Dear Educator,
I believe the most important strategy regarding mental health concerns is awareness, prevention, and introduction of coping strategies from an early age. Social-emotional learning is at the core of what I believe educators can do to promote a healthy, well-functioning society. For far too long students have been deprived of learning about emotion regulation and healthy coping skills, as well as safe public spaces to explore them. While educators are not responsible for diagnosing students, understanding every facet of every mental health concern or treatment, or acting as therapists, they are in a position to do the best they can to help rather than continue to hurt students. It is my belief that adults that are open minded, undertsanding, curious, and accomodating have the power to positively influence their student's mental well being. For teachers of older students in middle and high school, providing resources and information regarding how they can cope with already formed issues and daily life struggles is critical. To give the knowledge that if students need help, it is available, empowers students to make their own decisions, and feel supported and understood. If schools are trying to develop the foundations of a society that will thrive in any way, they need to teach students to take care of themselves and how to navigate challenges. I know from expirience that when you are in the depths of mental health concerns, it is even harder to gather the energy to search for the right treatments. Teachers that normalize struggles and are there to support and point their students in the right directions when they cannot help directly, have the power to shift an entire generation of people into healing, health, and learning.
Lily Celino