Student noise can affect teachers' stress experience and work performance. Two experimental studies were conducted to examine these effects in more detail. Based on Lazarus' transactional stress model and the maximal adaptability theory, we assumed an increase in stress experience due to noise and stimulating effects of noise up to a point of maximal adaption before performance drops. The first experiment comprised 74 and the second experiment included 104 student teachers from a German university that were randomly assigned to one of three noise conditions. Participants were asked to complete a concentration test and correct a dictation. Results from analyses of variance were in support of our hypotheses. In both experiments, noise exposure increased stress experience. The first experiment showed positive effects and the second experiment negative effects of noise on participants' error correction. The results are discussed with respect to school noise affecting teachers' mental health and work performance.