Calista

I am Calista, a senior in high school and today I would like to introduce the topic of teacher training in social, emotional, and mental health. To begin, I would like to state the definition of “supportive” from the Merriam Webster Dictionary: “Supportive: serving to sustain the strength and condition of a patient.” Please keep this in mind as we continue to discuss.

To fully examine the true injustices seen in many schools within the state of Massachusetts, reaching out to students is very important, and provides state legislators with the opportunities to get to know schools from students’ perspectives and not just administrators. Starting with legislators will allow for more advocacy across a broader spectrum, meaning more space allowed for change on every level. Speaking about change, it is paramount to have change at every level, and in this context, teachers are imperative.

As a student who is constantly advocating for adjustments within unjust or skewed systems, I understand the influence a student’s voice can have, but also how it can be easily ignored. Within my school in particular, there are many teachers that entertain students’ revisions for the school system, but never actually allow students to follow through, which is partially because of the way teachers view students. For teachers to start taking students seriously, they need to understand that students have lives outside of school, and while it is a very important aspect of life, school is not, and should not, be everything.

There have been multiple instances in which I feel as though I am not viewed as a teenager, or a human even, by my teachers. I understand the importance of policies, but there is also the importance of life. The first example I want to highlight is homework policies. One of my teachers did not let me make up my homework after a very emotionally and mentally arduous week, where I was dealing with intense issues such as the grief of death, anxiousness about sickness within my family, and insecurities about the future. After explaining the situation of everything that had happened in a matter of four days, the teacher still did not budge and chose policy over a student’s mental and emotional health. If training in areas such as dealing with student depression and grief or comforting a student with anxiety become a requirement, I believe the relationship between students and teachers could improve immensely. With these possible trainings, we could start to improve the overall environment of schools and expand interest in education in general.

Another example I would like to stress is teachers failing to acknowledge the wide variety of time commitments students have. Students themselves should be able to determine what takes priority in their lives, and while teachers can provide guidance, it becomes difficult to understand what they actually want. An example of when I did feel as though the fullness of my life was valued was with the actions of my Drama Club director Mrs. Shershac aka “Shac.” She is supportive of everything her students do and always allows them to miss a part of a rehearsal once in a while for another school-sanctioned event. The musical took place at the same time as softball season, and Mrs. Shershac allowed me to fully participate in both. She supported me as the starting second baseman on the State Championship-winning softball team, and also as Ms. Norbury on stage. Shac is an example of a teacher or advisor truly understanding a student’s life.

Training that informs school employees on the importance of time management, responsibility, and emotions within the lives of students, should be a requirement because it would allow teachers, coaches,  directors, and so many others to finally see the humanity within the kids that look up to them. We could bring back humanity into schools, and really support those who need it most: the students.