How to Reduce Student Stress in the Classroom

Humanize Yourself

• Get to know your students. You can do this by remembering their names, spending a few minutes talking after class, inviting them to lunch, or eating at a dining hall.
• Let students learn about you as a person. Be yourself.

Be Clear

• Make your expectations clear in your syllabus at the start of each semester and ensure your syllabus aligns with regulations in the rules of the faculty.
• Emphasize the importance of coming to office hours.
• Emphasize the importance of utilizing the teaching assistant.
• Try to coordinate your assignments with other frequently overlapping classes.

Promote Balance

• Often MIT students feel as though no one understands their workload. Express that you are aware of their heavy workload and be reasonably flexible.
• Foster cooperation, not competition. MIT students regularly compare themselves to their peers, and this can increase stress. Have students work together and/or study together to encourage teamwork and collaboration.
• Encourage sleep, exercise, and healthy eating.

Foster an Inclusive Environment

• MIT has a diverse student body. Recognizing your own biases will help with communication and encouragement, and will make you better equipped to support students.