When we introduce mental health content to students, they can sometimes respond by making fun of the lesson content or of students who struggle with their mental health. This type of reaction is common, especially for older students, and indicates that they are uncomfortable or that these types of topics are new to them.
There are a few ways that we can approach these unforeseen student reactions:
1. Call it out before it happens
For example, when you begin a lesson that you think might make students feel uncomfortable, let them know that they might want to laugh and that this is perfectly common when we feel uncomfortable. Encourage them to reflect on why they might feel uncomfortable if they want to make a joke or laugh at anyone else’s expense.
2. Focus on the reaction as an organic teachable moment
For example, if you are facilitating a lesson about being an upstander in bullying situations, and students are making jokes about the topic, you can stop the lesson and focus on why jokes about bullying can feel hurtful to people, and this is an example of not being an upstander. You can show them empathy and understanding that it can be hard to focus on challenging topics, but this is why this learning is so important - we all need to practice it!
For more strategies on how to respond if students are making jokes about the student voice videos in the lessons, see our Help Article: Introducing Student Voice Videos.
3. Explore the feelings underneath the reaction
You can use this tool if you feel comfortable addressing the root cause of the laughter, either in class or with the student(s) privately after class. This can happen in a few different ways:
a) Prompt students to notice emotions.
For example, if students are making jokes about the content, you can remind them that there is an emotion underneath their reaction by saying, “Jokes happen when we feel uncomfortable.”
b) Prompt students to reflect on emotions.
For example, if the whole class is making jokes, you can stop the lesson and have a frank conversation with them to explore what they are feeling and what would help them re-focus so they can continue with the learning.
c) Model accepting emotions.
For example, as a way to help students get back on track after jokes have been made, you can say: "Can we let ourselves feel uncomfortable without reacting with jokes or put-downs?”
For more helpful strategies for dealing with different student reactions in class, see our Help Article: Responding to Challenges in the Classroom.
Note: If a student continues to make jokes and is unable to engage with the content, it might be useful to refer to a mental health professional to help address whatever is getting in the way of this student’s learning.
If you would like to encourage your students to more deeply reflect on the content, see our Help Article: Encouraging Critical Thinking About the Lessons.
If you would like more information on how to reinforce and facilitate meaningful student learning throughout the school day, refer to our Help Article: Scaffolding Opportunities.