From The Literature


Photographer:

BR. BRIAN WALSH, CFC

TikTok Challenges Are a Nightmare for Schools. How Should Educators Respond?

Schools can make talking about TikTok Challenges and the peer pressure that perpetuates them a part of digital citizenship education:

  • Steer clear of lecturing
  • Try an inquiry based approach using their own curiosity to spark an examination of why these challenges seem to have so much appeal
  • Resist urge to dismiss and diminish
  • Pick a ‘challenge’: break it down:
    • Why popular even when harmful
    • How do you find out about them?
  • Partner with Families:
    • Heads up, avoid alarming words
    • Talk to your kids
  • Classroom cell phone prohibition ????

We Talk a Lot About Student Mental Health. We Need More Action.

Some common mental health issues impacting learning:

  • Chronic absenteeism due to depression
  • Defiant behavior sparked by years of trauma at home
  • Children feeling unsafe sitting with new people at lunch (Pandemic has stunted social development.) Recommended Number of Student Support Personnel (Counselors & Psychologists) First year of the Pandemic, 40% of all school districts, 5.4 million students) did not have a psychologist
  • National Association of School Psychologists recommend one School Psychologist per
  • 500 students (8% of districts meet the number)
  • American School Counselors Association recommends a Counselor to 250 students (145 of districts meet the number) Beyond providing direct counseling for students with specific mental health diagnoses, Educational Psychologists say schools should create conditions that support student emotional well-being and learning.

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