How Can We Prioritize Mental Health in Gen Z Classrooms?

At the tail-end of a two-year-long global pandemic, students are under more stress than ever before. The pandemic alone has massively affected their mental health as students make the switch to remote learning and continue schoolwork under these conditions. Not only were they forced to consider their futures while they were simultaneously unsure what the future held, but students also identified other global issues that had an impact on their mental health in the latest APA Stress in America Survey. Students today are stressed over issues like discrimination and harassment, the separation and deportation of migrant and immigrant families, mass shootings, political climate, hunger or food insecurities, work, and money, to name a few.  

8 Ways to Stay Mighty

MooreCo has been committed to providing environments where people can thrive for over 3 decades. But what does it mean to thrive? Once all of our survival needs are met (safety, food, shelter, water), we can focus on the higher range of needs. Hierarchy by MooreCo was inspired by Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs. We imagined a world where students were not only stimulated, but supported, encouraged, and set up to succeed in all their learning endeavors. 

What Does it Mean to Thrive?

At MooreCo, we’re big on thriving. Our Thrive Philosophy came about in 2019, to focus on designing spaces that encourage physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social-emotional, and moral development. Even as there were opportunities to help students thrive then, the pandemic made that need even more dire. The past year has taken a toll on students, teachers, and parents in ways that will take time to recover. With the help of ESSER funds allocated to schools to help with this recovery, our hope is that schools and students will have access to the resources and spaces they need to truly thrive.

The Four Corners of Harmonious Classroom Design

“To slow time down, practice enjoying the moment. It is where we spend our entire lives.” This wisdom from the I Ching describes an ideal way to live by slowing down. In the digital age, however, it’s getting more and more difficult to take this sage advice. Because of the pandemic, we are even more devoted to time spent on our devices, staring at screens with fast-paced minds. Among students, this trend has had some negative consequences. Adolescents and young adults (known as Gen Z) are struggling with mental health more than previous generations. When students return to school this fall, it will be important to consider their mental, physical, and emotional health. But educators, parents, and school designers would be remiss to discount the benefits of considering students’ spiritual development when creating spaces and schedules for student health. This doesn’t mean subscribing to a certain system of belief. It can be as simple as integrating space for silence, breathing, and reflection.

Why Every School Needs to Prioritize SEL

As students wrap up an unprecedented school year, many families are beginning to reflect on their experience with hybrid, online, or in-person learning during a pandemic. It hasn’t been without its challenges. In fact, learning loss is projected to be a huge problem in coming years for k-12 students. But as COVID-19 positivity continues to decline, students can likely rely on the idea that they will be learning in person this fall. What that means for schools and educators is that time and energy will be needed to help students catch up to make up for time lost this year due to problems with virtual learning. A reported 15 million American students were without access to the tools needed to learn online, leaving many behind in already existing learning gaps. This is why the federal government has allocated ESSER funds for schools to spend. This money is meant to be used to help students recuperate academically and mentally from the effects of the pandemic. Mental health services within schools will be needed, as well as an increased emphasis on social-emotional learning, or SEL.

Nurturing Morality, Empathy, and Equity in Classrooms

The digital age has brought many gifts to civilization, including the opportunity to keep people connected despite a global pandemic that required people to distance themselves. But with all the positive opportunities created by technology, negative consequences abound. Depression and anxiety rates are up among adolescents. Some experts suggest this is because of access and addiction to social media and hand-held devices. 2020 highlighted the importance of unity, education, and self-awareness. But how can we nurture these virtues in students so that they create a more just and equitable world?

When Robin Randall and Sylvia Kowalk of Legat Architects begin a project, inspiration abounds.

What Teens Can Teach Us About Working Smarter

There are few consistencies we can count on in this lifetime. One tradition that seems to be reliably handed down from generation to generation is the misunderstanding of teenagers on the part of parents, educators, and employers.

But science tells us that teenagers actually have a lot to offer when it comes to leadership. Dr. Jessica Church-Lang is head of neuroimaging in the Austin area of the Texas Learning Disabilities Research Center at the University of Texas. She recently spoke at MooreCo’s Thrive Forward webinar on intellectual development. Her focus was on the adolescent years and the opportunities presented by this time of intense transition.

It turns out, teens can teach us a lot about how to live and work better in alignment with our values. Here are a few key takeaways from Dr. Church-Lang’s presentation and how channelingl our inner teens (or listening to the literal teens in our lives) can lead to more fulfilling and productive work.

 How to Take Risks

As Dr. Church-Lang pointed out in her session, teens are more likely to act on impulses. Since the brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 24, this can sometimes lead to dangerous consequences. Which is why they need great mentors, caregivers, and educators in their lives to guide them to make good decisions. The benefits of this trait, however, is that they are more likely to take safe risks, too. Trying out for new teams, asking out a romantic interest, or even getting into a (little) trouble is good for young people. It helps them learn from mistakes and realize they can survive failure or hardship. We can learn from that at work and in our own lives. What risks can we take with our professional or personal lives and hope to grow from? The sharing of ideas openly is one form of risk taking.

