In 2023, it was estimated that about 1 in 4 adults, and 1 in 5 children in the US have had or will have a mental disorder in their lifetime. This means nearly 20% of children in the United States have mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorders. Many people also suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.
Mental health is an important aspect of life at any age. Poor mental health can affect many areas of a student’s life, including their academic performance, relationships, and physical health. The same goes for adults. Mental health can affect concentration, peer relationships, focus, engagement, aggressive behaviors and more. Here are a few steps teachers can take with their students to promote mental health and provide support in the classroom.
Lessen the Stigma
The first step should be addressing your class on what mental health is and how it affects the person living with it. Learning about mental illness and how common it is within society can help lessen the stigma and connect students together through this knowledge. Watch the way you speak about mental health in front of your students. Try to have more of a neutral tone and wording. Set an example for your class on how to address mental health and any questions they may have. If you do not have a lot of knowledge on mental health, taking a training course or educate yourself beforehand so you will have the right information to relay to your students.
Create Safe Spaces
Every child deserves a nurturing school environment where they feel safe to explore and express their feelings. Schools can promote this by establishing safe, caring spaces where students feel comfortable reaching out about their mental health without fear of judgement. This could be a quiet corner in a classroom that the teacher has created where they can feel like they can talk to an adult and calm down, or have a school counselor interact with classrooms often to showcase a safe person to talk to if a student needs help.
Plan Breaks
Children with learning difficulties and kids who suffer from poor mental health can have trouble sitting still for extended periods of time. You can do an array of things to keep your students active and attentive by providing breaks during lesson plans for students to decompress. Have a selection of fidget toys available to help concentration and alleviate anxiety. Teachers can prepare meditation or mindful activities like deep breathing or relaxation exercises to encourage children to regulate their feelings. Playing games, either physical or technology based, can also help children keep from having built up emotions or the feeling of frustration or overwhelmed after lesson plans.
Don’t Forget Your Own Mental Health
Teachers’ mental health matters as much as students. To create mentally healthy classrooms, teachers must take care of their own mental health. Ensure that you have proper breaks where you can switch off from teaching, and relax. You’ll find that you return to the classroom more energized and that makes school a much more positive experience for everyone.
What do you do with your class to help them combat mental health? Let us know in the comments!
Resources:
https://www.learninglinks.org.au/resources/mental-health-in-the-classroom
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