As educators, parents, and community members, we have a shared responsibility to ensure that every child in our district feels supported, understood, and equipped to thrive. In today’s fast-paced world, however, the challenges our young people face are more complex than ever before.
Recent studies, including those in The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, highlight the mental health crisis among today’s youth. Haidt’s text is an urgent and persuasive warning about the “rewiring of growing up” through phone-based childhoods and a decline in play, which are contributing to higher levels of anxiety and depression in our students.
At the same time our children are facing the distraction, disconnection and isolation that non-stop technology contributes to, educators are tasked with the vitally important work of ensuring effective, intentional, relevant learning is taking place in our classrooms everyday.
But here’s the good news: by addressing student anxiety and adopting research-backed strategies from books like The New Classroom Instruction That Works, we can support our students’ mental health as well as reclaim precious instructional time for deeper engagement and learning.
The mental health crisis: Why we must act
Haidt’s research reveals that the prevalence of anxiety in today’s students stems from a variety of sources—constant connectivity through technology, pressures to achieve, and fear about the future, particularly due to environmental issues. Many of our students come to class burdened by these stressors, which impedes their ability to fully engage in learning. If a child is overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety, they’re less likely to focus, participate, or retain information.
As a district, we are committed to ensuring that every student feels a sense of belonging and mattering. Through our intentional efforts to address social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health, we can reduce the anxiety that students bring with them to school, freeing up time and energy for what we all want—more engaged learning in the classroom.
Instructional strategies that work
In tandem with supporting mental health, we must also ensure that classroom instruction is effective and engaging. This is where The New Classroom Instruction That Works, a powerful guidebook on research-based teaching strategies, becomes a critical tool for us.
The authors of this book, Bryan Goodwin and Kristin Rouleau, provide a roadmap for instructional practices that increase student achievement. Their research outlines six phases of learning along with 14 teaching strategies that support and maximize student learning and classroom productivity. These include:
• Guiding students to become interested in learning by using Intellectual engagement, cognitive interest cues and activating prior knowledge;
• Helping students commit to learning by guiding them to set goals so they can learn to use success criteria;
• Focusing on new learning through vocabulary development and high level language acquisition;
• Providing tools that enable students to practice skills and reflect upon their growth by reinforcing effort and providing recognition;
• Supporting students to strengthen their Thinking Skills (visualizing, planning, reflecting, refining, creative problem solving); and
• Utilizing brain-based practices including retrieval, scaffolding and targeted practice
By integrating these proven strategies, we create a learning environment where students are actively engaged, better organized, and able to manage their learning process effectively. Most importantly, these strategies help us use classroom time more efficiently, allowing students to focus deeply on the content while fostering greater academic success.
How mental health support and instructional strategies work together
By reducing student anxiety and promoting engagement through the application of these strategies, we can reclaim valuable time lost to disengagement, behavioral disruptions, or lack of focus. When students feel emotionally supported and confident in their learning, their brains are primed for higher-order thinking and problem-solving.
In this way, addressing mental health is not a separate concern but directly tied to how we instruct and manage our classrooms. By combining Haidt’s insights on student well-being with Goodwin’s research-based instructional strategies, we can create an environment that not only supports our students emotionally but also engages them academically.
This holistic approach to education—where mental health and instructional excellence go hand in hand—empowers us to build classrooms where every minute is spent in productive, meaningful learning. As we promote mental wellness and instructional effectiveness, we provide our students with the tools they need to succeed, both inside and outside the classroom.
Moving forward
Through the study and integration of these two important works into our curriculum and instruction, I am proud of the work we’ve done so far in Lawrence to support our students’ diverse needs. We know there is more to do. We will continue to make strides in ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed academically and thrive emotionally.
Dr. Robyn Klim is the superintendent of the Lawrence Township Public Schools.
Dr. Robyn Klim, superintendent of Lawrence Township Public Schools.,
