1. Relaxation Techniques for Students
Jocelyn Hunt
University of Pittsburgh
April 20, 2010
Hello and welcome to a presentation on relaxation techniques for students. In this presentation I will talk about different techniques to help students who show aggressive behaviors and ways in which to help students remain calm and focused. I hope that you find these techniques useful and can utilize them in your own classroom.

2. Contents Introduction What is PBS Intervention Other Interventions
Glossary
Summary of Research
On the next two slides you will find a layout of what to expect in this presentation.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

3. Contents Where is PMR administered? Steps to Follow Case Study Do’s
Don’ts
Frequently Asked Questions
References
Now that you have viewed the layout, let’s take a look at how relaxation techniques can help students.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

4. Introduction Aggression and impulsivity affects classroom mood
Can affect academics and socialization
75% of students with emotional and behavior disorders exhibit aggression (Lopata, Nida, & Marable, 2006).
Techniques to use inside and outside of the classroom
Many children in classrooms have aggression and impulsivity due to problems at home and personal lives. 75% of students with emotional and behavioral disorders exhibit aggression. Many teachers will have at least one child in his or her classroom with this problem. This can drastically affect the mood of a classroom and can hinder the teacher’s flexibility in teaching. It can also affect the student’s academics as well as social life. Therefore, teachers need to become familiar with techniques they can recommend to their students as well as techniques to use within the classroom.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

5. What is PBS? Positive Behavior Support
Teaches, strengthens, and supports positive behavior
Does not focus on negative behavior or punishment (Kerr & Nelson, 2010)
What is Positive Behavior Support, and how does it help us? Positive Behavior Support, or PBS, is related to my interventions because it focuses on teaching ways to avoid the negative behaviors with students. It takes a proactive approach to behavior by teaching ways to strengthen and support positive behavior. So, rather than reprimanding a student for disrupting the class, there are ways in which you can change the behavior before the disruption occurs. One of the techniques that can help with this is Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt 5 5

6. Intervention Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) Easy to administer
Able to be done in a classroom
Requires little training for teacher (Lopata, Nida, Marable ,2006)
I will be focusing on Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or PMR, because of the flexibility it has within a classroom environment. PMR is easy to administer in the classroom and requires little training for the teacher. The activities can vary which make it very flexible for a teacher to use in spare time. It is simply a script directed by the teacher to have the students relax and practice tightening muscles and releasing them. There are also other techniques to relax students that I will touch upon later in the presentation.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

7. Other Interventions
Biofeedback- providing feedback through graphs, lights and sounds about the body
Yoga- physical postures, breathing control, concentration and relaxation
Zipkin (1985)
Some other interventions are biofeedback, yoga, and mental relaxation. Let’s look at each of those now.
Biofeedback is a technique in which you provide feedback through graphs, lights and sounds about the body. If the student can begin to recognize it, they can control it.
Yoga is a combination of physical postures, breathing control, concentration, and relaxation. It calms the student down and can help motivate. It can also improve general health.
Photo by nazreth
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

8. Other Interventions
Mental Relaxation- guided imagery and fantasy, meditation, and concentration to visualize peaceful situations
Mental relaxation is the use of guided imagery and fantasy, meditation, and concentration to visualize peaceful situations. This can be something as simple as imagining a different environment such as a quiet mountaintop with a story attached to it. It can also help children understand their emotions.
Photo by chidsey
Photo by Swirus 71
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

9. Glossary
PBIS- Positive Behavior Support focuses on teaching ways to avoid negative behaviors with students. It takes a proactive approach to behavior by teaching ways to strengthen and support positive behavior. So, rather than reprimanding a student for disrupting the class, there are ways in which you can change the behavior before the disruption occurs.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation- a script directed by the teacher to help the students relax and practice tightening muscles and releasing them
Here are a list of words that can help you better understand the techniques we will be talking about. Take a minute to read over the glossary now.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

