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8 Tips to Create a Mentally Healthy Classroom

Back-to-school is a hectic time for teachers, but it’s also very exciting. The new year offers a fresh start to get to know each student and create a personalized learning environment to help them grow. With this excitement comes both challenge and responsibility – challenge in learning the unique needs of each child, and responsibility for tailoring teaching methods to empower every student toward success. But learning isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it can be difficult for teachers to know how to respond to the varying needs of each of students.

So what can teachers do to support the mental health needs of their students?

Follow these 8 tips to support students through common learning & mental health obstacles:

1. Limit Distractions

Children with challenges related to motivation, attention, or hyperactivity may all have trouble staying focused in class. Teachers can help students remain focused by establishing eye contact, seating them strategically to keep them on task, and keeping most critical thinking tasks in the morning.

Teachers can also download this FOCUS skills handout, developed by Dr. Marta M. Shinn, with tips to support on task behaviors in school and at home.

2. Break it up

Breaking up big tasks can make classwork feel less overwhelming and more manageable for students with anxiety, depression, ADHD, motivation issues, and autism spectrum disorder. Instead of giving them a 30-page reading assignment to complete by the end of the week, assign 6 pages per night that will be reviewed the next day. Consider giving frequent, shorter quizzes rather than limiting testing to one or two high stakes exams.

3. Teach emotional regulation

Many mental health issues have to do with a person’s lack of healthy coping skills to process difficult emotions. This is often true for children with anxiety, depression, or self-harming behaviors. By teaching students healthy coping skills to manage their feelings, you can help them reduce negative symptoms so they can focus on learning.

Try the following strategies:

  • Teach breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques

  • Have the class write positive affirmations about themselves and what they will accomplish this school year

  • Don’t let students out of tasks that intimidate them – instead, talk to them about ways they can cope with their fears

4. Ignite their interest

You may not be able to make certain subjects easier for students, but you can make them more interesting. This can be especially engaging for unmotivated students or children with autism. Get to know your students’ interests and try to integrate them into your lessons wherever possible, especially on tasks they find difficult or overwhelming.

Examples:

If you have a student with autism that has a fixation on the Lakers, create word problems that incorporate basketball player names.

If you have a student who is unmotivated in English but loves doing ballet, encourage her to write her paper on what dance means to her.

5. Create a uniform front

Students achieve the greatest success when they feel supported by teachers, parents, and counselors. It can be tough to build relationships with every student’s family, but try to periodically check in with parents to discuss what strategies do and don’t work in helping their child learn.

6. Offer Predictability

Many learning disorders and mental health conditions benefit from predictability. Let your students know exactly what they can expect to do in class each day. Offer 10, 5, and 1-minute transition warnings to prepare children to move to the next task. List daily plans and lesson components on the board so students know what to expect. Stick to consistent, predictable routines and give plenty of warning when the routine will be altered.

Example: “James, next Monday I will be visiting my grandmother, so

you are going to have a substitute teacher that day.”

7. Choose positivity over punishment 

Though this can be difficult with students who are especially disruptive, do your best to use positive reinforcement more often than punishment. While there is a place for consequences, try to ignore mildly disruptive behaviors and make sure to praise students when they are on task, well-behaved, and completing work on time. Focusing on positive reinforcement will not only increase desirable behaviors in students with ADHD, behavioral issues, and autism, but it will also boost confidence in students struggling with depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

8. Emphasize Always

Students will only feel comfortable being honest with you if they feel you won’t respond with anxiety, shock, or judgement. When a student opens up to you about mental health challenges, build trust by validating their feelings, expressing understanding, and working with them to find healthy ways to cope.

Example: “I’m glad you felt comfortable coming to me about your depression and how it’s been affecting your school work. I understand how difficult middle school can be and I am always here to listen as you work through this. Can we visit the school counselor to discuss some ways to help you when you’re feeling depressed?”

9. Check out these resources

The following handouts, developed by Clinical & Educational Psychologist Dr. Marta M. Shinn, were designed to help educators understand the best ways to support students with common mental health issues. Check them out for detailed tips on supporting students with each specific diagnosis:

Strategies to Supporting Students with ADHD

Strategies to Supporting Students with Anxiety

Strategies to Supporting Students with Autism

Strategies to Supporting Students with Depression

Strategies to Supporting Students with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Strategies to Supporting Students who are Unmotivated

Dr. Marta M. Shinn, Ph.D., is a Psychologist, Research Scientist, and nationally recognized speaker on topics related to clinical child psychology and educational psychology. Dr. Shinn has spoken at several schools and universities to empower educators in policies and methods that promote their students’ mental health.

