I’m a teacher who can’t be arsed... AIBU?

[EffYouSeeKaye]

... with all the Emotional Well-Being shenanigans these days. Honestly, it’s overkill. Can I just TEACH please? With the usual (already massively time consuming) actual pastoral care included but not this whole new level of FAFF.

They don’t want it. They don’t need it. They don’t want to think about it all. the. time.

They need the normality of lessons. Learning. Keeping their brains positively occupied with acquiring useful skills and knowledge.

They don’t need an overload of (often crap and patronising) storybooks and colouring activities.

Pleeeeease???!? Enough now.

AIBU?

[babbaloushka]

@Chosennone

I really think we need some fun in schools. In Secondary the year 11s and staff are stressed and wired. Younger years are either apathetic or feral! Some outdoor ed, fun charity events etc. A bit of a laugh is needed.

100%, I wish more schools had communal events that included the whole school, one of my DD's had a teachers vs students rounders match that everyone watched, a couple of students from each year, and they LOVED it. She still talks about it now. More things like that, just for fun and socialising. They also used to have a teacher's pantomime that everyone watched, as they all sung along and got to watch the teachers act like prats on stage and act out skits and sing as boy bands. Stuff like that gives them such a boost.

[BluebellsGreenbells]

I agree.

Kids are so pressured and the covid situation has boiled over.

Right from year 6 constant moving to high school, get to high school constant reminders about levels and GCSEs and targets.

We didn’t know about mark schemes and extra curricular and scoring - we just got in with it.

[callingon]

Haha I’ve just written a post about how this is part of my job but I do agree with you ta an extent. There are ways of supporting children who struggle with wellbeing, mental health and the social aspects of school but I’m not sure the whole school generic approach works and you can definitely over do it!

[Scratchpostkitty]

I agree to some extent too. However, a child committed suicide at my son's school just after G. C. S. E results 2 years ago. The school as a whole were shocked and distraught after obviously and this lead to a real focus on well being and mental health. It's been very positive. I do think actual teachers have enough to do without too much of this side of things though. The school I'm referring to have quite a large pastoral team. There's still stuff done in tutor time and P.S.H.E by teachers, but the pastoral team play the biggest role.

[BluebellsGreenbells]

I also would add general mental health via the NHS need expanding - school shouldn’t be responsible for everything on the cheap.

[EffYouSeeKaye]

@Nectarines what utopian (state?) school is this?? Where you get to decide what to do between you and the children in your class and then do it ?? I’ve never heard of such outrageous autonomy!!

[Bakedbeanhead]

@Chosennone

I really think we need some fun in schools. In Secondary the year 11s and staff are stressed and wired. Younger years are either apathetic or feral! Some outdoor ed, fun charity events etc. A bit of a laugh is needed.

Totally agree !

[Gaaaahhhhhhhh]

We have to spot the kids with mental health issues- except when we do there is no where to send them. Depressing.
Most of them just want normal now. So yes, it’s mostly just waffle.

[EmeraldShamrock]

It depends on the DC really. My DD loves wellbeing and all the mindfulness now in school, she particularly benefitted from the resilience training.
It would have been beneficial in my day.

[SionnachRua]

Yanbu. Honestly I found that when we returned after lockdown the kids were delighted to get their teeth into some proper work! We have a laugh too of course but a bit of rigour and hard work is doing them good.

I'm sick of all the woolly nonsense and educational fads.

[Joeblack066]

@Aprilshowersandhail

My ds currently has mh issues caused by his teachers... So def not banking they can also 'fix' him.
.

At 24 my DD is still suffering the after effects of teachers, their own behaviours and failure to protect from the behaviours of others.
You have my sympathies.

[Rno3gfr]

@SonnyWinds the students have clearly learnt to use the #mentalhealth tag to manipulate already, which is what happens when you trivialise it’s and shove it down people’s throats. Let’s face it, 2 hours of reading a book you don’t want to read is boring but it’s not damaging to mental health.

[lorisparkle]

I think there needs to be a balance. I hate mindfulness and forced relaxation- it makes me really stressed. I imagine I am not alone! But it is also important to pick up those children who are struggling and help everyone know that there is always someone to talk to .

The problem is the actual services for mental health problems is so limited. Waiting lists are huge and families are told they don't fit into the narrow criteria.

Instead of schools being expected to be the 'cure all'. Money should be spent on actual specialist provision.

This is not just for mental health issues but also social services, health visitors, respite for children with special needs, etc etc etc

Schools can not be expected to be everything. Schools are being told to have counsellors and family support workers. They should either get proper funding to provide the work of health and social care or more money should be put into health and social care so schools don't need to do their job.

School nurses used to be an integral link but now they are so stretched and under pressure.

