Admin Feature: Dr. Jennifer Thomas from the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities
Dr. Jennifer Thomas is a changemaker. She’s an educator who believes in the right kind of balance; she pushes students to work hard, and she advocates for the right supports to promote mental wellbeing. She’s currently the Dean and Vice President of Arts and Academics at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities, but she’s been an English teacher for most of her educational career. Let’s learn more about Dr. Thomas and her perspective on mental health in schools!
What’s your favorite picture on your phone right now?
It’s a picture of my son, and I’m behind him. He’s in a Santa hat, all bundled up and freezing, and he’s taking a picture of the Great Conjunction--the Christmas Star--where you're able to see Jupiter and Saturn. It was incredible to see. We were fortunate to be in the belt of the United States where the weather allowed us to see it. It was magical.
When did you first realize that social emotional learning (SEL) should be prioritized at your school?
About three years ago, my school participated in the National Day of Unplugging, where everyone in the community would unplug from their devices, turn off their computers, and hide their phones. We had students who were so severely impacted. Several kids during the debrief said they didn’t know what to do if they weren’t working or on their devices; they didn’t know how to be just with themselves.
When I became an administrator last year, SEL was one new thing I wanted to prioritize. I knew I was in a position to create systems-wide change; as an administrator, I could see an SEL initiative through.
What have been your teachers’ thoughts on incorporating Upstream into the school day?
Across the board, teachers are really receptive and appreciative that Upstream is a ready-made tool; having the scripts and slideshows prepared is super helpful.
Karen, our mental health counselor, says to students, “I can work with you up to the classroom door.” Upstream gives teachers inside the classroom something to offer.
How would you advise another administrator to help get their staff engaged in SEL supports?
The key is to actually practice the tools with the teachers instead of just telling them what they have to do. And to message that it’s not just something to deliver to students. It’s for them, too.
It’s also important to share that there are tangible academic and artistic benefits. It feeds performance and ability. At SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, we want students to perform and achieve at very high levels across the curriculum. It’s important for administrators to link case studies across disciplines; how it enables students to calm, center, focus, and concentrate so they can show what they actually know and are able to do.
What has not worked when implementing SEL? What insights can you share?
The trickiest part of implementing an SEL program is timing; it’s the logistical piece of finding the right place in a school day schedule. It also doesn’t work if it feels like one more thing to do, like an add on. It has to be internalized and infused into the school culture.
In your perfect world, what would school look like?
School would look like students and teachers working really hard, because hard work is rewarding when it’s centered around what you love. We’d foster an environment that’s fully engaging and balanced. True learning takes risks, so we’d nurture an environment where students are feeling themselves getting better at a task but feel supported when they inevitably encounter challenges. It’s a tough sweet spot. If the workload is not challenging enough, people will disconnect. But you can go too far in the other direction, so it’s important to monitor workload. Our students in particular are driven to be, for example, the best saxophone player; we want to nourish that hunger but without negative pressure that impacts their mental health.
