We asked our Educators Rising students how their school helps address their mental health needs and what they could do better.
More counselors needed
Midelys Colon
In our school, we have a thing called the SAC: Student Assistance Center, better known as “The Peace Room.” In this room, we can talk to a social worker about anything we may be going through. School can be a stressful environment, so having this room is extremely helpful. However, not many students know about it. Our school needs to be more informative about what resources we have. If no one knows about it, what is the point of having it?
In addition, we need more counselors. Counselors are essential to making sure students are mentally healthy. And our counselors are overworked. How are they going to help if they are burnt out 100% of the time? It is unjust that they have been given so much work that the students are suffering. In one of our classes, we discuss what schools need to improve, and the No. 1 answer was more counselors. It is essential that schools not only provide information about their resources but also provide more people to help students.
Midelys Colon
11th grade
New Britain High School
New Britain, Connecticut
Free counseling helps
Milan Aranda
My school offers free counseling services. In classes, they also have us talk about things we can do to deal with stress and other emotions. They have the wellness center host events to talk about mental health and give resources to students. Since I’ve been here, I have used those resources, and it has helped me a lot dealing with the new environment of college.
Milan Aranda
Freshman
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, Missouri
Let us sleep
Anna Orner
Schools typically require students in their chairs by 7:45; classes start at 8 a.m. So, you have to wake up early enough for an hour-long bus ride or sit at a standstill on the shoulder of the road in the parent drop-off line, because if not, you’ll be late. Six hours later, you’re out of school again and headed home. With at least seven hours left to a normal day, you might fill your time with friends, hobbies, exercise, or homework. But ask any student what they do when they get home, and there’s a good chance you’ll hear “nap.” Then, while their families are in bed, students are staying up, despite their drooping eyes and foggy minds, to do the homework they traded for a nap. The typical student goes to bed around 12, and a good student goes to bed around 1 a.m. So, when they wake up just five hours later, what else can you expect but a mental health crisis?
Tired minds cause tired thinking, and suddenly it’s harder to balance emotions, organize thoughts, and deal with everyday stress — one of the top causes of mental health issues in students. But when the concept of “too much homework, not enough sleep” has been pointed out to school administration, the response has been “mental health days” — one half-day per quarter for students to catch up, destress, and refocus. Despite the administration’s efforts, they’ve missed the point completely.
No matter the amount of work, what makes it undoable, overwhelming, and stress-inducing is being too tired to complete it. What students need is uninterrupted sleep. For students waking up at 6:15, this can be hard to pull off. Pushing back school start times is a worthy idea. It would increase the amount of time students can sleep soundly, reducing mental fatigue, and in turn reducing stress and anxiety. With healthier minds, students will find it easier to rationalize, understand, and plan their lives to be happy and balanced.
Anna Orner
11th grade
Hereford High School
Parkton, Maryland
This article appears in the November 2023 issue of Kappan, Vol. 105, No. 3, p. 68.
