Calmly Engage Emotional Students: Strategies For Teachers

Teachers play a critical role in supporting the emotional well-being of their students. They are often the first point of contact for students experiencing mental health issues and can help to create emotionally safe spaces in the classroom. However, many educators feel unprepared to deal with these challenges due to a lack of proper training and tools. In this guide, we will explore effective strategies for approaching and supporting emotionally vulnerable students, including recognizing warning signs, creating a positive classroom environment, and promoting self-expression and empowerment.

Recognise warning signs of mental health needs

Recognising warning signs of mental health needs is an important skill for anyone who works with students. Here are some key warning signs to look out for:

Changes in Behaviour and Personality

Students may exhibit drastic changes in their behaviour or personality, such as increased irritability, aggressive or abrasive behaviour, procrastination, poor performance in class, or infrequent class attendance. They may also display bizarre, alarming, or dangerous behaviours.

Social Withdrawal

Withdrawing from social activities, isolating themselves from friends and family, or avoiding social interactions altogether may be a sign of underlying mental health issues such as depression or social anxiety.

Difficulty Concentrating

Students with mental health issues may find it challenging to concentrate, make decisions, or remember things. This can impact their academic performance and cause problems in the classroom.

Changes in Sleep and Appetite

Insomnia, trouble falling asleep, changes in appetite, or sleeping and eating excessively can be signs of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders.

Physical Symptoms

Persistent physical symptoms like headaches, digestive problems, or aches and pains that don’t have a clear medical cause may be linked to stress or mental health concerns.

Self-Harm or Suicidal Thoughts

If a student expresses thoughts of self-harm or suicide, it is crucial to take these thoughts seriously and seek immediate help. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults.

Substance Abuse

Preoccupation with drugs, inability to participate in class activities, deteriorating performance, or periods of memory loss (blackouts) may be signs of substance abuse. Alcohol and drug-related accidents are the greatest single cause of preventable death among college students.

Intense Worries or Fears

Intense worries or fears that interfere with daily activities and cause physical danger or classroom disruptions may be indicative of an anxiety disorder.

Persistent Sadness or Hopelessness

Feeling persistently sad, empty, or hopeless can be a sign of depression, especially if it interferes with the student's daily life and academic performance.

It is important to remember that these signs may vary from person to person, and this list is not exhaustive. If you recognise any of these warning signs, encourage the student to seek mental health support and provide them with the necessary resources.

Create emotionally safe spaces

Educators play a critical role in the emotional well-being of their students and are often the first point of contact for students experiencing mental health issues. Teachers can create emotionally safe spaces in their classrooms by:

Promoting a sense of empowerment

Providing structure, consistency, predictability, and choices is crucial for promoting students' sense of empowerment and control. This can be achieved through visual schedules, greeting and goodbye rituals, repetitive mantras for overcoming challenges, collaborative problem-solving methods, and a focus on process over product. During the school day, teachers can also use books, visuals, and SEL activities to help students build social and emotional literacy.

Encouraging expression

Students can be provided with expressive tools to help them process their experiences and communicate in ways that are more natural for them. This can include open-ended drawing, drawing from prompts, virtual tools such as comic creators, collage creators, puzzle makers, and matching game creators. Playful mindfulness, meditation, music, movement, and yoga are also effective methods to help students develop a deeper insight into themselves and others.

Reframing behaviours

Disruptive behaviours should not be misinterpreted as attention-seeking or "making bad choices". Instead, teachers should understand them as a student's way of communicating their needs. By providing students with expressive tools, teachers can gain a stronger sense of understanding and connection with their students.

Recognising warning signs of mental health needs

Teachers should be able to identify warning signs that a student needs support, such as acting sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks, sudden overwhelming fear, extreme difficulty concentrating, or severe mood swings. If these signs are noticed, teachers should seek guidance from a school counsellor or refer the student to a mental health professional.

Reducing classroom stress

Classroom stress can be reduced by avoiding rigid deadlines, not lowering grades for non-academic reasons, and gamifying lessons to make them more engaging. Teachers should also be familiar with options for accommodations, such as IEPs and 504 Plans, and gently suggest these options to parents when appropriate.

By implementing these strategies, teachers can create emotionally safe spaces in their classrooms and support the social and emotional well-being of their students.

Encourage students to express themselves

Encouraging students to express themselves is an important aspect of a teacher's role. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

Firstly, creating a safe and supportive classroom environment is crucial. Students need to feel emotionally safe and accepted in the classroom to be able to express themselves freely. Teachers can achieve this by promoting a sense of empowerment and social-emotional literacy. Providing structure, consistency, and predictability can help students feel more in control of their emotions. Visual schedules, greeting rituals, and collaborative problem-solving methods are some ways to achieve this.

