When COVID-19 was categorized as a pandemic in March 2020, and parents suddenly were spending more time with their children and gaining an understanding of the difficulties of teaching, there were rallying cries that teachers should be paid a million dollars a year. After years of not feeling respected for their choice to enter into the classroom, teachers were finally feeling as though the tide was changing and were finally gaining the respect they deserve.
In the fall of last year, the all too familiar voices of people telling teachers to stop complaining and to get back into the classroom because children should no longer be learning at home replaced the million-dollar cries from the spring. Despite the fact that COVID was still a pandemic and cases of the coronavirus were on the rise. All of this had an emotional impact on the social-emotional health of teachers.
So, what can we all do about it? Click below to watch/listen to Sera Deo, a 4th grade teacher, and David Adams, the chief executive officer of the Urban Assembly and board member of CASEL, discuss the toll of the pandemic on teachers and provide ways that teachers can recover from the last year. This is not just about practicing self-care at the same time we pile on the responsibilities of teachers. This is about finding a balance between dealing with what is on the plate of teachers at the same time we explore what can come off that plate.
A Seat at the Table With Education Week: How to Support Teacher Well-Being.
