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Emotional literacy involves having self-awareness and recognition of your own feelings and knowing how to manage them, such as the ability to stay calm when you feel angry or to reassure yourself when in doubt. It includes empathy, i.e. having sensitivity to the feelings of others.Emotional literacy also includes being able to recognise and adapt […]
The methodologies of teaching and learning that are used in the classroom have a high degree of influence on how effectively emotional and social competences are learned. Herbert and Lohrmann (2011) conducted a content analysis investigating instructional strategies used in ten health education curricula which were research-based and proven via empirical testing, to positively influence […]
It is important that before teaching about issues like mental health and emotional wellbeing, clear ground-rules are established, or subsequently reinforced and the concepts of confidentiality and anonymity covered at the start of the lesson. Ground-rules need to be consistently adhered to, regularly revisited and, if necessary, renegotiated and reinforced. The teacher should lead the […]
Young carers can often feel embarrassed or ashamed of their parent’s disability, can experience stigma and are more prone to being bullied. This can have a big impact on their emotional health. 38% of young carers surveyed by the Carers Trust reported that they had a mental health problem including stress anxiety, depression, self-harm and […]
The Derbyshire Guide ‘Supporting Young Carers in Derbyshire Schools and Colleges’ provides a checklist to help identify pupils who may be young carers. The Young Carers in Schools programme has developed a step-by-step guide to supporting young carers in schools and section 7 provides guidance on raising awareness of young carers with school staff. Tools […]
Parental or caregiver substance misuse is one of the indirect ACEs, that can have serious adverse effects on a child or young person. There are links between ACEs and the development of harmful behaviours and also physical and mental ill health in later life. For more information on ACEs and other risk factors, click here.
‘What we know about young people in alcohol and drug treatment’ by Rosanna O’Connor writing for Public Health Matters. See the full article here: What we know about young people in alcohol and drug treatment.
For support with drug addiction in young people, please see the NHS website
It is vitally important that school staff and those in the school community maintain high standards and stay well trained in identifying the potential and actual mental and emotional health support needs in the children and young people they work with. Please see Training Opportunities in the ‘members-only’ area for more information on staff development.
The following list of potential symptoms is not exhaustive, but can be used with staff to start a conversation about what they might notice in the classroom. Mood changes – look for signs of withdrawal that last at least two weeks or severe mood swings that are causing problems in relationships with peers. Intense feelings […]