Y Religion Episode 96 - Helping Students Grow without Growing Their Stress (Rob Eaton)

Amid nationwide calls for increasing mental health services for students, researchers recommend increasing teacher training to support student mental well-being in the classroom. In his book Improving Learning and Mental Health in the College Classroom, coauthored with Steven V. Hunsaker and Bonnie Moon, Professor Rob Eaton offers practical tips for teachers to design courses and teach students in ways that reduce unnecessary stress while boosting learning for all students. These techniques allow teachers–without adding to their workloads or duplicating campus services—to better support the unique needs of each student and maintain the academic rigor of the course. Professor Eaton explains that such small, deliberate changes to our course design can enhance the learning environment, increase student retention, and strengthen participation for all students. In taking such actions, we move forward measures to destigmatize mental health challenges, provide students with an environment to thrive, and enhance our abilities to teach in the Savior’s way.

Each year, Brigham Young University Religious Education professors produce hundreds of publications on subjects related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This podcast brings this research into one place to enlighten the everyday seeker of truth. Interviewing the author, we discuss why the study was done, why it matters, and why the professor chooses to be both a scholar and a disciple. This is Y Religion: Research to Enlighten Your Mind.

Y Religion podcast episodes are available every two weeks and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pandora, and on the web at https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion