By: Morgan Macklin
introduction
The Canadian education system, although at its core aims to help youth flourish, does not have the proper social-emotional programming in place to provide students with the tools they need to do so. This creates a situation where many students are experiencing a decrease in their mental well-being, thus creating an increase in behavioural issues in their classrooms. Canada’s youth are at higher risk for these adverse school effects as youth mental health ranks at 31 out of 38 countries in a recent UNICEF report. Therefore, this blog points to the urgency of teachers to rewrite this narrative by discovering major school stressors and how to mitigate them for their students.
1. educational pressure
Test anxiety, unfortunately, is a common phenomenon among students. When considering the deadlines, weighted totals, studying, and homework required to perform well, many students become overwhelmed. Standardized testing is a culprit for this stress as it encompasses a student's achievement within a simple letter grade.
While there has been a slow shift to lighten the pressure of standardized testing (decreased grade weight, longer testing period time, accommodations, etc.) there are still ways for educators to ease the nerves. Offering and encouraging positive self-talk and messaging is extremely important for positive mental health. Replacing
the common phrases “I can’t do this” and “I am not smart enough” with “I am capable” and “I will try my best” is an effective way to help gain confidence in students.
To encourage high results without influencing the need for excessive study habits, teachers should hold test preparation, skill development, and review sessions prior to an exam. They can then place greater emphasis on the process rather than the result. Students can carry these skills to other courses and feel more prepared which overall will reduce test anxiety
2. social media
While social media creates incredible opportunities to bring people together, it creates a pitfall of competition, reduced communication skills, and decreased real-life interactions. Furthermore, social media can create increased anxiety surrounding self-esteem, body image, and loneliness just to name a few. Social media has become a driver for imposter syndrome in which the way one views oneself does not equate to who one truly is. This results in a feeling of inadequacy as a result of constantly being compared to others even in the face of your own successes.
While teachers may not have a lot of pull on how their students utilize social media they can provide resources for safe practices online. For example, this could encourage time blocking for social media or adding time limits to certain apps that may be consuming too much energy. In the classroom, this could include mandatory social media breaks during reading times, lunch, or group work, to ensure one-on-one interaction and/or complete focus.
An additional way to release stress from social media is by shifting a student's focus elsewhere. Encouraging clubs, team sports, hobbies, volunteering, working, or mindfulness of any kind can be a huge relief. This helps youth become present at the moment and gain real-world interaction that is critical for growth and positive mental health.
3. covid-19
Canadians self-perceived poor mental health by age group during the pandemic (% of respondents)
During the pandemic, youth aged 15-24 experienced the highest risk for poor mental health out of all age groups. Despite seeing the light at the end of the never-ending pandemic tunnel, both the physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 linger on. The entire COVID-19 experience could be considered traumatizing and has left many youths with disorders from anxiety, to PTSD, to agoraphobia (fear of crowded places, or leaving one's home).
Thankfully, the return to in-person classes eliminates a large portion of the uncertainty and stress caused by COVID-19. However, educators can provide opportunities to thrive for students who may still struggle with the longer-lasting impact. The emphasis on a routine was equally important throughout the pandemic as it is now. Creating a consistent schedule for students to follow that includes the opportunity to work collaboratively, take brain breaks, and get active, will create a comforting return to the classroom.
Focusing on Post Traumatic Growth is a tool educators can focus on to build resiliency over fear. This gives students a purpose to continue to grow and heal from their trauma rather than dwell on it and fear what is to come next. By acknowledging small successes in the face of adversity, students are instilled with the confidence they need to proceed into normal life.
closing
While students are likely to face more stressors that impact their everyday life, these 3 are some of the most common across the board. Being mindful of these stressors and how to mitigate them gives each student the opportunity to fully emerge into their education and flourish both in their classroom and in their personal lives. Having a support system at school that understands these impacts on mental health and how to deal with them will set students up for success when facing adversity in all stages of life.
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To learn more about how to be supportive of youth who are struggling with mental health, read our Trauma Informed Care Blog.