What is meant by mental health?Unfortunately, many people don't understand the meaning of mental health problems and tend to have a negative view of people who suffer from these issues. This can often result in people with mental health problems to be treated badly or labelled in a way that hurts their standing in the community. This is often referred to as a 'stigma', which can affect those with mental or emotional problems and their carers and families. This is a widespread issue with enormous concerns within the educational sector. The lack of intervention or even knowing how to address these concerns goes beyond education but also within the wider community of adults and the workforce.
Firstly, I ask, “do you understand and know the difference between Mental Health and Mental Illness?” It is so crucial to know the difference so that the stigma behind this can then be addressed. There is a vast degree of difference between the two. People's lack of understanding of mental healthis not something you can see and it can be 'difficult to get your head around' it. People sometimes use to describe people with mental health problems, such as: mad, crazy, cuckoo, or nuts which for meant that these people with mental health problems can be excluded from the community or made fun of. Names such as 'schizophrenia', that are used to diagnosed can often be used as a negative word. Every single person on some scale or another suffers from mental health, just as everyone has health, however not everyone has a mental ‘ILLNESS’. Illness is categorised when heavy medication is taken and/or the persons are not in control of their own actions and behaviour. Furthermore, not having the ability to rationalise clearly under any circumstances, affecting the way people think, feel, behave, or interact with others.
The key is to understand the different types of mental health problems and illnesses, and the extremity of them and how people with these can be supported. However, most importantly to educate ourselves in how to stop, support and recognise these issues in ourselves and others- leading them to seeking support early on. I truly believe that you must have an open mind and not shy away from hearing the word ‘Mental Health!’ In addition to this, it also affects a persons emotional well-being.
Types of mental health and illness problems which can be diagnosed. Here are just a small amount of them: Depression
Stress
Anxiety
Unable to cope with daily routines (lack of self-confidence)
Panic attacks
Sleep
Personality disorder
Schizophrenia
Eating and body image
Psychosis
Hearing voices
Suicide and self-harm
Mania
Bipolar
Dissociative disorders
Drugs (recreational drugs& alcohol)
Phobias
Post-traumatic stress
Suicidal & Self harm
Recent reports on the guardian regarding mental health in schools and the workforce draws upon some worrying reasons and causes.
- Primary school teachers 'not trained to deal with mental health issues'
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/21/primary-school-teachers-not-trained-to-deal-with-mental-health-issues
-How schools are dealing with the crisis in children’s mental health
https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2017/may/11/schools-crisis-children-mental-health-anxiety-help-classrom-counselling
What is currently happening?School Services to support children’s wellbeing are the ‘first things to go’ when budgets are under pressure. In my own experiences I have seen schools cutting down or even removing in-house support such as counsellors, play-therapists. How is it that the government expects teachers to address all areas of learning and issues when budgets are constantly being sliced? Furthermore, there is a lack of training for teachers to really understand and get grips to recognising and helping address these concerns. Teachers need the support and time to equip and skill themselves with tools to help children through difficulties. But importantly, ‘time’ needs to be given too, so that teachers have the time to develop the skills and knowledge they need and the time to address these needs, amongst dealing with the normal day to day needs of the children.How much is really being saved by cutting mental health services such as counsellors and pastoral provision in order to try to cover funding gaps? If current issues are being raised right now, then why is it still that the agenda is not top priority. This is not to say that there are schools that have made a huge shift in mental health and emotional well-being by making it priority and part of the curriculum. With this, it has proven positive results within schools due to the commitment and consistency of all staff, parents, children and governors.
According to MP’s ‘‘The health and education select committees joined forces for the inquiry, which called on the government to look at the impact of budget cuts onmental health services for children. Services to support wellbeing are “the first thing to go” when budgets are under pressure, the inquiry heard. The government announced £1.25bn in additional fundingfor young people’s mental health in 2015, but almost 80% of primary school head teachers responding to a survey said a lack of money prevented them from providing mental health support in schools such as counsellors.’’Groups of MPs stated, Guardian 2017.
Further, MPs wrote: “We know that more than half of all mental ill health starts before the age of 15 and it is therefore a false economy to cut services for children and young people.” Guardian 2017.
Is there any point driving children to the maximum, putting them through stress, anxiety, depression if they are not going to be in the best of mental health for their future.? How can children perform their very best without sufficient and adequate support? There is much still to be answered.
Another major area of concern is Social Media which is of particular concern and a major uprising issue, which has found that it could help and/or harm young people’s mental health and emotional well-being. Are Teachers fully equipped to address these and if so, how much is actually dedicated to this? Schools should teach pupils how to manage and make sensible decisions around social media, the inquiry determined, as part of equipping them for the modern world. This should be done as part of the ongoing curriculum and not once a year But also teach parents about social media, especially about its impact and that of screen time more generallyon children’s sleep. It seems that all teaching falls on to the teachers and there needs to be more partnership and support from parents and carers.
“Parents have a key role to play in limiting screen time, reducing sleep deprivation and preventing exposure to harmful online activity,”the MPs wrote Guardian 2017.
