I completely agree that mental health needs to be more important than maths. I've never once needed to know the square root of pi and can't remember a single time anyone outside of the classroom gave me an algebra equation and made it feel like a life or death situation.
You sound like a wonderful teacher. I'm glad you got that afternoon off to rest, and you should be really proud of how you helped the homesick student - I'm sure you'll go down in their personal history as one of the people that cared.
I love this 10000%. As a kid, I used to feel nervous and teary a lot. It was difficult to understand or control it. I just had ZERO tools. (That's growing up in the 80's). I was always told how much of an easy-crier I was, so I grew up feeling weak and awful about it. I learned to hide and swallow every overwhelming emotion, not to mention the constant fear for being spotted for "feeling things" or wanting to cry. And of course, it only became more frequent through childhood and teen years. Now at age 42, I'm finally starting to understand what all that vulnerability was about and how it affected me, how it wasn't normal, and probably, how it was of no importance for society to talk about emotions at the time. I'm so so glad that this is slowly changing, and I want to think that many of us are now being part of creating such change. No one should ever grow without an emotional toolkit, and since there was never one before us, it's now us who can create it. Thank goodness for healing. Hadn't been an easy road but it works. And so many of us have understood how important this is, making us want to make a change within and without.
Bravo for your work! You're a gold teacher. And thanks for sharing! 💯❤️
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve always hated my purely emotional response to difficult situations but I’m also starting to understand that I wasn’t educated on how to handle them and I’m getting there now too. Such a valuable perspective, I bet so many people benefit from what you share!
Great post; critical points were raised! Thanks for sharing. It also reminded me of my teacher, who invited me to the cafe because she knew I struggled to deal with my parents’ divorce. It’s those people who go beyond expectation, that extra mile. She’s the only teacher I bother to remember, and I do so with so much gratitude
I had a teacher who noticed something was up with me when things got difficult between my parents (also divorced) - I know she didn’t understand the full scale of my woes because I was so closed up but she really tried and I’ll never forget it.
It is about equipping the students with practical tools for tomorrow. Helping the students with their emotions, practical skills and emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach. Thanks, Jack.
Completely agree Nash - there are little tricks I see our children now using independently that make a real difference and, being children, they’re learning it incredibly quickly and effectively.
A lot of school life boils down to relationships, with peers and with the adults. I find that there are adults who don't understand that some children are introverts and quiet and just need space and it's often because they haven't taken time to get to know the child.
When I went to primary school in the 80s we had an afternoon outdoor break as well as morning and lunchtime. This seems to rarely happen in most primary schools now so outdoor time is lessened and after school many children go home to sit and look at a screen. I'm sure there'll be some research out there linking that to anxiety/mental health/wellbeing issues...
We need such a huge culture shift around the school day. It's been well known for years that Scandinavian schools get good results but we've not really taken much notice of what they do. Isn't there a quote from Einstein or someone about the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Much of what's happening in education at the moment seems to be along those lines, sadly.
Keep doing what you're doing - it certainly sounds like you have good relationships with your class and that's 99% of the battle. 😊
Your insights on teaching from a refreshing perspective are always thought-provoking. This week's discussion on balancing academic rigour with mental health resonates. Your approach to nurturing students' emotional well-being, alongside academic growth, highlights the real essence of education. Thanks for this great piece.
I completely agree that mental health needs to be more important than maths. I've never once needed to know the square root of pi and can't remember a single time anyone outside of the classroom gave me an algebra equation and made it feel like a life or death situation.
You sound like a wonderful teacher. I'm glad you got that afternoon off to rest, and you should be really proud of how you helped the homesick student - I'm sure you'll go down in their personal history as one of the people that cared.
What an amazing compliment Charlotte, thank you. Still early in my career so I’ve got plenty more to learn but it feels like the right job!
I love this 10000%. As a kid, I used to feel nervous and teary a lot. It was difficult to understand or control it. I just had ZERO tools. (That's growing up in the 80's). I was always told how much of an easy-crier I was, so I grew up feeling weak and awful about it. I learned to hide and swallow every overwhelming emotion, not to mention the constant fear for being spotted for "feeling things" or wanting to cry. And of course, it only became more frequent through childhood and teen years. Now at age 42, I'm finally starting to understand what all that vulnerability was about and how it affected me, how it wasn't normal, and probably, how it was of no importance for society to talk about emotions at the time. I'm so so glad that this is slowly changing, and I want to think that many of us are now being part of creating such change. No one should ever grow without an emotional toolkit, and since there was never one before us, it's now us who can create it. Thank goodness for healing. Hadn't been an easy road but it works. And so many of us have understood how important this is, making us want to make a change within and without.
Bravo for your work! You're a gold teacher. And thanks for sharing! 💯❤️
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve always hated my purely emotional response to difficult situations but I’m also starting to understand that I wasn’t educated on how to handle them and I’m getting there now too. Such a valuable perspective, I bet so many people benefit from what you share!
Great post; critical points were raised! Thanks for sharing. It also reminded me of my teacher, who invited me to the cafe because she knew I struggled to deal with my parents’ divorce. It’s those people who go beyond expectation, that extra mile. She’s the only teacher I bother to remember, and I do so with so much gratitude
I had a teacher who noticed something was up with me when things got difficult between my parents (also divorced) - I know she didn’t understand the full scale of my woes because I was so closed up but she really tried and I’ll never forget it.
It is about equipping the students with practical tools for tomorrow. Helping the students with their emotions, practical skills and emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach. Thanks, Jack.
Completely agree Nash - there are little tricks I see our children now using independently that make a real difference and, being children, they’re learning it incredibly quickly and effectively.
A lot of school life boils down to relationships, with peers and with the adults. I find that there are adults who don't understand that some children are introverts and quiet and just need space and it's often because they haven't taken time to get to know the child.
When I went to primary school in the 80s we had an afternoon outdoor break as well as morning and lunchtime. This seems to rarely happen in most primary schools now so outdoor time is lessened and after school many children go home to sit and look at a screen. I'm sure there'll be some research out there linking that to anxiety/mental health/wellbeing issues...
We need such a huge culture shift around the school day. It's been well known for years that Scandinavian schools get good results but we've not really taken much notice of what they do. Isn't there a quote from Einstein or someone about the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Much of what's happening in education at the moment seems to be along those lines, sadly.
Keep doing what you're doing - it certainly sounds like you have good relationships with your class and that's 99% of the battle. 😊
Napping is my favorite too
Your insights on teaching from a refreshing perspective are always thought-provoking. This week's discussion on balancing academic rigour with mental health resonates. Your approach to nurturing students' emotional well-being, alongside academic growth, highlights the real essence of education. Thanks for this great piece.