Real Talk
Teaching is a stressful job. Rewarding, fulfilling, meaningful, necessary (otherwise we wouldn’t do it) but STRESSFUL. Now add in a pandemic and the stress is next-level. We’ve pivoted to online. Pivoted back to in-person with masks and rows and distancing. Pivoted to a hybrid model of both. Teacher mental health should be everyone’s concern. Want to evaluate our job performance right now? These are the questions we should all be asking teachers right now.
#1 How’s your mental health?
COVID/pandemic-related anxiety and trauma are real conditions, and we need to be talking about them more often. Teacher mental health impacts the whole community. Resources, phone numbers and websites should be readily available to all educators.
#2 How’s your family?
Some educators have been tasked with the impossible job of teaching online while teaching their own children. Others have family members in vulnerable situations, such as long-term care or on the frontlines. Families are stressed right now, and educators carry this mental burden in addition to their workload.
# 3 Who checks on you?
Everyone should have a person – a partner, teacher bestie, or friend to vent to. Support groups can help, too. Solid friendships reduce stress and anxiety and increase self-confidence.
#4 Are you separating school and home?
Maintaining work-life balance helps prevent burnout. Shut your laptop and keep it closed till morning. Turn off work-related notifications on your phone. And ditch the guilt.
#5 Are you getting enough sleep?
We all know sleep is important for overall health. Not getting enough shut-eye impacts your mood, endurance, overall quality of life, and yes, your job performance. In times like these, it is perfectly acceptable to plan a simpler lesson rather than staying up late to do something fancy.
#6 How can I support you?
Educators take care of their students’ learning, mental health, environment, and safety while they’re at school. Administration needs to do the exact same thing for teachers. It’s empowering to know that someone has your back, in a meaningful, consistent way, while you are in the thick of the battle.
These questions are great for the public to ask teachers, too. Check on your child’s teacher or your teacher friend, family member, or neighbor.
Come join us in the Empowered Teachers community to discuss teacher mental health and other important topics!
