Counselor creates relaxation room with massage chairs, meditation area for teachers
The Reagan High School ‘Zen Den’ is a place for peace and relaxation.
“This is mainly for teachers to come in and just have a mindful minute,” Cathy Jones said.
She is a STAN (Student Teacher Assistance Network) counselor at Reagan.
“We get to run small groups; we get to push in for extra guidance. We also lead handling all of the crisis situations on campus. We also train staff and work with staff on mental health and what their needs are,” she said.
Jones created the ‘Zen Den’ after hearing a powerful message last school year from North East ISD’s Superintendent, Dr. Sean Maika.
“I knew that Dr. Maika had one really big goal for all of us which was to consider the mental health of our staff members and students. I really take my staff to heart,” she explained.
Jones said she wanted the teachers and staff at Reagan to have a dedicated space to turn to where they could specifically focus on their well-being.
“At the end of the day, our cup’s kind of empty and I just wanted a place for them to come safely. That they could take a moment to really focus on themselves away from everything else, with some calm lighting and some tools, and fill their cup,” she said.
The room has lots of ways for teachers to decompress including massage chairs, yoga mats, a meditation area and even a coloring station.
“This is an exercise to help you find peace in your head,” Jones explained as she grabbed one item from the shelf.
She said there are a variety of tools teachers can choose from depending on what works for them.
“For some people, things like coloring where they are moving their hands and have the visual of the art in front of them. For some people, it’s smelling the diffuser and taking that moment to take a couple of deep breaths, or the sound of the bell. We also have our massage chairs that we were able to purchase with our SEL (Social Emotional Learning) campus money,” Jones explained.
She is still putting the finishing touches on the ‘Zen Den,’ including additional safety and cleaning measures, then she’ll officially open it up to the staff.
“My goal is just to read what their needs are and if there is something that we’re missing, to add that in. It’s really purely to meet their needs,” Jones said.
Jones is a NEISD kid herself and attended Hidden Forest Elementary, Eisenhower Middle School and graduated from Churchill.
Jones said she’s proud to be part of a District that prioritizes the mental health of its students and staff.
“North East is really big in my heart. This is my 16th year working here. I started in elementary school as a first-grade teacher. My children are North East children, maybe that’s why I feel so passionate about taking care of the staff,” Jones explained.
She said it’s like one big family in NEISD.
“We just all need to watch out for each other and take care of each other, especially right now.”
For more information about Social Emotional Learning in NEISD, click here: https://www.neisd.net/Page/20111
Because #NEISDcares!
