Jaden Curtis who attends Roosevelt High School has bravely voiced her thoughts on how schools can be centres of support for learners who need a little help. In her own words, she describes some of her own battles and how she has tried to overcome them.
My whole idea about what I want to write about is that school should be a safe environment for students.
Students should be able to express themselves in a respectful way. If a student is struggling emotionally that might make them struggle with schoolwork.
I have realised that schools praise students for doing well with sports, academics or for being a good person which is very good as it motivates them. But in doing that they compare them to everyone else saying that they are better.
This way of motivating is quite toxic as students will end up not doing anything or not wanting to do better because they have this mindset that they aren’t good enough. But they may just be struggling, and nobody acknowledges that.
I think that if they were to show that they are an open place for students that are struggling, a place where we can escape from our problems then we can have students wanting to do better.
I am an example as I have struggled with my school because of my problems at home. But one day I decided to go to one of my teachers and he helped me to realise that I cannot control the things happening around me.
It did not work immediately, but it slowly helped me to realise that pondering on it and letting it control my life will not do me any good.
I carried on talking to my teachers as they made me feel safe and they helped me emotionally and today I can say that I am starting to feel proud of myself.
I felt safe and was able to express myself. This took a huge load off my shoulders and helped me with my mental health. I struggle with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder.
I have noticed a lot of students feel that teachers are like our parents at school who we look up to as much, but some people do not want to say that.
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