When students are agitated, they often show telltale signs like anxious fidgeting, fist clenching, or inappropriate outbursts. It’s important to be on the lookout for these cues, they might signal that students need help calming down, writes high school teacher Daniel Vollrath. ⁣ ⁣ As a precursor, find a neutral time to teach students how our brains work when we encounter stressful situations. ⁣ ⁣ “The amygdala directs rapid responses when necessary—the fight, flight, or freeze response,” notes Vollrath. “When the amygdala detects a threat, it responds faster than the prefrontal cortex, which directs the ability to make decisions and problem-solve, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for remembering details and storing memories.” ⁣ ⁣ So when we’re flooded with strong emotions like fear or anxiety, the amygdala jumps into action, bypassing the parts of the brain responsible for rational thought and problem solving. This can lead to “poor decision-making, inability to think with cl...