Mental illnesses in the Classroom

If teacher's come across a child that has a mental illness, they should NEVER get mad at the child. Let's say a child has Bipolar Disorder, and one second the child is nice and kind, and the next he is driving the teacher crazy. The teacher should never alter there voice or get mad at this child, it is not there fault. It does not help the child by getting mad at him or her. Things you shouldn't do is be judgmental, this can crush a student instantly. Another is to never tell the student to change, the student is fine who he or she is. If a teacher says that, then the truth is the teacher is the one to change.

What if there are problems at home, and school is the child's safe place? Well the teacher that got mad and was judgmental to the child just destroyed that safe place. Things to do when a child has a mental illness is maybe talk to the student about the behavior at the end of the class. If teachers sense something off they should talk to the student and ask if they can do anything to accommodate them. Teachers should reach a conclusion with the child that is fair for both parties. An example would be to take a break. That Bipolar student can feel when he or she starts getting angry, and a simple way to reach a conclusion is for the student to take a break and maybe walk to the water fountain and come back when he or she is ready.