Supporting Students with Anxiety in Ontario Elementary and Secondary Schools through Professional Development for Educators

Abstract

With a growing shift of responsibility placed on educators to support the mental health needs of their student in addition to academic outcomes, teachers are in need of training to prepare them for this duty. This project has been developed in response to this need; its intention is to prepare Ontario elementary and secondary educators in supporting their students specifically with anxiety. Through the professional development of an additional qualifications course, this project seeks to provide educators with practical information on the manifestations, outcomes, and experiences of students with anxiety as well as strategies for supporting these students in the elementary and secondary classroom. The purpose of this project is to supply information about childhood and adolescent experiences of anxiety in language that is written for Ontario educators. The medium of an Ontario College of Teachers Additional Qualification course was used to create a formality that is recognized by Ontario practising teachers to entice educators to learn more about topics surrounding anxiety and feel better equipped to support the mental health needs of their students.