How Can We Improve School-Based Mental Health Support? | Jordan Wells | TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet
Summary
TLDRThe speaker candidly shares their journey from emotional suppression to advocacy, highlighting the pivotal role of a supportive fifth-grade teacher. They recount initiating a research project on mental health in schools, which evolved into a personal mission. The talk emphasizes the systemic neglect of mental health in education, proposing practical solutions like check-in checklists and zoning regulations. The speaker challenges societal discomfort with emotions, arguing for their acceptance as a strength, and calls for a paradigm shift in schools to prepare students for life, not just academic success.
Takeaways
- 😟 The speaker admits to being nervous and historically not comfortable expressing emotions.
- 🏠 Growing up without a father had a significant impact on the speaker's life.
- 🌟 A fifth-grade teacher provided emotional support and was a pivotal figure for the speaker.
- 🏫 The speaker's research project on mental health in schools became deeply personal and transformative.
- 🔍 The project revealed issues like lack of funding, knowledge, and student discomfort as barriers to mental health support.
- 📝 Simple solutions like check-in checklists and zoning regulations were proposed to improve mental health awareness.
- 🗣️ The speaker advocated for emotional expression and mental health to be taken seriously in schools.
- 🌐 The realization that the issue extends beyond one school to the broader education system and society.
- 💡 A psychologist's quote, 'Emotion is a strength,' resonated with the speaker and motivated advocacy.
- 🔄 The speaker criticizes the traditional school model for not preparing students emotionally for life.
- 🌍 The speaker envisions a world where emotional expression is encouraged and seen as a strength.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial attitude towards expressing emotions?
-The speaker initially was not comfortable expressing emotions, as it was not a natural thing to do in their family.
How did the speaker's fifth-grade teacher impact their life?
-The speaker's fifth-grade teacher was the first person who told them they could talk about anything and was always there for them, which left a lasting positive impact.
What was the topic of the research project the speaker started in eighth grade?
-The research project was about the lack of mental health support for students in middle and high schools.
What did the speaker realize during their research project?
-The speaker realized that the main problems were the lack of funding, lack of knowledge about mental health issues, and students not feeling comfortable discussing their emotions.
What solutions did the speaker propose to improve mental health support in schools?
-The speaker proposed solutions like using a check-in checklist between students and guidance counselors, and implementing a zoning regulation method to track and address emotional states.
Why did the speaker feel the need to expand the scope of their project beyond their school?
-The speaker realized that the issues they were addressing were not just limited to their school but were prevalent in schools all over America and the world.
Who did the speaker talk to as part of their research?
-The speaker talked to state legislators, organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Boston public school psychologists.
What quote from a psychologist resonated with the speaker?
-The quote was 'Emotion is a strength, don't be afraid to use it,' which resonated with the speaker and motivated them to advocate for emotional expression.
What societal issue does the speaker believe is contributing to mental health problems?
-The speaker believes that society's discomfort with emotions and the stigma around mental illness are contributing to mental health problems.
Why does the speaker argue that schools are not preparing students for life?
-The speaker argues that schools are not preparing students for life because they do not provide space for students to express their emotions and mental health issues.
What does the speaker suggest as a way to improve emotional expression in schools?
-The speaker suggests having a dedicated class period for students to express their emotions and discuss their mental health.
Outlines
🌟 Overcoming Personal Challenges and Advocating for Mental Health
The speaker begins by expressing their nervousness and vulnerability, admitting that they were not always open about their emotions. They share their childhood experience of growing up without a father, which caused them emotional distress. They highlight a fifth-grade teacher who provided emotional support, which was pivotal in their life. The speaker then discusses a research project on mental health in schools that they undertook in seventh grade, which became deeply personal and significant. They describe the project's evolution from a school assignment to a personal mission to improve mental health awareness and support in schools. The speaker identifies key issues such as lack of funding, lack of awareness, and students' discomfort in discussing mental health. They propose solutions like check-in checklists and zoning regulation methods to foster a more supportive environment. The speaker's personal journey and the project's impact are emphasized, showing their growth from a reserved individual to an advocate for change in mental health support in educational systems.
