Maintaining the educational link when a student needs hospitalization in mental health units
On occasion, teachers in schools and institutes must deal with the fact that some of their students are unable to attend school, disappearing from the classroom for justifiable reasons. In the case at hand, this is due to hospitalization for mental health reasons. Often, this situation leads teachers, guided by respect for the individual, to have doubts about how to act, how to maintain contact with the student, whether or not to communicate with them, and so on.
Many questions arise: Are there always teaching professionals in mental health hospitals, given that schooling is compulsory until age 16? What do children and adolescents expect from their teachers when they are hospitalized? What impact does not being able to attend their usual classroom have on their daily lives?
As a teacher in a specialized mental health hospitalization unit, providing the experience of both the student and the teacher can help to discover that children need their closest and most daily support, and that the school and its teachers are relevant people who give meaning to their daily lives.
Therefore, we will focus on looking at some tips that can help teachers to carry out good follow-up so that students do not become disengaged from their academic training, and to help them on a personal level in their hospital process.
How does the hospital classroom work?
When one of our students requires hospitalization for 30 days or more, the 2010 Law on the Rights and Opportunities of Children and Adolescents guarantees their right to have their school and educational needs met, to play, and to participate in cultural and support activities, provided their health permits. In this context, hospital wards have designated classrooms . These classrooms should replicate, as closely as possible, an environment similar to that of a school, thus meeting the needs of the student and adhering to their preferred schedule.
The school typically provides the activities and curriculum materials, prioritizing areas such as language, reading comprehension, mathematics, foreign languages, and social studies. Hospital classroom teachers, in turn, can create their own curriculum materials or adapt existing ones to individual needs, prioritizing specific activities to address aspects like emotional education, health education, and other social or daily living skills. It's important to remember that the school is responsible for assessment, having previously agreed with the hospital staff on the minimum learning objectives, the teaching methods, and how to coordinate efforts.
Should the student's absence be explained to the class?
As education professionals, we must always pay special attention to the handling and management of information when a student is hospitalized. First and foremost, it is the parents or legal guardians who must provide us with the necessary information and authorization. Furthermore, we must explain to the classmates why their classmate is absent from school, and this explanation must be discussed and agreed upon with the child.
Parents often seek advice from teachers, and it's advisable to agree on the explanation to be given, as mental health issues can frequently lead to stereotypes or misunderstandings. However, these situations also present an opportunity to normalize the issue . There's never any doubt when explaining that a student is absent due to an accident, but when it's due to depression, there can be uncertainty about what to say. It's crucial to always safeguard the student's integrity and dignity, withholding and communicating only what is absolutely necessary, and always acting in their best interest.
Protecting mental health in educational settings
We can take advantage of the situation to investigate and inquire about the mental health problems or concerns that our students currently have and disseminate awareness programs to the educational community of the center, talking with mental health professionals who can bring us a little closer to the real situation of this problem.
Maintaining the connection with the center
On the other hand, the experience of a patient facing a difficult life situation in a hospital is very intense, and sometimes they may experience homesickness, apathy, and sadness at not being able to attend classes with their classmates. It is important to make the student feel part of the classroom without losing contact, so they don't perceive that their classmates, their tutor, and ultimately, their school have forgotten about them. This is even more important in cases requiring prolonged hospitalization, as this is where the greatest risk of exclusion exists.
Strategies to maintain engagement with hospitalized students
- Add a short greeting from the teacher and classmates to each assignment, personalizing the activities and taking the opportunity to send everyone's best wishes. This small gesture brings great joy to the child or teenager completing the activity and requires minimal effort from the teachers.
- If the hospital approves, and with parental and school authorization, a phone call, letter, email, or video call can be made. Perhaps the student's classmates could make a video of support or send a voice message encouraging their recovery and motivating them not to lose heart, as they are "eagerly awaiting their return with open arms."
- Adapting and refining content and activities to the context and reality of hospitalized students is crucial. In this regard, close coordination with the hospital classroom teachers is essential, as they can provide information regarding material adaptation needs. It is recommended to send students organized and easily accessible materials with clear, concise, and focused instructions. Finding the right way to ensure each student understands what activity they need to complete, how to carry it out, and the submission deadline is important. Furthermore, our students need to know how to communicate with their tutors and teachers and the availability of support should they have questions that the hospital classroom team cannot answer, such as whether an assignment can be submitted a few days late.
Our students in hospital classrooms miss their tutors and teachers , they miss their classmates and friends, they miss sports, games, and, although it may not seem like it, they also miss math. They miss the playground and activities, they miss their chairs and desks, and of course, they miss their routine, their school where they have their educational projects, their personal life plans, and a strong sense of belonging that they constantly remember in their daily hospital life.
Ultimately, our goal as professionals is to maintain a close bond between the incoming student and the school, offering a comprehensive education. Maintaining study habits, fostering the necessary motivation, and preparing for a successful return to school are the goals that education professionals strive to achieve in this endeavor. It is vitally important to raise awareness of these students so they are not forgotten.
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