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I really enjoyed thinking about Socio-emotional learning and how we can support students with their mental health not only by being there for them but also through the content we teach. As an English teacher, I definitely feel like students are more likely to confide in me than their other teachers. Writing can be very personal, and often books include illustrations of traumatic experiences that may cause negative reactions. Therefore I think it's important to know how to respond when students open up and how to teach content in a way that will not cause overly emotional reactions. Often I worry that I am not responding the right way when students talk to me, though, so I really liked the recommendation of, instead of just offering my best advice (which may be wrong as I am not qualified), simply saying to the student "let's go talk to the guidance counselor together." Overall I really enjoyed this workshop and found it really useful!

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I feel inspired to work more closely with counselors in my school to help students with their needs. The strategy of reflecting their feelings back to them is one that I often use with students in moments of crisis, which luckily hasn't been too often for me so far. But I also like the idea of giving students options about what to do next. I don't necessarily have all the answers right away or know exactly what to do, but I can offer options like going to see a counselor or other person in a similar position, taking a break from whatever is causing the problem, or maybe just having someone to listen to them is all they need in that moment. One of the things I struggle with sometimes is the finesse of being on everyone's side. It's really hard for me, but I think these strategies might help me improve.

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It was really useful to hear Dr. Safer's perspective on the relationship between teachers and counselors! I've gone to the guidance counselor at my school to help me contact parents or get advice on a situation with a student and I've worried that I'm burdening him, so it was nice to know that Dr. Safer sees supporting teachers at part of her job. I feel like I have a lot to learn about how to talk students through difficult moments and I hope that the counselor at my future school is as open and informative as Dr. Safer.

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I enjoyed Dr. Safer’s candid exploration of the relationships between teachers and mental health support teams within schools. As Dr. Safer notes, English classrooms tend to be places of feelings and, as a result, English teachers and counselors often develop unique relationships—offering one another disparate perspectives to best support their shared goals of student success. Through her sharing of personal anecdotes and explaining of more structured guidelines, Dr. Safer made clear the importance of communication between teachers and counselors, which is something I will hold onto as I enter my first year of teaching. These relationships can define how students inhabit school spaces, where the pooling of different perspectives can lead to increased support and growth.

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I think it is incredibly important as teachers to build connections with counselors in order to build a strong network of support for students. Making sure that we are always looking out for the students in our classes and that we can connect them with the support they need if they are facing challenges is an essential part of creating safe learning environments. While I enjoyed the focus that Dr. Safer brought to the importance of our role as teachers in observing the general well-being of our students and to the importance of building relationships with the counselors in our schools, I felt that her presentation lacked the seriousness that this topic so deserves. While teenagers don’t always think their choices through and they sometimes find themselves in situations they might not know how to get out of, this does not give us the right as teachers or counselors to make light of their issues or to invalidate their experiences. Students can do silly things sometimes, but we not here to gawk at the after school special nor are we here to write off their actions because they are children — we are here to do our best to protect the safety and mental health of ALL of our students. I hope that when I reach out to counselors at my placement and at future jobs with concern for my students, that those counselors are there for the right reasons and will follow through with the support those students need and deserve. It breaks my heart to think that instead of receiving support and protection, a student who was brave enough to come forward and share that she was facing harassment would be met with victim blaming and being blown off as “overly sensitive” due to romantic inexperience and influence from a “crazy mother” just because the student harassing her is a “smart” and “nice” boy. I think that it is extremely important for us as educators to remain aware of the impact our words and attitudes have on our students.

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It was interesting to listen to Safer's stories about how teachers are often in tune with students' behaviors or disposition. She keyed in on how changes in behaviors may grant insight into what students are going through outside of the classroom. This reminded me of the small glimpses into students' personal lives I got while student teaching and subbing. I remember sensing that two students were flirting with each other and were later in a somewhat secret relationship. A few months later, I realized that the relationship had ended poorly as they sat as far ends of the corner and one seemed to try and make the other jealous. The students wrote about their relationship in their end-of-year reflections, and my cooperating teacher was shocked to learn about it. I think subbing allows for a unique look into student life. For better or for worse, students act differently when there's a sub in the room. They become more lax with their language and conversation topics. Everyone has the power to intervene or offer guidance to students, and SEL curriculum is essential in providing the tools and knowledge necessary for such work.

