Delaney Manders, a senior in Mrs. Shores’ AP Psychology class, experienced firsthand how
quickly stress can take over when responsibility is involved. During the class’s sock baby
project, Delaney panicked when she believed her sock baby, Shane, had gone missing while
her mother was babysitting and at the gym. “My mom called me while I was on the stairmaster and told me that Shane was missing. I was freaking out and using words I shouldn’t have
in public. It was funny but embarrassing,” she said. Although it was later revealed to be a joke in which Delaney’s mom and brother were involved where they sent pictures of Shane in very dangerous situations, like being in the oven, opening up a bottle of pills, and being in the air fryer, the moment felt real and overwhelming when Delaney first was informed.
The sock baby project was designed to teach students responsibility while exploring stress and
human behavior. Each student was assigned a sock baby and expected to care for it as if it
were real, keeping it with them throughout the duration of the project. What seemed simple at
first quickly became a constant responsibility.
Balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and a sock baby proved more difficult than
many students expected. The project connected directly to AP Psychology lessons on stress,
pressure, and emotional responses. Students were able to observe how quickly anxiety can
surface when they feel accountable for someone or something else.
For Delaney, the project became more than just an assignment. Her brief moment of panic over
Shayne showed exactly how responsibility can trigger real emotional and physical reactions. By
the end of the project, Delaney and her classmates had a clearer understanding of how stress
works, making the lesson both personal and unforgettable.