If you are interested in having Dr. Shinn speak at your school or institution, learn more by clicking here.

If you are a teacher seeking a counselor to refer your students to, you can refer to your school-based counselor or to a community counselor such as the child therapists at Variations Psychology.  

To learn more about our child psychology specialists, click here.

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More about Variations Psychology

Variations Psychology is a group practice specializing in diagnostic testing to identify psychological conditions. Our primary focus is Educational Psychology, guiding families on beneficial pathways toward student success and training educators in effective strategies to maximize student potential. 

Our comprehensive evaluations test for conditions that impact mental health and development such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and developmental delays. 

In addition to diagnostic services, we offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) of K-12 students to assess needs for accommodations in school and determine their appropriate placements. IEEs provide an objective second opinion on existing IEP and 504 Plans.

For K-12 and post-secondary students, we offer evaluations to assess needs for accommodations on standardized tests, college entrance exams (e.g. - SAT, ACT, AP Exams), and graduate and professional licensing exams (e.g. - MCAT, LSAT, GRE, CBEST, NCLEX, GMAT, CA Cosmetology Exam, CA Contractors State Licensing Exam, CA Bar Exam). Schedule your consultation to learn how our diagnostic services can support you and your family. 

Variations Psychology is located in Newport Beach, CA and provides psychological testing to residents throughout Orange County and its surrounding areas including Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Irvine, Shady Canyon, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Coto de Caza, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Yorba Linda, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Pelican Hill, Crystal Cove, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, Lake Forest, Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach, Seal Beach, and more.

References:

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Anxietybc.com (2018). Retrieved online: https://www.anxietybc.com/educators

Bubrick, K. Goodman, J., Whitlock, J. Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Schools: Developing and Implementing School Protocol. Cornell University. http://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/documents/schools.pdf

C8 Sciences. (2014). C8 Sciences: Helping Teachers Recognize the Symptoms of ADHD in their Students. Retrieved online: https://www.c8sciences.com/symptoms-of-adhd-in-students-tips-for-teachers/

Child Autism Parent Café. (2015). Supporting Students with Autism: 10 Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms. Retrieved online: http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/supporting-students-with-autism.html

Crundwell, M.A. & Killu, K. (2010). Responding to a Student’s Depression. Interventions that Work. Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 46-51

Cuncic, A. (2018). How to Teach Students with an Anxiety Disorder. Verywellmind.org. Retrieved online: https://www.verywellmind.com/teaching-students-with-sad-3024340

Ehmke, R. Anxiety in the Classroom: What it looks like and why it’s often mistaken for something else. (2018). Childmind.org. Retrieved online: https://childmind.org/article/classroom-anxiety-in-children/

Gavin, M. L. (2016) What Teachers Should Know. Retrieved online: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/depression-factsheet.html

GlobalAutismProject.org (2015). What is autism? Global Autism Project. Retrieved online:
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Hurst, M. (2018). Teenagers with Autism: Symptoms, Treatment, and Help. CRCHealth. Retrieved online: https://www.crchealth.com/troubled-teenagers/autism-in-teenagers/

Jean, S. (2014). Back to School: Identifying Signs of Depression and Anxiety in College Students. Westbridge.org. Retrieved online: https://www.westbridge.org/identifying-depression-anxiety-college-students/

McCormac, M.E. (2016). Address Student Anxiety. American School Counselor Association. Retrieved online: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/september-october-2016/address-student-anxiety

Preyde, M., Parekh, S., & Heintzman, J. (2018). Youths’ Experiences of School Re-Integration Following Psychiatric Hospitalization. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(1), 22–32.

Psych 4 Schools (2018). Unmotivated and Disengaged. Psych4schools.com.au Retrieved online: https://www.psych4schools.com.au/free-resources/unmotivated-disengaged/

RaisingChildrenNetwork.net.au (2018). Signs of autism spectrum disorder in older children and teenagers. Raising Children Network. Retrieved online: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_signs_teenagers.html

Russell, K.R. Hartung, S. Q. (2015) Identifying the Signs of Self-Harm in Students. NASN School Nurse Vol 31, Issue 2, pp. 121 – 124

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Shinn, M. (2016). Dealing with Feelings Study. FOCUS handout

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How to Cite This Blog Article:

Shinn, M.M. (2018). 8 Tips to Create a Mentally Healthy Classroom.  Psychologically Speaking.

[Variations Psychology blog post].  Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/8-tips-to-create-a-mentally-healthy-classroom