Read their writing. Knowing your students through their writing is a type of relationship I wish all teachers had. There is something so powerful in the way a student expresses his/her thoughts on paper, that nothing else can compare to. One tiny journal entry can change my perspective about the argumentative girl in 4B. One personal narrative can give me insight into why the boy in 2nd period refuses to work in groups. Unfortunately, many of our students struggle with some form or degree of mental illness. Depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, schizophrenia... the list goes on. Many are open enough about their struggles that they write about them. Be aware of their baggage. Make sure they are safe. Ask if they need assistance finding help, telling their parents, or talking to a counselor. Sometimes all they need from you is to know that you see them as the same person they were before you knew they had a mental illness. Many are afraid of rejection, so when they open up about it, listen without judgement and simply offer to help them find help. You don't have to become their therapist, just a resource--a caring stepping stone toward getting better. Notice them as people. They are people. They are more than a test score, more than a missing essay, more than a percentage grade, more than a checkmark on your attendance list. One of the best things that happened to me as a teacher was having my own children start school. I became more like the teacher I wanted my own kids to have... one who knows their hearts, hopes, fears, character, and state of mind. I love giving random compliments, joking around, asking non-school related questions, saying hi to students in the hallway or at lunch, giving high-fives for no reason whatsoever, and generally making them comfortable with me, each other, and ultimately themselves. One particular student was usually quiet but attentive. Suddenly one day, she left class without warning. She came back to get her things later, and opened up about having panic attacks. Because I knew her on a personal level, she felt comfortable sharing this with me, and we were able to get her help. People with mental illnesses are people first. Connect your content to things that matter. As a language arts teacher, you always get to know your students on a very real, human level. We talk about the heart of humanity, and many times the hopes and fears of their inner lives get twisted into their conversations and their writing. I share my own stories, triumphs as well as tragedies, and connect to theirs empathetically. As a psychology teacher, I can also connect our content to our everyday thoughts, relationships, behaviors, and emotions. As an educator of young humans, I strive to make every lesson have some overaching concept or theme that matters. By connecting Romeo and Juliet to choices, I can make Shakespeare teach students that sadness is impermanent and suicide is final, but it's not a solution. By connecting mindfulness to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, I can teach them how to control their own anxiety reactions through breathing techniques. But most of all, I can teach them that they matter. I care that they get something out of my class, but I care that they know that I care, more. Curriculum can be a vehicle for relationships as long as you don't let it become the sole focus of your time together. It's time well spent. I started this post with a flashback to a year ago, to a suicidal student who came to me "just to say hi." I could tell something was wrong. I knew her well enough to read her emotions. I knew her well enough to know her background and previous attempt. I knew from my training that I had to ask her the most difficult question I've ever had to ask: "Are you planning on killing yourself?" When she said yes, we cried together for a long time. Then we got her the help she needed. I never thought I'd say those words, let alone admit a student to the hospital. I never thought I'd literally save a life. But I was in the right place at the right time, with the right training and the right resources. If I had one message to leave people about mental illness and relationships, is that the relationships are the foundation to health. It's not always easy to connect with someone who is depressed. It's not easy to be around someone who's anxious. It's not easy to get to know each and every one of your students. But it is essential to do so anyway.
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AuthorA midwest teacher in love with creating awesome opportunities for students to think, communicate, and produce. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Comfortable-Classroom
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