Educator Wellbeing

Practical Solutions to Reset, Recharge and Recover

Madhavi Nawana Parker

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000218442
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Educator Wellbeing, written in response to the 2020 Global Pandemic, speaks to the long-ignored expectations that Educators live with and the impact on their wellbeing that going above and beyond to serve their students has. This book is a relatable and practical read for teachers to build tools for life, bringing their wellbeing to the forefront. It provides a toolbox of preventative and responsive strategies to help Educators look after their wellbeing so they can continue with supporting their students.

Madhavi Nawana Parker provides a supportive and practical wellbeing framework that can be tailored to meet teachers' unique and personal needs, and supports theory with personal vignettes to bring to life topics such as:

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• Areas for improved wellbeing in the current climate

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• Giving yourself permission to prioritise wellbeing

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• Wellbeing for Educators going forward

A timely response to an international event with far-reaching effects, Educator Wellbeing has never been more needed by practitioners, as a contemporary answer and basis for a new tradition of supportive practice.

1
What the 2020 Global Pandemic highlighted about Educator wellbeing

Some of you may be reading this book long after the pandemic. Others will have it in your hands while you’re still navigating your way through it or dealing with the aftermath of having been through it. Whether you’re in it or way past it, no Educator will ever forget its impact. This chapter highlights the challenges many of you experienced and overcame.

Educator wellbeing has been a long-standing and significant challenge in global school communities. Working in Education is way more than a job. It’s a powerful legacy involving countless after hours planning without pay, early starts and late finishes, sleepless nights worrying about students, ongoing professional development and much more.

Covid-19 placed a global spotlight on a gap in Educators having tools to not only cope with the demands of their emotionally taxing work, but to respond to additional pressure during a crisis. With little or no warning, Educators were plunged into a rapid spin cycle of adapting and delivering high-quality education in amongst chaos and unpredictability. In a job already requiring so much more than teaching a curriculum, Educators were now responsible for keeping their students calm, helping parents learn how to assist with online learning and all the while going through the same shock and uncertainty everyone else did, as a pandemic swept the world over.

This chapter is an opportunity for Educators to begin their wellbeing path by reviewing what they went through and how far they’ve come. May it always be a reminder of what Educators resiliently and heroically rose up to and achieved in such a short amount of time. May it show newcomers to the field of Education, who may have joined the profession after the Global Pandemic, that this is the powerful, limitless capability of an Educator.

May it be a reminder that if anything like this ever happens again, Educators need to be prepared and supported, so they don’t do all of this at the sacrifice of their wellbeing.

Why did the Global Pandemic feel like going to war?

It didn’t take long to feel the ferocity of the virus. No one felt, or was, immune. Negative stories devastated the newsreel and the world went in to battle to ‘flatten the curve.’ A fight was on between a powerful, highly contagious killer and humanity. It was travelling fast, giving no secrets away, like a highly trained assassin. With no vaccine and high infection rates, the world had gone to war against something they felt completely powerless against.

Life changed.

Educators’ usual methods of stress management (time with friends, sports, hobbies, going to the gym, going to restaurants and cafes) were shut down abruptly. Under these uniquely challenging circumstances, maintaining healthy wellbeing was, naturally, extremely difficult.

The loss of control and sense of constant defeat was interrupted with occasional glimpses of a flattening curve and feeling like things were looking up… soon followed by another peak and more tragic news. No one knew for sure what was going on and messages about how to respond were inconsistent and chaotic. Meanwhile, Educators continued on with the job of teaching in person for longer than most felt comfortable, followed by teaching online sooner than most felt prepared for.

Not having a sense of control or autonomy can lead to feelings of despair and anxiety. Focusing on what you can control is crucial during periods of shock, change and grief. Few people are aware of this small yet powerful wellbeing tool. By regaining a sense of control over variables in your power (like how much news you read and watch, your social media engagement, self-care rituals, engaging in things that bring you a sense of confidence and accomplishment, gratitude and presence) you’re able to redirect your thinking and actions when things become too much. Educators, along with other essential services, didn’t have the luxury of time to develop this knowledge or learn these skills. They had to keep going. A sense of control or autonomy was a far cry from their reality.

