A Matter of Mindsets

By Brandon Koo ` Dec. 12, 2025

Emma Wang Art

“Stay positive!” The screen flashes as the teacher monotonously reads off the Seven Mindsets slides. A student scrolls through TikTok under the table, and another races through his math homework. The Social and Emotional Learning Program, founded by author Daniel Goleman, created the Seven Mindsets curriculum and new Monday mental health activities to improve mental health and community, yet, for many students, it collapses into background noise. While these mental health lessons demonstrate school action to address poor mental health among students, they largely fail to provide meaningful support and often feel like an obligation due to their one-size-fits-all format and lack of engagement.

According to a Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2023, nearly 40% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 20% seriously considered suicide and 10% almost attempted it, showing that poor mental health is not an isolated issue but a widespread crisis among teens. Since students spend most of their day at school, it is the school’s duty to help students recognize warning signs and provide consistent support to students who do not have access to outside mental health services. The survey also reports that protective factors such as a sense of community and supportive adults are linked to lower rates of depression and suicidal thoughts. Mental health influences students’ ability to focus and learn; thus, schools should not overlook it.

The school runs special Monday activities intended to inform students about mental health, covering anti bullying, identity, community-building and inclusivity. Teachers lead these Monday presentations every period, but participation often remains minimal. Some students enjoy the lessons because they help spread awareness about bullying and build empathy. However, most others nod along absentmindedly, pretending to listen. As student participation has remained largely unchanged compared to the Seven Mindsets curriculum, the overall impact of these activities demonstrates that the intended positive change has not been effective as intended.

“I learned a couple of things from the stress and anti-bullying presentations since they are relevant to my school life. I do not remember the other topics much since I did not find the presentations engaging,” Sophomore Derek Ng said.

Although students value emotional health, many prioritize academic success even more,

choosing not to participate because they see these lessons as interruptions to their work time. At the same time, the school’s presentation-style format makes it easy for students to get distracted. While the intention behind this program is admirable, the program flounders, turning Mental Health Mondays into a mere checkbox exercise.

Before the Monday activities were the Seven Mindsets presentations, which were intended to promote positivity, resilience and a growth mindset during tutorial. Teachers read from slides and showed videos, leading many students to tune out. The replacement of the Seven Mindsets program was supposed to be an improvement, yet many students did not notice a big difference between the two. Instead of creating a tight knit space for honest discussion, the programs reduce mental health activities to reading off slides that many students ignore.

“The biggest issue is that students do not have a space to talk about what matters to them. Even if the topic is important, it does not connect unless we are having a real conversation,” Senior Arianna Rashid said.

Although the idea behind this program has merit, the lessons remain shallow and lack impact. Mental health cannot thrive through slide presentations— it requires open conversations among people facing similar struggles. These lessons ignore students’ real problems. It is like copying homework—students may check the box, but they learn nothing from it.

A better approach would be to create monthly small-group discussion circles in the library hosted by the school’s counselors and outside mental health professionals. These circles center on the real experiences of the students, and the leadership of this program gains credibility since the professionals and counselors are trained to guide difficult conversations. Instead of listening passively, students gain a safe space to feel understood and speak honestly. According to a research article written by Mayo Research, support circles help students share coping approaches and personal stories. In small groups, students often feel less isolated and judged, which is exactly what students need to open up and receive the help that they need. These groups help people learn skills that ease distress, depression, anxiety and fatigue, encouraging vulnerability in conversations. With fewer people in the room and trained leaders who keep discussions safe and confidential, students get more time and attention.

The school’s current Mental Health Mondays and the Seven Mindsets lessons are disconnected from students’ real needs. Mental health problems are a serious issue that many students struggle with and the school needs to take action to address them with more than slide presentations. Replacing the current system with counselor-led small group discussions would encourage genuine support and conversation, which are essential to student mental health.

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About the Contributors

Brandon Koo

Straff Writer

Brandon Koo is a sophomore at Leland High School and a staff writer for The Charger Account. He can be found on the tennis courts practicing, working out, or listening to R&B in his room. Brandon also enjoys going on sunset walks or taking bike rides on the hills.

Emma Wang

Artist