How teachers can make a positive impact on the mental health of young people

Teaching is one of the most responsible jobs around, maybe second to that of a doctor or surgeon. Not only are you responsible for teaching young people how to acquire new knowledge, but you are also a counselor, a therapist, a life coach, a psychologist, and for some you may be as influential, if not more so, than their own parents.

This is why radiating positivity is ESSENTIAL. If you cannot do that in your current place of work, perhaps due to neglectful management or too much pressure, for the sake of your own mental health, leave as soon as possible and find a school where you can be positive in your mind. Positivity is contagious, the same way as negativity can spread like a vicious disease through the gloomy corridors of an unhappy school.

For some students, a teacher is somebody who tells them what to do, and demands respect. For others, a teacher is somebody who will inspire them and make them feel that they CAN do it, rather than putting them down.

I strongly believe that MUTUAL respect should exist in the classroom, as it should in modern day society. Why should we continue to encourage this backward hierarchy, where people are treated differently according to their IQ, or bank balance? This all begins in the classroom, when the balance of respect and power is often completely in favour of the teacher. But how can I expect my students to respect me if I don't respect them?

The mounting pressure as a teenager to get good results, to be liked by others, and to balance their workload and relationships is where mental health problems can begin. Throw in a dysfunctional home life, which is the reality for many, and you have the perfect recipe for an unhappy mental state.

As we have all read in the papers, the rate of mental health issues in young people is going through the roof. We as teachers cannot fix the problem, but we can really help and where we can, make them feel GOOD about themselves.

Here are a few simple ways that you can do that:

1. 5 compliments a lesson (at least!)

Every lesson, I find something to compliment a student about, making sure that it is not always the same pupils. Whether it is noticing a new hairstyle, or being well organised, or having their shirt tucked in for the first time ever, a small compliment does and will make a difference. Do this in the staff room too - you never know when your colleagues need a pick me up too.

2. 3 laughs a lesson (at least!)

Don't be afraid to make daft jokes, subject related or non subject related. If they fall flat, laugh about it after.

I also find that moments that you remember are often ones where you were laughing - so surely that applies to lessons too?

3. Personality peer graph (great for a tutor time activity)

I have used this in French and German, but it can be used in tutor time also. Create a bar chart measuring different qualities, for example, chatty, cheerful, creative, trustworthy etc and ask students to complete the bar chart about someone else in the class. The results are often lots of smiles and laughter!