There is little mental health support in school, and this is one of the reasons why a lot of high school students struggle with school and their mental health. They sometimes bring things into the classroom that can affect their work, like things going on at home. Also, there needs to be extra support for, not just mental health, but general well-being, so that people aren’t exerting themselves too much, having too much on their mind, and causing harm.
A lot of students don’t get the support or resources that they need to succeed in school and beyond. For example, support with homework, support with lessons or classwork, and support with any questions they have. Students also should be provided with the learning tools that work for them. Like quiet rooms, opportunities to take breaks in between lessons, and also working outside to help their mental health and physical well-being. As well, there should be more online tools available that are school-approved to help students who work better on laptops, for example, Google extensions that help with math and writing.
There should also be more flexible options to support students. For instance, there should be different start times that fit most students’ needs, and more course options that are available. For example different mental health courses, budgeting and learning about money, opening a bank account, and getting a mortgage.
The school system needs to think more about neurodiversity students and how they are not getting the support that they are rightfully entitled to. Teachers need to learn more about neurodiversity students and how they can support them within their lessons or when they are going around helping students with their work. They also need to learn about all the different supports available for neurodiversity students, and that they are not dumb, or less than any student, they just learn differently. Schools should change the negativity students get in the classroom when they don’t get a question right or are too slow to give an answer.
Equally important, there is a big problem with the system in Ontario right now. Classroom sizes are becoming too big and overwhelming and students aren’t getting the proper support they need because of that. Classroom sizes need to become smaller to accommodate students like me who get distracted easily and need a bit more help or time with my work. If we lower class sizes and hire more teachers, there will be more teachers available to help neurodiversity students succeed.
Another problem is that Ontario is introducing destreaming, which affects students like me because they are mixing together applied and academic courses which is very hard. As I discussed in my other blog post, this has really taken a toll on me and other students. There should be more support in these classes because it is hard for students jumping from locally developed or applied to learn all the added academic level work.
In conclusion, schools need to put in a lot of work to help the students of tomorrow succeed.
Nathan
My name is Nathan, and I am a 15-year-old from Ontario who loves to be outdoors, ride my bike, learn new things, read a lot of books, and work out. I also love cars. My favorite genres of books are mystery, thriller and intrigue. I am a kind person who likes to make other people laugh and cares about others.
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