TEACHERS ROLE TO GEN Z’s MENTAL HEALTH
Shela C. Dela Peña
Upon meeting young people every day, there will come a time that we
would realize how vulnerable their feelings are. After the pandemic,
more kids and adolescents experience issues in mental health. As
teachers, we shall have the initiative to address this alarming situation
that the Gen Z’s are facing.
“Generation Z or Gen Z Filipinos, ages 18 to 24 years, are prone to
depression and anxiety, higher than the global average”, says Red
Mendoza in Manila Time, April 23,2023.
We can recall that our mental health plays an important role to our
well-being. As parents of our learners in school, we play a big part in
uplifting their mental well-being. Fostering love and care help in
relieving these children’s emotional issues and to developing their
social and emotional skills. They deserve to feel happiness and live a
healthy and rewarded life.
Adopted from Unicef, here are the suggested tips on how to support
the mental health of our children in school.
For 0-5 years, we can lay the foundation for a lifetime of positive
mental health in this period of growth and learning.
For 6-10 years, we can encourage these learners to make friends and
build resilience from the inside and outside world.
For 11 -13 years, we can be an adult friend to them who can explain
the physical changes that happen to their body and let them realize
that changes are normal in appearances and friendships.
For 14-18 years, we can be a trustworthy friend who explain the
influences of school family and peers and how their emotions,
behavior and health will be safe from risks.
Gen Z’s ages are very critical. Our discipline styles can make and
even break their emotions. We can apply several approaches but we
can apply the appropriate ones to each unique individual.
First, we can consider the application of games or plays as they
strengthen the learners’ mental health. The moment we play with
them, their emotional well being will be secured and positive.
Aside from this, we can help in imposing discipline to our learners in
smart and healthy way. It is true that positive discipline works most of
the time.
We can support them at early age as they will carry this in their hearts
into adulthood. For teens, let us show our fatherly and motherly love
while we are looking after them. Building their self-confidence will
serve as their foundation to be happy and fulfilled. Teens at their
young age may have risky behavior; however, with proper guidance,
we can be of held to them to stay safe.
Proper communicating with the teens help them in building trust. We
can choose the proper approach in conversations with empathy and
understanding.
In other words, we teachers can make a change to our learners at
different ages. Let us be partners in navigating their tough situations.