If you're nothing like me, then you don't have any of this to worry about. But, as a teacher, the biggest thing on my mind right now has been mental health. I'm feeling it, my colleges are feeling it, even my students are feeling it.
Last week I assigned a project that involved each student getting up in front of the class and practicing their public speaking skills. For one student, this tasks proved to be too much, and as she turned to address the class, she had tears streaming down her face. My wonderful mentor teacher stood up with her and helped her present her project. She calmed down and was able to answer students question. I was so proud of everyone in that situation. I was proud of this student for going up to present, even though she was clearly overwhelmed by the thought. I was proud of my mentor teacher for knowing how to quickly address that situation and support her. And I was unbelievably proud of my class, because even though there was some gasps when they noticed she was crying, not a single one of them made fun of her or expressed any sort of negativity.
I felt for her. Many times over the past weeks, I've gone home and have been asked about my day. In response, I've burst out in tears myself. It's so easy at this point in the semester to feel overwhelmed by everything, so I feel like I may have a small idea of what she was feeling.
The main point of me writing this is to say that paying attention to our own mental health during times like this is tantamount. There are some amazing resources online, and even in the school around you to help you with this. I found this article by Isaiah Pickens Ph.D. called "The Brief Wondrous Life of Teachers' Mental Health: Supporting teachers experiencing emotional burnout". There are several good points this article makes that you should keep in mind if you're feeling like there is stress building up in your classroom.
Point 1: "The journey leading teachers to emotional burnout is multifaceted and influenced by both how teachers deal with stress and how stress shows up in the classroom".
- If you are feeling stressed out, there's a good chance your students are too. It may be best to hide your stress as much as you can from your students. If your students can tell that you're not in top shape, it may change their own mood, or your whole classroom environment, which could just add to your stress.
Point 2: "Having difficulty connecting with students, classroom behavior problems, perceptions of limited support from administration, and little time to recharge outside of work can undermine the most resilient teachers’ mental health".
- Be patient and honest with yourself. Look for support from the people around you. Even if you feel like you don't have the support you need from you administration, look to the teachers around you, or even support systems outside of the classroom. I tell my students that there is no reason they should have to deal with a problem all of their own, and I feel as strongly about that sentiment for my fellow instuctors.
Point 3: "At minimum, training on basic classroom management is already integrated into teacher’s professional development, but what if a holistic approach was adopted that addressed how healthy management of behavior and emotionally overwhelming situations impacted both teacher and student mental wellbeing?"
- I cannot tell you how many fellow teachers I have heard say they are worn out and stressed. We address students concerns at team meeting, and I truly believe that teacher concern are just as valid a topic of conversation to talk about in group. It may be that other teachers have some tried and true methods for addressing mental health, or it could be that a small group would be willing to take extra time to exercise and talk about good mental health practices.
The article makes several great points, so I highly recommend everyone going over to check it out.
Also, I truly believe everyone should try yoga and meditation in their classrooms. What a great way to promote both student and teacher mental health! But that's a post for another time...