Additionally, teachers can incorporate expressive tools and activities that allow students to process their experiences and communicate their feelings. This could include drawing, collage-making, comic creation, or puzzle-making. These activities can help students explore their emotions and communicate in ways that feel more natural to them.

Another strategy is to model emotional expression and provide opportunities for students to do the same. Teachers can share their own experiences and strategies for managing emotions, normalizing the discussion of feelings. Students can then be encouraged to introduce themselves and share their experiences, connecting with their peers on a personal level.

Furthermore, teachers should seek to enhance engagement and validation. Learning students' names and preferred pronouns, seeking feedback, and demonstrating enthusiasm and commitment are ways to achieve this. Teachers should also be mindful of non-verbal communication, such as smiling and varying their tone of voice, to enhance personal connections.

Finally, it is important to recognize that some students may need additional support. Teachers should be aware of warning signs of mental health needs, such as prolonged sadness or withdrawal, extreme fear, difficulty concentrating, or severe mood swings. If these signs are observed, teachers should seek guidance from school counselors or refer students to mental health professionals.

By implementing these strategies, teachers can create a supportive environment that encourages students to express themselves and develop social-emotional skills.

Reframe behaviours

Reframing behaviours is about understanding disruptive behaviours as a student's way of communicating their needs, rather than viewing them as conscious, intentional choices. Teachers should be mindful that there are many reasons why a student may be acting out, and it is not always because they are seeking attention or making bad choices.

For instance, a child might have developmental, physical, medical, sensory, learning, or mental health needs that are not being met. They might have a stressful home environment or be struggling with peer relationships. Alternatively, they might simply be having difficulty building a trusting relationship with the teacher and the school environment.

By providing students with expressive tools, such as drawing, virtual avatar creation, collage creation, or puzzle-making, teachers can gain insight into what needs might be at the root of a student's behaviour. This approach can help teachers develop a stronger sense of understanding and connection with their students without committing extensive time or taking on the role of a mental health provider.

While this approach may not be effective in moments of high emotional escalation, it is a highly effective, proactive strategy that will often decrease the need for reactive responses.

Provide tools for expression

Providing tools for expression is a powerful way to support students' emotional well-being. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

Visual Arts

Drawing and visual arts can be an effective tool for students to express their emotions and process their experiences. This can include open-ended drawing or drawing from prompts. For instance, the Anti-Coloring Book provides drawing prompts that allow students to explore their creativity and express their emotions. Visual arts can also include collage creation, where students can upload their own pictures to share a story or design a collage in any shape they prefer.

Virtual Tools

Virtual tools and technology can be leveraged to offer students creative ways to express themselves. For example, Pixton, a comic creator, enables students to create customized avatars and explore SEL lesson ideas through role-playing. Additionally, puzzle-making platforms like I'm a Puzzle or matching game creators allow students to present different aspects of their identity and experiences in a fun and engaging manner.

Writing and Journaling

Encouraging students to write about their thoughts and feelings in a journal can be a powerful tool for expression. This can be done in conjunction with SEL lessons, providing a space for students to reflect and process their emotions. Older students can also be paired with younger "buddy classrooms" to foster inter-age connections and provide a sense of mentorship as they navigate their emotions.

Group Projects and Role-Playing

Group projects and role-playing activities can be incorporated into formal subjects like math, history, or reading. For example, assigning a group project where students self-delegate roles fosters collaboration and provides an opportunity for them to navigate their emotions while working together. Role-playing as historical figures can also help students understand the emotions and motivations behind a person's actions, enhancing their emotional intelligence.

Mindfulness and Movement

Playful mindfulness practices, meditation, music, movement, and yoga are all effective tools to help students connect with their bodies and feelings. These practices can deepen their insight into themselves and others, providing a healthy outlet for emotional expression and regulation.

Safe Spaces

Creating emotionally safe spaces in the classroom is essential for students to feel comfortable expressing their emotions. Teachers can achieve this by promoting a sense of empowerment, providing structure, consistency, and choices. This can include greeting rituals, goodbye rituals, collaborative problem-solving, and focusing on the process over the product. Teachers should also be mindful of recognizing warning signs of mental health needs and seeking appropriate support when needed.

By offering these diverse tools for expression, educators can empower students to explore and communicate their emotions effectively, fostering self-acceptance and acceptance of others.

Frequently asked questions