I need to report this to school don't I?

[Cinnamonlozenges]

One of DS's teachers has talked to the class about her mental health. She had told them she was struggling a bit, then in one lesson they were left to read (own books, not the subject) and told not to tell other teachers.

Sounds like a young teacher over sharing and needing some help.

How old is the class?

Yes I would, she obviously needs help.

Year 9

I guess I depends how old DC are. It's good to openly talk about mental health and to hear it from another adult than their parents may teach them it's good and ok to share.

But like I said depends how old they are and how much she did share.

I’d be tempted to take a wait and watch approach.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing for a teacher to be honest about these things and if missing the lesson was a one-off then I think that’s ok.

Just seen your update.

I have children in year 10 and 8 and wouldn't be upset if they said the teacher spoke of their mental health. It's good to hear others talk of it.
I would be concerned she hasn't reached out to the school though and would report it as a checking in to see if she's ok type of thing.

Is she new to teaching?

Wrong. It’s not at all professional or ethical to tell pupils that. Mental health should be an integral part of education but the classroom is not a place for the responsible ‘in-loco’ adult to share their own personal ill-health.

Yes op. You report it.

This is across three lessons so I was initially thinking maybe she thinks it's positive to talk openly (although should be done very mindfully in young people's best interest). I wasn't concerned about the missed lesson in itself (although DS was unimpressed as subject he likes). I was unhappy at the suggestion of keeping it secret.

So we should teach the kids that they shouldn’t talk about mental health unless it is in the agenda for the day because it’s not ethical ? I think showing to the kids that if you need help or having a bad day it’s ok to speak up and don’t keep it to yourself

DS described her as a young adult.

It's OK to speak up but she's a teacher the kids should not be her support network.

She does not know what else those kids are dealing with. Some maybe dealing with abuse, parents separating or bereavement. She can't just dump her worries on to them.

@Cinnamonlozenges yes report it. Not to get her into trouble more to get her proper support

Op do you exactly know what she’s said ? Only asking as she might have said sorry I’m not having a good day or something like that which is fine to say to kids , I think you don’t have to say much to kids , just a bit just to let them know that you’re having mh problems on the day is ok and doesn’t mean you’re dumping your worries on them.

ps I agree not good about not saying anything to others tho she might have been worried about not getting into trouble

No teacher should be sharing anything with a class full of young people that they expect them to keep secret or would be unhappy for their colleagues to know about. I find any adult asking children to keep secrets a red flag so yes I’d report that to the school.

My favourite teacher in primary school ( had her first in year 3 and then again in year 5) told our class that she had lost her daughter to leukaemia. She would cancel lessons often so we could do whatever we wanted. In year 5 she would tell us stories sat in a chair, we sat on the carpet, while a few chosen children tickled her (as in soft stroking of her arms and legs with fingers) or played with her hair.
I see the huge red flag there now.
It wasn’t gross in any way, I just think she was lonely and desperate for some kind of comfort. Not that it's okay to take that into work at a primary school.

I think it is reasonable to ask for someone to clarify if she needs help.

She told them to keep a secret (that she hadn't taught the lesson, just let the class read their own books) from other teachers.

That is SO wrong that I can't believe that I'm having to point that out to you.

You must report this. Teachers should not, ever, ask students to keep secrets. She shouldn't be not teaching them- if she is not well enough to teach that is a concern. She may need help. Safeguarding applies to staff as well as students and the school has a duty of care towards her, and she has her boundaries with the class in the wrong place and needs some support with how much of herself she shares.

You do absolutely need to let school know, so that they can support her through this. On a separate note, as a Headteacher, I'm currently advertising for teaching assistants. Nearly all of the applicants so far are from fully qualified teachers who have left the profession or are stepping away from it. Something's going on with the teaching profession right now that means that teachers are leaving in droves. That needs addressing. All of that time, training and financial cost going to waste and fully qualified teachers wanting to work as TAs, as the job of a teacher is no longer sustainable? This is what the DfE should be looking into as a matter of urgency. I suspect a lot of it is due to the current impact on Mental Health.

It's not OK for the teacher to take the class's time for her mental health problems. Children have things to learn and this teacher is being selfish and immature in.unloading her problems on young people's shoulders. Classrooms are not therapy rooms nor children psychiatrists.

I'd say it's a red flag about the school that she fears reprisal if struggling. It's wrong that she's asking children not to say anything but this sounds like it's because the school wouldn't be supportive. So many schools make teachers lives hell if they show even an ounce of being human. This is why so many teachers leave in droves. I've seen it so many times.

Yes you need to report it. It's not appropriate and suggests she needs help/support from her slt.

It doesn't necessarily reflect on the school or management. No school is going to be happy about a class of pupils not being taught for a whole lesson. Nor is any parent..this is three lessons now that have been affected. And however sympathetic one might be to mental health issues, she cannot tell children to keep secrets like this.

No she absolutely shouldn't have told the pupils to keep it secret. However I think totally does reflect on the school. If they were normally supportive I doubt the teacher would have felt so bad that this happened and I doubt they would have tried to keep it secret if they knew their SLT team would ordinarily be completely understanding.