Mental Health: Teachers’ Perspective

Working away at her desk after the school day is over, CHS counselor Dr. Jana McLain finds herself drowning in stacks of student transcripts. At this moment, her only goal is to make sure every one of her students will be able to graduate. She understands the troubles students at Champion face. Being a counselor, Dr. McLain is familiar with helping students take on the stress they may encounter while advancing through high school.
“Going through transcripts and being in charge of a student’s graduation plan is a lot of weight,” said Dr. McLain. “And if for some reason things fall through the cracks or students end up needing a class they didn’t know they needed during their senior year, it can all be stressful and wearing on the both of us.“
While Dr. McLain tries to relieve student stress by tracking their progress and transcripts, she realizes that students also need help finding a balance between personal and academic life. All of this can be a daunting task.
“I worry about a lot of things for my students,” said Dr. McLain. “I want to make sure that they’re happy and healthy and they feel safe.”
Along with Dr. McLain, English teacher Mr. Robert Kolar recognizes the hardships his students can go through. Since students juggle challenging classes, jobs, and a life outside of school, Mr. Kolar understands it can be difficult for his students to stay on top of all of the tasks that need to be completed.
“Getting to know students and hearing what they’re going through makes me understand that academics isn’t always the first thing on their mind,” said Mr. Kolar. “That’s the reason why in my class I don’t stress a lot of homework assignments. I want to make sure that I don’t contribute to the stress and anxiety of the students.”
Students are often stuck between prioritizing academic performance over their mental health and sleep.
“Due to not prioritizing sleep, teenagers often wind up not performing at optimal levels and as a result, drinking too much coffee and consuming too much melatonin.” said Psychology and Sociology teacher Mrs. Wegleitner. “These practices negatively impact sleep. And with this lack of sleep many of our students are facing, it will result in a hindrance to memory, concentration, thinking processes, and moods. In the end, it becomes a vicious cycle.”
It’s easy to forget that the teachers at Champion were once students. Although they are a part of a different generation, they had similar experiences when it came to balancing work, school, and a social life.
“Obviously, I went through high school and I’m sure I was going through a lot of the things that students are going through,” Mr. Kolar said. “But seeing it and getting involved with students, especially with student council, makes me have some empathy over what they’re going through.”
When it comes to what matters the most, it’s important to not forget that you are not alone. As a veteran of the counseling profession for 15 years and counting, Dr. McLain’s advice to students trying to support their friends is simple.
“Try not to fix everything,” said Dr. McLain . “Sometimes people want to vent out to try and find a solution on their own. So just be empathetic and kind, and offer the support you would want to get in return.”