As we enter into Mental Health Week, I have been reflecting on a recent episode of EduCast3000 we recorded with Johanna Bjartmarsdottir, mental health advocate and founder of Harts. If you’re as passionate about mental health in education as I am, I highly encourage you to listen. Her willingness to share her story so openly left a significant and lasting impression on me.
Johanna, a native of Iceland, faced tremendous mental and physical challenges early in her youth, including ADHD, dyslexia, physical trauma, and sexual abuse. These challenges continued well into her teenage years until she found the will and strength to break free from a very devastating cycle. She shared how at times the educators around her felt helpless and gave up on her. She also shared a few moments in her life that transformed her understanding of herself, especially as a learner, giving her a renewed energy to overcome everything life presented. Without revealing too much from the episode, I am so happy to share that Johanna found a path to continuing her education and is “paying it forward” by supporting others through her research and her company.
What struck me most was the contrast in educators’ roles—moments when they felt they could help versus when they felt they couldn't. Did they have the skills to help her? The time? The permission? These are just but a few of the questions educators face every day when engaging with their learners. A teacher myself, I have been in similar situations where I must ask myself these same questions. Often, I find that while I can make time or give myself permission to help, I may not feel confident in my ability to connect students with the services they need to manage mental and/or physical challenges.
This is my call to action for us all this week: let’s rally around the educators and equip them with the skills to listen, support, and guide learners of all ages to the mental health resources they need when facing challenging times. Through this hub, I hope you will find a collection of resources that are useful and practical in your own settings. But this is just a start. We owe it to educators and to learners to be more thoughtful, deliberate, and proactive in managing mental health.