10. Glossary continued
Meditation-physical postures, breathing control, concentration and relaxation
Biofeedback- providing feedback through graphs, lights and sounds about the body
Aggression-overt or suppressed hostility, either innate or resulting from continued frustration and directed outward or against oneself (dictionary.com)

11. Summary of Research Relaxation helps control (Zipkin, 1985)
Improvements in school
Long term effects (Dunn & Howell, 1982)
Success increased motivation (Louhaus & Klein-Hebling, 2000)
There is supporting research to show the success with these techniques. Here are a few important points.
Zipkin found that relaxation can help children control themselves better. This is extremely useful in schools while trying to increase concentration to stay on task.
According to Dunn and Howell, studies show that children who received these treatments showed improvement in school. There were also long term effects noted with children focusing better and increasing their attention span.
Lohaus and Klein-Hebling found that the more success the students had with the techniques the more motivation they found to use them consistently.
There is more supporting research on these techniques. You can find more information in the Annotated Bibliography found in the study guide.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

12. Where is PMR administered?
Classroom environment
Home environment
Doctor or counselor office
Where is PMR administered? PMR can be administered in virtually any environment. After practice and exposure, the child will learn to self regulate and utilize these techniques on his or her own time and space. The training and initial exposure to PMR can be done within a classroom directed by the teacher. It can also be done at home with direction from parents or another guardian. This is recommended as a follow-up to other training sessions. A doctor or counselor can also administer PMR techniques to the student in an office setting.
Photo by igoghost
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

13. Steps to Follow Students lay on the ground Dim the lights , no noise
Prompt to tense and release different muscles
Lopata, Nida, Marable (2006)
How do you administer PMR? First, have the students lay on the ground. Choose a space where they are not too close to other students to cause distraction. Next, dim the lights and keep the classroom free of noise. Then, go into a series of prompts to instruct the children to tense a muscle group and release it. This will help them to alleviate tension and ultimately feel more relaxed.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

14. Case Study
Jane is having trouble sitting through story time in Kindergarten. Every day she will start distracting other students five minutes into the story. The teacher will warn her one time, and Jane will continue talking to her neighbors and agitating people sitting around her. The second time the teacher reprimands her Jane gets upset and after glaring at the teacher, will get up and leave the story time circle.
Please take a minute to read over the case study with Jane. (pause) Obviously, Jane is having problems with her attention span during story time. She is in kindergarten, which shows her age and maturity level, but because of the aggression expressed it may become a concern.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt
Photo by andreyutzu

15. Case Study
Jane is definitely a candidate for PMR. She has trouble concentrating for long periods of time and does not take well to the teacher reprimanding her in front of the other classmates. The first step would be to explain to Jane in very elementary terms that she is going to try a fun exercise that will help her listen better during story time. Then the PMR technique will begin.
Please review how Jane benefitted from PMR. (pause) Before starting the intervention it may be helpful to look at Jane during other periods of the school day to see if she is having similar problems of attention, but more importantly aggressive behavior. If she is, then continue with the PMR training.
Photo by andreyutzu
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

16. Cast Study continued
Ask Jane to lie on the floor after the lights are dimmed.
Begin script
Observe for differences in behavior
Over time, encourage her to practice the muscle techniques in story time and any other time when she feels it could help.
After explaining in basic terms the PMR technique to Jane, ask her to lay on the floor and get comfortable. Dim the lights and quiet the classroom. Then, read the script to Jane and have her practice each step. (I will have some examples here) Afterward, watch Jane to see if she independently uses the techniques. Encourage her to practice throughout the day in long sitting periods, and also incorporate her home to practice there as well.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

17. Case Study Revisited
A month later, Jane was able to concentrate better and focus more during her school hours. When observed during story time she was able to sit through the story. A few times it was noted that she used her PMR techniques , such as tightening her hand muscles, to relax and stay on task.
Here is our case study of Jane revisited a month after intervention. As you can see, Jane was able to successfully utilized her PMR techniques independently during class time to stay on task.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

