Written by Description of the Event
The MindFit Professional Learning Workshop titled The Perfect Trap: Helping Students Break Free from Anxiety & Overwhelm took place on January 5, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Facilitated by Dr. Kim Edwards, a clinical and health psychologist and director of MindFit, and Heather Senst, a registered psychotherapist with training in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the session focused on supporting students experiencing anxiety and perfectionism in academic settings. The workshop was delivered to teachers, school leaders, and counsellors at Trinity College School as part of the school’s professional learning programming.
The workshop explored the increasing prevalence of anxiety among adolescents and the ways that perfectionism manifests in schools. The presenters emphasized that anxiety is a common and natural emotional response; however, when anxiety becomes persistent or overwhelming, it can significantly interfere with learning and engagement. The facilitators noted that anxiety has become the number one mental health concern in schools, with rates among Canadian adolescents increasing significantly in recent years.
A key component of the session involved identifying how anxiety and perfectionism present themselves in classroom behaviours, which can sometimes be misinterpreted as disengagement or defiance. The presenters also emphasized collaborative professional learning among educators. During the session, faculty discussed case studies in small groups, reflecting the idea that “within a networked environment, there is less emphasis on singular sources of expertise, and instead, a focus on dialogue and constructing knowledge as a group” (Green, 2017). Overall, the workshop combined research-informed insights with practical classroom strategies, such as reflective listening techniques, breathing and grounding strategies, and strength-spotting exercises, designed to help educators support students experiencing anxiety.
Personal Reaction to the Event
This professional development workshop was both timely and valuable to my professional practice. In recent years, I have observed increasing levels of anxiety and perfectionism among students, particularly in a high-achieving academic environment such as TCS. Many students demonstrate reluctance to take risks in their learning, and recently, I have had two students refuse to present an assessed task. The workshop helped reframe my understanding of these behaviours; rather than interpreting them as avoidance, the presenters encouraged faculty to recognize anxiety as a brain-based response to perceived threat. This perspective reinforced the importance of responding to students with empathy while providing targeted strategies that can help them move forward.
The session also prompted reflection on how classroom structures and assessment practices may unintentionally reinforce perfectionism. One concept introduced during the workshop was the 85% rule, which encourages students to aim for work that is good enough rather than perfect. Valdés Sánchez and Gutiérrez-Esteban (2023) note that educational innovation requires intentionality and sustainability. As such, since high academic expectations, frequent evaluations, and a competitive institutional culture can amplify anxiety, particularly when students perceive mistakes as failures rather than growth opportunities, educators must be intentionally innovative about supporting students with anxiety.
Observations Related to Professional Practice
One of the most important observations from the workshop was the emphasis on building a mistake-tolerant classroom culture. The presenters highlighted the importance of normalizing experimentation, mistakes, and revision as natural components of the learning process. Students who fear failure often avoid challenging tasks or disengage when they feel uncertain about their performance. This aligns with Ontario’s Growing Success (2010), which encourages teachers to instil in students “the capacity for innovation and a willingness to take risks.” When classroom environments prioritize performance over process, students hesitate to explore new ideas.
The workshop also highlighted the importance of teachers intentionally creating conditions that reduce students’ stress and anxiety. Davies et al. (2013) explain that “an enabling environment has to be fostered by teachers” (p. 90), and Chanicka et al. (2018) similarly describe how learning environments themselves can function as a “third teacher.” In such environments, teachers are positioned as “co-learners and facilitators” who design experiences that allow students to “think critically on their own” (Chanicka et al., 2018). As noted by the presenters, conditions created by the teacher can result in greater psychological safety and encourage students to take on more educational risks.
Another key concept from the workshop was the importance of validation when responding to anxious students. Rita Pierson (2013) famously argued in her TED Talk that “kids don’t learn from people they don’t like,” highlighting the importance of relationships in effective teaching. In practice, validating a student’s frustration before encouraging them to begin with a manageable step demonstrates such relational pedagogy.
Finally, the workshop emphasized the importance of scaffolding. For example, allowing students to avoid presentations entirely may provide temporary relief but ultimately prevents them from developing confidence and resilience in that skill. Instead, the presenters recommended scaffolding challenging tasks. A gradual approach aligns with the Learning for All (2013) framework, which describes learning as occurring along a “learning and growth continuum.” It emphasizes the importance of responding to students’ “stages [of] readiness,” as meeting students where they are through scaffolding learning tasks can reduce overwhelm.
Artifact 1: Wellbeing Check-In Routine
One artifact resulting from this professional development experience is a classroom wellbeing check-in routine at the beginning of lessons. At the start of each week, students complete a brief reflection responding to prompts such as: What is one word that describes how you are feeling overall? What is one goal you have for this week’s classes? Is there anything that might make it harder for you to focus today or this week?. This practice aligns with Growing Success (2010), as students are learning to “think about thinking” and cultivating the “capacity to be independent, autonomous, [and] reflective.”
Ultimately, the routine aims to normalize reflecting on and articulating emotional wellbeing within academic contexts. It also allows me to identify students who may be experiencing anxiety or overwhelm, should they choose to share their responses, before these challenges manifest in challenging behaviours. More broadly, this approach demonstrates reflective learning; Bourn (2021), in articulating a decolonization of perspectives, emphasizes the importance of reflective learning to foster hope and critical awareness. In this context, the check-in routine supports students’ wellbeing, self-awareness, and metacognitive development while reinforcing the idea that learning is an ongoing and reflective process.
Artifact 2: Revised Assessment Approach
The second artifact resulting from this professional learning experience is a revised assessment structure. Rather than having students complete an assignment in a single sitting or individually outside of class time, learners complete a writing assignment in two stages. First, students write an initial draft within a time frame and submit a work-in-progress at the end of the period. In the following class, students provide peer feedback, revise their work, and annotate to explain how their writing improved from the first draft to the final version.
Rather than grading the work for completion, this process focuses on revisions and the articulation of learning to reinforce the idea that learning is iterative. It also reflects broader pedagogical conversations about learning design, as Leat and Whelan (2023) distinguish between convergent pedagogies, where learning is “not open to negotiation,” and divergent pedagogies that position “student[s] as…active agent[s]” through open tasks and dialogue. By emphasizing drafting, feedback, and revision, this assignment encourages students to participate more actively in the learning process by recognizing that improvement occurs through reflection, discussion, and experimentation. Ultimately, this assessment approach encourages students to view writing as a process of exploration and revision and is designed to reduce the perfectionistic pressure to produce a perfect work while maintaining academic rigour.
Recommendation
I would highly recommend this professional learning workshop to educators, particularly those working in academically rigorous environments. Teachers, school counsellors, and school leaders could benefit from the insights presented because the session combined psychological research with practical, ready-to-use classroom strategies.
The workshop also reinforced that addressing student anxiety is not a one-time intervention but an ongoing necessity of effective teaching. Supporting students requires consistent attention to classroom culture, instructional practices, and relationships. Ball (2004), when referencing supporting Indigenous learners, highlights the importance of reflection and argues for a “Generative Curriculum Model.” When educators intentionally create environments where mistakes are normalized and learning is generative, students are more likely to develop resilience. Overall, this professional learning experience enhances educators’ reflective capacities and provides practice strategies to reduce student anxiety and overwhelm.
References
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