🗣️ The Importance of Emotional Expression and Advocacy
In the second paragraph, the speaker continues to discuss their advocacy for mental health, sharing the impact of talking to state legislators, companies, and school psychologists during their research project. They recount a powerful quote from a psychologist, emphasizing that emotions are a strength, not a weakness. The speaker reflects on society's discomfort with emotions and the stigma surrounding mental illness, particularly in educational settings. They argue that schools should provide spaces for students to express their emotions and mental states, suggesting that this could help prevent mental health issues. The speaker criticizes the traditional school system for focusing solely on academic subjects and neglecting emotional well-being. They propose the idea of having dedicated time for emotional expression and support within the school day. The speaker concludes by envisioning a world where emotional health is openly discussed and valued, and where people are not afraid to express their feelings, ending with a call to action for change.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Emotions
💡Mental Health
💡Research Project
💡Generation Citizens
💡Check-in Checklist
💡Zoning Regulation Method
💡Advocacy
💡IEPs
💡Stigma
💡Emotion as Strength
💡Preparation for Life
Highlights
Speaker admits being nervous and not always open about emotions.
Growing up without a father had a significant impact on the speaker's life.
A fifth-grade teacher provided emotional support and was a pivotal figure.
The speaker's research project on mental health for students evolved into a personal mission.
The project aimed to address the lack of mental health resources in schools.
The realization that the issue is not limited to one school but is widespread.
Proposed solutions include check-in checklists for students and counselors.
The zoning regulation method is suggested to track and address student emotional states.
The importance of having open conversations about emotions was emphasized.
The speaker discussed the issue with state legislators and mental health organizations.
A psychologist's quote about embracing emotions as a strength was influential.
The speaker advocates for emotional expression and mental health awareness.
Society's discomfort with emotions contributes to mental health issues.
The traditional school environment does not facilitate emotional expression.
The need for a space in school for students to express their true feelings.
Critique of the school system preparing students for life but not for emotional expression.
The absurdity of not being able to put one's name on schoolwork.
A vision of a world where emotional expression is encouraged and seen as strength.
Transcripts
hi everybody
good afternoon hope you guys are doing
well so I'm gonna be totally honest with
you guys I'm like nervous and like I
don't even know I didn't think I would
be here today but here I am and I'm not
just saying this just to say this I'm
saying this because I wasn't always the
person to come forth and say I'm nervous
or you know I'm sad I'm feeling kind of
angry right now I wasn't the person to
always come up and be in front with my
emotions to myself and to others growing
up my family it wasn't really the
natural thing to really say hey can we
talk we have a conversation you know I'm
kind of feeling down I need to sit down
with you if we could talk you know I
grew up without my father and this put a
dent in my life I was hurt for a long
time and just recently I started seeking
hope growing up without my father made
it even worse that I felt uncomfortable
talking to my own family about my
emotions I did have this fifth grade
teacher that I'm super thankful for
because she is the one person when I was
young to say you can talk to me about
anything
whenever I'm here for you I will always
remember her and I'm so thankful and I
truly do wish that everybody else had
somebody like her in their lives in
seventh grade I transferred to Boston
Latin Academy and in eighth grade
my civics class started a research
project on the lack of mental house
for from students in middle and high
schools now this started off as a
mandatory research project that
everybody was doing it was just like
whatever I don't care we're doing this
for grade and I'm going home at the end
of the day but for me it was so much
deeper because out of some sort of part
of my brain I knew that this was what I
liked that this was important to me and
I loved it I stayed after school for
hours working on a board a project and
this project is becoming my life so it's
no longer a project to me and by the end
of this talk I hope you guys don't see
this as a project or just a TED talk
that you came to hear about I want you
guys to take this and say how can I
change this from my child from my
child's school for my school for my
friend during this research project I've
had the opportunity to go to a program
called generation citizens and going to
this company I realized a lot and some
