The Anxious Classroom

The Anxious Classroom is a book that is deeply grounded in compassion, neuroscience and attachment. Full of practical wisdom, it reframes anxiety not as behaviour to be managed, but as communication to be understood. This is a book that will change the way schools see children - and the way children experience school. – Kate Silverton * author of the Sunday Times best-selling parenting books There’s No Such Thing as ‘Naughty’ and There’s Still No Such Thing as ‘Naughty’ *The Anxious Classroom combines deep insight into childhood anxiety-now at epidemic levels in schools-with practical, classroom-ready tools, offering clear strategies teachers can use right away/practical takeaways teachers can use right away. – Marcia Eckerd * Ph.D. Therapist, consultant, and international author and lecturer on neurodiversity *Emma Connor writes with clarity and compassion, offering insights that are both deeply thoughtful and refreshingly practical. With warmth and wisdom, she turns complex ideas into simple suggestions that work. – Camilla Sim * Course Director, Institute for Arts in Therapy & Education *Grounded in relevant, accessible psychotherapeutic theory, this book is full of invaluable information. It will empower teachers and other school staff to better understand the ways in which a child’s experiences and emotions can become an obstacle to their learning in school. Emma offers a multitude of practical ideas for supporting children when feelings of anxiety become overwhelming. Significant issues, including Separation Anxiety, The Power of Empathy, Neurodivergence and Exam-related Anxiety, are addressed chapter by chapter. Each chapter includes a number of clearly explained, achievable and creative activities to support the anxious child and help ease classroom stress. Every teacher should invest in this book! – Tamsin Cottis * Author of ‘How it Feels to be You’ (Karnac 2021) *Emma’s expert guidance beautifully bridges neuroscience with heartfelt connection. It offers school staff a compassionate roadmap and easy, practical strategies to support anxious students, ensuring every classroom can become a safe, regulated harbour where children truly thrive. – Sarah Fisher * Founder and CEO of Connective Family *

Emma Connor is a child psychotherapist and director of Your Space Therapies, where she leads creative arts, play and talking therapy services, as well as training and consultancy for schools across the UK. A regular keynote speaker at education conferences, she is also an award-winning contributor to the Professional Education Systems Institute and a senior lecturer at the Institute for Arts and Therapy in Education.