Equipping Teachers to Notice and Respond

Teachers are often the first adults to notice when a child is struggling. They see the child more consistently than almost any other adult outside the home.

They see her in class, in the school compound, and in her interactions with other children. They see the changes that happen from one week to the next — the child who has become withdrawn, the child whose work has declined, the child who has started arriving late or missing school altogether. But most teachers have no training in what to look for, or in how to respond when they see it. A teacher who notices that something is wrong may not know what to do next. She may assume the child is lazy. She may punish the behaviour she is seeing. She may simply do nothing, because she does not know what she can do. Teacher training in mental health and psychosocial support is what closes this gap.

We train teachers to recognise changes in behaviour that signal distress. The signs are not always obvious, and they are not always the same from one child to another. A child who is being harmed at home may become quiet and withdrawn. A child who has lost a parent may become aggressive or disruptive. A child who is being bullied may start avoiding school. A child who is carrying a burden that no child should carry may simply stop participating in class. We help teachers understand what these changes mean, and how to distinguish between behaviour that requires a response and behaviour that is simply part of a child's development. The purpose is not to turn teachers into counsellors. It is to help them see what is in front of them.

What the Training Covers

Responding without shame or punishment

Responding Without Shame or Punishment

How it works:

  • We teach teachers how to respond in ways that do not shame or punish the child. A teacher who notices that a child is struggling may want to help, but the way she responds can make things worse.
  • A teacher who calls the child out in front of the class, who demands an explanation in a public setting, or who treats the child's behaviour as a discipline issue may push the child further away.
  • We help teachers understand how to speak with a child in a way that is private, respectful, and free of judgment. The conversation is not an interrogation. It is an invitation for the child to say what she is willing to say, and an assurance that what she says will be treated with care.

The purpose of this training is that a child who is struggling does not struggle alone. A child who is in distress, who has experienced something difficult, or who is carrying a burden that no child should carry is a child who needs at least one adult to notice and respond. In many of the communities where we work, that adult will be a teacher. When teachers are equipped to see what is in front of them, to respond in ways that help rather than harm, and to connect a child to further support when it is needed, the child has a better chance of staying in school and of recovering from what she has experienced. This is the work that teacher training in mental health and psychosocial support is for.

A teacher supporting a child

Teacher training in mental health and psychosocial support equips teachers to recognise distress, respond in ways that help rather than harm, and connect children to further support when it is needed.

Our commitment

Teachers are often the first adults to notice when a child is struggling. Teacher training in mental health and psychosocial support equips them to notice and respond.

Join us in equipping teachers

Help us train teachers to recognise distress, respond in ways that help rather than harm, and connect children to further support when it is needed. Support our campaign, volunteer your time, or partner with us to deliver teacher training across Kenya.

Every action counts—only a willingness to act is required.

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A teacher training session on mental health and psychosocial support

Equipping teachers to notice and respond

Teachers are often the first adults to notice when a child is struggling. They see the child more consistently than almost any other adult outside the home.