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To prevent bullying, I use group work and collaborative tasks from the very beginning of the school year. I do this in order to create a sense of community in the classroom, so that students learn how to interact with one another in a respectful and cooperative way. Through these activities, students develop empathy, communication skills, and a better understanding of each other, which helps build a more positive and inclusive environment.

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The requirements in my country always cause burnout for me because the include monthly plans, unpaid extra activities and tasks unrelated to my class. This stresses me a lot. I exercise to relax and try to drinnk plenty of water.

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A teacher who works with special needs children can address the mental health of school staff by creating a supportive and understanding work environment. This can include promoting open communication, offering resources for mental health support, and encouraging self-care practices. The teacher can also advocate for proper training and support for staff working with special needs children, as dealing with challenging behaviors can be mentally and emotionally draining. Additionally, the teacher can help to reduce stigma around mental health by fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding within the school community. Ultimately, prioritizing the mental health of school staff is crucial for providing the best possible care for special needs children.

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In my classroom, promoting a culture of mutual care and responsibility among students with mental deficiencies, Down syndrome, and autism is a priority. Encouraging students to look out for each other involves structured activities, consistent modeling of positive behaviors, and creating an environment where empathy and support are integral to daily interactions.

1. Modeling Behavior:

I consistently model caring and supportive behavior, demonstrating how to help and support each other through my actions and words. By showing empathy, patience, and kindness in my interactions, I set an example for my students to follow.

2. Creating a Safe and Inclusive Environment:

Establishing a classroom environment where every student feels safe, valued, and respected is essential. I ensure that each student understands that their actions impact their peers and that everyone has a role in maintaining a positive atmosphere.

3. Using Visual Supports and Social Stories:

Visual supports and social stories are effective tools to teach students about social behaviors and responsibilities. These tools help illustrate scenarios where students can help each other and show what positive interactions look like.

Specific Activities

1. Peer Buddy System:

Activity: I pair students in a peer buddy system where each student is paired with another for various activities. Buddies assist each other with tasks, offer encouragement, and provide support during transitions and activities. This system helps build a sense of responsibility and fosters friendships.

Example: During a group project, I paired Cristian, a student with autism, with Andrei, who has Down syndrome. They worked together on creating a class poster. Andrei helped Cristian with cutting and pasting, while Cristian guided Andrei in coloring within the lines. This collaboration not only enhanced their skills but also taught them to support and rely on each other.

2. Classroom Jobs and Responsibilities:

Activity: Assigning specific classroom jobs and responsibilities to each student helps them take ownership and understand the importance of contributing to the classroom community. Jobs like “safety monitor,” “clean-up helper,” and “friendship ambassador” encourage students to look out for their peers.

Example: Sofia, a student with a mental deficiency, was given the role of "friendship ambassador." Her job was to welcome new students and help them integrate into the classroom. This role boosted Sofia’s confidence and reinforced the importance of inclusion and support.

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I am not aware of any mental issues with teachers but have seen a number of burn outs among them. The stress of long hours and a big classroom sometimes being the reason. one way to tackle is to have a permanent replacement teacher available at all times in case a teacher takes takes a leave without the studies being affected along with some counselling support if needed.

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Observation, communication and support are key factors with children. My school has a number of guidelines in place for a students mental health. The first contact point is always the class teacher. As a teacher its important to spend some time in discussions about various social and psychological issues as a group or individually. For further intervention there is a care group made of teachers who take the next steps with children or/and their parents.

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There are no people with mental problems in my group. The only thing we complain about anymore is stress.

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I have students between the ages of 11 and 18, but I am a conductor in a 6th class. I teach social studies to a 7th grade class and together with them I talked with them about well-being in and out of school. In my class, the students had meetings, in groups, with the school psychologist for several months and the students with special problems have individual meetings with him. It was also important to collaborate with the students' families to help them in this regard.

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As much as I know, nobody in my collective has a mental health problem, but on the other hand, those problems are rarely talked about and visible. I could say that there is a burnout sindrom in a few coworkers but none of them expresed it publicly.

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I regularly ask my students about their feeling and emotions. With students aged 11-14 I had individual conversations about their wellbeing and mental health. I identified 4 students with mental health problems and worked with them individualy on self-esteem, social relationship and activities they can do. I also established cooperation with their parents and requested psychological help for all of them.

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What aspects of your job do you find most stressful?

I teach classical languages at the post-compulsory secondary level. In the last courses I have noticed that the passive attitude, the lack of motivation and the lack of previous knowledge are the dominant characteristics of a great part of my students. It stresses me to have to spend much of the time telling them to keep quiet and it frustrates me to plan classes using active methodologies or designing “motivating” activities and not being able to motivate them.