How much does Ofsted inspections play a key role in raising the importance of mental health and wellbeing in schools? Again, this falls back to the fact that Ofsted are too focused on academic achievement. A food for thought, is it worth it at the expense of children’s mental health and well-being if in the long run this leads to mental health issues which have not been addressed earlier on in their childhood/ adolescence?
“Personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils is one of our key judgments in school inspections and is graded in every section five inspection. As part of this, inspectors already evaluate the experience and wellbeing of individuals and groups of pupils, including those with mental health needs.’’Stated an Ofstedspokeswoman.
If this is the case, there is still not much evidence that support Ofsted’s statement having addressed fundamentally as a priority. Schools are facing a mental health crisis within classrooms and it is vital that the next government rebalances the education system to ensure that the wellbeing of children is as important as academic achievement in schools. That is not to say that schools are not doing anything. There are many schools which are doing excellent work to promote good mental health. But this is also dependant on the type of schools (private, state, academy). However, funding constraints, coupled with a lack of prominence given to wellbeing in the Ofsted inspection framework, means that when schools face tough decisions about which services to cut, they are under pressure to prioritise other areas.
In essence, unless the government and schools take drastic measures and commitments to providing more long-term solutions for funding for health and social care, mental health crisis will not be addressed effectively and tackled fully and will continue to rise in concern. What future do we want for our future generation to have and be able to cope with?
Coaching Benefit for Pupils and TeachersThrough the coaching process with integrated NLP and CBT/ EFT techniques both pupils and teachers could greatly benefit from its results. Coaching in education has been a part of the educational landscape for many years however, there are still many doubts as to its effectiveness and validity. This can be due to the fact that coaching has not fully had the opportunity to show its results and the impact it can contribute to positive change in mental health and emotional well-being for all. Of course, time and money has played a large part in this and continues to do so. Many people understand coaching to the experiences in sport where the coach tells and instructs them what to do in order to help improve their performance and skills. A bit like a mentor. Or in the case of teaching, staff might view it through their personal experience, having seen it used as a remedial process, following a lesson observation or to address some other aspect of what is seen as poor performance. Unfortunately, many leaders still see it as just another tool to get what they want from their staff and this attitude stems from an old style of command and control leadership. “I’m in control and you need to do as I say.”Although, slowly this attitude and approach is slowly changing. Leadership teams and Head Teacher are encouraging to seek and have coaching as art of their own CPD. Although this is not enough and needs to be seen carried throughout the entire teaching staff, including the pupils, especially those children who are struggling whether it be learning or social interaction/communication.
The effect of this style is evident in many schools today:
Many staff become disengaged from their teaching or support role.
Staff sometimes show a lack of initiative, instead waiting to be told what to do.
Time and effort is wasted though a lack of clarity or waiting for leaders to make decisions (which aren’t always made).
It adds to staff stress, where the Health and Safety Executive set out the six main causes of stress in employees and one of the biggest is feeling in control of your work.
Often good staff leave because of poor leadership due to personal support and being able to ask for help without being judged.
As a result, most staff and leaders never get to experience effective coaching, there is a real lack of understanding of its benefits and many myths have grown up around it. The truth is that coaching is simply a two-way dialogue where the intention is to genuinely involve the other person (coachee) in finding solutions through a process of effective questioning and listening with an open mind.
The questions asked (mainly open) are designed to raise awareness within the coachee as to their goals, the current situation and options to move forward whilst also asking them to take personal responsibility and action steps for themselves.
The questions, most importantly, encourage staff (coachee) to think for themselves rather than always waiting for the answer from above. It moves staff from being totally dependent to being more independent and self-sufficient. The same is true for the teacher/student relationship where greater student independence and effective learning is also promoted.
The final steps in the coaching/learning process includes giving effective feedback which needs to be specific and timely and ensuring adequate follow up and evaluation.
The coaching/involving style of leadership is only successful where schools really believe in their staff and want to help them grow. A leader has to have the humility to say I don’t have all the answers but the answers lie within my team and by cooperating together, higher levels of performance and results will be achieved.
It also helps if the leadership team has some of the following qualities; self- awareness, patience, integrity, an interest in others, and are objective and non-judgmental.
In recent research on the impact of different interventions, John Hattie professor of Education at Melbourne University emphasises the effectiveness of the elements of coaching through an evidence based approach.
How can it be used?Coaching can be used by both staff and pupils to create a powerful learning environment. This does state that effective feedback needs to be specific and clearly linked to performance, and that peer tutoring needs to be learnt as a skill if it is to give the best results.The practice of coaching in the classroom is one of the most effective ways to bring out the best in students, alongside using other techniques to support when necessary such as NLP (Neuro linguistic Programming), CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), EFT (Emotional Freedom Therapy-a form of tapping like acupuncture) and/or TFT (Thought Field Therapy- a more in depth and advanced process of EFT) to develop their talents and strengths, to build skills and confidence and to nurture learning.
Where can you apply coaching in education?Within the leadership team to facilitate clarity around purpose and direction.
Between leaders and staff to motivate and challenge performance.
To conduct performance management reviews and any informal reviews of performance.
To use as a problem solving tool to address specific issues or achieve specific goals.