To create environments that support this type of risk taking, you’ve got to think big! Sharewalls can help adolescents and those in the workplace feel braver about the sharing of ideas. With a wide surface to write, the wall invites people to open up and share what they’re thinking, even if ideas are not fully formed. 

The Value of Community

One thing that teens value is a sense of inclusion and community. According to Dr. Church-Lang, teens want desperately to belong. The downside of this is that they will sometimes make unwise decisions to impress friends. Peer pressure can be a negative consequence of this level of need for community. But the opportunity that it presents is that kids this age learn from each other, explore new social situations, and are constantly learning how to evaluate and act on their own feelings and the feelings of their peers. This can lead to lasting friendships and relationships, as well as heightened self-esteem. Adults become so focused on succeeding as independents. Whether professionally or personally, we can all learn from teens about the importance of relying on community support. Finding a group of people that shares our interests, principles, or hobbies can help keep us mentally well and feeling young.

To create environments that support community, Dr. Church-Lang recommends desks or soft seating that can be easily moved into a group setting. Both in the workplace and in a classroom setting, these types of configurable desks and lounge seating encourage the sharing of thoughts in a relaxed setting.

Where to Discover New Ideas

Dr. Church-Lang says that the teen years are a time of heightened brain plasticity when children begin to think abstractly. She says this is why algebra is introduced at this age, because students can begin to imagine and reckon with concepts they can’t see. Teens become adept at self-expression- making art, songs, or writing in ways that can be fresh and inspiring. For adults, we need to reconnect with our own inner teens and take a page from their book. Finding new modes of self-expression is as important at 40 as it is at 15.

To create environments that support discovery and new hobbies, makerspaces come to mind. Makerspace cabinets and tables provide ample space for the storage of materials and surface area to work and explore. Remember when tapping into your own inner artist, that the destination is not the important part. Enjoy the process of crafting, creating, and exploring with abandon. This is how teens do it.

When to Question Assumptions

One of the most challenging and positive attributes of adolescents is their tendency to question assumptions and question authority. For parents and educators, this is obviously not always a welcome practice! But this energy of young people has created cultural evolution since the beginning of humankind, and we can learn from this as a strength. For adults in corporate culture, what are some practices that are antiquated and no longer serve the health and happiness of employees?

During COVID-19, many companies allowed work from home as a standard way of doing things, and we can now see that many are continuing to implement this due to increased employee productivity and well-being. What are some ways that your corporate culture needs to shift to create greater benefit for all? One way is to maintain the option to work on a flexible schedule or at a distance. Leading-edge technology will help keep everyone productive and connected. Smart boards for conference calls, day-to-day videoconferencing, and distance learning in university level education are necessary in the post-pandemic economy.

When to Advocate for Change

Generation Z students (anyone born between 1995-2010) are the first generation to have only lived in a post-internet era. As such, they have received a reputation for being on social media and on their hand-held devices to excess. Dr. Church-Lang says that there’s opportunity via social media for great social change, and that many activists coming out of this young generation are making an impact. Greta Thunberg, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, and Joshua Wong are all examples of teens who are leading the way to forms of social evolution and revolution. Generation Z are also known to be more inclusive and open than previous generations. A reported 1 in 6 people within this generation identify as LGBTQ. This means that not only have times changed, but young people today are open to accepting themselves and others in groundbreaking ways. Adults can learn from this to enhance the experience of corporate culture. But being inclusive isn’t just about tolerance. It’s about education, awareness, and ownership of implicit bias. It’s a process that requires that entire organizations be open to learning and encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Creating environments that support this kind of awareness is all about collaborative workspaces where people can come together to share ideas. Soft seating, conference rooms that encourage the share of ideas, and environments that welcome people of all abilities are a good place to start.

The Benefits of Being True to Yourself

Dr. Church Lang said that teens learn best when they are able to discover their own way of doing things. Some learn best alone, while some learn best in groups. Because this generation has been brought up with more of a sense of the importance of social-emotional development, they are more attuned to their own learning needs.

As Dr. Church-Lang states, “We should include teens in decision making when it comes to design or classroom changes. They need predictability but they also love peer interaction and flexibility in design, depending on their mood.” She went on to say, “The MooreCo designs that are flexible and really adaptable are a great example of this.” So, for both teens and adults, providing plenty of options for how to work best is necessary for thriving. This includes flexible seating like standing desks, configurable tables, or mobile workstations. It can also include lounge-style furniture where everyone can gather and chat. The most important thing is to find what works best for you and your team members or students. Then provide products and environments that help them succeed at being their very best.

We’re Here to Help

Are you interested in learning more about teens and intellectual development? Check out Dr. Church-Lang’s session from our Thrive Forward webinar. We can all learn from the younger generation how to be adaptable and agile in work and in life. Contact us today about any of our new product offerings that were designed to evolve with the user, creating flexible environments for everyone to thrive.