Impact of Pandemic on Teachers and Strategies to Promote Wellness
Steering Committee
June 18, 2021
DMCC presented last month regarding the high likelihood that schools will have highly stressed families and kids returning in the Fall. Schools are encouraged to prepare for the onslaught of needs that is sure to come. One of the first things schools can do is check in with teachers to make sure they have been taking care of their mental health. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, teachers were stressed. According to the American Federation of Teachers’ 2017 Educator Quality of Work Life Survey found that 61% of teachers said their jobs were always or often stressful.1 The litany of changes the pandemic brought with it, including shifting to online learning, learning new technology, attempting to meet the needs of students and their families, meeting the needs of our own families, re-opening schedules, and, of course, individual safety concerns has driven stress levels even higher. Teachers may be feeling disengaged and tired due to these additional stressors. It is imperative that we support teachers in their own well-being because teacher wellness has been linked to stability in schools and student achievement.2
In the spirit of understanding that it is important for us to put our oxygen masks on first, before we help others put theirs on. Here are some ways we can support teachers as we return to in-person teaching:
- Acknowledge that teaching during the pandemic was hard
- Provide a space where teachers can talk about the things they experienced, and are continuing to experience, during the transition back to school
- Acknowledge that this transition back will also be hard and adjustments may still need to be made
- Encourage teachers to embrace those things that worked and continue to use them in the classroom
- Increase support
- Show empathy and be available
- Provide more opportunities for communication and connection
- Provide opportunities for recognition
- Express gratitude for all their hard work
- Provide opportunities for additional training
- Provide the basic tools for wellness
- Help teachers set healthy boundaries to achieve a healthy work/life blend
- Model healthy coping strategies
- Provide information about compassion fatigue, burnout, and self-care
- Talk about the importance of taking care of our mental health – let’s reduce the stigma around talking about mental health and illness!
- This leads us to prioritize mental health
- Not just for students, but for staff as well
- Encourage use of available benefits
- Health and welfare, EAP, create/resuscitate internal wellness initiatives
- Think about the needs of typically underrepresented groups
- Take into consideration the ways in which culture impacts mental health
- May need to tailor mental health supports for these groups
- Explore and share resources available
- Readjust expectations
- Adjust procedures and schedules as much as you can
- Encourage use of new learning – from technology to classroom management and everything in-between
- Encourage reflection, flexibility and acceptance of the changes the pandemic has brought to our world
- Maybe we will no longer shake hands but do elbow bumps?
- Be prepared
- Be thoughtful about workplace safety and vaccination protocols
- Encourage continuous learning and embracing of innovations to come
- This is a perfect time to re-visit disaster preparedness plans!
- Incorporate learnings from this experience to disaster/safety plans
We have all been through, and are still experiencing a life-changing, culture-shifting event. It is up to each of us to embrace the best parts of what we have learned, dedicate ourselves to continual learning and adjustment, and, most importantly, take care of each other.
References:
- American Federation of Teachers. (2017). 2017 Educator Quality of Work Life Survey
- Cox, A., Solomon, B., & Parris, D. (2018, May 8). Teacher well-being is a critical and often overlooked part of school health.
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