Mental health challenges can impact many aspects of student learning and engagement. The most effective thing you can do as a teacher is to help students understand that:
It’s okay to feel what they feel.
They can move through their challenges.
When we are young, we often feel ashamed about our vulnerabilities. This causes many youth to hide their feelings rather than seek help or learn tools for self-soothing.
When we can teach students that it is safe to express vulnerable feelings, this gives them the confidence to reach out for support.
This simple message can make all the difference in the world.
As adults, when we are confronted with someone else’s pain, it's normal to want to fix it or make it go away. We all have impulses to move away from pain, whether we act on these impulses or not.
It's incredibly helpful if we can connect to what someone is feeling and let them know they are seen and valued before we try to help them.
When a student is having an emotional reaction, there are some specific steps you can follow:
Show Empathy: “I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way”.
Validate: “What you’re feeling is normal”.
Suggest Self-Soothing: "What can help you feel a bit more calm right now?"
Encourage Support: “Who can I help you connect with to support you with this outside of class?”
A further exploration of this topic can be found in the Educator Wellbeing course on your Dashboard, in the Student Mental Health section.
