I have always believed that mental health is important, therefore I try and incorporate it my classroom as much as possible. Students, no matter their age, are ALWAYS going through something. Since I teach teenagers, I am particularly aware of everything they are dealing with and I have realized that being a good teacher is not always about the material you are teaching them. Sometimes what they need is just someone to listen to them and care about them.
I try to have regular check-in's with my kids. Some days, I will have them do a Google Form about how they are doing that day. Other days, I'll have them write on a sticky note and give me a "life update". When you teach 90 kids a day, you don't always have the time to talk to each one in a meaningful way each day. But by using these check-in's you can hear from each student in a shorter amount of time.
One of my best friends is a Special Education Counselor in our district, and she was wanting a resource to better check-in with her students. We did a little looking online and found some interactive worksheets where students have to write and draw about themselves and talk about how they are feeling. I then designed our own worksheet from combining some ideas for us to use. I have started using it in my class and it has been a great way to check-in with my students in a more indepth and meaningful way.
You can print out the worksheet for students to use, or even upload it as a PDF for students to use on their iPads or other technology. You can download the PDF at the bottom of this post!
One other thing that I have in my classroom is a "Take a Break" corner. I have a very atypical classroom (9 kitchen stations and not a lot of wall or floor space), so this idea can be used in a lot of different ways. Since I do not have a lot of space, I have put a display up on one of my tall cabinets. On the poster, not only does it make taking a break normal and healthy, it also shares a technique to help if students are stressed. I then just print out different coloring pages for the students to take.
You could do so much more with this if you wanted- you could include a space where students can go to be in a comfy space, or include other items like fidgets, putty, or calm down activities.
All students can benefit from taking a break (as well as us teachers!) and it is a good practice to talk to your students about how it is okay and even healthy to take a break before getting back to work. You can download my poster at the bottom of my post!
I'm excited to keep sharing more ideas with you all- including more mental health resources! Remember to not only take care of your students, but to take care of yourself as well!
RESOURCES:
Check-In Worksheet
Take a Break Poster
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