18. Do’s Encourage students to focus and be serious
Make sure each child has adequate personal space
Encourage students to use the techniques on their own time after practice
Praise the students when you see success with the techniques
Here are a few things to keep in mind when administering the PMR.
Encourage students to focus and take the techniques seriously. Do not tolerate any students distracting or joking during the administration.
Make sure each child has their own space to concentrate and relax in. If students feel they do not have this it may be difficult to concentrate.
It is very important to encourage students to use these techniques on their own. The ultimate goal would be for the students to be able to administer the PMR techniques independently and at the flexibility of when they feel the need to use them.
Always praise and encourage the students when they are using the techniques to encourage them to continue using them in the future.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

19. Don’ts Joke or tease about the techniques the students learn
Force any of the students to practice the techniques if they are not comfortable with it
Use sarcasm during the script or after
Here are some things you want to make sure you do not do as you facilitate the PMR techniques. You do not want to joke or tease about the techniques the students are learning. If they pick up on any ridicule during it, they will be more hesitant to participate.
Also, you do not want to force any of the students to take part in the training. If they do not feel comfortable practicing it in class, do not push it with them. Perhaps they would feel more comfortable practicing at home or on their own time. These techniques may not be for everyone. Alternative methods may also be addressed.
Finally, do not ever use sarcasm during PMR. Not only can this easily offend a student, but this could also discourage them from practicing the techniques at a later time.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

20. Frequently Asked Questions
What changes are found in children who practice PMR or the other techniques introduced?
How long does PMR take?
Let’s go over a few questions you may be asking yourself. First, what changes are found in children who practice PMR or the other techniques introduced? These interventions were found to improve self control, help with relaxation, prolong attention spans, increase cooperation, and improve relationships.
Next, how long does PMR take? There is no exact answer to this question. This varies due to each child’s issues behind their aggression. Some children may pick up and enjoy this immediately, while other children may need a bit more practice and prolonged exposure before being able to really benefit from it.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

21. Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a child practice PMR?
Who should be involved in the PMR activities?
Where can a child practice PMR? A child can practice PMR virtually anywhere. Although the initial stages will be directed by an adult, eventually the child will be able to do the exercises on his or her own, meaning they can do it whenever and wherever it is deemed helpful.
Finally, who should be involved in the PMR activities? Although it only takes one person to administer the PMR activity and a child to follow through with it, there are a few other factors that come into play for it to work effectively. If it is being done at home, the school staff such as teachers, guidance counselors and so forth, should be notified of the techniques the child will be using. They can help to encourage and follow-up with the it during school hours. If the parents are not administering it, they should still be involved to support and encourage practice at home with the PMR. The more support and encouragement the student has, the more successful the intervention will be.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt

22. References
Dunn, F.M., & Howell, R.J. (1982). Relaxation training and its relationship to hyperactivity in boys. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38(1),
Goldbeck, L., & Schmid, K. (2003). Effectiveness of autogenic relaxation training on children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12(2),
Kerr, M.M. & Nelson, C.M. (2010) Strategies for addressing behavior problems in the classroom, 6th Edition. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company
Lohaus, Lohaus, A., & Klein-Hebling, J. (2000). Coping in childhood: A comparative evaluation of different relaxation techniques. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 13,
Lopata, C., Nida, R.E., & Marable, M.A. (2006). Progressive muscle relaxation: Preventing aggression in students with EBD. Teaching Exceptional Children, 38(4), 20-25
Zipkin, D. (1985). Relaxation techniques for handicapped children: A review of literature. The Journal of Special Education, 19(3),
Photos from
Here is a list of the sources I used to help with gathering information for this PowerPoint presentation. I hope you have found this useful, along with the accompanying study guide. Thank you for listening.
Copyright 2010 J. Hunt