What strategies do you currently use to cope with stress?

Talking to my colleagues, having a cup of coffee is one way to deal with this stress during the workday. In the afternoon it is essential for me to dedicate time to my hobbies and to practice sports.

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In my opinion it is very important that students develop a sense of belonging to a community in which everyone has to care for others and is responsible for the welfare of others. At the beginning of the course, a session is dedicated to developing rules of etiquette to be applied in the classroom:

Be Observant: If you notice someone is upset, struggling, or acting out of the ordinary, take a moment to check in with them or inform your teachers.

Practice Kindness and Respect: Treat everyone with kindness and respect.

Communicate Openly: If you see something that concerns you or if you’re experiencing something difficult yourself, please speak up.

Support Each Other: Offer help when you can. Your support can be invaluable to a classmate in need.

Follow Safety Guidelines: Adhere to classroom rules and safety protocols.
Be Inclusive: Make sure everyone feels welcome.
Take Responsibility: We all make mistakes, but taking responsibility is a crucial step in maintaining a trustworthy and safe environment.

The school's Guidance Department works with a group of students who become “Mediators” and who are in charge of enforcing these rules in the classrooms.

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One of my colleagues suffers from a burn out. This appears only this year. We was thinking that the most difficult was behind us, but it is not. Many colleagues, included me, suffer from a physical and psychic tiredness much important than past years. The fact we can speak about this is a real help.

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What aspects of your work do you find most stressful? What strategies do you currently use to manage stress?

What I find most stressful is the fact that the problems faced by young people and children are so complex. The roots no longer lie in school alone; I have no influence on many factors. Society is evolving so quickly, I feel like I'm constantly lagging behind. In addition, the feeling arises that only quick solutions are required. Working or thinking about problems together does not seem to be desired. Colleagues are becoming increasingly unwilling but also unable to support children with difficult behavior.

I am lucky enough to be able to take part in supervision. This helps to organize thoughts and also get to know other aspects of a problem. I make sure to spend my free time very consciously. I take on a lot of things that have nothing to do with my work. When I'm with my colleagues, I try to avoid negative people and not allow myself to be drawn into complaining and whining. I also try to make myself aware of successful aspects of my work. This helps to avoid moving in a downward spiral.

Do you think there are certain resources or supports that your school is lacking? Teachers should have more opportunities for supervision. There is a lack of additional support options for particularly challenging students. (Autistic people, traumatized children,...)

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There are daily discussion groups where people ask about the well-being of the children and young people. The other students are encouraged to respond by comforting or encouraging the other person. Help and solutions are thought about together. There are also gatherings of the children themselves, moderated by an adult. Here, wishes and problems are considered, joint solutions are sought and then, if necessary, passed on to the other teachers. Every student should feel that their feelings matter and are heard. So it is understandable for the students that they should also pay attention to their classmates.

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What aspects of your job do you find most stressful?

When kids come with their socio emotional problems from home such as, neglect (the kid himself must prepare his own food or else he won't be eating anything at home or the kid himself must wash his own clothes or else the laundry won't be done). When encountering children of drug addicts or their parents have other addictions and the kids must play the role of the care giver instead of the situation being vise versa. This situations are very stressful for me as I keep worrying about those particular children even when I return at home.

The race to cover the syllabus and the calulation of marks are also another contributing factor to stress.

What strategies do you currently use to cope with stress?

I try to find some time on my own by going for a walk or do some exercise after school hours. I also try to find some time to do something that I really like, such as reading and playing the piano. Unfortunately I don't have time to do these on a daily basis. I

When I feel stressed at school, I sometimes walk for a few minuties out of the classroom and try to take some deep breaths to calm myself down.

Are there specific resources or supports that you feel are lacking at your school?

As teachers we don't have the support of a psychologist, that can help us in times of need. We can only talk with a member of the SLT but most of the time they are very busy and it is difficult to talk with someone.

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I usually find it hard to just leave the thoughts of students' problems and any other possible stress factors at school. I bring these with me and feel restless in the afternoon. I'm still looking for a method that would help me with this problem.

The other thing are the staff meetings because the days often vary and I find it hard to plan my private life because work things often come up.

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I come into the classroom most of time asking my students how they are. I wait for their responses and reply. I think this gives them a sense of me caring about them and helps them see I'm there for them and not only to teach them the curriculum.

If I notice someone is not in a bad mood, I offer sympathy and support if they want to. Most of my students know this already and some come and share without me asking them if they need me.

