During adolescence, one of the main concerns of parents, teachers and even teenagers, is Mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) half of mental disorders begins before age 14, so it is important to prevent and detect them.
A high school teacher knows this, and therefore she looked for ways to approach her students and show them that she has a safe place to go to, creating a mental health chart, in which everyone can put anonymously how they feel and ask for help if needed.
Erin Castillo is a mother and high school teacher in San Francisco, United States, who frequently shares advice and part of her work activities on her Instagram account @makingstatementinsped. Recently, a publication he made about an initiative to help take care of the mental health of its students.
In Babies and more Get good grades, look good and fit socially: the things teenagers feel most pressured forThrough a photograph on his Instagram account, Erin shows the "mental health review" chart he placed in his classroom, in which invite your students to share anonymously how they have felt lately.
In it, Erin marked six spaces, so that his students take an adhesive note, write his name on the back, and then place it in the category that describes how they currently feel: "I feel great", "I'm fine", "I'm indifferent", I'm having difficulties "," I'm going through a difficult time and I wouldn't mind being helped "and" I'm in a very dark place ":
Made this mental health check in chart after seeing @missjohnstonsjourney use a digital version for teachers on her #okayteacher Facebook page. I asked my students to write their names on the back of a post-it note so I could check in with ones in the bottom two sections. I explained the green section as them struggling, but speaking to another adult or trying to work through it themselves. I was able to start some check ins today, and holy cow these kids. I love them. My heart hurts for them. High school is rough sometimes, but I was happy that a few were given a safe space to vent and work through some feelings. I also like that students could visually see that they arent alone in their struggles. It was a beautiful minimum day focusing on self care and mental health. UPDATE just added a printable version with detail instructions so you can do this in your classroom Its FREE #mentalhealthawareness #highschoolteacher #secondaryela #teacherorganization #teachings #anchorcharts #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #teachersfollowingteachers #iteachtoo #teachertips #weareteachers #teachersideas #teachersideas #teachersideas #teachersideas #teachersideas #teachersideas #teacherspateas specialeducationteacher #teacherlove #teach #weteachsped #teacher #iteachhighschool #elateacher #teachergoals #igteacher #igteachers #teachersofig
I asked my students to write their name on the back of a sticky note, so that I could approach and help those in the last two sections. I explained that the category with the heart in green would be for those who are having difficulties, but who can talk to another adult or solve it themselves.
I was able to start reviewing today and I am impressed with these guys. I love them. My heart suffers for them. Baccalaureate is difficult at times, but I feel happy that some could find a safe place to let off steam and work with some of their feelings.
I also like that in this way students can clearly see that they are not alone in their battles. It was a beautiful day focusing on self-care and mental health.
In Interview for Business Insider, Erin comments that in the last five years working as a teacher in that school, several students have committed suicide attempts, so He looked for a way to encourage them to ask for help anonymously.
After having published their mental health chart, several teachers began to imitate their idea, taking it to their schools and applauding the great way to approach your students and offer a safe space for those who are having difficulties. The table had so many positive comments, that even Erin created a digital file so that they could easily download and print it.
Depression, one of the biggest health risks for teenagers
Some time ago we shared the greatest health risks for adolescents, according to the WHO, and among them was Mental health.
According to WHO figures and statistics, Depression is the third leading cause of morbidity and disability among adolescents, while suicide is the third cause of death among older adolescents (between 15 and 19 years old).
In Babies and moreOur teenagers are discovering who they are: how to help them overcome their insecuritiesTherefore, it is important that both parents and teachers, be aware of young people during this stage of great physical and emotional changes, approaching them and offering them a safe space where they can talk about their mental health and of the situations and problems that concern them.
