Middle Years

When Stress Shows Up as Silliness: Understanding Behaviour

It's that familiar scene: a student is mucking around in class, refusing to start an assignment, or suddenly finding every possible distraction just as the teacher asks them to open their workbooks. For many of us, the instinct is to see this as defiance or laziness. But more often than not, what we're actually witnessing is stress in disguise.

The Stress-Behaviour Connection

The Middle Years (Year 7-9) is a significant period of transition. Students are navigating new friendships, greater academic expectations, and — for many — the first real experience of being assessed and judged on their performance through examinations.

For 12 to 15-year-olds, whose brains are still developing the capacity to regulate emotions and think ahead, stress doesn't always look like a worried face or a tearful conversation. It can appear as:

• Clowning around or being disruptive in class

• Refusing to start (or submit) work

• Excessive chattiness or distracting others

• Sudden "forgetting" of assignments or equipment

• Complaints of illness or requests to visit the nurse

• Aggression or irritability toward peers and/or teachers

These behaviours are often a form of avoidance — a way of escaping a situation that feels overwhelming or threatening to their sense of self. If a student never tries, they can never truly fail. And in the lead-up to exams, this kind of avoidance can quietly intensify.

The problem is that these avoidance strategies students reach for — misbehaving, giving up, withdrawing — don't make the stress go away. They simply delay it and often make things worse.

Learning to Handle Exam Stress

The good news is that stress management is a skill, and it can be taught. Here are some strategies we encourage students to explore:

• Break It Down

  Big tasks often feel impossible, while small ones feel much more manageable. Encourage students to divide study into short sessions (20–30 minutes) with clear goals: "Tonight I'll revise Chapter 3 only." A simple study planner, on paper or on their device, can make a real difference.

   

• Talk About It

  Stress shrinks when it's named. Encourage students to tell a trusted adult — a parent, teacher, or mentor — when something feels too big. It's not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of self-awareness.

   

• Move 

  Exercise is one of the most effective stress-relief tools available. A walk, a kick of the footy, a swim, a dance around their bedroom — physical movement helps discharge the nervous energy that stress creates.

   

• Sleep

  Staying up late to cram is counterproductive. Sleep is when the brain consolidates memory and regulates emotion. Students who are sleep-deprived are more anxious, less focused, and more likely to act out. Aim for 8–10 hours per night during exam periods.

   

• Celebrate Wins

  Finishing a study session, completing a practice question, getting to school on time — these all count. Help students notice what they are achieving, not just what's still ahead.

The mid-year examinations are still a couple of weeks away, but with some stress management strategies and good, early revision, they can be an excellent opportunity for learning.