This semester I am implementing a new curriculum in my classroom. These next few weeks my students will be learning about mental health and how society can have an impact on it.
I know what you must be thinking, mental health education doesn't that belong in the health class rooms? My answer is no. It belongs in every class room. In today's day and age our students are being exposed to more then ever before. We must prepare them with the proper skills/resources to know how to handle different situations.
This post is also a work in progress, as the semester is currently in session. However, I will continue to update you all on what we are doing, how we are doing it, and how the students reacted to it.
“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” -Glenn Close
The idea for this unit came to me when I was assigned a project in college to come up with a thematic curriculum unit. I had no idea what to do, but I wanted to do something I was passionate about it. One night I was watching a Pete Davidson comedy special, where he was talking openly about his own mental health journey. It was one of the first times I had seen someone be so honest and real about something many people (including myself) face. After that night, I knew that this was what I had to do my project on.
But Why High Schoolers?
Why not high schoolers? Mental health education is something that I wish I had learned more about In school. My hope is that through educating students on it and how society can have a serious impact (positive and/or negative) it can change the stigma, and prepare them for the real world. Currently, there is no requirement for schools to educate students on mental health. However, everything that I plan to do does meet the standards from Common Core and the state of Michigan.
Many of the students that come in and out four class rooms everyday are already on their own mental health journey. It is something that everyone faces at one point or another in life and if educated on it the stigma will change. I recommend that this unit be taught to 11th or 12th grade students, as it can be very heavy and serious at times. Allow there to be open and honest conversations. Make your class a safe space for these moments to happen, strive for the students to be welcoming, respectful, and kind to one another.
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