Schools talk about preparing students for the future and the “real world”, but one of the most difficult challenges teens deal with right now is taking care of their emotional and mental health. In the middle of dealing with jobs, extracurriculars, academic stress, and life at home, students have to balance all these things. If schools say they want us to be successful, they have to realize that well-being is not something “extra” but that it’s the foundation that makes learning possible in the first place. This means treating mental health with the same view as academics, not just something that students are expected to control on their own.
One of the greatest improvements that schools could make is adding access to trained mental health counselors and letting students have the time to talk to them. Counselors are usually busy with making schedules, testing duties, and more, this doesn’t leave enough room for conversations. Schools can add breaks throughout the day, which are specifically used to have quiet time. The small changes can make a difference, like letting students leave the classroom when they get stressed out, another difference could be teachers not giving unnecessary homework.
To get a deeper understanding, we talked to one of our guidance counselors, Mrs. Tina Hughes, who sees what students deal with on a daily basis. She told us that lots of students deal with stress quietly, with no one to talk to. Mrs. Hughes also said that the most valuable thing is making a school culture where students feel comfortable about being open and honest. She explained that when students realize that they won’t be judged for having a difficult day, they’ll open up about how they feel. Creating that sort of atmosphere takes time and hard work from everyone, including administrators, teachers, and the students as well. Supporting student well-being isn’t just about being helpful, but it’s crucial if schools want us to prosper.
Ms. Furano Senior English class doing work. Taken by Chardae Pittman
