Mental Health Awareness for Teachers

It’s hard to deny that nowadays we are living in turbulent times. Beside the fast-paced lifestyle full of everyday worries, we also have to deal with plenty of negative news which tackles wars, conflicts, natural disasters, unstable political situations, etc. 

In this article, we will look at the importance of mental health awareness in EFL from different perspectives and identify possible ways for a teacher to address mental health issues in class.

As a rule, negative topics tend to be shunned, English textbooks are full of bright pictures of smiley people. The majority of lesson materials hardly cover anything potentially upsetting.

Learners may be tired of hearing about it on a daily basis. Moreover, controversial questions could cause unfriendly debates, which may lead to unwanted tension in the classroom. We may think what bothers our learners outside the classroom is none of our business. Our role is to teach and guide, not to provide therapy sessions.

According to the WHO, the level of mental health conditions is rising worldwide, and ‘mental health conditions can have a substantial effect on all areas of life, such as school or work performance, relationships with family and friends and ability to participate in the community’. 

So, what is a right way to address mental health issues in the class?

These could be individual risk factors, e.g. poor physical health, financial insecurity, bereavement, job loss, alcohol and substance misuse; family risk factors, such as changes in family structure, alcoholic and/or drug-addicted parents, etc.; community risk factors, e.g. stigma associated with help-seeking. 

You can read more about risk factors by following this link.

If their life is relatively stress-free, it would be logical to assume that nothing will hinder their comprehension of the material, and their concentration level will be high.

So, here is the first red flag we as educators are able to notice: unusual behaviour in class. For example, a student who always actively participates in lessons and is eager to learn suddenly becomes quiet and seems distracted. 

Naturally, we could brush it off. We all face minor nuisances in life every now and then.

What can we do in such situations? I don’t think methodology books or courses prepare us for this. For instance, once I wanted to have a talk with my adult student to find out why she had missed a few classes. All of a sudden she burst into tears as it turned out she was dealing with personal issues. 

It caught me off guard at first, but we ended up having a 30-minute conversation. My student seemed relieved, but we also came up with solutions regarding her attendance.

If you are teaching young learners, for example, and have noticed warning signs, such as poor concentration, distraction, and dominating negative thoughts, which are not typical, you can approach the learner first and try to cautiously find out the reason for behaviour changes.

If it doesn’t help, it is recommended to bring it out with the learner’s parents or legal guardians. The further steps should be defined in cooperation with them.

In my case, my student and I found a compromise together. Sometimes, it is a simple conversation that makes a difference. 

However, there are more severe issues which we are not competent enough to address. 

So, here is what we are capable of:

Fostering mental health awareness in the ESL classroom is essential in today’s challenging times.

By acknowledging the limitations of addressing severe mental health issues, teachers can empower learners with resources and guidance, promoting a compassionate and supportive learning environment. 

In doing so, educators play a crucial role in not only teaching language skills but also nurturing the holistic development of their students.