Mental Health & Safety At School
The Role Of A School Environment
As a child in elementary school, I never gave it much thought, but school felt like a safe and caring place to be. My teachers seemed approachable and the other students in my class seemed to respect our teachers.
That sense of safety and positive mental health is one of the reasons why I became a teacher. All kids should have this opportunity to feel this way, especially if they come from a home that is not as safe or as mentally stable.
The role of a positive and safe school environment is often forgotten by many in society, but this role holds an equally or even higher importance than students receiving quality education. A sense of belonging and safety is a core need that comes first.
The Changing Landscape Of School Environments
Sadly, since the year 2000, teachers have had more students who come from less stable homes that do not feel safe and/or do not feel emotionally and/or mentally supportive.
This reality was highlighted during the recent Alberta teachers’ strike. Thousands of students were left without a safety net, without a place to go after school, food to eat, and/or an adult who would just be there for them.
There has been a compound effect of increased technology use, divorce rates, blended families, high unemployment rates, unreasonable inflation and reckless government spending, mass immigration to already overpopulated cities, and crowded communities and schools that have led to less time and space for kids to be kids and less time for adults to be there for kids.
There is a high percentage of students who struggle with anxiety and/or have developed neurosis such as ADHD due to not being seen or heard in the chaotic shuffle we call life. It is obvious that student mental health and their sense of safety at school have changed significantly over the past couple of decades.
The Solution Is Attainable
When we allow ourselves to take a step back, the solution may be more attainable and effective than we realize. Research supports the need for small class sizes in K-3 classrooms. Research will need to be conducted to prove the same is true for Grades 4-12 as well. Experientially, many of us teachers already know this to be true.
Kids need one-on-one time with adults. They need positive and proactive adult mentorship. When adults start to prioritize the investment of providing their time and efforts into actively engaging in learning activities with children on a daily basis and reducing screen time to less than an hour a day, we will see a significant positive increase in children's mental health and sense of security and safety.
This can become a reality, even for the most busy of teachers and parents. At Educations Rocks, we offer a way to streamline students’ academic development in their formative years so there is more time for connecting with your kids.
How We’re Here To Help
The unit and lesson plans in our K-6 Learning Library can help your K-6 child or students develop confidence and proficiency in both English Language Arts & Literature and Mathematics in a straightforward and engaging way. They are designed to foster self-efficacy as one option is to utilize them in a self-instructed fashion. The best part is that you can edit these resources so that your child or students can focus on what they can do right now and build on it, rather than internalize that they are not performing at grade level.
All of our resources include engaging instructional videos, audio functions, and high-definition images. These resources can be used both digitally and non-digitally at home or at school.
If you want to fully preview all unit and lesson plans, you can do so on our Teachers Pay Teachers page!
If you have any questions about any of our products, then you can email me at hello@educationrocks.ca.
Thank you for reading this blog post on the importance of student mental health and safety at school. I wish you and your child(ren) or students all the best during this interesting time!