Mental Health and Well Being (Strategies for Teachers)
Teachers play a crucial role in supporting students' mental health and well-being by employing various strategies tailored to specific needs such as depression, anxiety, and attention or hyperactivity issues.
Mental Health and Well Being (Strategies for Teachers)
Resiliency Activity
Attention and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity
-Provide frequent short quizzes, rather than long tests at the end of a unit
- Provide activities that appeal to multiple senses
- Seat students with attention problems close to the teacher and away from distractions such as windows, doors, or other students with attention problems
- Use advance organizers, structured note-taking sheets, manipulatives, and visual representations
- Chunk critical instructions, allow time for mental processing
- Give students an outlet for excess energy - scheduled daily physical activity, body breaks
- Post rules/expectations where student can see them (or print out a copy for them)
- Provide a structured environment and a consistent daily routine
Depression
- Model and teach optimistic and positive attitudes, language, and actions
- Ask open-ended questions where there is no specific or correct answer
- Help the student to set realistic goals and to monitor their progress
- Work with the student to develop clear expectations that they feel are reasonable.
- Provide a space in the school for students to go when they are feeling overwhelmed
- Provide students with responsibilities and tasks that they may enjoy
Behaviour
- Plan a full schedule of activities to avoid periods of unstructured time
- Give positive reinforcement to the student for showing self-control in situations that would normally make him/her angry, annoyed, or upset (eg., give a tangible reward such as a classroom privilege or free time)
-Arrange a quiet, safe place where the student can go to calm down when angry
- Focus on appropriate behaviour
- Communicate expectations clearly and enforce them consistently
Bipolar
- Provide clear, simple instructions/set goals that are attainable for the day
- Check in with the student on arrival to determine how the student is feeling and provide alternatives to stressful activities on difficult days
- Establish a method for regular communication between the school and parents about the expectations for the student and/or homework, weekly updates
- Allow extra time for the transition to a new activity or location
- Set up a procedure to allow student to exit quickly and safely from an overwhelming situation
Anxiety
Strategies to Support
- Daily check-ins with student to see how they are feeling
- Develop a coping plan for unexpected events (fire drill, supply teacher)
- Provide a safe and quiet space for test-taking
- Help the student break the project or large assignment into manageable chunks
- Reduce schoolwork and/or homework based on information from parents and the school team about how much stress the student can manage
- Provide advance warning of any changes in routine
-Provide predictable schedules and routines in the classroom