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Exploring the connection between socio-emotional learning, mental health support, and my role as an English teacher in the workshop was insightful. It underscored how our teaching content influences students' well-being, particularly in the realm of personal writing and literature touching on sensitive topics. The recommendation to respond to students' personal disclosures by suggesting a joint visit to the guidance counselor stood out as valuable advice. Dr. Safer's perspectives on the relationships between English teachers and mental health support teams highlighted the crucial role of effective communication. As I embark on my first year of teaching, I'll keep in mind the potential for diverse perspectives to contribute to student support and growth. Overall, the workshop provided both enjoyment and practical insights, enhancing my approach to supporting students' socio-emotional well-being.

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I so enjoyed Dr. Safer's workshop! SEL and mental health are so important, and her experience was invaluable. However, what I found most invaluable about the session were her remarks on the nature of the relationship between counselors and teachers! I've never been in a class where somone discussed that unique relationship. I'm so lucky to have such an incredible social worker at my school, and so grateful for my communication with her. However, if we weren't so close interpersonally, I would have lost so much valuable information about my students lives and current wellbeing. I wish we had more institutional structures in place to better support teacher/counselor conversation!

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I think that the mention about reacting to students' input clinically, as if it's something you hear every day, is extremely important. Last year, I met up with one of my past high school teachers and we looked back at my experiences in school. I was having a tough time at a certain point, but my teacher reacted in the moment in a way that didn't make me feel too singled out. Now that it's been so long, he talked to me about his internal reaction back then, which didn't reflect how he acted in that moment. In retrospect, I can see how acting in a dramatic way could have made the moment much worse for me. To add on this, I feel like it is the natural reaction of many teachers to take things very seriously, even if it's not always what the student(s) in question need.

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I hadn't really ever zoomed in on the relationship between teacher and counsellor before this workshop, so this was a really useful spark for that thinking. To be completely honest, the counsellor at my current school doesn't have the best reputation, and so is more often ignored than relied upon. For those of us who are a part of the ELA faculty, I think, because of the personal nature of our work, we've tried to take that on for ourselves. I don't quite know what to do with that given that all schools will be different and my fingers are crossed for a better counsellor, but that's where I'm at right now.

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I found this topic extremely engaging and appreciated Dr. Safer’s use of vivid anecdotes as both illustrative examples and professional guidance.

This workshop also served as a reminder not to forget the feelings of being a kid and a teenager. While teenagers may sometimes view authority figures like teachers and parents as silly, many of us have likely navigated similar feelings during our own adolescence. Whenever I feel my patience waning, I should probably recall the lessons from this workshop and remind myself not to become a dull adult lacking empathy. It’s essential to find out why teenagers consider things as “stupid,” why they place importance on seemingly trivial matters, and how they struggle to overcome those challenges. Ultimately, understanding is the key.

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I loved this workshop! I also really like Dr. Safer's practical advise wrt how teachers and counselors can/should interact to keep both happy, and to ensure the best outcomes for students. I have noticed since starting my placement that, at my school, there is constant communication among the teachers and the counselors about the day-to-day mental-health status of one student or another. There is also a daily morning meeting where this kind of information can be communicated (when appropriate). It has happened many times that one student or another appears for class, and it is clear just from the look on their face that something is wrong, and will probably interfere with their learning that day. I liked learning that it would generally be appropriate to ask the student if they are all right, and to invite them to visit the counselor, if that would be helpful. That way, whether the student seeks help, their distress has been noticed and acknowledge. That in itself can go a long way. I'm also just really glad that acknowledging mental health problems (even small ones) is no longer taboo, and professional help is available in the ordinary course of the school day.

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Dr. Safer’s workshop is really useful and helpful to us new teachers. I think teachers play the second important roles in children’s growth except for their families. We are the only people they can rely on in schools, and as we all know a child spends his or her childhood mostly at home or in schools. It’s important for us teachers to know how to properly care for students’ mental health, notice and help with their problems in time.

The experiences Dr. Safer shared gave us vivid example on how to tackle with students’ mental issues appropriately. One thing she said left me with deep impression, that we should get our students to know their own breaking points and also the ways that can calm themselves down. It’s really a headache for teachers to face students with emotional breakdown and most teachers like me don’t know what to do when a child is crying and yelling. I think it will be super helpful if we can teach our students about how to notice and control their emotional breakdowns.