While the challenges of every day teaching pale in comparison to what Educators went through during the Global Pandemic, they are still very challenging. Whether it’s managing a heavy workload, facing a difficult class dynamic, not feeling there’s enough time to pause and catch your breath or struggling to find the sweet spot for teaching a disengaged student, your job as an Educator has inevitable daily challenges.

Now you’ve achieved something as colossal as keeping yourself and your students safe in what felt like a battlefield, it’s time to invest in recovery and looking forward towards resetting and recharging your healthy wellbeing.

All the ‘what ifs’

Educators, while not directly treating the ill, were in a different kind of ‘front-line’ to healthcare workers. They worked hands on until schools closed, in classrooms full of young people with no guaranteed health clearance. It didn’t take long for Educators’ minds to be swamped by all the ‘what ifs.’

What if you unknowingly contracted the virus somewhere and then gave it to your students, who would then spread it far and wide? What if you unknowingly contracted the virus at school and passed it on to your family? What if you were asymptomatic and have been a carrier for some time?

All the ‘what ifs’ made Educators feel understandably anxious, unable to think clearly and confidently; especially considering Educators, like other essential workers, didn’t have the luxury of choosing whether or not they came into work.

Impact beyond the classroom

Many Educators felt frustrated during the pandemic, with the very real struggle of continuing as an Educator and supporting their students while also experiencing their own personal challenges like everyone else. Educators also experienced fear of job loss, worry about contagion, stress about bringing the virus home to their families; they were helping their own children adapt to online learning, having small businesses fold, partners losing their jobs and so on. They were in a rapidly changing environment, adapting and reinventing themselves, being exposed to large groups of young people where social distancing was impossible (before school shut down completely) with the background noise of their own lives.

When Educators got home from work, they couldn’t greet their families in the usual way and launched into a crucial hygiene ritual – just in case they had been exposed that day. Cleaning and hygiene fatigue didn’t take long to arrive. It’s no wonder they reported such feelings of overwhelming stress. Covid-19 was affecting every aspect of their life and wellbeing. There was no break from staring the pandemic right in the eye.

The emotional rollercoaster

When you go through a more than usual life challenge or crisis, it’s only natural your emotions will be less predictable. You can feel on top of everything one moment and completely lost the next. Progressing through change and the associated feelings doesn’t happen in a straight line. At first, Educators put their super hero capes on, as they had done many times before, and rose to the challenge, resiliently collaborating to make things work for their students. Many felt they could handle it. That was until the immediate and long-term social, emotional, economic and health impacts of the crisis became abundantly clear – right alongside the overwhelming reality that a hopeful heart and solid work ethic was not enough to sustain Educators through the pressure and expectation placed upon them. This was much bigger than just figuring out how to teach online.

Emotional rollercoasters are a tough ride and Educators spent most of the Global Pandemic on one. Some are still trying to get off. It’s time to return the favour by allowing Educators to put themselves first this time and develop the tools to build a solid wellbeing foundation that will sustain them now and well into the future.

Pretending to be okay when you’re not okay

Amongst all the upheaval and uncertainty of the Global Pandemic, Educators had the additional responsibility of maintaining calm and confidence to support their students’ wellbeing first and foremost. There was an unspoken rule it seemed to be to not complain, to take it all in stride, adapt fast and appear to be on top of things. Meanwhile, the learning curve was massive.

In the early days in particular, many Educators felt the pressure to keep it all together for the sake of the children, while politely tucking their own personal feelings away from public view.

While some days were better than others, the demands of adjusting to new routines, teaching young people about vigilant hygiene and social distancing, transferring to online learning with some students already at home and others still at school, was demanding to say the least. When schools closed down, Educators were teaching online, trying to support their students while also taking care of their own families. Those Educators who were parents were managing this while supporting their own childrens’ distance learning, too.

Job uncertainty for relief teachers and school support officers became higher, adding the fear of job loss. Educators were watching other workplaces close their doors and ask staff to stay home and socially isolate. Some teachers and school support officers reported feelings of wanting to leave the profession during the peak of their anxiety about contracting Covid-19. Many feared admitting that they were struggling or experiencing anxiety and sadness. All these mixed feelings around a profession they genuinely loved and cared about was unravelling their sense of wellbeing.

