Life can be hard, but it doesn't always have to be. Over the past decade, there has been a growing emphasis on maintaining a healthy mental state. People are recognizing that as a society, we can benefit from slowing down and smelling the roses. Although there is still a stigma surrounding mental health, it is slowly decreasing as self-care has become a trending theme among many adults.
As an educator, I have taken many mental health days. I know when I need a break for myself, my students, and my co-workers. I can't be my best if I'm not feeling my best, whether it's physically or mentally. Should the same thinking apply to students?
Across the United States, school districts, including Baltimore City Public Schools, are opting to include social and emotional learning into the school day. Oregon and Utah even allow students to take mental health days. Just like students can take a day off of school for a physical injury or illness, they can take a day off to focus on their mental health.
The inclusion of social and emotional learning in schools across the United States will surely grow, as the stigma surrounding mental health continues to decline. The CDC reported in 2017 that "nearly a third of all high school students experienced significant periods of sadness and hopelessness within the previous year, and 17 percent had contemplated suicide." Navigating emotion is a complex process that doesn't come naturally for many people. Educators have a unique ability to impact the lives of children not only through academics but with life skills such as understanding and managing mental health. It will be interesting to see how far school districts will be willing to go to support all aspects of their student's minds.
Do you think students should be allowed to take mental health days? How do we teach children to utilize this appropriately and effectively?
The New York Times recently asked students for their input on this topic. Check out their comments: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-mental-health-days-self-doubt-and-their-fashion-idols.html.
1 comment:
I really like the idea of mental health days for students and staff. As a teacher, I wish that I would have prioritized my mental health in my first two years of teaching by taking more mental health days. I think that it would have helped me reduce stress and show up as an even better teacher! In the same way that it is culturally acceptable to take a sick day when your body is not completely well, I think that your mental healthy functions similarly. In addition to the district's priority around social-emotional (SEL) initiatives in school, I think that we can do our students a world of good by responding the needs of the "whole child" in normalizing mental health days.
While I am in full support of this idea in theory, I think that it would take a considerable level of planning and intentionality to ensure that it is used effectively and does not affect student attendance or impede instructional outcomes.
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