Another thing I learned is how important it is to notice abnormal behaviors of your students and find out the reasons. And act normally and calmly when students share with you their stories or thoughts to make you feel more reliable. These may be very small tips for us teachers but would be super helpful in the future!

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I really enjoyed hearing Dr. Safer talk so candidly about her experience at a counselor at a school with very high expectations for it's students. I remember going through high school, and the pressure to succeed was just enormous, and I am surprised at myself, even 9 years past graduation, forgetting how stressful high school can be sometimes. I really liked speaking openly about socio-emotional learning, and thinking about different and more supportive ways to help students get the counseling that they need, and balancing that with things like discipline, grades, expectations, and schoolwork. Something that I really took away from this lesson was how to react as an educator when confronted with a student confiding in me is to not react in a negative or over the top way. I myself am very expressive as a person, so it was a great reminder to maintain composure during those moments, as to avoid activating further problems or triggering trauma. Overall, super effective session where I learned a lot!

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As Dr. Safer emphasized, English teachers may wear many hats, including that of confidante, mentor, and support system. Because of the subject's nature, the English classroom becomes the home for many students' self-exploration. With writing and literature come vulnerability and honesty, which necessitates an environment of safety and support. This is why socio-emotional learning is so especially important in the classroom. I hope at whatever my future school is, I will be able to work closely with counselors such as Dr. Safer to support my students.

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Dr. Safer presented a very intriguing presentation regarding a hot topic. Mental health is an issue that students (and adults alike) struggle with. Through a humanizing perspective, we as teachers are reminded of the challenges that are faced by our students on a daily basis. Ultimately, this workshop allowed me to see the value of creating a strong community amongst staff members in order to benefit the students. We must be willing to reach out to student support services including counselors when an issue with our student arises. As a new teacher, I believe that social and emotional learning is important to incorporate into the curriculum to humanize our students and their experiences. Through this, I recognize how collaboration with counselors is significant in incorporating SEL practices. Overall, this workshop was super informative and inspired me to continue practices of empathy and understanding into my classroom for the betterment of my students' mental and social well-being.

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Before this, I wasn't sure of how important the counseling office would be in my own classroom. I figured that it would be a place to send a student they were ever acting out, or come to me if information was needed on a students behavior. Dr. Safer's presentation really gave me a lot to think about in terms of how intrinsic a partnership there needs to be between the classroom and the counseling office. The anecdotes she provided showed that keeping that dialogue open is important for the continued development of my students, to show that there a united front to help pave the way for their success. I already try to incorporate some socio-emotional learning into the way I present lessons, but ensuring that my students feel safe in and out of the classroom is important to me.

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Prior to this workshop, I hadn't had much of a chance to hear the school counselor perspective. For that reason I found this workshop to be really helpful and refreshing. Dr. Safer gave some really good advice on supporting students in SEL and also tips for classroom management that I definitely could see myself using in the future. I think it is difficult sometimes to train teachers holistically on how to support students in SEL. Hearing a series or different scenarios and solutions from an expert felt more practical than a one-size-fits all approach or program.

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This workshop reminded me that, including from the nuts and bolts of daily ELA lessons, there's nothing more important that students mental health. It's a reminder that, just because we're dealing with developing minds, our classrooms will be teeming with deep feelings. Before this workshop, I would have been hesitant to take an observation to the guidance counselor, out of a belief that such an action would be some sort of elevation - that the student would be placed under the microscope in some way. But it's helpful to remember that guidance counselors are tactful, capable of having quick check-ins with students, to ensure they're safe. I'm thinking particularly of a student in my 6th grade student teaching class, who has days where she's severely withdrawn - it might be worth touching base with the GC.

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I really enjoyed this workshop and hearing about all of the ways teachers can work with school counselors, social workers, etc. I've been able to see my teacher's relationship with the school's mental health team benefit many students and have been thinking about how else this relationship could work. The guidance counselors advocate for student struggles so that they don't have to tell their teachers everything that might be uncomfortable and educate teachers on how students might need to be supported. I had never thought about how a guidance counselor could be used to aid or even have difficult conversations with teachers or parents though. I also liked Dr. Safer's advice to ask direct questions and to never act alarmed when a student says concerning things. I think it helps students feel more comfortable and less judged when you don't react surprised and will therefore tell you what's going on.