WILL IT STOP?

HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED AS A SEARCH FOR A “DANGEROUS WOMAN” CONTINUES.

If you live in Colorado, this is the message you likely woke up to. A woman who is obsessed with the Columbine shooting flew from Miami to Colorado and bought a shotgun. She was last seen in the Jefferson County foothills armed and dangerous. As a safety precaution schools in Colorado are closed.

When I heard the news, my initial reaction was anger. How can we live in a world where people have the intent to harm and hurt other people? Then I thought about all the wounds and trauma this creates for families and friends who have been affected from a school shooting.

To gather more information I turned on the morning news. They showed pictures of the suspect and gave little details about what they know about her.

However, as I flipped through each news station and read articles to find more information, I found a common theme. They all used the key word MENTAL HEALTH. It seems like we have thrown this word around for years. We need to solve the MENTAL HEALTH crisis. MENTAL HEALTH is the cause for violent or uncharacteristic behaviors in humans.

IF THIS IS THE CASE, AS A SOCIETY HOW CAN WE SOLVE THIS?

In many cases the solution is to evaluate, diagnose and then prescribe drugs and medication to help with the mental illness.

Is this the cycle and plan we have forever? Are lifelong prescription drugs the answer?  

I am the first to admit the amount of layers involved to solving the MENTAL HEALTH crisis is enormous. As an educator I witness that schools are working harder than ever to help solve this problem. They are being educated about MENTAL HEALTH and it is taken seriously.

IT IS BEING WORKED ON, BUT WHAT IF WE TRIED SOMETHING NEW?

We teach English, math, reading and writing from kindergarten through 12th grade. It is ingrained in the school curriculum. It is what we value, and it shows because you learn it until the day you graduate.

How do we improve at these vital skills to help become a functioning member of society? We practice them; we learn how to use the skill, and IT IS REPEATED YEAR AFTER YEAR K-12.

What would it look like if we offered a new course K-12? A course that might help tackle some MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES? A course that might help make the world a healthier mental place for all.

The course would be called HUMANITY. It would be taught K-12. The class would have different layers just like our core curriculum classes have now. This is a class that we would teach to every student.

What would we be teaching our students in a course like this?

***HUMANITY CURRICULUM***

*Self-Care

*Self-Belief

*Kindness

*Compassion

*Grief

*How to deal with grief

*Mindfulness

*How to mediate

*How to handle failure and rejection

*Honesty

*Integrity

*Faith

*This list goes on…

As you read this list, I hope you can see these are what help makes a person a well-rounded human. These are the subjects we value and are important as to use as adults, but more important to learn as a child.

This can not be a class that is taken one semester in college. This can not be a class where only the students who are privileged enough to attend college get the knowledge. This can not be a class that only people with curiosity and self-discovery get the opportunity to learn about.

IT HAS TO BE TAUGHT TO EVERY STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOLS.

This is not a master plan or idea that solves all the mental health problems. It is much more complex and intricate to be a catchall. However, I strongly believe we can create a positive ripple effect by teaching a course like this. A ripple effect that can attack MENTAL HEALTH AND MAKE THE WORLD A HEALTHIER PLACE TO LIVE IN.

If this is something you value and agree with please feel free to share this blog. Change happens when an idea influences the right people.