14/10/2022
Yesterday I felt inspired… I felt ignited… I felt hope…
I was recently asked to consult with a local high school who actually “get” that the discipline issues we are seeing in schools run far deeper than what surface level interventions are able to address. What a refreshing breath of air to sit around a boardroom table with a school head and five other dynamic staff members who recognize that dramatic out-the-box, never-before-done interventions are essential to holistically support learners and staff in the wake of the turmoil of the past few years. These needs are not unique to any school:
* Educators who are exhausted, overwhelmed and nearing burn-out.
* Teens who are disempowered and employing extremely unhealthy coping measures in a desperate attempt to reduce stress and find themselves.
* Parents who are so overwhelmed themselves that they are struggling to meet their children’s emotional needs.
Yesterday we sat and discussed real life. We discussed the ACTUAL messages and needs behind the behaviors that mask vulnerability and pain. We discussed how to address what’s fueling the “ill disciplined” fire, so that instead of dripping ineffectual “water drops” on the raging flames and wondering why the heat is not becoming less intense, a real and meaningful difference can be made in the lives of these teens.
Let’s be brutally honest- there isn’t a “quick fix.” But changes we make in education priorities have the potential to create powerful transformations. If every school could be this proactive in addressing the mental health of it’s learners, instead of forging ahead with curriculums and lesson plans, it would completely alter what is currently seeming to be the inevitable global mental health crisis facing our future.
We urgently need leaders in Education who have the courage to change the “old” ways, leaders who have the insight to see the essential need for addressing mental health among school staff and learners, leaders who dare to take on the challenge of doing things differently.
And we need educators who see beyond the behaviour and the test results, and who meet our kids and teens where they most need to be met right now- at the heart. ♥️