To be used by teachers in the classroom to promote more student engagement and effective learning.
To encourage pupils to peer coach and tutor, give effective feedback and self-regulate behaviour.
To more effectively deal with parental questions and challenges.
To improve student and staff wellbeing through gaining a greater understanding of their current thinking, actions and suggestions.
In any situation that requires dialogue; the ability to elicit information; to improve understanding, to solve problems; to achieve something; to create independence; to develop self awareness and greater awareness in others: and to ask others to take personal responsibility.
Major benefits of coaching in educationImproved learning in the classroom – it raises self-awareness, deepens self-reflection, and delivers the most effective progress and results.
Improved creativity in the classroom and across the school, allowing the school to thrive in today’s changing and challenging world, where speed of adaptation and innovation is so important.
StaffA greater openness for staff to share practice, take risks in trying new things, more openness to changes which occur, to admit and learn from mistakes, and to create a whole school learning culture.
Teachers can build of their strengths, recognising and addressing their weakness without anxiety or fear of failing or not succeeding to expectations.
Improved relationships – if you truly value your staff and students they will, in turn, value you and your needs.
Provides much more time for leaders over the medium to long term – staff and therefore students are more effective when they become more self-responsible and take greater personal initiative.
Better use of talent and resources – leaders uncover people’s talents and encourage them to find answers to problems and do not have to find all the solutions themselves or shoulder the stress of thinking they have to.
Greater engagement from staff– by involving them in their work, sharing responsibility for learning and creating more independence.
Increased levels of emotional resilience and greater confidence in one’s own ability to deliver the best possible outcomes for those you serve.
A deeper connection with your core values and beliefs and ability to make decisions that are more aligned to who you are.
Heightened levels of self-awareness and self-management, enabling you to lead without sacrificing your well-being
Greater sense of both personal and professional well-being and fulfilment
The question to ask is that if coaching brings such strong benefits and is a powerful leadership and management style why isn’t it used more effectively across schools?
Firstly, in many cases it has not been introduced very well or it has not been clearly understood what coaching is and the benefits it can bring about.
Secondly, it has not been part of a whole school approach.
Thirdly, Funding has prohibited the implementation of coaching.
I truly, believe and within my practice coaching in education, coaching often needs further intervention using a combination of NLP, CBT, EFT techniques and tools in order to have stronger and more lasting results. However, this is dependent on the needs and requirements of what his/her outcome is to be.
PupilsHow teachers can make a difference in the classroom through the use of coaching and NLP. Some teachers are already using the coaching process without even realising it, however this needs to be targeted more in depth and much more consistently. Consider just some of the following benefits of using a coaching approach in the classroom.
Coaching improves retention of learning, offering opportunities to talk about what has been learned and to apply learning in to action. For example, ‘What strategy have you learned recently that might help you with this task/problem?’
1. Listening without judgement is one of the greatest gifts you can provide someone else. Much research and from working within the field of the educational sector, has shown that for adults in the workplace, the single most important factor contributing to their ability to maintain a positive mindset and feel happy, is whether they feel listened to. I am sure this is the same for learners in the classroom.
2. Coaching creates a common approach to working together on activities and solving problems and great questions and listening encourages students to work together. This provides opportunities to learn from each other and develop the skills of collaboration and knowledge sharing.
3. A coaching approach offers opportunities for learners to make great choices and decisions for themselves, creating personal responsibility and accountability. Students are far more likely to follow through their own choice, than one you have made for them. By expecting them to make a good choice or decision you are also empowering learners to do what is right for themselves.
Through your own role modelling, students will develop their own coaching skills, learning how to bring out the best in themselves and the people around them.
It should go without saying that teaching staff everywhere can benefit from bringing into their classrooms. Despite the best efforts of teachers, students sometimes need that extra push of encouragement to help them thrive. But finding the most effective method of achieving that can sometimes be tricky. A powerful technique of listening and questioning can provide a myriad of benefits on many levels. School are in Crisis, one-in-four new teachers 'burnt out'. Our new teachers are overworked, over-stressed and in need of urgent support.The practice of coaching in the classroom is one of the most effective ways to bring out the best in students, to develop their talents and strengths, to build skills and confidence and to nurture learning.Without a doubt it can also have a positive impact for them out of school in their home and social environment. It should go without saying that teachers everywhere can benefit from bringing into their classrooms. Despite the best efforts of teachers, students sometimes need that extra push of encouragement to help them thrive. bBut finding the most effective method of achieving that can sometimes be tricky.A powerful technique of listening and questioning can provide a myriad of benefits on many levels.
Coaching is no means to an all final answer, although, it is a tool that will support and improve the quality for the whole school by: increased confidence, independence, thinking and feeling more openly, and being able to do and cope better with negative pressures- being the best one can. At the same time being fulfilled, with eased pressure and enjoyment. A sense of Self-worth and Achievement.
Looking to address your own concerns of mental health and emotional well-being- that is stopping you moving forward, living the life that you want or perhaps you know of someone who may benefit from coaching? Then please do get in touch. Take action now! Your health and life matters!
https://www.vdmlifecoaching.com