[SionnachRua]

@lorisparkle is on the money with that post. Ime shoving wellbeing programmes into schools is just a free way for the Government to make it seem like they give a damn about mental health. Meanwhile it gives teachers another job for their never ending list!

I flat out refuse to do mindfulness, it makes my teeth itch. We had a guest speaker in a couple of years ago waxing lyrical about the wonders of it. I smiled, nodded and promptly tossed my Teaching Mindfulness 101 handbook in the back of a cupboard where it belonged.

[jgw1]

I doubt anyone disputes that the repeated lockdowns have caused increased mental health problems. Not school children, but see the statistics today about alcohol related deaths.
The solution for children is as others have suggested for the main part normality, kindness, support and fun. Which is of course why in the hail storm yesterday I and a few of my class had to go outside and dance in it, whilst most of the others enjoyed the spectacle from inside.
I also think it is important to remember that the duration and severity of the lockdowns and hence their effects is a consequence of the incompetence, dithering and focusing on the short term popularity of the current government. If they were serious about education, they would not have opened schools for a day in January, taken legal action against schools who wanted to shut for their pupils safety and so on.

[singsingbluesilver]

I feel there is a real problem with some people in teachers who like to play at being social workers or mental health specialists. They are not. They are teachers. Sometimes their efforts to play at these other roles cause more harm than good.

I am not saying that teachers should not have a care and concern for their students well being. Teachers are not robots. They don't ;just' teach, but in all honesty they are not trained to give the mental health support that many children need. Some THINK they can do it after an INSET session delivered by an equally untrained member of management, but no, they can't. It takes years to train for both of those roles.

I think kids are sick to death of being constantly told to reflect on their mental health. I think they need to get down to school work and focus on normality.

[Mollcat]

Oh thank God. I thought they’d killed off any teachers who disagreed with this stuff.

DS9 is out of his mind with boredom already and finds this stuff, er, less than helpful for his mental health. He hates colouring at the best of times and now half the day seems to be gently shading in rainbows and listening to mindful stories about unicorns. He just wants to read his book to tune out and relax!

Meanwhile his class and entire school are woefully under-resourced.

[LolaSmiles]

There's too much lip service and superficial initiatives for staff and students.

What would make the biggest difference to mental wellbeing would be to cut back on homework, free up time for enrichment for students, proper pastoral care, a well funded CAMHS, access to early help, an end to the endless exam stress being put on students, and letting them study a broad curriculum instead of removing subjects students like and are good to give them extra maths and English.
For staff, ending tokenism would be a good start. I don't want to do yoga on my lunch break, or have a team building session instead of a meeting, or cake in the staffroom. I'd love fewer pointless deadlines, a realistic marking policy, fewer emails and the ability to go home and see my family.

[EffYouSeeKaye]

@singsingbluesilver absolutely.

@Joeblack066

[Nectarines]

[quote EffYouSeeKaye]**@Nectarines* what utopian (state?) school is this?? Where you get to decide what to do between you and the children in your class and then do it* ?? I’ve never heard of such outrageous autonomy!! [/quote]
I am very lucky to work with a head who is very child focused and not result focused. We agreed as a management team to go with the needs of the kids as they presented when they returned.

We’re about to join a trust (under duress!!😩) and I am so scared that we will lose that.

[Tippexy]

I’d say what’s worse is all the school staff being told they can improve their stress levels and wellbeing with mindfulness.

[EffYouSeeKaye]

@SionnachRua oh Gooooood!!! The bloody Mindfulness Colouriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!!! 😖😖😖

[singsingbluesilver]

I await the day when pile of bricks is delivered to school so that the teachers can build a new extension. Then later that day they can be given medical equipment and turn their skills to surgery

I know teachers have a wide skill set, but honestly, allowing people to dabble into other professions that they are ill equipped to practice really does not help the students.

[EeeByeGummieBear]

@Msmcc1212

I think the problem is that you can’t ‘teach’ wellbeing. It’s experiential and relational. Home life apart, It’s the whole school ethos and atmosphere that make a difference and how issues are dealt with. Mindful colouring won’t make much difference if there is a whole load of bullying going on under the radar. If you know your pupils well, build a good relationship with them and the school context is right, you shouldn’t need much else. But... teachers need to be given the time to build relationships and get to know pupils. That’s the thing that needs to change IMO. Smaller class sizes.

This!
Well-being sessions don't fix a broken system. Give schools the resources to prevent the problems, or at least deal with them when they occur.

[jgw1]

@singsingbluesilver

I await the day when pile of bricks is delivered to school so that the teachers can build a new extension. Then later that day they can be given medical equipment and turn their skills to surgery

I know teachers have a wide skill set, but honestly, allowing people to dabble into other professions that they are ill equipped to practice really does not help the students.

Funny you should mention bricklaying, I taught myself it last summer and found it quite relaxing, although I wouldn't make much money progress was slow.