Free teacher resource
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons students struggle to participate, finish work or come to school. This free checklist gives teachers a practical list of classroom and 504 accommodations for anxiety, a way to track what helps and a guide for preparing for a 504 or IEP meeting.
3 printable pages · Free to copy for classroom use · No sign-up required
What’s inside
- Signs of anxiety at school: physical, behavioral and academic signs teachers commonly notice
- 30 accommodations to consider across environment and routines, instruction and assignments, testing, participation, coping and communication
- A tracking table to record what you tried and whether it helped
- A 504/IEP meeting prep checklist with space for notes
What anxiety can look like in the classroom
Anxiety does not always look like worry. A student might have frequent stomachaches, ask for reassurance over and over, avoid presentations, erase and restart work, shut down during tests or miss school. Because these signs overlap with other needs, such as ADHD or learning differences, share what you notice with your counselor or school psychologist instead of trying to diagnose.
Common classroom and 504 accommodations for anxiety
Environment and routines
- Preferential seating near the door, the teacher or a calm area
- A posted daily schedule and advance notice of changes
- A short break pass with a clear time limit
- A check-in with a trusted adult at arrival
Instruction, assignments and testing
- Breaking long tasks into smaller steps
- Written directions and examples of finished work
- Extended time or a separate setting for tests
- Advance notice of tests and quizzes
Participation
- No cold-calling; agree on a signal before calling on the student
- Presenting to the teacher or a small group first
- Gradual steps toward full participation
The full checklist includes 30 accommodations you can check off as you try them.
Accommodations should build confidence, not avoidance
The best accommodations lower barriers while keeping the student engaged in learning. If an accommodation lets a student avoid every hard situation, anxiety can grow over time. Pair supports with small, planned steps toward the things the student finds hard, and praise brave behavior and effort.
Classroom supports vs. a 504 plan
Teachers can try many of these strategies right away as part of good classroom practice. A Section 504 plan is different: it is decided by a school team after an evaluation shows that a student has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity, such as learning. Your observations and data are an important part of that process. The checklist’s last page helps you gather examples, dates, the strategies you tried and how the student responded.
If a student talks about wanting to hurt themselves, or you are worried about their safety, follow your campus safety procedures and contact your counselor or administrator right away.
Related free resources: student behavior chart and tracker and classroom management plan template.