On the MIX Morning Show, Sean Kelly and Mariam Serkal dive into a critical topic affecting schools across the globe: mental health in our education system.
This morning with Dr Julie Gowthorpe, RSW and Katherine MacIver, director of education for Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, are talking about how it affects the adults in the room – those who are there to teach while also managing mental health and volatile behaviors.
One survey revealed that three-quarters of teachers are prioritizing psychological support over lessons at least once a week. This would be consistent with what brought me to talk about this – our practice is seeing teachers trying to balance meeting individual children’s mental health and behavioral needs while also trying to teach a classroom of students. It’s hard.
Teacher burnout is a critical issue. The stress and emotional exhaustion can affect teaching quality and, ultimately, student outcomes, according to Dr Gowthorpe.