Teacher transforms classroom into cozy retreat, surprises students with ‘mental health day’

This teacher decided to surprise her class of sophomores with a mental health day, with fun activities and cozy places to lounge around—including a blanket fort!

Jennifer Beard (@mamabeardteacher) is a teacher who cares deeply not only about her students’ academic performance but about their mental health and wellbeing. That’s why Jennifer decided to surprise her sophomores with a mental health day! Instead of following the usual curriculum for the day, Jennifer converted her classroom into a cozy place for her students to relax. She provided calming activities, inspirational art, and even a blanket fort!

The video begins with a shot of Jennifer’s classroom on an average day. It is brightly lit with fluorescent lights and rows of desks face the front of the room. “Decided to surprise my sophomores with a mental health day,” Jennifer writes in a caption.

Then, Jennifer unveils her redecorated classroom. She has turned off the harsh overhead lights and placed lamps around the room. The desks have been moved around so that they are no longer in rows. Instead, pairs of desks face each other so students can more easily converse.

On one desk, Jennifer has placed baskets full of colored pencils and other art supplies. Another desk has games for the students to play and puzzles for them to put together. A third desk, meanwhile, has bags full of candy.

Jennifer has also placed inspirational art on the desks. One sign reads, “I am strong,” while others read “I get better every single day” and “All of my problems have solutions.”

Finally, Jennifer shows off the pièce de résistance: a blanket fort! Jennifer has placed several desks and chairs together and draped a blanket over them to make a cozy space for her students to relax. “I am so excited,” Jennifer writes in a caption as the video ends.

Viewers applauded the thoughtful teacher.

“As a high schooler, I really appreciate teachers like you,” one viewer wrote.

“As a mother, I not only support this but recommend a ‘bring your mom to school day’ at the same time as this,” joked one parent.

“The way I wouldn’t be able to stop crying from pure exhaustion and relief to finally be able to relax,” another TikToker commented.

Jennifer certainly understands how important mental health is for teens!

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