How Teachers Should Address Mental Health
Shenell Logan '23 Staff Writer
Do your grades matter more than your mental health? Maybe you have sacrificed your mental health in order to keep that A in your math or english class. Perhaps you have experienced the converse; with the lack of support for your mental health, your grades have suffered. This is a problem with which many students struggle. Without proper help or support, it can be difficult to cope. Students' mental health is being challenged even more during these difficult times caused by the COVID-19 outbreak — a pandemic, on top of the pressures of schoolwork and grades. As the school year drags on, and homework, tests and hours of studying pile up, a student's mental health has to take a backseat in order to focus on what school demands: grades and assignments. |
Teachers who reach out to their students when signs of certain mental illnesses are recognized are greatly appreciated and seen as empathetic and caring.
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According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, a student’s mental health is a very serious concern as it can “reduc[e] their quality of life,” affect their “academic achievement and physical health” and “negatively [impact] relationships with friends and family members.”
During quarantine, “Many teens are experiencing an increase in their sense of isolation, depression, and loneliness,” says The Council on Recovery. The article goes on to say that students now have their responsibilities at home to worry about, like chores, taking care of siblings or older relatives, in addition to their schoolwork. There is no longer a separation of home and school. There is no real structure now. Teens are on their own when making schooling decisions, an unexpected responsibility. Mental health is not being cared for as it should be.
Sophomore Erica Okeh says that the main things affecting her mental health are online school and a lack of motivation. “Sitting at the same desk for hours on end everyday can be very draining, and I also feel like a lot of students are losing motivation.”
I wanted to know what Howard High is doing to combat this, and more specifically, what the teachers are doing to help. As the ones who assign the homework, tests and projects, do teachers keep in mind how the mountain of assignments from each class affects students dealing with the fear of a pandemic?
“At HoHS, teachers receive training from counselors and other staff members on a regular basis providing links to support for students and strategies for assessing how students are doing mentally. Staff members have shared their stories about the importance of making personal connections within the school community and the benefits of taking time to practice mindfulness and self-reflection,” says Mrs. Rill, who teaches world language. When asked what she believes teachers should be expected to do when it comes to helping students with their mental health, she says that “students need to know that they are not alone in what they are feeling. The adults are feeling a lot of the same stress, anxiety and even depression that students may be experiencing. There is always a place to turn for help, always someone to listen when you need to share and it is important to not wait to get support. There are many people who care!”
From a student’s point of view, Okeh says, “I think the best thing teachers have been doing in regards to mental health is just having empathy and understanding that things are different for students doing work at home. Everybody is adjusting differently to an unprecedented change and I think understanding that is key.”
Luckily, it seems that most teachers at Howard High feel the same way and are trying their best to be there for their students. Ms. Ayres, a mathematics teacher, says, “I believe that teachers, and really all school personnel, should be able to recognize when a student is struggling with their mental health. From there, the teacher can hopefully help the child directly or point them in the direction of an individual who can.”
Teachers are the ones closest to their students, and it can mean a great deal when a teacher can recognize the warning signs of mental health illnesses like depression or anxiety. Just showing caring for students and a desire to help is already more than enough. Of course, it is harder to actually see the warning signs of a mental illness through distance learning. However, teachers should keep an eye out for red flags. If a student is falling behind in class, turning in assignments late or has a low grade in the class, that is the time to contact the student and ask if they are okay or need help with anything. Providing accommodations for students that need it is important as well. Supplying extra time to finish a test or finish an assignment can lift a lot of stress and anxiety off of a student who may be struggling. Needless to say, these accommodations may not be used at all times, but it shows that teachers actually care. It demonstrates that teachers feel understanding for their students.
Displaying empathy for what a student may be going through is something that I can say from personal experience helps a lot with mental health. Knowing that you have someone out there that cares could mean the world to someone, even if the teacher might not even know it. Everybody wants someone who cares in their life, and teachers have an opportunity to be that someone.
During quarantine, “Many teens are experiencing an increase in their sense of isolation, depression, and loneliness,” says The Council on Recovery. The article goes on to say that students now have their responsibilities at home to worry about, like chores, taking care of siblings or older relatives, in addition to their schoolwork. There is no longer a separation of home and school. There is no real structure now. Teens are on their own when making schooling decisions, an unexpected responsibility. Mental health is not being cared for as it should be.
Sophomore Erica Okeh says that the main things affecting her mental health are online school and a lack of motivation. “Sitting at the same desk for hours on end everyday can be very draining, and I also feel like a lot of students are losing motivation.”
I wanted to know what Howard High is doing to combat this, and more specifically, what the teachers are doing to help. As the ones who assign the homework, tests and projects, do teachers keep in mind how the mountain of assignments from each class affects students dealing with the fear of a pandemic?
“At HoHS, teachers receive training from counselors and other staff members on a regular basis providing links to support for students and strategies for assessing how students are doing mentally. Staff members have shared their stories about the importance of making personal connections within the school community and the benefits of taking time to practice mindfulness and self-reflection,” says Mrs. Rill, who teaches world language. When asked what she believes teachers should be expected to do when it comes to helping students with their mental health, she says that “students need to know that they are not alone in what they are feeling. The adults are feeling a lot of the same stress, anxiety and even depression that students may be experiencing. There is always a place to turn for help, always someone to listen when you need to share and it is important to not wait to get support. There are many people who care!”
From a student’s point of view, Okeh says, “I think the best thing teachers have been doing in regards to mental health is just having empathy and understanding that things are different for students doing work at home. Everybody is adjusting differently to an unprecedented change and I think understanding that is key.”
Luckily, it seems that most teachers at Howard High feel the same way and are trying their best to be there for their students. Ms. Ayres, a mathematics teacher, says, “I believe that teachers, and really all school personnel, should be able to recognize when a student is struggling with their mental health. From there, the teacher can hopefully help the child directly or point them in the direction of an individual who can.”
Teachers are the ones closest to their students, and it can mean a great deal when a teacher can recognize the warning signs of mental health illnesses like depression or anxiety. Just showing caring for students and a desire to help is already more than enough. Of course, it is harder to actually see the warning signs of a mental illness through distance learning. However, teachers should keep an eye out for red flags. If a student is falling behind in class, turning in assignments late or has a low grade in the class, that is the time to contact the student and ask if they are okay or need help with anything. Providing accommodations for students that need it is important as well. Supplying extra time to finish a test or finish an assignment can lift a lot of stress and anxiety off of a student who may be struggling. Needless to say, these accommodations may not be used at all times, but it shows that teachers actually care. It demonstrates that teachers feel understanding for their students.
Displaying empathy for what a student may be going through is something that I can say from personal experience helps a lot with mental health. Knowing that you have someone out there that cares could mean the world to someone, even if the teacher might not even know it. Everybody wants someone who cares in their life, and teachers have an opportunity to be that someone.