Being able to express your feelings without fear of judgement is crucial for your wellbeing. When you find yourself unable to talk openly for whatever reason, remember there are other avenues you can turn towards.

To start thinking about this, take a moment to write the names of five people (or professionals/online services) where you can seek non-judgemental support and advice.

There may be a long way to go where help seeking is seen not only as natural, but necessary. Do everything you can to find courage to seek help, from that first moment you feel like you’re struggling but, for whatever reason, can’t talk openly about it yet.

Post traumatic amnesia

First of all, I’m not sure there is officially such a thing as ‘post traumatic amnesia,’ but the phrase seemed fitting for what I’m about to write here. I’ve been around for a while and one thing I’ve noticed is when a crisis occurs, after the initial shock, people have a natural tendency to grow accustomed to the situation. They soon forget what was learned and return to ‘normal,’ like nothing even happened. At the time of crisis, we collectively pause and take it all in. We meaningfully examine what’s happened and do what we can to contribute to improving the situation. We even plan how we are going to learn, grow and come out stronger than ever. After a while, it’s like we get amnesia. It’s like nothing happened. There is rarely time to process everything and reset.

Covid-19 was much more than a health crisis. It was a global economic, emotional and psychological breakdown of everything we once knew. Coming out of social isolation is not going to miraculously heal the pain of social isolation, especially for those who lost loved ones during lockdown and couldn’t collectively grieve. A vaccine isn’t going to erase the anxiety that emerged when we were all drowning in the fear of contagion and seeing people lose their lives all around the world. Economic resurgence isn’t going to repair the damage of what job loss and insecurity felt like and returning to school isn’t going to subtract from the upheaval and exhaustion of distance learning.

Life can’t just go back. Not without working through the consequences of what we experienced, anyway. This doesn’t mean we have to spend months and years reflecting on it. There simply need to be opportunities to reset, recharge and recover. To talk about feelings and to adapt yet again to this new phase. Once there has been time for that – a process for that – the mind can let go and flourish yet again.

What people didn’t know

To end this chapter, I ask you to take a moment to remember what you went through that you didn’t talk about. Acknowledge it and feel proud you overcame such a lonely, tiring and frightening time. Next time you look back on what you went through, try moving beyond the upset feelings and welcome, instead, feelings of pride and accomplishment.

It’s time to look ahead and put you first, so you can have the healthiest wellbeing of your life – and keep it that way. The world needs you to be okay. Educators are the custodians of much more than teaching a curriculum, they influence and tighten the global social thread.

In Educator’s words…

The following showcases what a handful of teachers, principals, school support officers, school psychologists and other Educators had to say about the impact the Global Pandemic had on them. Most have their names published and others requested that their names be withheld. There were also many Educators whose heartfelt and useful comments could not be included without surpassing my word limit. I’m so grateful for their time as well.

Here, they share their heart with us: what kept them going and what they love about the work they do each day, to benefit the growth of the next generation.

From Shawn Hutchinson, Head of School, ACG School Jakarta, Indonesia (Member of Inspired Education)

On 2 March 2020, ACG School Jakarta was thrust into virtual schooling as we made the decision to temporarily close our campus in response to Covid-19 measures. One of our teachers had tested positive to the virus and was one of the first known cases in Indonesia. We spent weeks prior observing and learning from our colleagues in China and Vietnam, but nothing could prepare us fully for the journey we have undertaken. We are now in our fourteenth week of virtual schooling and will sadly end this academic year with an online Graduation, Prizegiving and End of Year Assembly. As we have a transient international school community made up of 70 % expatriate students and families, we will have to say goodbye to teachers, students and parents who are relocating from Indonesia to their next international posts. Our school re-opening contingency plans for an A...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Introduction
• 1 What the 2020 Global Pandemic highlighted about Educator wellbeing
• 2 Resetting for healthy wellbeing
• 3 Recharging your wellbeing battery
• 4 A license to rest and recover
• 5 Where to from here? Making wellbeing comebacks, not wellbeing ‘go backs’
• 6 Stories of courage, hope and endurance: wellbeing during crisis and challenge
• 7 Where to from here?
• Index