Q: How Do I Create an Open Line of Communication with My Students?
A: Running any of the Open Parachute lessons in class will help create more open lines of communication between teachers and students, helping students understand that they can talk about challenges with adults in the school.
However, for a more targeted approach, we recommend reviewing our High School Community Building Program. Under the Self-Acceptance section in the Teacher Series is a ‘Student Connection Questions Checklist’ that provides educators with some ideas of how to start a dialogue with students to build up a sense of trust and emotional safety.
In addition, our Teacher resource (in the Educators & Caregivers section of the platform), Creating Resilient Classrooms, provides educators with various strategies and tools for embedding mental health into every classroom. This training includes a suggestion for setting up regular ‘check-in’ times with students and a few other strategies to ensure that students are reminded that they can reach out for help when they need it.