69传媒

Student Well-Being

How 69传媒 Can Help 69传媒 With Learning Differences Overcome Mental Health Challenges

By Marina Whiteleather 鈥 May 16, 2022 4 min read
students speak mental health
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The past two years have had a profound effect on the mental health of students and staff alike as they tried to navigate a school system that had profoundly changed.

How can educators and schools best support students and staff to work through mental health and social challenges? And what additional supports should be given to students with learning and thinking differences? That鈥檚 the central question we invited our followers to answer during a Twitter chat earlier in May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Andy Kahn, an expert in psychology and learning for , a nonprofit that is dedicated to helping those learn and think differently, co-hosted the online discussion. For nearly 20 years, Kahn has worked within the public school system to provide training, evaluations, direct consultation, and therapeutic support to students, their families, and staff. He pulled from his experience to share insights and resources during the chat.

Here are some key questions that were raised and discussed.

What are the biggest challenges facing student mental health?

Many chat participants expressed that there seemed to be a shift recently to return to pre-pandemic levels of productivity, and worried how this could leave little space for students still coping with the trauma of the pandemic. Said one respondent:

Kids, like many adults in the education system, are struggling with trying to figure out how to manage life and all its expectations that went from zero to pre-COVID levels of busyness all with no or limited response for the trauma many are carrying.

-

Others noted that the vast majority of K-12 schools lack the school psychologists and counselors needed to respond to students鈥 rising mental health concerns and said that even recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers is becoming a challenge.

One of the most trying issues is a lack of staffing in key teaching and support positions. 69传媒 do not have access to the most important change agents, a passionate teacher!

-

What should educators know about the mental health challenges that affect kids who learn and think differently?

Neurodivergent kids are more likely to face mental health challenges due to differences in their academic and social development and the stigmas and misconceptions often associated with their differences. As an educator, recognizing the difference between one-off stressors or reactions to difficulty with a specific assignment and what may be a sign of anxiety or depression is crucial 鈥 it will determine how to support the student and work with their family.

-

Student #mentalhealth needs show up differently for every student, but all require care and responsiveness from educators. It鈥檚 important to understand that accommodations can vary, even within diagnoses. Meet them where they are without shame or judgment.

-

How can educators provide emotional support for kids with learning and thinking differences?

Connection and building relationships! That is essentially the key. Feeling understood, seen, heard鈥hat鈥檚 the first and most essential step all educators require in their approach to all humans they hope to teach!

-

Self-calming strategies can be a powerful tool. For younger kids, starting the day with deep breathing, stretching, or yoga can help them calm their bodies and become more aware of how they feel. For older students, breaking down big assignments into smaller steps can help the student prioritize and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.

-

What steps can schools take to better support their teachers鈥 mental well-being, so they in turn can better support their students?

According to the chat participants, respect, empathy, and appreciation can go a long way.

APPRECIATION APPRECIATION APPRECIATION (personal notes, little gifts, etc) teachers aren鈥檛 in it for the $$, the reward is the meaningfulness of the job. When the atmosphere gets rough they can lose sight of that & need to be truly appreciated & celebrated!

-

Show empathy. We鈥檙e all in the same crappy boat, we need to work together to keep from sinking. I adjust for students鈥 mental health every day. Shorten assignments, let them put their head down, engage in conversation, slip them a note. Teachers need that in return.

-

While 鈥渕indfulness鈥 might work for some, others need more action from their school leaders to avoid burnout, some participants said.

Teachers need to feel like they can practice self-care both in + outside of the classroom. That requires things like adequate staffing, compensation, peer support. School leaders should recognize when an educator is at risk of burnout and step in w/solutions.

-

Another option offered: Consider altering policies or pay to allow teachers鈥 to take time for themselves if needed.

Pay substitute teachers more. Teachers need to be able to take days off guilt free & if they know the school won鈥檛 be able to find a sub, they often push thru so as not to burden their colleagues. I also realize this means states need to better fund the schools.

-

What can educators and schools do to help reduce the stigma surrounding both mental health and neurodiversity?

Learn about real people鈥檚 experiences with learning differences and mental health. Listening to others鈥 perspectives builds empathy, reduces stigma, and helps inform the support you provide.

-

Celebrating neurodiversity and normalizing that we ALL have #mentalhealth needs is the first step to #EndStiigma. Creating learning environments that are accepting of the variety of ways students show up in the classroom is key. Allyship goes a long way.

-

To read more about the pandemic鈥檚 impact on the mental health of teachers, principals, and students, and the creative ways of responding to the current social and emotional challenges, check out our special report, 鈥Student and Staff Mental Health: Emerging From COVID鈥檚 Crisis.鈥

Coverage of students with diverse learning needs is supported in part by a grant from the Oak Foundation, at . Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Student Well-Being Download Traumatic Brain Injuries Are More Common Than You Think. Here's What to Know
Here's how educators can make sure injured students don't fall behind as they recover.
1 min read
Illustration of a female student sitting at her desk and holding hands against her temples while swirls of pencils, papers, question marks, stars, and exclamation marks swirl around her head.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being How Teachers Can Help LGBTQ+ 69传媒 With Post-Election Anxiety
LGBTQ+ crisis prevention hotlines have seen a spike in calls from youth and their families.
6 min read
Photo of distraught teen girl.
Preeti M / Getty
Student Well-Being 69传媒 Are Eerily Quiet About the Election Results, Educators Say
Teachers say students' reactions to Trump's win are much more muted than in 2016.
6 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump greets Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump greets Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Evan Vucci/AP
Student Well-Being Student Journalists Want to Cover Politics. Not Everyone Agrees They Should
Student journalists are grappling with controversial topics鈥攁 lesson in democracy that's becoming increasingly at risk for pushback.
7 min read
Illustration of a paper airplane made from a newspaper.
DigitalVision Vectors