main things that I realized is the
problem the problems with these systems
is the lack of funding the lack of
knowledge about this issue this issue
not being seen as a priority and
students themselves not feeling
comfortable so I came up with a few
solutions that I thought would be very
helpful for myself for others inside of
my school and then I most recently
started to say you know what this is
more than just Boston Line Academy this
is Boston Public Schools this is schools
all over America schools all over in the
world so I realized having simple things
like students and guidance counselor's
using a check-in checklist just simple
questions how was your day if not so
well why would you like to have a
sit-down one-to-one conversation simple
things like that help sometimes we want
as children
you talk to somebody but nobody asked
and we are too afraid to afraid
ourselves to really advocate that for
ourselves another solution that I came
up with is the zoning regulation method
I personally would have loved to have a
zoning regulation method put in place in
any school that I've been to because I
would have realized how many blue days
that I had or how many red days that I
had and somebody would have known also
it wouldn't have just been me it would
have been maybe a guidance counselor
teacher that said it's just somebody
else you know Jordan is having a blue
day and I realized she's been having
these a lot these are really helpful
methods and I really wish they were put
in place when I when I was younger and I
think that they could be super helpful
for anybody else younger or the same age
as me during this research project the
other beginning when this was still a
project I talked to state legislators I
talked to companies like the National
Alliance of on Mental Illness
but I also talked about Boston public
school psych psychologists and one
psychologist that I talked to Mary Cohen
she said a quote that I can't seem to
forget emotion is a strength don't be
afraid to use it
now this quote stuck with me for two
reasons one myself I know how how hard
it is to not be afraid but two it's what
pushed me to advocate for myself inside
and outside of my school and others my
age over time I've realized that society
in general just isn't comfortable with
emotions I've realized that mental
illness is revolving around depression
and bipolar disorders aren't a part of
IEP s why I don't know I've asked people
who are involved with the system I asked
them why they don't know I've asked this
question for months
almost for now I still don't have an
answer schools being the smaller smaller
portion of society meaning that people
who are comfortable talking about their
emotions are gonna eventually be joined
by people who aren't comfortable meaning
eventually maybe those people who and
we're comfortable at first are gonna
feel the need to back off and say you
know what maybe this just isn't normal
this isn't the right thing to do I'm not
really gonna talk about my emotions
anymore I'm not gonna say how I feel I'm
gonna stay closed up now that's an issue
because then they're gonna lead to
depression anxiety bipolar disorders and
it's just a non ending cycle the
traditional way of thinking how to act
in a school is you go to school you
learn your three main subjects maybe
it's math science and English and in
this day there is no room to talk about
how you truly feel why why can't I just
have one 20 minute class period to talk
to maybe a friend or really let out my
true emotions and say listen today has
been really hard for me or you know this
whole week I've been struggling in my
class just one small moment that would
help so many people
now these schools aren't truly preparing
us as students for our life in jail and
I really do hate to say that because we
should be preparing for our life of
freedom America is supposed to be free
think about it
the long dark narrow hallways compared
to the ID numbers that we all get my
science teacher tells us that we are not
to put our names on any of the hard work
that we do we have to put our ID number
and initial and if we are to put our
name we were getting no great for the
work that we've done why why can I put
my name on my work that I spent maybe
hours
and then get no grade for it I
understand that maybe these teachers are
thinking hey this is an easier way
through grade equally but how does that
make us our students feel as teenagers
that we can't put our work our name when
I work that doesn't make sense to me
does it make sense to you it doesn't I
would have loved this whole school year
so far to put my name on all my biology
projects but I haven't imagined a world
where people could talk about emotions
talk about mental health where people
would protest for more than just algae
bt q problems because it's deeper than
all of that it's it goes back to mental
health health issues
imagine a world where people could talk
about these issues freely emotion would
be the strength people are now afraid to
use thank you
[Applause]
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