School can be a joyful place for many students, full of growth, friendship, learning and connection. But at the same time, students can experience a lot of negative influences on their mental wellbeing during the school day. Bullying, social media, academic stress and prejudice can all make it difficult for youth to do well and thrive both in and out of the classroom.

Teachers can be some of the most impactful people in the lives of children and teens, with numerous opportunities to positively impact their students’ mental health. Here are some smart, actionable strategies for educators to better support student mental health in Kentucky.

1. Create a Safe and Supportive Classroom Environment

The classroom needs to be a safe space where students can have the opportunity to learn and feel comfortable. As a teacher, it’s important to encourage open communication and set a precedent for mutual respect. Be intentionally inclusive of students regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic situation, learning differences or sexual orientation. This lays the groundwork for students to interact with kindness towards each other, too.

Ideas for a Supportive Classroom Environment:

• Create calming zones for students to use when they need a break, like a cozy corner for silent reading or a table set aside for free art and writing.
• Partner with your students to create classroom rules that promote respect
• Teach students to speak up for one another if they see someone being treated unfairly or unkindly.
• Be accommodating of learning disabilities or sensory issues by adapting assignments and activities for students who need it, or keeping the lights dim and any music or noise quieter.

2. Build Strong Relationships with Students

Building strong relationships with your students goes hand-in-hand with creating a classroom environment where they feel safe and supported! If a student feels like their teacher genuinely listens to them and cares about not just their academic success, but them as a person, they are more likely to do well and have a positive impression of their school days.

Show interest in students’ lives, listen actively and validate feelings. This builds trust and helps students see you as their advocate!

Ideas for Building Relationships:

• Learn the names of students’ parents, siblings and pets.
• Pay attention to which subjects and learning methods each student prefers.
• Have quality time incentives, like taking the whole class to the field for a spontaneous game of kickball or planning a field trip if all students maintain passing grades by the end of the semester.
• Write encouraging notes on assignments, affirming students when you notice them trying their best.
• Have a pause in the school day to celebrate each student’s birthday (don’t forget to include winter break and summer vacation birthdays too!)

3. Recognize Signs of Stress or Mental Health Challenges

Every student is different, and you may not know what they are experiencing outside of the classroom. As a teacher, you can make a difference by watching for signs of stress or mental health challenges in your students’ behaviors and intervening to help them get the help they need if necessary. Here are some signs you may notice during the school day that a student is struggling with high stress or other mental health difficulties:

• Withdrawal from classmates and classroom activities
• Sudden changes in behavior, like becoming more emotional or aggressive
• Difficulty concentrating during lessons
• Falling asleep in class or other signs of physical exhaustion
• A sudden drop in grades
• Lack of classroom participation (when they previously were more engaged)

4. Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Activities

Whether you’re an elementary school teacher who is with your class all day or a high school teacher who only gets a group of students for an hour at a time, social-emotional learning (SEL) activities are a great way to take breaks between lessons and encourage good mental health throughout the school day. These could be mindfulness exercises, journaling breaks or a daily check-in before starting the lesson or school day.

Mindfulness exercises, journaling or check-in circles. Find resources for new ideas, and talk about how these can be valuable at any age.

Ideas for SEL Activities:

• Daily journaling with a question or prompt to help them get started (Try these prompts from Camber Mental Health)
• 5-minute breathing exercises
• Share Highs and Lows
• Have a “This or That” discussion
• Play “Heads Up, Seven Up”
• A Staring Contest tournament
• Or one of these five standards-based ideas from CASEL

5. Encourage Healthy Routines and Self-Care

While you can’t monitor every aspect of every student’s lifestyle, there are things you can do as their teacher to encourage healthy routines and self-care in the classroom. Taking breaks between lessons (or even in the middle of a lesson!) can help students not feel mentally fatigued and learn that it’s okay to take time to relax. Here are a few more ideas for encouraging self-care in the classroom:

• Have a five-minute dance break
• Keep a bag of soft indoor snowballs in your desk and toss them at students to start a spontaneous “snowball fight”
• Have combs, toothbrushes and other simple hygiene products to give out (privately) if a student seems to be struggling with hygiene maintenance
• Keep an open dialogue with school counselors or social workers if a student in your classroom seems to need additional support with personal care

6. Collaborate with Families and Caregivers

Always communicate with parents and caregivers, especially if you have concerns about their student. Families don’t see the day-to-day at school and may not notice as soon as you do that their child needs support. You can be an advocate for their child’s wellbeing by providing resources and working together to develop a plan that supports the student both at school and at home.

Ways to Include Families and Caregivers:

• Send home a weekly or monthly newsletter sharing resources, SELs and information about what you’re working on in the classroom.
• Reach out to parents or caregivers of students who seem to be struggling and offer resources and collaboration.
• Share resources like our Back to School Mental Health Strategies and other KVC Kentucky resources for families.

7. Know When and How to Refer for Additional Support

If a student could benefit from additional support, KVC Kentucky’s Behavioral Health Services offer professional care tailored to youth, individuals and families. Learn more and make a referral here.

What Happens at School Doesn’t Stay at School

Every experience a student has during their school day has a chance to make a positive or negative impact on their life, and every encouraging word or show of support helps. By implementing these strategies and being intentional as a teacher, you can help your students thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

If you’re looking for even more strategies and insights to help your students, take a look at KVC Kentucky’s resources to support student mental health in Kentucky.