How important is mental health in the classroom, and how exactly can it be implemented effectively?
I wish I could say I look back fondly on my first day of the school year. However, like many others, my high school career was less than admirable. Throughout high school, I was isolated, misunderstood, unhappy and felt like an outcast among my peers. Signs of mental illness began to manifest in the form of Anorexia Nervosa, self-harm and acute anxiety, and I found it very difficult to be around people.
Things have changed in regards to education, however, as I mentioned in my recent post, mental health training doesn’t appear to be one of them. Instances of stress and mental illness among young people are on the rise, and I assumed that things would have progressed in regards to mental health training.
My fourthteeth year of teaching began this week. I’m currently in my second year at Abbott Middle School where I teach sixth grade Math, and seventh/eighth grade advanced computers.
I want to share not only the circles that I do weekly but also how I incorporate mental health into my daily teaching routine.
Lately, I’ve started circles in my classroom based on the Positive Behavioural Interventions & Supports (PBIS), Restorative Practices, and Mindfulness ideologies, but with a twist. Every Wednesday we break away from our typical classroom groups. Instead, desks are pushed to the side and we talk, express ourselves, breathe, release stress/anxiety, listen to each other and gain insight into other’s perspectives.
All of this in combination aids in teaching children about positive mental health in the classroom. It also helps reinforce positive coping techniques and empathy for others.
However, the importance of mental health in the classroom is evident. My goal in all this is to help my students, our community and our nation as a whole within the scope of my upcoming blog posts. I’ll be sharing any general topics that we talk about, as well as lessons we do, and how we’ve made a difference in the lives of these kids.
I currently host a podcast focused on reducing the stigma of mental health. My guests share their experiences in life and what would have helped them, and approximately 98% of my guests had negative middle school or school experiences. This has driven me to become an advocate for my students, offering support through counselors and various other sources. I entered teaching for the purpose of encouraging kids learning, and mental health is such a huge part of life that needs to be explored.
A New Dawn is currently working on a curriculum book based on her classroom work, how she performs circles, and how she engages mental health in the classroom. The hope is that this will be released during the school year or on TPT. If you have any comments or feedback, A New Dawn would hear from you and promises to respond personally.
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Paying attention to kids' development in middle school is something I'm currently focused on with my own in this age range. A lot of changes, hormones and peer pressure coming together. Kids really need guidance and coping strategies. Thank you for a great post.
Very insightful post. Being a teacher and guiding others feels great. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for stopping by and reading.
Thank you for reading and thank you for continuing to focus on child development, especially at such a crucial age!
It’s such a perfect time to talk about it! I hate stigmas and ignorance, it doesn’t change the problem!
Exactly! Here in NI we could really do with more mental health time in the classrooms.
We need more teachers with your care and concern! Love that you are doing this! I am in my 30s and I struggle with anxiety. It's so encouraging to read posts such as this!
Thank you for stopping by and reading. A New Dawn is doing an excellent job in helping children in the classroom. I wish I had more teachers like this.
This is such an important topic. I really hope that we {as a culture} continue to give this the attention it deserves. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Thank you for stopping by and reading. I really appreciate your kindness :)
Congratulations on 14 years of teaching! You sound like a lovely, caring teacher. I love your Wednesday support group time idea. Students go through way too much emotionally and mentally these days. You're doing a great thing :)
Thank you for commenting on this. A New Dawn is doing an excellent job in her classroom!
Mental health is so important in the classroom! Thank you for doing this for your classroom. I would highly appreciate this if my teacher ever did this for me.
Erika Marie | https://imerikamarie.com
Thank you for your kind response. A New Dawn is doing a great job as a teacher, I wish more teachers had done this for me.
Congratulations, I too am in year 14 of teaching. You're right PBIS has been a positive start, but even more is required by teachers to address mental health and many of us feel ill equipped to help our students. You're to be commended for implementing measures in your room, like your circles to help your students. I'd love to read a follow on exactly what they entail and student's perceptions of them.
I'm not sure its good enough to simply incorporate strategies. We must also look at what causes the stress. Is it bullying? Too much homework? Exam pressure? We talk about work life balance in adults but I'm not seeing the same approach being taken to childrens stress.
Mental health within my classroom when I was a teacher was always something we incorporated (slightly easier as a primary teacher so I was with my class all year, every day) — thanks for sharing your perspectives as this is something more schools need to have a policy.
Really good blog, think it so important that we make this subject more prominent within schools. Well done 🙏