For professionals
Feelings and mental health.
Help students find words for their feelings and experiences and practise asking for and offering support.
Review preparation and follow-up guidance before teaching. Use fictional examples so students can explore the topics while keeping their personal experiences private. You can also print this page from your browser.
For 8–12 · Approximately 30 minutes
Recognising feelings and asking for support
What students will learn
- Give examples of how feelings can be noticed.
- Formulate a simple sentence asking for help.
- Identify an adult they can talk to.
Preparation
Prepare cards saying happy, scared, angry, sad and excited. Have a fictional example ready to read aloud. Allow students to answer verbally, draw or write.
Explain the topic to students
When you're looking forward to something, you might want to laugh. When you're nervous about something, you may feel it in your tummy. Feelings are reactions to what happens, what we think and what we remember. We can feel emotions in our bodies too. They can differ from one person to another.
Sometimes we need someone to listen or help us with something difficult. You can begin by describing how your body feels or what has happened. Together with an adult, you may be able to find words that fit the feeling.
Activities and teaching steps
1. Connect words with a situation · 5 minutes
Read: 'Lea is going to a new class.' Students choose the feelings Lea might have. Several answers may be possible. Show how someone can feel both excited and afraid.
2. Make a support map for Lea · 15 minutes
Draw three fields: what Lea notices, what Lea might need and who could help. Groups suggest words, an action and a trusted adult. Explain the difference between something that brings calm right now and help with the cause of a difficult situation.
3. Practise one sentence · 10 minutes
Model: 'I feel anxious and would like to talk to you.' Students can make a sentence for Lea or watch the demonstration. Finish by naming an actual adult at the school and where to find them.
Questions for reflection
- How can you notice a feeling in your body?
- What can an adult do when someone tells them something?
- How can you ask to talk somewhere private?
Conclude the lesson
Write or draw a sentence Lea could use to ask for support.
For 13–17 · Approximately 30 minutes
Stress, support and next steps
What students will learn
- Describe how stress and difficulties may affect everyday life.
- Distinguish help from friends from situations requiring professional support.
- Formulate a specific request for help.
Preparation
Have local contact information for the school health service available. Use fictional scenarios involving pressure, sleep and school. Allow students to keep personal reflections private.
Explain the topic to students
Mental health concerns our thoughts, feelings and relationships. Difficult periods may affect sleep, concentration and energy. Describing how long symptoms last and how they affect everyday life helps when asking for support.
Friends can listen and accompany someone to a trusted adult. School nurses and GPs can help assess what you might need next. You can begin by describing your experiences and get help understanding what might be causing them.
Activities and teaching steps
1. Read a scenario · 5 minutes
'Robin sleeps badly, withdraws from friends and struggles to attend school.' Ask which concrete details the scenario provides. Have students explore observations, possible difficulties and support needs.
2. Make two suggestions for support · 15 minutes
Groups prepare one suggestion for what a friend could say and another for what an adult could do. Ask them to include an agreement about future contact. Discuss why responsibility for follow-up belongs with adults when the situation is serious.
3. Create a conversation starter · 10 minutes
Use: 'I've noticed …', 'It affects …' and 'I would like help with …'. Students create a short text for Robin. Show the school nurse's contact information and how to arrange an appointment.
Questions for reflection
- How could we make asking for support easier when a need arises?
- How can a friend offer support while adults take responsibility for necessary follow-up?
- What should a good follow-up agreement include?
Conclude the lesson
Write one concrete first step Robin could take and who could follow up.
Follow up on students' needs
Follow up with students whose ongoing difficulties affect sleep, school or relationships. Statements about self-harm or suicide require immediate assessment of safety and healthcare needs. Call 113 in Norway if there is an immediate threat to life or health. Call 116 117 if urgent help is needed but the situation is not life-threatening.
Guidance for conversationsSchool adjustments and support
Sources and professional background
These are the sources used. The activities and conversation examples were developed by Tidlignok. Adapt the material to your group and follow current local procedures.