, K., & Jones, T. (2016). Leading to transgress: Critical considerations for transforming leadership learning. New Directions for Student Leadership, 2016(152), 95-106. Web.
Zastrow, C., & Hessenauer, S. (2019). Social work with groups: Comprehension practice and self-care (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.