Course Created for Coping Mechanisms by Amber

Course Created for Coping Mechanisms by Amber - February 2022 Scholarship Essay

If I had the opportunity to design a new elective class, I would create a class centered around students' mental health and self-exploration. Many students struggle to find a balance between schoolwork and their mental health; most of the time school work is pushed to the top of that priority list. This class would allow students to have a break from the “normal” school day and time to focus on themselves.
The course would have units such as meditation, coping mechanisms, as well as activities designed individually for each student based on what their plans are for after high school. For example, if a student wants to become an art teacher, their specially designed activity may be writing out a lesson plan to teach the other students a small art project.
The students would be required to keep a journal; it would only be graded for participation points and there wouldn’t be any pressure to write about a certain topic. They could write about their day or even what they did when they were five; it does not matter, as long as they are journaling. Studies have shown that journaling regularly could reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Students ask over and over, “what will I ever use this for in real life?” Most of the time the answer is something along the lines of “well if you get this specific job…” and students hear that as a huge “blah, blah, blah.” This class would directly correlate to everyday life. Coping mechanisms learned in this course would be extremely beneficial to students. This class would give students a safe space to explore their passions and express themselves.
The grading scale for this course would be solely based on participation; as long as students are trying their best they will receive an excellent grade in the class. It is very hard to judge someone on how well they perform in mental health activities and say whether or not they deserve an “A” in the class.
The instructor who teaches the class is equally as important as the course material itself. They should be open-minded and make the class feel like a bubble of safety. Everyone has had that teacher that makes them hate a fun class; it would be a waste of resources to create a class like this and put a mediocre teacher behind it.
Students are the core of this class and should be centered around their individual needs. For a large group of people, school is just a place where they always felt like an outsider. This class would give students at least one hour of the day to feel part of something bigger than themselves.