HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – In an exclusive survey done in partnership between WFSB and the Connecticut Education Association, teachers expressed concerns about the levels of anxiety they’re seeing in the children they teach.
The challenges of teaching can be overwhelming. Nearly 98% of teachers say stress and burnout are very serious or somewhat serious problems.
They say one of those challenges is navigating the mental well being of their students.
Although student anxiety is not new, it is becoming more common and affecting students at increasingly younger ages.
“I’m a sixth-grade teacher, so I’m the transition into the secondary world for a lot of these kids. And the number of students who come to me from the elementary level with anxiety just keeps growing,” said Jason Ghidini, a Southington teacher.
Jason Ghidini is a middle school teacher in Southington. He says when some students are feeling anxious, they have trouble controlling their emotions.
When teachers were asked if they feel equipped to help their students with mental health challenges, 80% said no.
Teachers who participated in the survey were also asked what the biggest challenges their students face are. More than 70% said mental health and anxiety. 60% said family disruption, and nearly 50% blamed negative impacts from social media.
“As teachers, we want to be everything to everyone, but we’re not trained as mental health professionals,” said Giselle Garcia, a Manchester teacher.
Giselle Garcia, a high school teacher, says schools need more mental health support and services.
1,000 teachers participated in the survey. When asked if their school district was placing enough emphasis on students’ social and emotional regulation, more than 45% said no.
“We have to take a look at where we are and where we need to go,” said Representative Maryam Khan, (D), Select Committee on Special Education.
Maryam Khan is a state representative who has been working on legislation to help teachers and students.
She’s a teacher herself and says she understands what’s needed.
This year, the legislature gave more money to school districts to help with the costs of special education. That means schools can use some of the money for mental health services.
Last year, legislation passed requiring schools to have a specially trained person to address the social and emotional needs of students. They visit classrooms and talk to groups of students about issues they may be having. This can also be school counselors.
There are office hours for students if they need more help.
“We have to put more resources behind education. We know where schools are now and where they are supposed to be,” Khan said.
Tanya Kores, another high school teacher, says when there are problems with students in the classroom, teachers are sometimes not sure what to do.
“I think the availability of different training needs to be there,” Kores said. “On a day-to-day, they need to be able to call someone to get the support that they need in a timely fashion.”
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