Teacher helps kids cut down on MCAS stress
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Shrewsbury - You're sitting at a desk. Your heart is racing. You begin to panic that your entire future relies on this single moment. You're anxiously awaiting the moment when this will all be over and you can get on with your life.

You're 10 years old, and it's MCAS time.

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test has the power to strike a very real fear in the children who will be taking it, according to Elementary Health Specialist Catherine Burgholzer.

Months of training can only prepare the kids to a certain point for the exam, which tests each student's knowledge in English language arts, science and technology, and math, and Burgholzer said it's causing higher anxiety levels in kids than she's ever seen before.

"I'm hearing from kids that they're so stressed out that they can't sleep at night," she said. "That's just not right."

Burgholzer can't eliminate MCAS testing for these kids, but she can help cut down on the amount of stress it puts on them.

MCAS Yoga is designed to help kids relax before and during test time by teaching conscious relaxation breathing as well as simple yoga postures they can do at home to help decrease the stress they're feeling.

(l to r) Elementary Health Specialist Catherine Burgholzer and fourth-graders Liam Davidson and Meghan Collins practice a variety of poses learned in MCAS Yoga. PHOTO/MELISSA MUNTZ

"People do shallow breathing all of the time, but I have them take deep breaths and put their hands on their belly so they can feel it moving slowly up and down," Burgholzer said. "This breathing carries more oxygen through their bodies and allows them to be more focused and to concentrate on the task at hand."

Burgholzer has made yoga a part of her life for years, but only brought it to the classroom after receiving several requests from the kids.

"They really like the names of the diff erent postures and the fact that it's a real handson activity that can help them feel totally relaxed for that 40-minute period," she said.

For fourth-grader Meghan Collins, the MCAS Yoga class gives her the tools she needs to do her best on test days.

"On the night before the MCAS I woke up a few times because I was so worried that I couldn't sleep, so I actually used the breathing to help me fall asleep," she said. "It's good because if I don't get a lot of sleep at night it will be really hard to pay attention in class and I might get confused on the test."

Although she developed MCAS Yoga to help kids deal with the stress caused by the test, Burgholzer said there are a lot of other stresses in kids' lives today that can be helped through yoga.

Stress caused when they try to fit many activities into their day on top of the school work and anxiety about performances or big games can all be lowered through the techniques that the kids have learned.

While yoga is a big help with the pressures that can't be avoided, like tests and homework, Burgholzer said it's important for parents to make sure their kids aren't adding any unnecessary stress to their lives.

"We need to remember that they don't have to be involved with everything because life's a balance," she said, "and they need a little bit of academics, a little bit of physical activity and a little bit of spiritual time."