While the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the mental health struggles of children and adults alike, it also helped normalize and bring attention to the topic. The mental health of school-aged students, in particular, has been negatively impacted by the unprecedented disruption.
Today is World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to increasing the awareness of mental health issues globally and to emphasize the importance of supporting mental health. Below are some ideas on how to incorporate mental health and social-emotional learning in your classroom.
Normalize and explore emotions
A great starting point for discussing mental health is to simply start talking about emotions with your students. Consider bringing in a resource like a feelings poster to help kids build their emotional vocabulary, or try introducing a game like Feelings Detective to your students.
Get Outside
A wealth of studies have shown that spending time in nature has a positive effect on mental health for people of all ages. As an added bonus, outside time can also improve students’ ability to learn and pay attention. Making extra outdoor time a priority in a busy school day can be a positive routine for students and teachers. Consider asking your students how they feel when outdoors compared to indoors; their answers might surprise you.
Discuss Self-Care
Adults aren’t the only ones who need self-care. Children can benefit from exercise, downtime, time spent outdoors, breathing exercises, journaling or simply being on the receiving end of the uninterrupted attention of a caring adult. Be a self-care role model by talking to your students about how you practice self-care, then open up a group brainstorming session where your class creates a menu of different ways students can nurture themselves. To take it a step further, divide your students into small groups and let them explore different methods of self-care, like listening to a guided meditation, journaling, or extra recess to see which ones they like best.
Incorporate Tech
Technology is a great way to engage students while sneaking in a little social-emotional learning. Microsoft Teams offers the Reflect app, allowing students to express how they’re feeling using emojis and characters. CLOSEGAP is a free app that incorporates social emotional learning, emotional check-ins and crisis support.
Include movies and books
In addition to tech, incorporating movies, books, and games into your curriculum can be an impactful way to make learning about mental health more fun and engaging. For instance, Disney’s "Inside Out," ideal for elementary school students, skillfully portrays the main character’s experience of dealing with strong emotions like anger, disgust, joy, sadness, and fear. For a list of books that broach mental health topics, check out Publishers Weekly’s list here.
Ask the school counselor
If you’re struggling to come up with ways to promote mental health amongst your students, consider reaching out to your school counselor or social worker. As the experts in this field, they’re likely to have an abundance of ideas about how to talk to and teach students about mental health. They’ll also know of other resources your school might offer, like counseling or lunchtime support groups for kids with anxiety or learning differences.