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To encourage students to take responsibility for each other’s safety and wellbeing in the classroom, I use the following:

1. Try to serve as a role model for the kids showing emphaty, respect and also being a good listener.

2. Share the classroom rules at the begining of the year, so everybody will be aware of them and they could notify each other in case somebody won't be following them.

3. Encourage them to talk with an educator at school if they notice somebody who is being bullyed or treated unfairly by others.

4. Use social stories in my teaching to foster empathy and kindness amongst them.

5. Reward postive behaviour.

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Class management. I used to teach older students and now they are 11-15 and I find it awfully hard. Some of them do not have any limits and it is an everlasting struggle of balance.

To cope with stress and to cut from school before I deal with my own teens, I go for a walk with my dog whatever the weather. I listen to any podcast I can find. I also like to go to school early so I have time to prepare my classes + to relax in the staff room before my colleagues arrive drinking coffee and making crosswords.

A lot of resources are lacking in our school : the Internet remains very precarious, if we want to go abroad we have to sell a lot of extraordinary stuff to get the funds... It's an everyday struggle...

Teachers do not have any specific person to talk to if things are complicated. We try our best to listen and exchange but we may be not enough in the end.

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As explained earlier, teamwork is the way my classes work. They work first alone, then share with your team/clan, then they propose one version for the group which I validate or not and they win badges. For the years 8 and 9 in Euro Classes, they work on projects in clans. They fulfill their task using the tools given + methodology and then they hand in a single paper for the team. Thus they are led to take care of their partners. I also have a ritual of 5-minute small talk conversation during which they are meant to ask about the others, exchange, look at one another...

Finally, the French program named pHARe uses the PICAS method of shared preoccupation which is the best example!

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Planning and Organization: Use planning tools like calendars, to-do lists, and time management apps to organize your tasks and manage your workload. Good planning reduces the stress that comes from feeling overwhelmed.

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To encourage students to take responsibility for each other's safety and well-being in the classroom, I use the following strategies:

1. Creating Classroom Rules Together: Involve students in creating the classroom rules. When students contribute to the rules, they are more likely to follow them and encourage their peers to do the same.

2. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Education: Integrate lessons that teach skills such as empathy, self-regulation, and conflict resolution. Students learn how to recognize and respond to the needs of others.

3. Assigning Responsibility Roles: Assign roles of responsibility to students, such as classroom monitors, peer mentors, or support teams. These roles give students a sense of duty and responsibility.

4. Group Activities and Collaborative Projects: Promote collaboration through group work and projects. Students learn to rely on each other and develop a sense of solidarity and support.

5. Encouraging Open Communication: Create a safe environment where students feel comfortable discussing their problems or any issues they face. Encourage the expression of feelings and sharing of experiences.

6. Mentoring Programs: Establish programs where older students help and support younger ones. This mentor-mentee relationship fosters a sense of responsibility and support.

7. Cultivating Empathy and Kindness: Teach students about the importance of kindness and empathy through stories, role-playing, and discussions. Encourage students to consider how their actions affect others.

8. Team-Building Activities: Organize activities that promote bonding and solidarity, such as team-building games, group outings, and collaborative challenges.

9. Teacher as a Role Model: As a teacher, set an example of respectful, empathetic, and responsible behavior. Students learn by observing and mimicking these behaviors.

10. Recognizing and Rewarding Positive Behavior: Acknowledge and reward students who demonstrate responsibility and care for others. Recognition can be verbal praise, rewards, or other positive reinforcements.

By implementing these strategies, students learn to care for and protect each other, creating a safe and supportive classroom environment.

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I am a kindergarden teacher. Every morning we make Morning Meeting with the kids. Everyone shares their feelings and thougths. Every wednesday we have a group sharing - kids shares about situations that make them feel sad or happy. If someone felt sad we encourages him to say why, what or who make him sad. If there have problem between kids we start to discuss how we have to treat each other.

I read different stories and we start talking how to be nice and how we have to help each other, how we have to treat others the way we want them to treat us.

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Contact with little pupils and the problems they may face when parents are negative create additional stress for the teacher. The demands of the Greek system and the extra office work that we have to handle, in addition to teaching young children, puts a stress on our daily work. The number of students in the classroom and the fact that a teacher is responsible for the children alone, without any help, is a daily negative factor that fills us with stress. But creative work and its results, the progress and development of the students is a pleasant element in our daily life so that we can get strength and keep going.

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In the Kindergarten classroom with an introductory game and group games at first. Then through relevant programmes that promote mental health in the Kindergarten, implementing relevant activities such as role-playing games, group games, rule games, etc. Frequent updates for parents, working with them and integrating them into the process in various ways