Where students feel seen and teachers feel supported
Written by MASSP Partner in Education, Cengage
Across Michigan schools, student mental health continues to be one of the most pressing concerns for principals. Mental health challenges among youth are rising, “according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to one in six children ages 6 to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year, but only 20% receive care from a mental health provider.” Rising anxiety, disengagement, chronic absenteeism, and increased behavioral needs have reshaped the school day.
While many schools are expanding counseling services and SEL programming, instructional leaders also play a key role in ensuring students encounter supportive, developmentally appropriate content in their everyday classroom experiences.
Quality instructional resources—particularly those that help students build coping and life skills, explore dentity, understand emotions—can act as a powerful extension of a school’s mental health strategy. When teachers have access to well‑curated materials, they can incorporate short but impactful learning experiences that normalize conversations about stress, resilience, relationships, and well-being.
In ELA classrooms, this might look like pairing texts with reflective writing prompts or discussions that help students understand character motivation, conflict resolution, or emotional growth. In health or advisory programs, reliable informational texts can support conversations about managing anxiety, recognizing warning signs, setting goals or building healthy habits. Even in content areas like science or social studies, teachers can use credible resources to help students explore how stress affects the brain, how communities support well-being, or how cultural perspectives shape coping strategies.
Students benefit from consistent, safe, age-appropriate materials with built in accessibility tools. Teachers can worry less and benefit from not having to “Google for mental health resources,” where content varies widely in accuracy and suitability. By ensuring that staff have access to high‑quality supplemental resources, and PD materials, principals can support a stronger schoolwide culture of care—one where students feel seen, teachers feel supported, and mental health is embedded into the everyday fabric of instruction rather than treated as a separate initiative.
Explore Cengage School’s Mental Health and Wellness Support Collections
Gale School Blog: Beyond Academics: Why Mental Health Belongs at the Center of Student Success
Questions Contact: Lindsay.dzyngel@cengage.com