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Supporting Student Mental Health This Season

The holiday season can bring joy and excitement, but it can also create stress, overwhelm, and complicated emotions for many students. Between academic pressures, family dynamics, financial concerns, and the expectation to feel festive, young people may need extra support to navigate this time of year. This collection of resources offers practical strategies, calming activities, and brain breaks to help students manage anxiety, set healthy boundaries, practice self-care, and find balance during the holidays. Whether your students are feeling lonely, stressed, or need tools to protect their well-being, these resources remind them that it's okay to prioritize mental health and that support is always available.

Grades K-5

Take A Family Break Videos, Activities, and Songs

Dig into short videos and activities designed to help children and adults destress through simple exercises, such as stretching, breathing techniques, and interactive games. Use these quick breaks to enhance focus and foster a calming environment.

Grades 8-12

Radio Rookies

Radio Rookies offers programming created by teens, for teens to help them cope with the challenges of teen life. Scroll down the homepage to browse through recent episodes. Become a part of Radio Rookies by downloading the DIY Radio Rookies Toolkit.

Grades K-8

Big Ideas, Big Conversations – Class Dojo

Explore these ready-to-use activities and lessons designed to support social-emotional learning, classroom community building, and student well-being. The content is organized into categories such as mindfulness, empathy, growth mindset, and gratitude.

Grades 3-12

Teach With Movies

View these film-based lessons that spark discussions about empathy, resilience, and real-world challenges. Scroll through the subjects to find movies related to social-emotional learning to help students process emotions and reduce isolation.

Grades K-12

WellCheq

WellCheq is a web resource that provides a daily wellness check-in for students. Students log in each day and answer two questions: “How are you feeling today?” and “How are you doing overall?” Their answers are immediately available to the teacher.

Grades K-3

Mind and Movement

Discover free videos combining physical activity and mindfulness for kids. With 1–10-minute segments organized by themes like feelings, animals, and senses, these are perfect brain breaks that support wellness and emotional regulation.

Grades K-12

Microsoft Reflect

Reflect is a wellbeing app that uses check-ins to support connection and promote a culture of self-awareness and empathy in learning communities. Available activities include brain breaks, guided meditation, and two-minute stretching routines.

Grades K-12

Drench

Take a brain break with Drench, a calming color puzzle game where players fill the board in limited moves. Its simple, meditative gameplay offers students a quick mental reset, reducing stress through focused, satisfying problem-solving.

Grades K-12

TEACHFLIX

TEACHFLIX is a curated collection of videos shared by classroom teachers for immediate use in class. Scroll to the bottom of the page to view the topics. Click on the Social-Emotional tab to find videos to share with students and families.

Grades 6-9

My Social Media Life

This lesson provides resources to guide middle school students in learning about the role of social media in their lives, especially its effects on relationships. Resources include a slide presentation, video, and handouts for families.

This Week at TeachersFirst

We're excited to invite you to participate in our winter book study! We're also sharing a post from our Infusing Technology Blog and an opportunity to apply to join our team as a part-time consultant. Read the details below.