What happens when the place meant for learning becomes a source of overwhelming stress? For many high school students, classrooms are no longer just spaces for growth and learning; they can also feel like a pressure cooker where academic expectations are constantly there. Behind the ringing bell and busy hallways lies a reality that often is unnoticed, students working to keep up appearance while also quietly battling anxiety, burnout, and emotional strain.
One of the clearest ways to tell a student may be struggling emotionally or mentally is a sudden shift in their behavior, especially in the classroom.
“I can tell when a student is struggling emotionally or mentally if they become very disengaged within the classroom,” Pasco CTE teacher Miss McCoy explained. This disengagement can look like zoning out, avoiding participation, or falling behind on class work, behavior that often signals something deeper than the simple boredom. Many of these stressors that students carry with them long before they walk through the school doors. According to Miss McCoy, many things happening outside of school such as jobs, family, responsibilities, and personal challenges, can weigh heavily on students. Miss McCoy also notes social media has big impacts as well, adding to the pressure and stress of a student’s life.
“It can be a lot more harmful then helpful,” she says.
These overlapping stressors make it harder for students to stay focused, emotionally regulated, and engaged during the school day.
Students themselves say that academic pressure they face each day takes a toll on their daily life and mental wellbeing. When asked how school impacts mental health, students shared many answers.
“It’s stressful,” stated Vanessa.
“I do other stuff besides schoolwork, like I have a life outside of school…it’s draining,” said Mariana. This emphasizes that school demands often collide with responsibilities and personal lives outside the classroom. When asked if they’ve ever felt burnt out from schoolwork or expectations, Maria continued.
“Yes, because of the stress and impact of keeping grades up.”
This constant juggling leaves many teens feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Nearly every student interviewed said that they had experienced burnout at least once. When asked what they wish teachers would understand about students’ mental health, student Maria summed it up.
“Not every student can understand the way they do (their teaching),” she said, indicating that students need teachers to quit following the strict program and branch out to help students actually learn and grow.
For teachers, supporting students’ mental health comes with its own sets of challenges, many of which they feel unprepared to handle. When asked what obstacles teachers face, Mr. French admitted they don’t understand it.
“We need social workers to be brought in to teach the teachers. We get all college the training in the world on it but we don’t have real life experience with it.” Other teachers see the effects of mental health struggles play out in the classroom, such as Mr. Austin.
“I find that if a student is struggling with mental health, it’s really hard for them to get engaged,” adding that participation often drops long before a student asks for help. When asked how often Mr. Austin notices signs of declining mental health, he estimated on a scale of 1 to 10, “Probably life seven or eight,” showing just how widespread the issue has become.
Together with these voices, both students and teachers paint a clear picture of the school environment where emotional strain is common, support systems are stretched thin, and the need for meaningful change is impossible to ignore. Behind every assignment, every class period, and every ringing bell is a young student trying to balance academic expectations, with real life challenges, and educators doing their best to guide them without the tools they truly need. Addressing mental health in schools isn’t just about recognizing the problem, it’s about building a system where students feel understood, teachers feel supported, and no one struggles in silence.
